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Re: Heights: Cops say they caught 2 men in armed robbery, now looking for other possible victims
#31
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Quite a regular


Word.

Oh yeah, did I also forget to mention the illegal third apartments, and three cars parked on those driveways?

Wouldn't be exaggerating if I told you I've had a headache for weeks on this crud. All this joy, and more taxes, too!

Guess I just need to pay off my council person to listen.

; )

Posted on: 2006/10/17 18:10
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Re: Heights: Cops say they caught 2 men in armed robbery, now looking for other possible victims
#32
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Quite a regular


Maybe I'm an optimist, but I certainly have put in my time in crappy neighborhoods....we are contacting all of the Heights neighborhood associations to try and work together. Crime's just the beginning. This scourge of illegal new garbage housing and tear downs of great homes on double lots is scary stuff. Houses covered with asbestos shingle? No problem, just fake it, and tear down without the proper permits.

Well, I was bored in Richmond.

Posted on: 2006/10/17 16:26
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Re: Heights: Cops say they caught 2 men in armed robbery, now looking for other possible victims
#33
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Quite a regular


CK,

Where are you getting your stats, except by general opinion? If you look at the police stats, the Heights is right on par with Jersey City-wide crime, in all areas.

We aren't dealing with 25 years ago for any neighborhood. It's all about what's happening now. And I report from experience that crime is city-wide--our block of Grand was a complete mess.

Posted on: 2006/10/17 15:53
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Re: Powerhouse historic no more
#34
Quite a regular
Quite a regular


JPHurst, you do have some supporters out here.

I'm really sorry to hear about this, and Josh et al who worked so hard on this, we thank you. Having lived here for almost 10 years now, I'm grateful for any progressive efforts to improve the city and know how much flak they end up getting from people who don't even attend council meetings.

For the rest of the thread, there's a lot of literature on this topic, which is interesting from both the arts and economic development angle. It's a vital part of understanding the new rise of US cities.

Just from a purely aesthetic point of view, this place is going to look like Clockwork Orange land in 10 years with all the bizarre garbage high rises they are putting in.

Posted on: 2006/8/17 19:11
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Re: Dollar Buses
#35
Quite a regular
Quite a regular


While I agree that these jitney buses are dangerous, polluting, and borderline legal, they are a vital service at this point. NJTransit's offerings are horrendous, and I recently found out that they routinely take buses from one line out of commission to fill in on other lines when needed. Buses really don't show up sometimes.

Especially with the recent muggings, these jitneys provide a service for folks just needing to go through the downtown area, not to mention us JC Heighters (I know, it's a downtown list, shame on us, but I did live downtown for years.)

Show me a good plan to implement changes without taking them off the streets. Even with 1/2 of them running, it still is a huge improvement over NJTransit.

Gotta agree with alb on some of this...there are plenty of other much more serious health concerns, not the least of which is all the construction on toxic landfills in downtown.

Posted on: 2006/8/16 17:10
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Re: Condo Shopping Observations
#36
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Quite a regular


Quote:

NickL wrote:
This is not the time to buy. At todays prices, you need to make in the low six figures to be able to afford to buy anything in any part of Jersey City at todays prices.

The cheapest part of Jersey City (and probably Hudson County as a whole) is in the Heights, Journal Square & Greenville where your average one bedroom 650 square foot condo (Huge & Loftlike by NYC standards) starts in the Mid 300'Ks and HOA fees are another $200 a month or so.

What do need to make to be able to afford (and qualify under any lending scenario with less than 50% cash down)?? to buy in any of the buildings that the OP listed in the first thread?? Not everyone is going to pay $3,000 - $5,000 a month in total PITI (including maintenance) to live in Jersey City after putting the required 20% down as required by these developers.

Actually it makes more sense to rent BUT rents are soaring as well and my observation by looking at the ads and also by driving around and taking a walk in the Heights & Downtown is that there is significantly less rental inventory available than last year and you can't touch a one bedroom anywhere in the county for less than $1,500 a month in rent, but still it is about $1,000 a month LESS than buying and you don't need to put down 20% + another 7% of the loan in closing costs.


The Heights is not in the 300s yet, unless you are buying Bakery Lofts. There are still deals up here.

However, one point made which I think most people neglect: down payment is everything. For people (like us) who could barely squeeze the 10%, buying is not always the win-win everyone makes it out to be. With all the taxes, PMI (although we did negotiate not having that slapped on), maintenence, etc., owning can be pretty pricey.

Tax write offs can also be overrated. Standard deductions are sometimes just shy of tax and mortgage interest deductions, unless you've got other stuff to write off.

Posted on: 2006/7/10 17:00
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Re: Three 40-plus story towers on 110 and 111 First Street sites.
#37
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Quite a regular


"Can someone post some information on how SoHo has managed to keep artist housing available to this day? Sure it is very expensive nowadays, but I think many units are still below market and restricted to artists."

