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Re: Liberty State Park advocates fighting state bill, ballot measure they say will harm park
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In that particular case, yes. Again, the space in question was underutilized; the reservoir was completely inaccessible; it is right next to heavily trafficked roads. Very little open space was converted, I'd be shocked if it was more than 2.5% of the Reservation. South Mountain certainly has not been compromised by the changes. Do you object to LSP having a commercial marina, a restaurant, a major tourist attraction and the occasional big weekend event in LSP? How about the big industrial park at the southern corner of LSP? It's also not clear that the laws in question will result in increased commercialism in the park -- especially if LSP itself is no longer the recipient of those revenues. Quote: As far as the casino and racetrack not being in LSP.... The laws FOLSP are advocating against have absolutely nothing to do with the casino proposals. Please try to stay on track.
Posted on: 2015/1/3 22:16
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Re: Liberty State Park advocates fighting state bill, ballot measure they say will harm park
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Actually, the changes DiVincenzo have made are incredibly successful. The restaurant and mini golf course are on parts of the Reservation adjacent to busy roads, and were underutilized for years. The Orange Reservoir has been unused for a long time, was mired in lawsuits between Orange and West Orange, and adding it as a recreation resource is a good use. The Turtle Back Zoo - which was once in danger of being shut down -- has flourished, and is adding new facilities. They've added significantly more parking for the buses to NYC. On weekends, the recreation complex is often so busy that the parking lots overflow. Now, I won't say that DiVincenzo is squeaky clean. But the South Mountain recreation area is a huge success, and hasn't compromised the character of South Mountain Reservation. So you might want to find a different project to proclaim as the Epitome of Democratic Evils.
Posted on: 2015/1/3 13:48
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Re: Christie & Cuomo Support Eliminating Weekend Overnight PATH Service
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Yes, it would. The MTA is not a for-profit entity. If you trust their numbers: LIRR loses $7 per ride, Metro North loses $4 per ride, NYC subway loses $1 per ride. They're running roughly $100 million annual deficits, despite raising fares and cutting service in 2010. The MTA also has $31 billion in debt, compared to PA's $17 billion. Quote: Consider they got the MTA up to speed after Sandy in a month and their trains are in better condition overall. They also shut down in a small rainstorm, have bigger economies of scale, their budgets are a total mess, their fleet is older. Numerous train lines cross rivers via bridges, not tunnels. Keep in mind one reason why Sandy's damage has taken so long to repair is because the PATH was actually on schedule for signal replacements, which are required by federal law to be in place by 2015, and the feds didn't offer any extensions. Without those deadlines, they could have done service in far less disruptive manners. Switching management to the MTA won't actually make any of the problems go away. It won't magically pay for signal upgrades, it won't conjure repair funds out of thin air, it won't generate more room for more cars in the morning, it won't spontaneously divest the PA from its real estate holdings. While they are better at communications, the MTA really is not much more efficiently run overall than PA. And of course, connecting the PATH to the MTA subway would cost billions. Who pays for that? Obviously PA won't want to, since that's capital project money down the drain. And would you like that before or after PA repays what it owes JC in back rent? ;)
Posted on: 2014/12/29 1:33
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Re: can i go to cuba now? Useles menendez must be pissed
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You pretty much have to go back to the late 60s and 70s, and look at the very hard/revolutionary left. E.g. Eldridge Cleaver went into exile in Cuba, Angela Davis traveled there, Michael Moore idolized their medical system in one of his documentaries, Chavez had very close ties with Castro, etc. It's a pretty small group, though.
Posted on: 2014/12/24 0:49
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Re: can i go to cuba now? Useles menendez must be pissed
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And yes, Menendez is throwing a hissy fit.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/ ... al_i_think_it_stinks.html
Posted on: 2014/12/18 1:08
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Re: Power outage
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OK then. How many megawatts will they need, to generate power for the trains and the stations? Let's just say NJ side -- Exchange, Newport, Grove, JSQ, Harrison, Newark. Will it be an actual power station? Will it be up and ready all the time? Will it be connected to the grid? Where will they build it?
