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Re: Plumber?
#61
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Gabe Ambrozia & Sons were recommended to me by Royal Heating (who I LOVE). I'm very happy with them. They usually answer the phone and call you back and show up when they're supposed to with everything they need. Pricing isn't dirt cheap but I've gotten more expensive quotes. I'm happy with them. They seem fair and honest. Clearflow was in the news awhile back for ripping off Habitat for Humanity for $15,000 so, tread carefully there.

Posted on: 2013/9/16 20:03
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Re: Contractor Recommendation for Closet Buildout
#62
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It's like men in Alaska--the odds are good but the goods are odd.

The contractors who know what they're doing have lots of work and are busy so they may show up to give you a quote which you accept and then they give you a list of materials needed so they can do the job the next day but then they don't show up (or call to cancel and leave you hanging after having spent $100.00 at Home Depot and Lowes at 10 pm the night before on 9 bags of 60 lb cement, assorted screws and lathe.

The ones who keep their word and show up on time when expected--well, they don't know what they're doing and you screwed from a job done incorrectly. I have never met a contractor who had skills, knowledge AND integrity. I hope someone out there can recommed a person because I need to have an old door hung.

Posted on: 2013/9/4 22:09
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Re: New York Ave-Heights-Construction
#63
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The 100 steps will be 100 times safer than Mountain Road. A lot of sketchy dudes hang out in the middle of the U-- one spot on the road down (right near the mid-part) covered by foliage that's particulary dangerous. During the day it seems fine and well-travelled I would not walk it after dark. The stairs will be well-lit and probably patrolled and are right by the Cliffs. I'm happy about it because I think it will cause the riff raff on Mt. Road to scatter somewhere else.

Posted on: 2013/9/2 18:00
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Re: Investing in JSQ
#64
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The elevator at Congress in the Heights does NOT shut down when train service ends. Its an elevator. It's always open. I saw roughly 30 people doing yoga at Riverview Fiske Park a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday with the Farmer's Market in full swing as a backdrop. I wished I had a good camera to capture it because it looked like an ad for a place you'd want to live. I own a 2-family nearby and have been waiting for change. It's been very slow but this last year it's rapidly accelerated based on anecdotal views of people walking past the house.....

Posted on: 2013/8/29 14:30
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Re: Australians investors buying up Jersey City housing
#65
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No. I did not attribute to it at all. It's not like there was a murder or a robbery next door going on which I failed to report to the authorities. Everyone in Jersey City does renovating on the weekends etc and I have to live next door to this person because I'm not moving. The situation I described occurred gradually over the course of a year. I didn't know about the basement being bedrooms until they started showing the place and the crap in the backyard was irksome but I chose patience/tolerance because I have to live next door and I don't want to be a rat. I was hoping at the time that it was to be owner-occupied by a nice young couple or family and I'm disappointed to find out it's a rental with high turnover.

Posted on: 2013/5/19 20:26
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Re: Australians investors buying up Jersey City housing
#66
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they bought the place next door to me for $179,000. in cash. It was listed for $225,000 so I don't believe they're paying more than market, here they payed MUCH less. Our neighbor across the street said of the previous owners "they gave the house away"
They filled the backyard with demo debris for months before taking it away quietly in a van. They fininshed off a raw basement into bedrooms to make the downstairs a duplex. I saw no permits in the window--ever. Their Mexican "workers" lived on premises while doing the work. They rented for top dollar to people who stayed a year. Turnover is high. Work continues. The backyard is full of weeds. They're typical "flippers" except they rent instead of sell.
I agree they bring the neighborhhood down.




Posted on: 2013/5/19 17:13
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Re: How to make attic bedrooms legal in duplex apartment
#67
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I believe sprinkler systems and fire escapes are only required for 3-families or more--not 2-families. Is your house a 2-family?
For a room to be a legal bedroom it must have a window large enough for a person to fit through in case of a fire or emergency.

Posted on: 2013/2/28 15:23
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Re: Sound Proofing Company-Recommendations
#68
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If you don't mind losing 4 inches from that wall you can--and should--if the noise is that bad--frame another wall with 2 x 4's right on top of your existing wall. Stuff the cavities between the 2 x 4s with ROXUL mineral wool insulation. This is a Canadian product used for both soundproofing and fireproofing. It is not available at Home Depot or Lowes but you can get it at "Allied Builing Supplies." (and no, I don't work for them). This makes a HUGE difference in the soundproofing. It is worth the effort. Double drywall the new studs with 5/8 inch sheetrock--not 1/2 inch. The contractor will say that's for ceilings and it is but you can use on walls and you need the extra thickness. Squirt green liberally between these 2 layers of sheetrock in a silly string pattern. Within 30 days, it will cure and act as a sound dampener. Acoustical caulk is important around any hole or outlet.

