The Loew's Is Back: How to Plan a Night Out on Journal Square This Fall

"The Loew's Jersey Theatre was built for this city in 1929 and it's reopening its doors to this city in 2026," Mayor James Solomon said when New Jersey Stage reported the grand reopening dates in September. On Friday, Nov. 13, the Trey Anastasio Band opens the restored theatre. The War On Drugs plays the next night.

The house rules belong to a modern concert venue. You can't leave and come back. Umbrellas are banned, the bars only take cards, and the theatre has no parking lot. Each rule changes how the evening works. It starts at the Journal Square Transportation Center, and dinner happens before doors on the blocks around the plaza, because once you're inside you stay inside.

A 1929 movie palace that now books like an arena

The Loew's opened on Sept. 28, 1929. Rapp and Rapp designed it as a 3,021-seat "Wonder Theatre," one of five flagship palaces Loew's Theatres built in and around New York City and the only one outside the five boroughs. It became a National Historic Landmark in 2022.

The restored theatre has flexible seating for about 2,600 to 4,000 guests. Depending on the layout, that can be well above the original seat count, and the venue is pitched for concerts, sporting events, films and community events. The restoration covered the exterior facades, every public space, the stage and support areas, and the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. At the announcement, the mayor thanked HBSE, the Friends of the Loew's, the NJEDA and the JCRA as partners.

Many people in Jersey City know the Loew's through the volunteer work the Friends of the Loew's did there for years. A crowd of up to 4,000 needs crowd-management rules, though, and the reopened theatre has them.

The house rules that shape the whole evening

Everything below comes from the theatre's FAQ page. A few of these rules will decide when you eat, what you carry and how you get home.

1. No re-entry. "Once you exit the theatre you will not be allowed back inside." If you step out for dinner between doors and showtime, your night is over.
2. No umbrellas. Umbrellas are on the prohibited list along with selfie sticks, tripods, GoPros and cameras with detachable lenses. That matters for a November show. A hooded coat is the easier choice.
3. Small bags only. Bags or backpacks larger than 14 by 14 by 6 inches aren't allowed, and the FAQ adds that "some events may enforce a modified bag policy." Check your event page before you leave home.
4. Cashless, with limits at the bar. Food and drinks are sold inside at most events, and outside food and drink are prohibited. The bar sells a maximum of two alcoholic drinks per person per sale and cards anyone who looks younger than 30. Photos or screenshots of an ID aren't accepted.
5. One empty water bottle. Each guest may bring one non-glass, non-metal bottle of 18 ounces or less, empty at entry. Refill stations are in the Loge lobby on level 2 and in the Lower Lounge.
6. Rules for younger guests. Children under 24 months can sit on a parent's or guardian's lap without a ticket. Everyone older needs a ticket, and guests under 16 must stay with a parent or legal guardian the whole time. The venue suggests hearing protection for anyone under 16.

Accessibility details are on the same page. Wheelchair and mobility-limited tickets are sold at different price points, and a ticket for a wheelchair space doesn't include a seat. The FAQ also lists an automatic-door entrance at street level, elevator access, assisted-listening devices, and ASL interpretation if you request it at least three weeks ahead. For service animals, the venue asks for advance notice at [email protected] so it can seat you with enough room.

Getting there: the plaza does the work

The theatre is at 54 Journal Square Plaza, directly across from the Journal Square Transportation Center. You can arrive by PATH from Hoboken, Manhattan and Newark, NJ Transit Light Rail or regional buses, and the venue "strongly encouraged" public transit. Its parking guidance is one sentence long: parking is available at "various, privately-owned commercial lots within walking distance."

That fits with the no-re-entry rule. A night here works best when you come in through the station, eat within a few blocks of it, and walk across the plaza when doors open.

Buy tickets ahead through Ticketmaster or the theatre's own site. The venue says it can't help validate tickets that don't scan if they weren't bought through Ticketmaster. The plan is for the box office to open two hours before doors on show days. As of this week the FAQ still lists it as not yet open, with hours to start "Fall 2026."

Where to eat before doors, block by block

With no re-entry and no outside food, dinner happens before you go in. Over the past year or so, several places have opened within a short walk of the plaza.

Summit Avenue and the Journal Squared towers

BRBQ is at 532 Summit Avenue in Journal Square Urby. Hoboken Girl profiled it in August 2025 as a Korean-American restaurant with a full bar, cocktails, beer and wine, and both brunch and dinner. It's the most natural sit-down dinner before a show.

Cangiano's Marketplace at 531 Summit Avenue opened its Journal Square location in 2025. Jersey Digs reported that it sells Italian sandwiches, hot food, desserts and imported specialty goods. If doors are at 6:30 and you're coming straight from the PATH, a sandwich here is the quick option.

The Café at Journal Squared is at 595 Pavonia Avenue. According to Jersey Digs' June update, it serves a Thursday-through-Saturday menu from 4 to 7 p.m. with beer, wine and casual food. Both opening-weekend shows fall inside that Thursday-through-Saturday stretch. On Friday the window overlaps the 6:30 door time, and on Saturday it closes just as doors open at 7.

Also on Summit Avenue, Jersey Digs reported in May that the Michelin-ranked ramen shop Mensho was expected to open later this year on the ground floor of 505 Summit. Check that it's open before you plan around it.

Bergen Avenue and Sip Avenue

The Kati Roll Company opened its first New Jersey location at 924 Bergen Avenue in July. Jersey Digs reported that the franchise is run by Jay Sorathiya, who also runs JJ Sports Bar near the Journal Square PATH station. The menu is Kolkata-style rolls such as the Achari Paneer Roll and the Unda Chicken Tikka Roll.

Khokha at 60 Sip Avenue serves Pakistani-American burgers and comfort food. It began serving just before Christmas 2024, according to Jersey Digs, so it has been around longer than the others on this list.

Newark Avenue

Café con Rumba at 564 Newark Avenue serves Cuban-influenced breakfast, lunch and dinner every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., per Hoboken Girl. Since it opens early, it's the easiest place nearby for breakfast before the Loew's only morning show this season, described below.

The opening run, matched to the right evening

The first season mixes a rock weekend, R&B, holiday shows, comedy and a hometown ballet. Times and dates come from the theatre's event pages and the September announcement.

Opening night is a Friday with a 6:30 door time, which is a tight window if you're coming from work. The Saturday show starts 30 minutes later. The Jersey Nutcracker is the most local show of the season. The theatre calls it a Garden State story performed by young dancers from across New Jersey. The 11 a.m. performance is the only morning slot on the calendar, and the under-16 and lap-seating rules above apply to it. Looking further out, the September announcement lists World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music for May 8, 2027.

If you already have tickets, I'd pick dinner by door time and bring a small bag and a hooded coat. You can't step back out once you're inside.

The reopening of the Loew's is one of the larger changes Journal Square has seen in years. If you're curious how new anchors like this one affect the nearby blocks, I'm happy to talk it through with no agenda. Reach out to Kevin Dowd anytime. Let's Connect.