A guy sits on a couch near the front window at Ground on Jersey Avenue reading a copy of the New York Times. He sips hot coffee and enjoys a croissant. A couple of feet next to him, two women sit at a table talking about art and a popular TV show. In the back room, a kid checks his e-mail on his laptop while listening to music with his headphones.
At Ground, downtown Jersey City’s newest meeting place, residents are enjoying their lattes and espressos while making new friends. Co-owner Carol Tzeng opened Ground with her friend John Garrison last year to offer the downtown community quality coffees at reasonable prices. It was also meant as a place where people could meet, do work on their computers, and chat.
"We are giving people a place to go. It’s an alternative to meeting people at a bar," Tzeng said.
Already, Ground has become the talk of the town. They serve flavored coffee, cappuccino, café au lait, gourmet hot chocolate, hot tea, hot apple cider and macchiato. Prices range from $1 to $4. The menu also include cold drinks like fruit juices, sodas, iced coffees and spring water and specialty drinks like caramel macchiato, white mocha cappuccino, and caramel apple cider. In addition, Ground offers soups, yogurts, and sandwiches.
Every four weeks, a different local artist showcases his work on the walls of the shop, and an open mic is held once every two months.
Ground employee Ryan Thomas, originally from Florida, said the community is responding well to the establishment and they have loyal regulars who refer to Ground as "my coffee shop."
"It’s definitely a popular place," Thomas said.
People can post announcements in the front of the coffee shop, and periodicals are available for purchase. Ground serves as an ideal spot to enjoy what Historic Downtown Jersey City has to offer this holiday season. And don’t forget to purchase a Ground t-shirt for $12 – a perfect gift for the holidays. Ground sell many kinds of whole bean and freshly ground coffees like Columbian Supreme, Brazilian Santos, Costa Rican, French Roast, Hazelnut and Miscela d’Oro Espresso.
"Downtown is a pretty tight community with kind and warm residents," Tzeng said.
Ground is located at 530 Jersey Ave., only two blocks from the Grove Street PATH station. It is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information call (201) 209-0303 or visit www.ground-jc.com. q