Sarah Griesbach 
Word on the street about Nerd Alley, or, as it’s also known, Gamers Row in Jersey City, has made some nerds of the Mile Square City a little defensive about the less condensed but very present nerd world of Hoboken. The truth is, Jersey City and Hoboken nerds are not closed groups. There are no borough borders for playing tabletop tournaments and finding collectables. Hoboken has, however, a lot to be proud of in its plethora of solidly nerdy locations. Read on to discover the best places in Hoboken for gamers to play their favorite RPGs, collectors to buy and exchange mint trading cards, and to revel in the creative play that makes nerds great.
Hoboken
Hoboken has always been nerdy. In 1994, Computer Gaming World nominated the wild and surreal Superhero League of Hoboken for its role-playing game of the year award. The Hoboken of that post-apocalyptic future pits mutant superheroes against mutant supervillains — like Crimson Tape, who makes organizational charts, and Iron Tummy, who can eat at the utmost spice level. Board gaming meetups and dedicated game lounges may be new to Hoboken, but the nerd was within us all along.
Booming TCG & Collectibles Hobby Shop | 550 Observer Highway
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Dragon Ball tournaments, Digimon battles, learn-to-play League of Legends deck building events, Magic the Gathering, and so much more — the Booming TCG events calendar offers something for every level of nerd, including the in-development.
Hoboken Public Library | 500 Park Avenue
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Hoboken Library has a Library of Things, including video game playing systems like Atari Flashback, PlayStation Classic, and Sega Mini. The main library branch also hosts an occasional board game event in the large program room.
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Little City Books | 100 Bloomfield Street
Little City Books has a well-curated manga section, which is, let’s name it and claim it, very nerdy. When asked if they host any regular game nights or other nerd-adjacent gatherings, the response was a welcoming “not at the moment, but you could always propose to run one.”
Mothership | 257 First Street
New to Hoboken, but heavy on the retro, Mothership creates a much-needed space in the fight against our modern loneliness epidemic. This is the place to get your Mario Kart fix, see cult classic movies with other cine-nerds, and shop for the geekiest gifts. As the calendar of events expands, opportunities to find your people grow exponentially.
Panera Bread | 310 Washington Street
A Hoboken Board Games meetup group meets every Friday night at Panera Bread. This is a sweet group of welcoming people sharing their love of board games with all comers. Gamers must RSVP and should plan to buy some game snacks from the host venue while playing.
Play! Hoboken | 1012 Grand Street, Floors 2 and 3
The Game Lounge at Play! Hoboken is the star location for all things nerd, with Mah Jong every month, DnD twice weekly and once a week for kids, Commander every Sunday, Flesh & Blood on Wednesdays, and a Pokémon Swap every 2nd Sunday of the month with giveaways! The daily late-night hours make this nerd haven an excellent destination for sober nights out.
The Rocket Club | 720 Monroe Street, C413
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It must be said that nerdiness is not all fun and games, and that adults can’t have access to absolutely everything. The Rocket Club in Hoboken is very serious — and also, undoubtedly fun. This geeky STEM program is just for kids, though adults can participate as teachers and mentors. Coding, robotics, 3D printing, biotech, and rocket science are the stuff a truly nerdy childhood is built upon.
Symposia Books | 510 Washington Street
What is on the calendar at Symposia Books depends only upon what events are submitted by patrons. Past group events have included all kinds of group game nights and gaming workshops. This is the place to go to try hosting your own adventure and buy a used book while doing it.
Jersey City
Akiba House | 30 Mall Drive W
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Located on the second floor of Newport Centre, Akiba House is a go-to for anime collectors’ merch. Funko pops, pins, figurines, plushies, trading cards, and international snacks can be found as customers listen to the store’s selection of background anime music. Akiba House’s full inventory can be found here.
Dungeon Books | 115 Brunswick Street, Storefront 1R
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This store has a large library of books, including novels, vintage literature, comics, and manga. Cute hobby items + gift ideas, such as puzzles, paints, and bookmarks, can also be found. Dungeon Books also accepts bookings for Dungeons + Dragons campaign sessions, with a max of 5 players. For more information, visit here.
Gaming Cafe | 546 West Side Avenue, Suite 4
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Held at 123 Lex Venues + Events, this modern gaming lounge includes 7 large flatscreen TVs, modern gaming consoles, a massive game library, and virtual reality sessions. It also includes a bar, snacks + refreshments, and on-site assistance from staff.
Kaleido TCG | 113 Tidewater Street 1G A
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Kaleido TCG is located downtown and specializes in Pokémon TCG, Riftbound, the One Piece Card Game, and Gundam Card Game. It also offers card trade-ins, sales, and PSA grading submission services. Tabletop playing events are also held regularly and can be found here.
The Pixel Lab | 381 First Street
The Pixel Lab is an all-ages arcade with a wide variety of machines and gaming consoles to choose from. Players can choose between an all-day $25 pass, which also comes with fountain drinks, or spend $16 per hour. The Pixel Lab includes computer stations to play a variety of PC games on, as well as booths with vintage televisions and old-school gaming consoles with a wide library. The Pixel Lab is always bringing in new arcade machines and games to play, so keep up with updates on its Instagram.
Rene Angelo Store Toys & Collectibles | 287 Central Avenue
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This toy store is adjacent to The Heights and specializes in figurines, including Funko Pops, anime toys, superhero items, and wrestling action figures. Their inventory includes a wide selection of items and is updated weekly.
Victory Point | 112 Brunswick Street
This shop is a go-to for Jersey City tabletop gamers and has a wide range of games to select from, tournaments, demo nights, and tables available for rent. Trading card games + accessories in its library include Dungeons and Dragons, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, and Yu-Gi-Oh. Classic board games that can be found include Clue, Monopoly, Connect Four, Pictionary, and more. For a list of events at Victory Point, visit here.
WORD | 29 McWilliams Place
WORD is a bookstore originally based in Brooklyn, joining Jersey City in 2013. It includes books of all genres, including gaming, graphic novels, and comic-based literature.
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