Kearny is a Scottish town that happens to be in New Jersey. In the late nineteenth century, thread mills and linoleum factories run by Scottish companies drew workers from Scotland and Northern Ireland to this hilly strip of land between the Passaic and Hackensack rivers, and they brought with them their churches, pipe bands and, above all, football. For decades Kearny was known as Soccer Town USA, producing an unusual number of players for the US national team, and the sport still matters here more than in most American towns.
The town sits on a ridge above the Meadowlands, with Newark across the Passaic to the west and the Hackensack marshes and Manhattan skyline to the east. The streets near the main avenue still have the feel of an old mill town, with modest brick houses, pubs, bakeries and churches, though many of today's residents are of Portuguese, Latin American and other heritage. Down on the marshes, the old industrial land of Kearny Point and South Kearny is a world of warehouses, rail lines, truck terminals and power lines, crossed by elevated highways.
The riding in is honest urban work. The New Jersey Turnpike, Route 280, the Belleville Pike and Route 7 all cross the area, along with a web of local roads, and trucks are everywhere because of the nearby port and rail yards. Expect potholes, construction and heavy traffic at peak hours. It is not scenic, but crossing the Meadowlands on the elevated roads gives you big views of the marshes, the rivers and the skyline, especially at dusk.
Kearny Avenue has stations, bakeries and coffee, and New Jersey's full-service law means an attendant will fill your tank. If you want a taste of the town's heritage, look for a shop selling Scottish meat pies, sausage rolls and shortbread, a local tradition that has outlived the mills.
After the North Fork of Long Island, with its lighthouses, vineyards and farm stands, or the gentle Litchfield Hills of Connecticut, this finish feels very different, but it has its own story, and the light over the Meadowlands at sunset can be beautiful.