Posted on: 2014/12/13 15:21
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Re: Getting the most out of ObamaCare
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The low-end Bronze plans are pretty close to "catastrophic." The ACA doesn't offer a "catastrophic" classification. If any such plans still exist, they're outside the Exchanges. Most catastrophic plans were too crappy to meet the ACA guidelines. There are no "federal options." Every plan is state-by-state. Quote: 2. The NY plans appear to be much cheaper than theNJ/federal options? Prices vary by state, county, age, number of people on the plan, and so forth. Quote: 3) If one has sizeable assets and can afford to pay for routine doctor's visits, is it better to take the bronze plan? I for one don't give financial advice over the Internet. ;) You might want to talk to a navigator. Quote: 4) if a participant gets sick in Caliifornia, will insurance cover costs in california? does it have to be in or out of network? what about illness overseas? Emergency rooms should be covered. Otherwise, it's classified as out of network. Quote: 5) if one has a 2nd home in another state with more affordable plans, say illinois or massachusetts, can one apply for health isnurance from that state? I believe it's based on what state is your official residence for federal tax purposes. Not 100% sure.
Posted on: 2014/11/17 16:10
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Re: Fulop, MUA, and the Spirit of the Law
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I may be wrong, but I believe updating the sewer infrastructure is the responsibility of United Water. It's part of the contract. Quote: It's disgusting that any of this money goes to the city when huge areas flood in any sizeable storm. The issue is apparently that utility bills were overcharged. There's some discussion of using the dinero to cut rates, which would be nice. Also, sewer infrastructure doesn't have much to do with flooding. When there's a storm surge like Sandy, there isn't really anywhere for the water to go. That's one reason why they are now talking about making higher seawalls along JC's waterfront.
Posted on: 2014/11/5 23:59
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Re: Eminent Domain on Metropolis Towers
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Probably because the guy who doesn't know about the planned development also isn't very interested in affordable housing in DTJC...
Posted on: 2014/10/29 2:08
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Re: Eminent Domain on Metropolis Towers
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Then change your route. Problem solved. Quote: that has so much more potential than you are even remotely capable of envisioning. Like all the other massive towers that are going up all over DTJC? Surely you don't think the city is going to spend the money to declare ED, fight the owners for 10 years, to build a park? Quote: And furthermore, these giant fenced walls protect what appear to be two gargantuan alien cockroaches that seem on the verge of collapse without any help from a wrecking ball. 1) They don't look any uglier than any other big tower in DTJC. 2) You don't live in those buildings, so why is it your problem? Quote: With taxpayer dollars? No, this would be a financial grand slam for the city... No, it won't. First, the city would have to litigate the daylights out of it. Second, even if they won somehow, they'd have to pay market rate for the property. Not cheap. Third, someone would have to pay to knock everything down, make sure the ground isn't toxic, and rebuild whatever you imagine is beautiful in its place (or else you'll just want to knock it down again, amirite?). I'm sure any developers will try to put that on the city's tab. Fourth, lots of downtown development pushes for extensive tax abatements. So the city is not going to get a lot of RE taxes from this. Quote: This is just fun speculation. So knocking down people's homes is your idea of fun? Good to know.
Posted on: 2014/10/28 3:00
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Re: PATH is down again today!
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That was actually the plan, and why they leased the WTC site to Silverstein for 99 years (and $3.2 billion). If 9/11 hadn't happened, they wouldn't be spending much time or money on the WTC site. PA obviously didn't have the option to just bow out of building the memorial and a new transit station.
Posted on: 2014/9/26 4:00
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Re: Alleged serial tip jar thief hitting Jersey City stores caught on tape
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Somehow I doubt you'd be so sanguine if it was your wages he was stealing. Quote: The "tip jar" is a relatively new phenomenon in the latest incarnation of American Capitalism. Tipping has been around for decades. (He was also stealing donation jars.) And why does the alleged novelty of a tip jar give him the right to steal it? Quote: Like the induction of fee structures courtesy the financial industry (fee for this and fee for that,) everybody is squeezing the next guy for as many pennies as possible. There is no requirement for you, or anyone else, to tip in these situations. It's a gratuity, and it's optional. No one is getting squeezed here. Quote: Obviously the "offender" has spent a few nights without the necessities most take for granted. We don't know his situation. But whatever it is, I don't see how it justifies theft, especially theft from workers who aren't paid much in the first place. Quote: Just remember people, what goes around comes around and as the great divide between the haves and have nots continues to widen, there gonna be trouble in the waters in the not too distant. Some guy stealing tip jars is a harbinger of an anarcho-syndicalist revolution? Who knew?
