One of the most popular lodging choices for visitors to Manhattan is not actually in New York City. Just across the Hudson River in New Jersey, Airbnb and other home-sharing sites are booming, attracting travelers seeking less expensive places to stay.
Much of the growth is focused in Jersey City, a thriving community in Hudson County, which is among the top 30 revenue-generating counties in the nation for Airbnb hosts.
Now a recent law adopted by Jersey City limiting short-term rentals has made this flourishing market the latest front in the battle between Airbnb and public officials trying to find ways to impose rules on the home-sharing industry.
But unlike in other cities, such as in New York, where the company has gone to court to fight regulations, in Jersey City, Airbnb is trying a novel strategy: taking its case to voters.