The long and short is, they didn't. The Department of Cultural Affairs issued Artist in Residence certificates that allowed artists to use mixed or commercial use spaces legally. However, once development and the Prada swell happened in SoHo, an artist exodus happened. Even the old timer greats are having a heck of a time. I know personally because I worked with many of them advising on their living situations. Unfortunately, even DCA admits that their AIR certificates are not too useful in today's market.

Models for maintaining artist live/work amid gentrification are still in the baby stages. It requires very forward and alternative thinking methods, such as ArtSpace's programs which help artists purchase and renovate buildings. Today, even in Willamsburg, Gowanus, Greenpoint, etc, the artists get pushed out once gentrification happens.

That is, for the ones that don't have trust funds, and there are a lot of them.

Philadelphia now has a huge ad campaign promoting itself as the middle-class artist alternative to what was once a semi-manageable NYC.

Posted on: 2006/7/10 16:27
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Re: Those New construction 2 Families
#38
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Quite a regular


Josh, I'm back in town in May. Please PM me if you'd like a volunteer to help out for the May tour of the Heights.

Posted on: 2005/12/27 13:50
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Re: Those New construction 2 Families
#39
Quite a regular
Quite a regular


Why don't we work as a group on this?? I suggest the Heights people get together, split the work, and report these illegal apartments. And those cut aways are going on many of the new constructions, too--also probably illegal.

I'm out of town for a few days, but PM me if you'd like. I'm plenty happy, as would my husband be, to put some legwork into this, either now, or in the Spring.

The house on Sherman being demolished makes me want to cry.

Posted on: 2005/12/27 13:47
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Re: Those New construction 2 Families
#40
Quite a regular
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I'm with you 100%. They are horrifying, truly. Another addendum to what JPHurst is saying: there's one guy who has been at the new construction in the heights gig for a long time, and I'm sure he's been off at least once or twice on a thing or two permit/payoff-wise.

What's so strange is, there are new construction buildings (I'm thinking of one off Webster and Reservoir, southeast side) that are really decent and nothing to complain about. Is it really that much more expensive?

Don't even get me started on the cutaway driveways. You just can't convince me that even 1/4 of those are legal. Meanwhile, on my block, we can't even get a permit!

Posted on: 2005/12/22 1:27
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Re: Tax abatements- a Jersey Journal editorial
#41
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Quite a regular


Quote:

AlanSommerman wrote:
Just curious - What infrastructure improvements have been made in downtown that exceed those in other parts of the city? We may have gotten more sewer improvements, but I think that is more likely tied to having serious flooding problems than to gentrification.


A few that come to mind: overhaul of the Grove Street PATH station (Journal Square is a complete mess), increased police presence, repaving of roads, increased size of certain key roads, improvements to parks (some of the parks in the Heights are in shambles), improved entrances to Liberty State Park, better replacement of street lights (the Heights is totally a hodge podge of different types, even on the same block), sidewalk replacements all over Exchange Place.....

One really odd one comes to mind: up in the Heights, people illegally put in "cut aways" to make driveways out of what was once a front yard. The city obviously should fine, but no one has bothered to collect on these violations. Parking is becoming more and more of a problem as a result. The city won't bother to look at it, because we aren't of much interest.

Unfortunately, our sewers are a mess, too (our house stinks sometimes!).

Posted on: 2005/11/23 19:14
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Re: Tax abatements- a Jersey Journal editorial
#42
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Free Press, this is a lot of interesting food for thought. One of my big beefs with Jersey City is that infrastructure improvement is totally tied to gentrification. Neighborhoods like the Heights, Journal Square, etc. get left out of the mix until they become "desireable." Meanwhile, those that are get abatements and improvements (although JC is pretty slow on the draw with some, like roadwork).

In the meantime, there are no tangible benefits of these abatements for average Jersey City residents. That is, unless their plan is to sell out and have the depressing experience of finding something comparable to live in.

I also wonder what these communities are going to be like with the long-time residents moving out and an influx of high-turnover residents, who leave for better jobs and school systems. My block is what it is because there are folks living there for 3 generations.

To Mayor Healy, who lives in my neighborhood: open your eyes!!

Posted on: 2005/11/23 17:12
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Re: Preservation Alert - Powerhouse Arts District Endangered
#43
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Quite a regular


This isn't about "saving 111 for artists"--read Hurst and HistoryRules posts more carefully.

Non descript warehouses. Well, the developers at 150 seem to be having a good time marketing the originality of the place. Like Sugar House.

I don't think everyone prefers the tape-and-glue Avalon Cove models.

Posted on: 2005/11/22 20:25
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Re: Preservation Alert - Powerhouse Arts District Endangered
#44
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Quite a regular


A lot of people care about PAD/WALDO, even if you don't, especially those of us who have been here for a long time.