Posted on: 2014/9/19 2:37
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Re: East Village Apartments Sit Empty Because Rent Is Too High, Report Says
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Typical vacancy rates for the entire US are typically around 9%. In the depths of the recession, it was closer to 11%.
NYC as a whole has had vacancy rates somewhere between 2% - 3% for years. Are we supposed to be worried about a 2% vacancy rate? Seriously?
Posted on: 2014/9/15 2:44
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Re: What's Going on With Barrow Street?
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Someone crashed directly into the Hudson Mall last night. (Fortunately, no one was hurt.) Obviously, we should blame the mall. ;) http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... driving.html#incart_river Quote: And of course the pedestrian plaza have been taken over by bikers zooming by parents with small children in carriages and or walking or what not. I haven't seen hordes of cyclists barreling through. I have seen lots of families with kids hanging out, which IMO is a great thing.
Posted on: 2014/9/8 14:09
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Re: Jersey City: Newark Avenue - Pedestrian Plaza
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It's not on Newark. It's on Bay and Erie. Which means it can go up Bay, onto Newark (which is not blocked off at that spot), and down Jersey. Next objection?
Posted on: 2014/9/8 13:54
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Re: OPEN JERSEY AVENUE TO LIBERTY STATE PARK!!
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No, it was a miserable decision, possibly one of Christie's worst to date. ARC would have doubled tunnel capacity, and built a new station in NYC next to Penn Station. This is a much-needed infrastructure improvement, and every year of delay produces a huge increase in costs. Worst of all, he almost certainly killed the ARC tunnel not to save money, but to snatch it and redirect it to unrelated road projects, and build his cred with conservatives (http://www.streetsblog.org/2012/04/10 ... -lied-to-kill-arc-tunnel/). His short-sighted move almost certainly pushed back any solution to this major issue by 10 years, possibly more. The only person to whom it makes sense is Christie, and those who inexplicably worship him.
Posted on: 2014/8/29 22:20
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Re: Jersey City Planning Board Approves 21-story McGinley Square Tower
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While I understand the reaction against the "poor doors," and it's clear that in the NYC case they accomplished that with questionable means, I do think in some ways it can make sense. Namely:
- Segregating the students from non-student residential can make a lot of sense. Student housing may want common spaces that residents don't need; they will keep different hours; they may want different amenities, or the school might be responsible for maintaining certain amenities like a gym. - For residential only, subsidized or middle-class residents may be willing to cut out certain luxuries in exchange for lower rents, such as doormen, elaborate lobbies, a gym, etc. I'd also say that in both cases, what really matters is that the facilities are maintained equally. If the student or subsidized residents don't get repairs done on time, that's an issue far more serious than using a separate entrance.
Posted on: 2014/8/26 13:50
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Re: NYT: "Brunswick Towers was a possibility -but Jersey City didn’t seem nearly as exciting as Hoboken"
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I don't really see what the fuss is about.
Jersey City is not ideal for everyone, and the NYT runs plenty of articles about people moving to JC. Just the other day, they did one about people leaving Brooklyn and moving to JC instead. Their commute before must have really sucked, though, if HBLR -> PATH -> MTA is faster. I'm guessing that's going to get old fast.
Posted on: 2014/8/26 13:50
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Re: "sixth borough" - no thanks
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What campaign?
I know of one restaurant/lounge, and one intermittent parking lot market, which uses the moniker.
Posted on: 2014/8/16 22:29
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Re: Jersey City's new vacant lot ordinance sets standards for owners
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Contrary to the previous poster, it's not a "disincentive" to keep the property vacant. The costs involved are tiny compared to the cost of developing on the land. However, it does require owners to step up and take responsibility for keeping the property clean. And yes, the city does have a valid interest in not letting those vacant plots turn into miniature garbage dumps.
Posted on: 2014/8/13 13:36
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Re: United Water- MUA
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The water company isn't responsible for your plumbing. There probably is a leak somewhere in the building, and you just haven't found it yet. I wouldn't rely on tenants to report it to you. Do the cranberry-juice test in the toilets, and check everything carefully.
