Stephanie Spear 
As longtime residents of Hoboken, New Jersey, we know the charm is undeniable, which is why it’s so fun to spot things related to our little city around the world. From Hoboken, Belgium (which we covered as the European sister city in name to Hoboken back in 2015), to train and transit stations everywhere, the Mile Square has an outsized influence on the world (Oreos, baseball, Lipton tea, Maxwell coffee, even when you zip a zipper!). For years, TLG founder Jen has had her eye on Hoboken, GA, a tiny town about 60 miles north of Jacksonville, FL.
Then, our writer Sarah Griesbach wrote this article about Hoboken Around the World, which also mentioned the town of Hoboken in Georgia. So when TLG Copy Editor Stephanie found herself in Coastal Georgia for a vacation earlier this summer, she had to make a slight detour for the ultimate Hoboken side quest. This tiny hamlet is over 500 miles away from Hoboken, New Jersey, but it was worth the stop – if only for the plot. Read on for more about our visit to Hoboken, Georgia and a little about the other Hobokens of the world.
Hoboken, GA
The town is reportedly named after Hoboken, NJ: according to Georgia Place Names and Their History, the connection is likely. “This town in the western part of the county may have been named for the city in New Jersey, which was named from the Algonquian word hopocan, meaning ‘tobacco pipe” or “pipe country.”
The town is about three square miles and has a population of about 500. This is very different from ‘our’ Hoboken, which is one square mile and has a population of about 58,000.
Signs on the outside of town
While many know of Hoboken, NJ’s musical pedigree, Hoboken, GA is a musical capital in its own right. Hoboken, GA is the birthplace of Hoboken Harp Singing, which is an American folk style of acapella signing. Sacred Harp Singing was popular in this region of Southeastern Georgia and Northern Florida, and the community of Hoboken has its own style. Hoboken Sacred Harp Singing uses a lower register, a slower pace, and more vocal embellishments than traditional Harp Singing.
Coca-Cola’s HQ is in Atlanta, 300 miles away from Hoboken.
Hoboken, GA is home to an annual Bluegrass Festival and an annual All-Day Singing event dedicated to Sacred Harp Singing.
While ‘our’ Hoboken is known for its density of bars and restaurants, Hoboken, GA did not have the same lineup. It’s in a rural area and is located between two major highways. The biggest and closest city is Waycross, about 15 miles away. Waycross is where six major railroad lines intersect, which is how it got its name. The port of Brunswick, GA is about 45 miles to the east, and is a major location for vehicle and agricultural exports.
This mural was fun.
All of this together means that Hoboken, GA is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of place, with a lot of big trucks driving through. But we had to get out and look around. After all, how often do you find yourself in your town’s Southern doppelganger?
The City Hall + Police Station are in the same building.
Like our Hoboken, there were signs and public artwork showing off the town’s pride. One thing that Hoboken GA has that Hoboken NJ will never have is an enormous, red water tower with the town name on it. Some of our other picks included a retro-style Coca-Cola mural, the one-story City Hall, and the signs all over the place about Sacred Harp Singing.
TLG Editor Stephanie at the Police Station. The signs on the right are for the Sacred Harp singing.
Just like our Hoboken, Hoboken, GA is one-of-a-kind. Maybe we can set up a barbeque-for-pizza-and-bagels cultural exchange between our two cities.
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