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So much for shopping around: Hundreds of unscrupulous NJ gas stations cheating motorists.
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Home away from home
 
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So much for shopping around: hundreds of unscrupulous NJ gas stations cheating motorists -- here are some downtown ones:
CLK - the Red & Yellow gas station just outside the Holland Tunnel on 14th street was caught -- as was the Sunoco at 14th & Grove Street - and the Exxon also on 14th Street. This link will download a list of those gas stations caught: http://media.philly.com/documents/stationswithviolations.pdf  ============================= N.J.: Many gas station owners cheating motorists By Edward Colimore Inquirer Staff Writer With gas prices hovering at $4 a gallon, the pain at the pumps has been more painful in New Jersey because hundreds of unscrupulous gas station operators have been cheating motorists, state officials said yesterday. Nearly a quarter of the 1,023 stations (see below for a list of stations) recently checked by inspectors were cited with 350 violations, said state Attorney General Anne Milgram. Weights and measures inspectors discovered pricing discrepancies, inaccurate octane ratings and equipment that was improperly calibrated during a three-day check at the end of May. "Consumers deserve to get what they pay for, especially when they are paying record-setting prices for gasoline," Milgram said during a news conference at a West Orange station that was undergoing an annual inspection. "We cannot control the price of the gasoline but we can, and we are, upholding our laws and regulations regarding the sale of motor fuels." Milgram said she believed most of the violations were intentional, and said she had little tolerance for accidental violations because gas station operators were responsible for knowing and following the law. The attorney general called the findings of the state and county inspectors "deeply troubling" and added that stepped-up enforcement will continue. The state's 21 counties have 3,142 gas stations. Fifty three of the more than 240 stations ticketed by authorities were in Burlington County, 27 were in Camden County and four were in Gloucester County. While many of the violations directly affected the pump prices, others involved missing paperwork and signs that did not meet state specifications. Officials for the New Jersey Gasoline Retailers Association and Allied Trades could not be reached late yesterday for comment. The state's crackdown follows complaints from New Jersey drivers that they were being ripped off as they paid $4 gas prices - an amount more than $1 per gallon higher than the $2.91 average price of a year ago. Gas station dealers who violate the per-gallon pricing requirements face civil fines of up to $1,500 for the first offense and up to $3,000 for subsequent offenses. Individual counties process the violations and can also suspend a gas station's operating license for five to 30 days. Milgram last week announced charges against a dozen state employees for stealing gasoline from government fill-up stations. She said then that the state would complete a follow-up audit of vehicle and gasoline use by thousands of Children and Families Department workers. In the latest sweep, inspectors cited stations that did not give motorists the amount of gas they paid for. Others charged premium prices but dispensed lower octane fuel. "Let the word go out loud and clear - we have no tolerance for any gas station operator who tries to scam motorists who are already struggling with record gas prices," state Consumer Affairs Director David Szuchman said yesterday. Customers who suspect violations are asked to immediately call the state's weights and measures office at 732-815-4840. Click here for a list of stations cited with violations. Note: The state Attorney General?s office did specify what infraction was found at each gas station. Infractions included minor violations, such as missing paperwork or signs that did not meet state specifications. Contact staff writer Edward Colimore at 856-779-3833 or ecolimore@phillynews.com. This article contains information from the Associated Press.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 16:52
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Re: Where are all the BJ shopping carts coming from?
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Quite a regular
 
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Quote:
BJs should work with those guys who prowl the lot for illegally parked cars for the tow truck company. Since they're there anyway, and they presumably have spotters working from elevation watching people come and go from the lot, would it be alot of trouble for them to phone the manager of BJs every time they see someone pushing a cart off the premises? If they get a couple of bucks for every theft they prevent, it could work out very nicely for both parties. If people know they could be stopped, embarrassed and/or fined for this, they would surely quit stealing them.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 16:28
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My signature will be a funny quote and/or observation.
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Re: Sprinkler Req'd by JC for Brownstone Renovation
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Home away from home
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30,000 to 40,000 for a sprinkler is way too much...