Posted on: 2014/7/27 13:04
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Re: New bike path connects Jersey City and Newark
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I did it a long time ago. Responsibility is with the cities where the path crosses -- presumably JC and Newark. EC Greenway plans the route, but aren't responsible for maintenance.
Even when it started, it just wasn't worth the effort. Better to take the PATH.
Posted on: 2014/7/25 22:38
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Re: Jersey City one of unhappiest cities in the US?
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I haven't read the full study yet, so I can't comment extensively on it. However, we should note that the survey data is a bit out of date. The BRFSS was conducted between 2005 and 2009; some of the other studies date back to the 80s and 90s. Parts of JC have changed significantly between 2005 and today.
That said, I'm not totally surprised. After all... 1) We have lots of poor people living in close proximity to some fairly wealthy people 2) The city is in transition, and I'm sure the people who feel like they're getting pushed out are not happy about it 3) Crime is a serious issue in many parts of JC 4) Housing is small, there isn't a lot of green space, and recreational areas are also a bit limited. The bigger issue is whether the authors are seeing larger patterns in their research which might explain the results, and whether there are big differences in self-reported happiness in JC based on factors like income.
Posted on: 2014/7/23 23:59
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Re: Hudson Light Rail- Worst system ever !
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The HBLR definitely isn't the "worst system ever." However, I do think the fare system relies too much on the honor system.
I don't think the system can be completely revised, but I do think they could check the tickets more frequently. Hiring conductors to check tickets more frequently would pay for itself.
Posted on: 2014/7/12 22:09
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Re: How would you have planned JC's waterfront?
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Liberty State Park and Morris Canal Park are both under control of the State.
There are, in fact, several ferry landings in JC. I'd guess it is up to the National Park Service to decide ferry routes for Ellis Island. We don't need Exchange Place-sized plazas every 200 yards. There are also a few nice resources on the waterfront, such as Newport Green Park and several marinas. I have no idea what sort of planning was bandied about in the 1980s. I'm pretty sure there was something, because it's not like they opened a planning department 2 weeks ago. I think you're looking at the situation with hindsight and personal preferences. Anyone who suggested in the early 1980s that "tourists will flock to Jersey City!" would have been laughed out of the room.
Posted on: 2014/6/25 13:58
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Re: How would you have planned JC's waterfront?
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My understanding is that the Hudson River Walkway and Liberty State Park are under state control, so JC has very little influence on those facilities.
I believe, but am not sure, that the same is true for Morris Canal Park. My understanding is that the Colgate Clock is on private property. Maybe JC could have bought it, but I don't think they could run ferries to Ellis Island without federal permission. I believe the feds also own the bridge to Ellis Island. I'm not really sure what other sections you have in mind, or which plazas you want to link.
Posted on: 2014/6/25 11:39
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Re: christie has done a great job reviving Atlantic City
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I also concur that Revel's fate, and AC in general, really isn't Christie's fault.
Maybe there's a bit more he could do, but I'd guess the real issue is the recession, combined with increased competition.
Posted on: 2014/6/20 18:49
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Re: What should I do about a tenant using JCFD to harass me?
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I don't think the FD is the problem here. The problem is the tenant. I'd talk to your lawyer, see if there is a way you can get them out.
Posted on: 2014/6/17 3:11
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Re: Fulop to solicit proposals from for-profit companies to replace FOL in running the Loew’s theater
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As he said, the allocation is up to whoever runs the theater. No one can answer that question at this time, beyond what is listed in the RFP. Quote: I've already outlined the concerns many of us residents have about the allocation process and potential added costs for community groups.... The Loew's will go from an underutilized run-down half-fixed theater run on a shoestring, to a professionally-run facility. While I appreciate community groups being concerned that costs may go up, I'd say expecting costs to be flat are highly unrealistic. It's also screamingly obvious that the Lowe's is (to put it mildly) underutilized. They don't have any events listed more than 3 weeks out! And which community groups are using it this month? Ponycon (for people who like "My Little Pony") and people who want to watch "Yellow Submarine." Maybe it's time for amateur hour to end, and to find some professionals to run the Lowe's.
Posted on: 2014/6/14 23:58
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Re: Jersey City considers turning Newark Avenue into pedestrian plaza
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W00T!
I look forward to seeing the final results. I assume summer will still be a pilot program though.
Posted on: 2014/6/13 3:31
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