Posted on: 2013/2/20 19:04
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Re: Property values in the Heights (post Sandy)
#69
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"There's" not "theirs." I know better than that.

Posted on: 2013/2/19 21:46
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Re: Property values in the Heights (post Sandy)
#70
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And just a couple of doors down from Central Liquor, in that beautiful old firehouse across from Pershing Field, is ....drumroll please, the headquarters of the DIY TV show "COUSINS ON CALL." It's on HGTV. They used to have a show called "Kitchen Cousins" which splashed Hoboken signs all over the place in the opening credits/intro section. It used to bug me to see them so blatantly lie about their location in an obvious attempt to hitch their wagon to the Cake Boss's star. The new show fixed the credits and theirs a tiny flash of a sign "Jersey City" which if you blinked, you'd miss. At least it's factual now.

Posted on: 2013/2/19 21:45
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Re: Property values in the Heights (post Sandy)
#71
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Step 2 of the proposed Heights rezoning efforts have reached a critical moment. Please consider attending this meeting on Feb 27 @ 6pm. The Heights renaissance hinges on the entire community's coordinated support of these changes. See below for more details.

------------------

COME OUT AND SUPPORT RIVERVIEW ARTS DISTRICT (RAD) ZONING!!! CITY COUNCIL MEETING FEBRUARY 27, 6PM AT CITY HALL!!!

On February 5th, the Jersey City Planning Board recommended 4-3, two amendments to the zoning in our area for passage by the City Council: the Riverview Arts District R1 Overlay Zone and changes to zoning along Palisade Ave (R2) that will add restaurants (not drive-thru) as a permitted use.

The City Council will hold a public hearing and vote on these two amendments at its February 27th meeting (6PM, City Hall, Council Chambers at 280 Grove Street). It is IMPORTANT that the community come to this meeting to show its support.

RNA at City Council Meeting to support RAD Zoning
February 27 at 6:00pm
City Hall in Jersey City, New Jersey

Posted on: 2013/2/19 19:43
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Re: Home values in JC up 9% last year?
#72
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"the Heights has no amenities or attractions to cause people to want to live with the general squalor and ghetto-ness of the nabe."

EXUWS guy--What you mistake for smugness on my part is pride in my block. Your tone in the last post was more even and mature and dare I say "constructive" but in the past most of your posts about the heights sound like the whiny negative rants of a miserable 5 year old and that still makes you part of the problem.

Posted on: 2013/2/1 17:42
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Re: Australians investors buying up Jersey City housing
#73
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They're bedrooms and it's a cellar. It's all who you know, I suppose in this town.

Posted on: 2013/1/24 21:40
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Re: Australians investors buying up Jersey City housing
#74
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A 2-family Victorian with an unfinished basement becomes a 2-family but now one of the units is a duplex because they finished the basement and turned it into livable space--wouldn't this be a zoning or some kind of violation?

Posted on: 2013/1/24 20:53
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Re: Home values in JC up 9% last year?
#75
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Hah. I knew I'd hear from you--Vindication dude--the other longtime "Heights-trasher." You guys should get together and form a club. Both of you make broad, general negative sweeping statements about ALL of the heights and I wrote that what may be true of YOUR tiny little area/block is not true of ALL the other areas. I'm sorry both of you picked a bad block but I LOVE where I live and so does everyone else I've spoken with. The Congress Street/Riverview Fiske area is brimming over with ex-Hobokenites. Too bad you didn't choose a better area.

Posted on: 2013/1/24 18:03
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Re: Local Veterinarian
#76
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I've always gone to the Animal Infirmary on Adams Street in Hoboken/Michael Tuder. I've had some WONDERFUL doctors there but it's a revolving door. When my cat died at the Bayonne hospital, they sent the most beautiful sympathy card. Fast forward 6 months--my remaining and heartbroken 16 year old cat had lost weight and they suspected cancer and suggested ultrasound/surgery etc...and I said that I can't invest $5000.00 in a 16 year old cat because I'll end up in foreclosure--WHAT A BI..ch of a doctor. ATTITUDE. TERRIBLE. I adopted that cat at 7 years old and have spent over $9,000.00 hyperthyroid pill treatments, opthalmologists (they thought she eye cancer) teeth cleanings etc... I've ever been so angry. I've been taking my 2 new cats out of force of habit but they just
doublecharged me $82.00 for a felive fiv test and I had to walk over there in 10 degree weather with a new check. Not even an I'm sorry.