No more than 20,000 for three units... shop around a bit... the market has fallen on its butt outside of the county, and you may be able to find a company that will give you a break. I am thinking about 5,000 dollars per unit which would be a fair price.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 16:22
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Re: What was going on last night around Ham Park?
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Home away from home
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Maybe all those nice firefighters and their big trucks turned out in numbers because our homes are all so close together and fire spreads REALLY REALLY fast.......
Posted on: 2008/6/20 16:15
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Re: 10 Ugly Buildings JERSEY CITY Would Be Better Off Without
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Home away from home
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Any of the track housing construction built along Manila Avenue in the early 80's or the garbage put up in every vacant lot in the Heights, Greenville, JSQ, and Marion. These houses are constructed cheaply and quickly with wax and spit. In other words, anything that looks like this:
 or this:  or this:  I lived in this town my whole life and remember when it was burning down in the 1970s. It's a shame that permits are being issued to built these cookie-cutter monstrosities. If you live in one now, I mean no disrespect. The architects, investors, and the city are to blame. This model is pretty popular lately: 
Posted on: 2008/6/20 16:14
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Re: Sprinkler Req'd by JC for Brownstone Renovation
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Just can't stay away
 
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From what I've read on Brownstoner.com it will be less than $30-40 thousand. Go to their site and enter "sprinkler system" and you'll find a lot of useful info. One guy just had it done to his brownstone and it cost him $6,000 for the water main pipe and $3000 per floor. That makes it $15,000 instead of $30.000. Still nothing to sneeze at....Apparently the sprinklers are only needed in hallway/exit area....
I totally get that you need to make the building to be safe but I kind of agree with the earlier poster about "making do." so far as cosmetics etc... So many people buy brownstones and victorians and blast out all the walls for an open floor plan with the obligatory kitchen opening into living room with the obligatory GRANITE ISLAND. I seriously think someday this V. popular style will become dated and people will return to the the cozy feel of a separate dining room and living room which open up to each other via pocket doors. There are a lot of good things about separate (though smallish) eat-in kitchen with a classic kitchen table (no island or stools in sight).It's old-fashioned, yes but the privacy is nice and it feels cozy and more house-like...
Posted on: 2008/6/20 15:49
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Re: Where are all the BJ shopping carts coming from?
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Quite a regular
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So, it?s ok to destroy a merchant?s property but it is not ok to photograph the creeps that are breaking the law and ripping off the store ?. You don?t see moral issue here? You have no problem blaming the merchant for the illegal actions of the law breaking thieves? ? Good one ? Go ahead, blame the victim and BJ?s is the victim in this case. The signs are clearly posted that removing a cart from the premises is against the law. The carts are provided for customer use on the premises. Period.
And what makes you think that BJ?s hasn?t tried to address the issue, which, by the way, has been going on since BJ?s opened its doors. They tried locking the carts up inside the store; there was the infamous shopping cart war between ShopRite and BJ?s where BJ personnel stopped anyone wheeling a BJ?s cart into ShopRite; they tried to put the locking devices on the carts but they were constantly getting jammed and thieves were constantly trying to break the locks; they had trucks going around picking up the carts on a daily basis, but nothing stops these creeps. You will find most ?locked? carts near the Avalon Cove and other high rise apartments; being walked on 8th Street; and, loaded with materials on construction sites. I?ve even seen Pathmark carts in Hamilton Park. I think that whole ShopRite/BJ?s shopping area should be under surveillance and people who try to steal the carts, photographed and fined. There?s no other way to stop the illegal activity.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 15:41
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Re: 10 Ugly Buildings JERSEY CITY Would Be Better Off Without
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Home away from home
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I have some thoughts on this. I've limited my list to the downtown, though there are a few buildings near Journal Square which probably would be at the top of this list too, but I don't look at them as often, so I'm less offended by them. Also, after looking over the list I made, I think the two biggest things that are problematic are mid-1960s architecture and parking garages. Also, I linked to the buildings in my database with photos for a point of reference.