New York's #1 industry is entertainment. Economies in this area are hugely pumped by the arts.

What's the gripe with 8 units for artists? There are plenty of luxury spaces for the buying, no housing shortage I'm aware of.



Posted on: 2005/11/22 19:26
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Re: Golden Cicada Help from ACLU
#45
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Quite a regular


Quote:

JCNY wrote:
This isn't about The Golden Cicada winning, is about the developers who want the land winning, and in Jersey City the developers always win. In all my years in Jersey City (since 1987) I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen that restaurant open until recently, which just happens to coincide with the land issue. So this is not a win for the ?little man? against the machine, this is about the machine pulling a fast one on us all.
Enjoy the tax-abated luxury skyrise across the grammar school, I?m sure the children won?t mind the jackhammers pounding everyday for the next two years.


That's disappointing. I didn't know until now that this was basically just a developer issue. But, how could I have been so naive. Why would the GC owner refuse a buy out just to keep that little dive open?

However, St. Peters really does have egg on its face. They had a lot of nerve trying to use ED in the first place. A lot of nerve. In this world, I still prefer the corporate corruption to the religious. At least they don't pretend to be working for the "common good".

Posted on: 2005/11/22 16:55
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Re: Preservation Alert - Powerhouse Arts District Endangered
#46
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Quite a regular


Joshua,

Thanks so much for making this information available.

Posted on: 2005/11/20 16:02
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Re: Preservation Alert - Powerhouse Arts District Endangered
#47
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Quite a regular


Quote:

historyrules wrote:
To be precise, it's the WAREHOUSE HISTORIC DISTRICT status that is now threatened, not the arts district designation.

No matter what happens to 111, the area will include artists, as other residential projects along Bay, Provost and First streets are proving.

The two titles for the area have been tossed around over the last year, causing confusion. History is what's been at stake all along. We have to remember that, even at this stage.



I definitely submit to both JPHurst and HistoryRules, as both have more knowledge on this topic. I would, however, argue two things. Inclusion of artists is by no means a sure thing. Developers at 150 Bay only need to hold the "income sensitive to artists" spaces for a set period of time, then they may go to market. To their credit, they do seem to be advertising well, and they have advertised on my not for profit's site in NY. However, even if all these buildings have the requisite spaces for moderate/lower income artists filled, this simply doesn't compare to a centralized building such as 111.

History is certainly at stake, but art is clearly at stake, too. If you look at the trajectory of the five boroughs and Jersey City, an exodus of sorts has and is taking place. Consequently, Jersey City lacks an art movement that is comparable to the general metro area. Philadelphia has 10x the scene that Jersey City logically should with its proximity to NY.

The 111 artists were a vital part of Jersey City's history as well. I respect and admire the work of people who have created innovative ways to encourage developers and accommodate artists at the same time in the PAD, but there are other options. Other cities have done better. I've mentioned it before: www.artspaceusa.org. They are currently doing a project in Manhattan.

To be perfectly frank, having studio space in and around buildings as swishy as 150 Bay where artists will probably be bothered if they "make a mess" or "noise" is not always appealing to some artists. They'll look elsewhere.

Posted on: 2005/11/20 15:59
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Re: Golden Cicada Help from ACLU
#48
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Quite a regular


This is fantastic news. I really was wondering how out-of-hand this could possibly get before this guy got fair representation.

A football field. St Peter's administration, students and parents should be ashamed of themselves.

Posted on: 2005/10/25 14:01
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Re: Lefrak Sues Jersey City Museum
#49
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Quite a regular


Mouse,

Not sure what you are basing your opinion of "crap" on, but as someone who works for an arts organization in the city, I can say that JC Museum does some pretty important things.

First, it has done outreach to local artists by doing presentation nights, survey shows, and other special programming. Second, it shows contemporary, well-respected artists in shows that comparatively are well-curated and thought out. Perhaps you think most contemporary art is crap, but I think featuring Jersey artists with the likes of Chakaia Booker is pretty a-okay. Third, when I took my students from Hudson County Community College--a group with many students who had never been to a museum before--I not only got first-rate treatment from their education staff, but also an event in which my students saw local artists from diverse backgrounds talk first hand about their work. The museum also let me hold lectures in the exhibition halls.

Considering the third-rate support the museum gets from the city compared to the likes of Montclair or even Newark, I think it does very well.

As for a million dollar donation, I've seen a lot worse get a lot more.

Posted on: 2005/10/4 23:14
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Re: Lefrak Sues Jersey City Museum
#50
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Quite a regular


What's sad is, I've heard that the museum hasn't been doing all that well financially to begin with. The pathetic part is that most not for profits won't have the counsel or time to pursue this to a good end.

Why can't Jersey City ever get it right for the arts and culture??

Posted on: 2005/10/4 18:04
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