Until last month, every public honor Union City had given a musician sat on Bergenline Avenue. The Walk of Fame stars are at Celia Cruz Plaza on Bergenline at 31st Street. The one musician street co-naming was on Bergenline between 14th and 15th Streets. That changed in a single week in late September. Two new street signs for Dominican music legends went up on corners off the avenue, one on New York Avenue and one on Hudson Avenue. Union City's music history now runs through the side streets as well as the main shopping strip. That puts it on blocks people walk every day without passing a plaza.
Twenty Years on One Avenue
Celia Cruz Plaza is the anchor. The city's own history says Celia Cruz Park was dedicated in 2004 and that Latin stars are recognized there every spring with a star in what has become Union City's Walk of Fame. A 2017 Jersey Journal report puts the dedication in 2005, so the founding year depends on which source you read.
That same 2017 report says the park had 42 stars by then. It named Tito Puente, Pedro Knight, Johnny Pacheco, Cachao, José Alberto "El Canario," Rafael Pineda, Benny Moré, José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma" and Lalo Rodríguez. It was covering a star ceremony for singer-songwriter Alvaro Torres, set for noon on November 11, 2017, free and open to the public.
Not every honoree came from salsa or merengue. In October 2021, the city invited the public to a star dedication for Felipe Rose of the Village People at Bergenline Avenue and 31st Street. In June 2022, Hudson TV reported that Tony Orlando had joined the plaza's star recipients. Orlando spent part of his teenage years in Union City before his family moved to Hasbrouck Heights.
The town's one earlier musician street co-naming also stayed on the avenue. In 2012, the Jersey Journal reported that Bergenline Avenue from 14th to 15th Street would be named Erick Morillo Way, after the house music producer and DJ.
The September Signs Went Up on Side Streets
Hudson TV reported on both dedications on September 27, 2026.
The first was on Thursday, September 24, at 32nd Street and New York Avenue. Mayor Brian Stack and the Board of Commissioners honored Fefita la Grande in front of a large crowd. She received a city proclamation before the sign naming the corner Fefita la Grande Way was unveiled.
The second came the next day, Friday, September 25, at 48th Street and Hudson Avenue. José Alberto "El Canario" received a city proclamation and the unveiling of a street sign. Hudson TV noted that Alberto grew up in Union City and has a large following in the Dominican community. Hudson TV also reported that both honorees were overwhelmed by the city's decision.
Here is where things stand now:
| Honor | Location | On Bergenline? | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celia Cruz Plaza Walk of Fame | Bergenline Ave. at 31st St. | Yes | Park dedicated 2004 or 2005, depending on source |
| Erick Morillo Way | Bergenline Ave., 14th to 15th St. | Yes | Dedication ceremony scheduled October 11, 2012 |
| Fefita la Grande Way | 32nd St. and New York Ave. | No | September 24, 2026 |
| José Alberto "El Canario" corner | 48th St. and Hudson Ave. | No | September 25, 2026 |
El Canario Is Now Honored in Two Places
José Alberto is the clearest example of the change. He was already on the Walk of Fame by 2017. As of last month, he also has a street sign on Hudson Avenue in the town where he grew up. The star lists him among dozens of names on one stretch of Bergenline. The sign gives him a corner of his own, 17 blocks north of the plaza.
Fefita la Grande Way does something similar. It sits one block north of the plaza's cross street, but on New York Avenue rather than Bergenline. Taken together, the two September signs stretch Union City's music markers from 31st Street to 48th Street and across three different avenues. Before September, all of them were on one.
A Walk Between the Three Northern Markers
The plaza and the two new corners can be walked in one afternoon. The places to eat along the way are a mix of family-run Cuban spots and newer Dominican and Colombian kitchens. Here's a route from south to north:
Start at Celia Cruz Plaza, Bergenline Avenue at 31st Street. Read the stars, then get food nearby. La Churreria at 3300 Bergenline Avenue has been family-owned for more than 40 years. It serves Cuban comfort food along with the churros it's named for, and reviews mention its churrasco. El Pollo Supremo at 3223 Bergenline Avenue is known for chicken marinated overnight and char-broiled, served with a Latin American and Caribbean menu.
Go one block up to 32nd Street. Maria Mentiras Bar + Grill at 328 32nd Street serves Latin food and hosts karaoke and salsa dancing during the week. That's the one stop on this route where music still happens live, a block from the stars honoring it.
Continue on 32nd Street to New York Avenue for Fefita la Grande Way. Two places on the same street are worth knowing. Noches de Colombia at 420 32nd Street is a Colombian café with pandebono and other baked goods, plus full plates like bandeja paisa. Carro Café at 518 32nd Street started in Brooklyn and expanded to Union City. Its menu focuses on modern Dominican and gourmet dishes, which fits a corner named for a Dominican performer.
Head north to 48th Street and Hudson Avenue for El Canario's corner. La Gran Via Bakery at 135 48th Street is a Cuban bakery known for fresh pastries and custom cakes. A few blocks south on Bergenline, Las Americas Cafe at 4509 Bergenline Avenue serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It has a daily special and a long dessert menu that includes flan de coco and tres leches cake. Across the street, Mi Bella Colombia at 4512 Bergenline Avenue serves Colombian food from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
The route starts and ends on Bergenline but spends its middle on 32nd Street and New York Avenue. Before September, a walk to see the town's music honors would never have left the avenue.
Two City Events Off the Main Strip This Fall
The city's fall calendar also uses spaces off the main strip. Erick Morillo Way is still the southern marker, and the free Union City Children's Halloween Festival is a block away from it. The festival runs Saturday, October 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. on 15th Street between Bergenline Avenue and New York Avenue, with rides, candy and children's activities.
On Thursday, November 19, at noon, the city is holding a Celebrating Puerto Rican Heritage Month event at International Plaza, at the corner of 38th Street and Palisade Avenue. That's another public space a few blocks off Bergenline, between the plaza and El Canario's corner. Check the city's calendar for the latest details before you go.
Paul K. Bryant and The Hudson Essex Collection keep track of changes like these across Union City, from new street signs to the bakery on the next corner. If you live near Fefita la Grande Way, El Canario's corner or anywhere along the route and want to know what your home is worth today, start with our Instant Home Valuation.