10. Battery View 9. Holland Gardens 8. 100 Pavonia Ave 7. Candlewood 6. Metropolis Towers 5. James Monroe 4. Golden Door 3. international Finance Center 2. Villa Borinquen Tower 1.Harborside 4A
Posted on: 2008/6/20 15:29
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Re: Sprinkler Req'd by JC for Brownstone Renovation
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Home away from home
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Quote:
On the one hand, that's a lot of money, and I'm sorry for the original poster and hope things work out. On the other hand, I sure wish someone had installed sprinklers in the apartment of the poor 90-year-old woman who burned to death at Second and Marin last month.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 15:22
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Re: is there a Holland Tunnel real time traffic cam / status?
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Home away from home
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The Holland traffic cams are nearly useless, a still doesn't tell you whether traffic is moving or not. At least show several lights in the frame, you can tell if it's backed up or not. The ramp from the TPK is ALWAYS backed up, no info there!
As for radio, it occasionally helps but is no guarantee. And places that are always slow aren't even reported, SNAFU. If I had a dime for every time I was stopped dead in traffic that was not reported on the radio....
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:51
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Re: Good Mechanic/Body Shop
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Home away from home
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I don't know what happened at Pete's Village Texaco (4th & BRUNSWICK) -- maybe it is because Pete isn't there much anymore, but my last few visits went poorly -- the worst thing is that they didn't even fix what was wrong -- but also their prices have gone WAY up and their turn around time has really SLOWED down. Maybe they have gotten too many people who read jclist now going there -- I don't know. The mechanics doing the work are still great but the front desk has really changed. I had used Pete for many years and recommended Village Texaco to everyone but I've lost faith in this shop.
Just a word to the wise.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:43
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Re: Where are all the BJ shopping carts coming from?
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I agree Jaah. The best place to hit them is in their wallets. I just don't see why they wouldn't want to get on board. Maybe they are not losing enough money. We can fix that.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:38
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Re: 10 Ugly Buildings JERSEY CITY Would Be Better Off Without
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Home away from home
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Oh I\'ve got 5 in a row!
Mack Cali building (has a new name, but not sure what it is) on Columbus Drive (across from Grove St. Path, with the beautiful jersey barriers around it) moving east, the next four buildings between Montgomery and Columbus are all atrocities. All four are slab high rise apartment buildings surrounded by awful parking lots. The whole three-block stretch makes me cringe!
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:37
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Re: 10 Ugly Buildings JERSEY CITY Would Be Better Off Without
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"Another man's garbage is another man's treasure :)"
The difference being that most people who find garbage appealing drag it back into their hovels. The garbage that is constructed in Jersey City is semi-permanent and visible by all. The low-quality of development here is astonishing. Who allows an entire city to be constructed out of hideously designed buildings? Look at those old brown project looking monstrosities near Grove Street. They might have looked "ok" in the 80s, but now they look like outdated crap. It's basically an unforgivable sin for developers to build hulking behemoths that will last decades if not centuries, and chintz on the design. Why not make each building beautiful, or at least pleasant to look it?
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:32
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Re: Towering $877G fine for 'unsafe' worksite at 77 Hudson
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Quote:
The scaffolding is probably the least of their problems if they are trying to sell something now.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:32
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Re: Towering $877G fine for 'unsafe' worksite at 77 Hudson
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Just can't stay away
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Quote:
I'm assuming that's the concrete company that spilled liquid concrete onto my brand new car from about 40 stories up. My insurance is presently suing them. That construction site is a disaster. I've witnessed about 50 large pieces of lumber getting blown off the building due to high winds in the past 6 months. They've dropped so many things onto Greene St that it's actually been closed on several occassions. Not to mention that my building is now covered in scaffolding until they finish. I feel sorry for anyone in my bldg trying to sell a condo right now. The scaffolding is a big time eyesore!