Posted on: 2013/1/24 17:54
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Re: Home values in JC up 9% last year?
#77
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Just can't stay away


the Heights has nothing similar in terms of urban quality of life/surrougate borough of NYC aspect. Unless you are commuting in to midtown for work exclusively, transit is a bust (between the #87 bus and PATH it eaily takes me 1 hour to get to work in Manhattan Civic Center - 7 miles!!); the Heights has no amenities or attractions to cause people to want to live with the general squalor and ghetto-ness of the nabe.

In response to above from ExUWSguy--I know you feel trapped in the heights and regret moving there BUT this bitterness and venting/badmouthing the area is a way of shooting yourself in the foot here. If you want the area to improve so you can get the hell out of dodge, how about ixnaying the whining and trashtalking? People come to JC list and form impressions on areas based on what they read here so you're actually persuading people to not consider the heights. If what you said it were true, well, that's different but heights is large and diverse area so what may be true of your block isn't necessarily true for other areas. I know a lot of people who used to live in Hoboken who are coming up the elevator on Congress and happily renting within a few blocks.
You are part of the problem, not the solution.

Posted on: 2013/1/24 17:32
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Re: Australians investors buying up Jersey City housing
#78
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Just can't stay away


I have to respectfully disagree with jcguy05--at least so far as my street. The house they purchased definitely needed updating but was by no means in danger of being vacant or boarded up. I live on one of the nicer and more desirable blocks in the Heights and I was saddened to see the house flipped and rented in spite of the fact that their tenants are friendly and respectful. Young Hoboken-type couples had been looking at the house when it was on the MLS for $224,000. This company got the house for a STEAL. They lucked out because the home's original owner died owning the house outright and as an estate sale, one of the sons grew impatient and cashed out to finance his kid's college education. Had this company not swooped in, a nice young couple would have grabbed it and the house would be owner-occupied.

Posted on: 2013/1/23 20:57
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Re: Australians investors buying up Jersey City housing
#79
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NJ Cash for Homes bought the 2-family next door to me for $179,000 in cash. It was listed in the MLS and shown to nice young couples for a listing price of $225,000. It's a Victorian that's been in the same family for 50 years or more so it needed renovating. They gutted the place and threw all the old plaster and lathe into the backyard where it remained for months. What's interesting is that they sheetrocked and finished the basement and turned the downstairs rental into a duplex. It's still a 2-family but one of the units is a duplex. They listed the duplex as a 3 or 4 bedroom apartment and I think they got something like $1,800.00--$1,900.00 for it. The families that live there now and quiet and nice but there goes my chance of ever refinancing. It's some comp to deal with. All the neighbors agree that the original owner pretty much gave the house away.

Posted on: 2013/1/23 16:04
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Re: Flat Roofing Company Recommendation
#80
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Good for you PathH8tr. My experience has been the oppostite. I only wish they would follow up. I don't trust anyone else to do the job but they simply refuse to honor our contract. I think his wife is the culprit. She answers the phone and does the scheduling and she's decided that she doesn't want to deal with me--except I have a signed contract that says we're committed.

Posted on: 2013/1/14 15:57
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Re: Flat Roofing Company Recommendation
#81
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I would love to recommend Capitol Roof because I"ve heard nothing but good about them. Unfortunately, I've had a signed contract with them to repair my porch roof for months now and I've called many many times and been given the very nice (what I realize now is) brushoff from them. It's a small job that would take probably less than an hour and I've been waiting since summer being nicely strung along. Boy do I love being strung along by contractors.

Posted on: 2013/1/14 14:55
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Re: Attempted Break-In in Hamilton Park
#82
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It's NOT plausible that the fire dept did an "Oops. Wrong address." with the pry bar thing. If that happened, there would have been a big old firetruck with sirens blaring and red lights etc... I know. We had a small fire at the house while I was at work and they prybared the doors open and broke glass etc.... but they don't send one solitary guy. The neighbors told us that there were fire engines and several firefighters around...so ehhgg, no to the firefighter at the wrong address theory--very naive to even consider that, really--this isn't Kansas...

Posted on: 2012/12/7 20:35
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Re: Attempted Break-In in Hamilton Park
#83
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He's not good-looking enough to be a fireman. Just kidding. The huge baggy pants are pretty commonly seen amongst the street types, no? And if he's a fireman, where's his helmet? I don't buy the fireman thing at all.

