We used Vector movers for a move within JC last month and they were absolutely horrible. Their 5-star yelp reviews are deceptive and we could not have had a worse experience with them. They forgot about our appointment, scrambled another crew that showed up 2 hours late, damaged our furniture and then tried to blame us for it, and finally refused to speak with or deal with my wife simply because she was a woman. I generally avoid trashing a company / restaurant over a poor experience but these guys were beyond the pale. Stay away!

Regardless of whether or not the idea of expanding casinos is appropriate or a good idea, the proposed complex is a sprawling Frankenstein nightmare. Beyond the super stylized aerial shots of the tower, take a close look at the rendering of the base of the building. There are ridiculous water falls, ambiguous blocks of greenery pasted on the side of the building, balconies and what I'm assuming are shops/restaurants jutting out at all sorts of weird angles. There's no cohesiveness, no sense of scale or proportion. Fullop is constantly talking about building up the skyline to increase the profile of the city, increase our sense of civic pride etc. Nothing is more at odds with that idea than building a 90-story mega-casino literally right behind the statue of liberty. What a complete disgrace.

http://photos.nj.com/4505/gallery/jer ... _renderings/index.html#/4

Did they tell you they need to be repainted or that they need to be repaired or re-certified? There's a big difference.

Our building had the same issue and we had to bring our fire escapes fully up to code. This involved not only repainting them but also repairing any deteriorated metal and re-welding/bolting any
broken connections. It also required us obtaining a signed and sealed letter from a structural engineer stating that the fire escapes are safe and structurally sound (the certification letter is good for five years). We ultimately went with a steel company that specialized in fire escape repair. They were able to do all the work, including the engineering, in house. Much more pricey than a simple repainting but unfortunately the previous owner was negligent in the maintenance and let the certification lapse as a result we were required to do a much more significant repair job.

Yes applying for a variance requires an attorney but the first step is to consult with an Architect to assess the feasibility of the situation beyond just the zoning and planning aspects of the project. An architect will be able to address the zoning issues as well so there's really no need to hire an attorney until later on in the process. FYI I'm an Architect and have worked on several similar projects here in the city. If you'd like additional assistance please feel free to private message me, perhaps I can help. Best of luck.

It's definitely going to be some sort of restaurant, no indications that hard grove is moving in though. I walked by the other day when they had the doors open and the space was fairly well along. There was a long bar along the right hand side and they were working on interior finishes, lighting and ductwork.

For the past two weeks there's been a late night alarm (sounds like a fire alarm or smoke detector) going off around the south-east corner of Van Vorst Park. Anybody who lives in the area is surely familiar with what I'm talking about as it's loud enough to be heard through closed windows. Does anybody have any insight as to its origins? I've spoken with several neighbors who are equally as perplexed as to where it may be coming from.

With the high winds last night/this morning the noise was back confirming your theory about it being the wind. The timing of when I first noticed it aligns with the construction of the tower next to gulls cove so it makes sense that it's responsible. It amazes me though that it could be heard so clearly from so far away.

I'm familiar with the sound of the train, this definitely wasn't it. It also wasn't the usual wind gusting that we're prone to. This was a was a continued sustained, howling, mechanical noise that lasted for several hours. It was very strange.

Has anyone else noticed a strange continuous howling / whistling noise in the Van Vorst Park area tonight? I noticed it as soon as I got out of my car parked on Bright street. It's particularly strong on Bright / Barrow streets. Any thoughts? Very strange.