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:21
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Re: Good Mechanic/Body Shop
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Quite a regular
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Village Auto on Newark + Brunswick. Best.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:20
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Towering $877G fine for 'unsafe' worksite at 77 Hudson
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Home away from home
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Towering $877G fine for 'unsafe' worksite
Friday, June 20, 2008 By PAUL KOEPP JOURNAL STAFF WRITER Federal regulators have proposed $877,000 in fines against a concrete contractor at a Downtown Jersey City high-rise construction site where a worker fell to his death in March. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Manhattan-based Broadway Concrete on Wednesday for a multitude of safety violations at 77 Hudson St., a condominium building planned to climb to 48 stories. In March, a 31-year-old Queens man working as a plasterer died when he fell from the 25th floor of 77 Hudson and landed on the roof of an attached parking garage about 14 stories below. Last October, a four-alarm blaze engulfed the 17th and 18th floors of 70 Green St., which is connected to 77 Hudson by a parking garage. OSHA started investigating the company last December after a complaint of hazardous conditions at the site that could lead to falls. On seven visits over a month, investigators found that Broadway Concrete did not have proper protection to keep its workers from falling from as high as 25 stories, even though the company was warned at each inspection of the safety rules it was breaking, according to an OSHA press release. The problems included a lack of guard rails, improperly built scaffolds, unguarded utility holes and protruding rebar, said Department of Labor spokeswoman Leni Fortson. In all, Broadway Concrete racked up 15 "willful violations" totaling $870,000 in fines and two "serious violations" for another $7,000. Broadway Concrete's site superintendent at 77 Hudson and its vice president were managers at other concrete companies that had violated the same standards, OSHA officials said. "The many alleged safety violations found at Broadway Concrete's site put employees at great risk for potential injuries or death," said Edwin G. Foulke Jr., assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. Broadway Concrete owner Robert Cassera, who also owns Tri-State Employment Services, could not be reached for comment. He has 15 business days to contest the penalties. Calls to the site's general contractor, Hunter Roberts Construction Group, and to the developer of 77 Hudson, K. Hovnanian Homes, were not returned.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:08
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Re: Sprinkler Req'd by JC for Brownstone Renovation
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Just can't stay away
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Does this sprinkler law also apply to 2-family-2 story homes?
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:06
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Bergen Lafayette: Community org getting $250G to quit partnership in Hub shopping plaza on MLK Drive
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NDC getting $250G to quit Hub partnership
Friday, June 20, 2008 By KEN THORBOURNE JOURNAL STAFF WRITER It's splitsville for the partnership formed 15 years ago to run the Hub shopping plaza on Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City and develop housing around it. The City Council is expected to approve a settlement agreement next week that dissolves the joint venture partnership between the city's Economic Development Corporation and the Martin Luther King Jr. Neighborhood Development Corporation, a community organization. Officials at the two agencies stopped speaking to each other years ago and have accused each other of welching on various commitments - including turning over rent money and conducting financial audits. The entire matter ended up in court last year, where state Superior Court Judge Thomas Olivieri ordered the dysfunctional union dissolved. NDC officials argued - successfully as it turns out - they couldn't be shoved out the door without compensation. As per the settlement agreement, the JCRA will pay the NDC $250,000. This money represents in part how much the NDC stood to make if it was allowed to develop the long-delayed Thomas Jackson Estates housing project as a member of the joint venture partnership, said JCRA Executive Director Robert Antonicello. The payment clears the way for a new entity to take charge at the Hub, officials said. The new partnership includes Pennsylvania-based Brandywine Construction and Development Services and Universal Companies, and the JCRA, which owns 70 percent of the project. Brandywine and Universal have assumed payments for the $7 million federal loan that launched the Hub and will reimburse the JCRA for the $250,000 paid to the NDC, officials said.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 14:05
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Re: 10 Ugly Buildings JERSEY CITY Would Be Better Off Without
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Not too shy to talk
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Another man's garbage is another man's treasure :)
Posted on: 2008/6/20 13:56
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Re: Finding an Apartment in Paulus Hook
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Not too shy to talk
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Best to hit up the real estate brokers on Grove Street (south of the PATH). There are a bunch of brokers with rental listings that should help you out. That said, I've seen some very good deals for 1 or 2BR brownstone rentals. You should be able to find something in your range, for sure. Good luck.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 13:55
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Re: Failure to Appear Notice
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Home away from home
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Quote:
The Parking Authority must have a ton of no show-patronage jobs to support, I wonder if there is any way to find out who is on the payroll.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 13:43
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Re: Failure to Appear Notice
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Home away from home
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I may have seen this on another thread - if so, feel free to move this post to the right location...