Posted on: 2012/12/7 15:36
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Re: Verizon home monitoring - experiences?
#84
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I was thinking of getting it but after seeing the resolution quality of the photo of the burglar in Hamilton Park, I''ve decided it's not worth it. What's the point of catching someone in the act if the image is so grainy/blurry that no id can be made. I mean, isn't that point of it?

Posted on: 2012/12/6 19:15
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Re: Property values in the Heights (post Sandy)
#85
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Prices doubled--not tripled--in the Heights during the boom, for me at least. I bought a loft for $150,000 in 2002 and sold it for $290,000 in December of 2007 (essentially 2008). I did cosmetic renovations and did the stainless steel appliances etc but still--nice rise in value. That same loft probably wouldn't sell for more than $200,000 right now--so the price is not double what is before. Prices here just like most of America are back at 2003 values. That bubble hurts but I still think someday Brewster will be correct if I hold on long enough.

Posted on: 2012/11/30 21:10
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Re: Property values in the Heights (post Sandy)
#86
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Brewster---I wish what you said about values doubling and tripling were true but not in my case and I live on a very pretty and quiet stretch of street in the Riverview Fiske area very close to the Bakery Lofts. I bought a Victorian 2-family in December of 2007 and put 20 percent down but still can't refinance due to comps. Sigh...

Posted on: 2012/11/30 17:44
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Re: Property values in the Heights (post Sandy)
#87
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vindication dude--You must be a troll. I've never read such chip on your shoulder stubborn, belligerant nonsense. I don't want a mansion for one person in Camden, the murder capital of the country with a 3 hour commute to work. Why don't you move there?

Posted on: 2012/11/28 19:05
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Re: Property values in the Heights (post Sandy)
#88
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"Not every artist views him or herself as an anthropologist, but every artist needs cheap space-and plenty of it. So artists move to poor areas. And those areas begin to change.

According to Ley, when artists move to poor inner city neighborhoods property prices inflate six to tenfold within a decade.
Janet L. Abu-Lughod gives a telling anecdote about artist gentrification in her book "From Urban Village to East Village: The Battle for New York's Lower East Side." Abu-Lughod reports that in 1978, New York's Mayor Koch was so impressed with the way in which artists gentrified Soho that he proposed the same for the South Bronx. Somehow, the proposal didn't take. "

I've lived here over a decade and it's not my fantasy of the perfect place at all BUT....the Riverview Park area where I live is relatively safe, pretty in some spots (minus one gazebo since Storm Sandy), VERY affordable, fairly convenient to NYC and VERY convenient to Hoboken. I walk there every single day and if I owned a bike I'd be there in about 5 minutes flat. It's a compromise. I wanted a house with a backyard and a front porch in an urban area, not a studio in Manhattan. It's a viable alternative in that way. I'm not holding my breath for a Starbucks but there will come a tipping point time in the future. I'll probably be 80 years old but I have no doubt that it will come.

Posted on: 2012/11/28 17:48
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Re: Property values in the Heights (post Sandy)
#89
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Just can't stay away


I've been waiting 10 years for the heights to gentrify and I am Finally seeing some acceleration. We now have "Yoga in the Heights" which uses the "Distillery" art gallery space for classes. We have a farmer's market and the beginnings of Movies in the park in the summer. The loft space at 500 Palisade at Bower is being rented and used by artists as gallery space. The artists are coming and where they go, gentrification will follow. From what I see, the demographic moving in is the Hoboken crowd--young, professional, educated--both single and married with babies. The light rail elevator is packed with young people and their bicyles. The Heights may never be Hoboken in our lifetime but the trend toward it is getting stronger. And don't forget that under that awful vinyl siding lurks wood frame Victorian or brick rowhouse details. These buildings need an owner with deep enough pockets to rip down the vinyl and restore....

Posted on: 2012/11/26 17:19
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Re: Any thoughts on Bakery Lofts and surrounding area (Sherman Ave. between Bowers and South Street)?
#90
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I've lived nearby for several years now and I feel that this area of Sherman is quiet and I feel safe here. There are muggings etc... in the Heights but also quite a few in downtown Jersey City, as well so I think it's inescapable in an urban area.
You can walk to Hoboken via Mountain Road (not at night) for downtown or walk north to Congress via Ogden Avenue and take the elevator. A bicycle is handy for getting around and a cab from Hoboken path is around $8.00. I see more and more young couples walking their dogs or with the baby stroller so I would say the area is trending upward but it is a SLOW process. On the other hand, this crappy economy has not worsened the neighborhood--it's still improving.

Posted on: 2012/10/4 23:08
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