But is there not something very illegal and unethical about first time violators getting a $110 boot and a $42 ticket? I parked out front of my home but as I've said before some weird complication with my leased vehicle shows the address as the leased address etc. and so I have not been able to change my vehicle registration address to prove my car is mine. So I don't park for more than 2 hours in front of my house. Drove to Target, parked around the corner and of course, same zone - I walk out and see them putting the boot on. I get the code and still have to DRIVE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PARKING AUTHORITY ON CENTRAL AVE. to drop it off. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE EXPERIENCED A MORE DEFUNCT, STUPID, INEFFICIENT, INCOMPETENT SYSTEM IN MY LIFE. A FIRST ticket is $152.00???????? That is unbelievable. We are NOT criminals here - we are just trapped in a system that is complicated. Can't we, as citizens of JC argue this in some way?
Posted on: 2008/6/20 13:21
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Re: Finding an Apartment in Paulus Hook
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Newbie
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Thanks for the advice. I'm going to go wander around the neighborhood this weekend and try to find something. To answer your questions:
I'm looking for a brownstone apartment, not a high rise, mainly because of parking fees. Buying's not an option because we don't know how much more than a year we'll be in the area. A roomy 1-BR would be just fine, and a 2-BR would be even better, though I realize potentially out of price range. We're currently in a VVP 1-BR apartment that's about 500 sq. ft and just not big enough, especially kitchen space.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 12:54
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Re: Finding an Apartment in Paulus Hook
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Just can't stay away
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Quote:
Buy a condo in Paulus hook for 1500-2000 per month? Not quite. Try 3000-4000 per month. Renting is much cheaper right now as far as out of pocket money is conerned. Not to mention the 100k you'd need up front to purchase a condo.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 12:46
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Re: 10 Ugly Buildings JERSEY CITY Would Be Better Off Without
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Home away from home
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Oh, and I pre-nominate the Rem Koolhaus pizza boxes.
And the freedom tower, since we'll have to look at it everyday.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 12:38
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Re: 10 Ugly Buildings JERSEY CITY Would Be Better Off Without
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Home away from home
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How about all the McTowers that dot our beautiful waterfront?
Were architects even consulted on these, or do developers just shit these borg bricks composed from the souls of the communities they devour out whole? Conversely, the entire old Medical Center complex should have been raised, as it's an example of the worst architectual instincts of our thieving forefathers.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 12:37
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Re: Sprinkler Req'd by JC for Brownstone Renovation
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Home away from home
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Quote:
This has been a very long renovation process and I feel like I am at my wits end. I love JC, neighborhood, and neighbors, but I don't know if I can fight this system longer. HELP Please!!! Here's a question for you: how about just learning to live with what you've got? If you haven't begun demolition yet, it may be the only sane option. That, or selling the place. I've learned to embrace the concept of "good enough" when it comes to my home, especially after witnessing what people in JC go through for major renovations. You could literally end up in bankruptcy over the red tape, delays and cost overruns (a brownstone in my neighborhood has changed hands at least three times in five years because each successive owner has gotten in over their heads with ambitious gut rehab plans). The contractors in this area are, for the most part, just godawful. They're not great elsewhere, but my parents, who live in the suburbs, don't seem to suffer the abusive and price-gouging tactics of contractors here. If you really want to plow ahead with this, you may need to find a local contractor/architect who will secure all the necessary permits - someone who knows the right people at office of the contstruction offical (and has probably greased the right palms) - as part of the deal. This may limit your options, but will save you much grief.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 12:22
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Re: Finding an Apartment in Paulus Hook
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Newbie
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What kind of space do you want for that price. A studio or one bedroom is priced in that range but it is a little under for a 2 bedroom.
There always seems to be for rent signs by owners in that neighborhood (I even saw one 3 days ago). I would suggest walking around and looking at for rent by owner signs. Another possible source may be looking at the Jersey City Reporter or Jersey Journal websites for classified ads. Good luck looking.
Posted on: 2008/6/20 12:16
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