Hey!

So your the one that outbid me! LOL.

I e-mailed you on my work e-mail, which Ill be around to check until about 3:00pm today, after that through the weekend you can reach me @ emancini@comcast.net

-Penn

Pennsteric, you should email me. I just made an offer on a 1 bedroom in 2520 Kennedy and they accepted. I'm still going through the motions of financing, reading the contract, etc. We should talk though - I'm curious to hear what your thoughts are.
likecockatoos@gmail.com

Thnx for all the grocery store help. Does anyone rent in the 2520 kennedy blvd building currently? Am curious what the going rental rate for a 1 bedroom in that building would be.

Thx

Quote:
C-Towns are franchises, so they are run independently. The one at Bergen Square, like any grocery store, has strengths and weaknesses. A plus is that the owner/manager is not complacent and is always working on improving it.

They do have a decent deli counter. They carry some organic produce and dairy, including eggs, which is imporatnt for me to have near home. To me, the fish sometimes looks like it is frozen thawed and refrozen; I don't buy it. The beef and lamb usually look good.

Nice specialty/ethnic items throughout the store. Good source for nuts, in the back, behind produce.

Twin City also has its strong points, including, as I've pointed out elsewhere on the list, its fish counter, whole fish, fresh, reasonably priced. The fishmonger here is an independent purveyor, not part of Twin City.

Twin City also has amazing meat, if you're into beef and pork. Nothing organic that I've seen, though.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the C-Town on Bergen. It's way better than the C-Town I used to go to in the East Village when I lived in NYC. The deli counter has decent brands like Boar's Head and Land of Lakes, and the store has a selection of interesting Middle Eastern products to appeal to the local Egyptian community.

Check out Twin City on Sip Avenue for groceries. My husband and I live on Highland Avenue and don't own a car and we shop there and C-Town on Bergen on occasion, but we find Twin City to have a better selection, esp. when it comes to meat and seafood. Twin City is a huge grocery store and we were so happy to find it, we thought we'd have to survive on C-Town and bodegas living in the neighborhood.

Shelley's, which is a Met supermarket, is at the corner of Bergen and Duncan, and is ok for staples, but the hours are not great. I did notice recently they are open until 8 PM on Thurs and Fri which helps. We alternate between Pathmark on 440, Super Stop & Shop in Bayonne on 440, and the A&P over the the Holland Tunnel, all obviously a car ride away.

Quote:

As an update-

Toured the Waldo & Newark/ Pavonia renovations (2 seperate buildings) on Sunday and liked them both, but they just dont offer the same space/layout as the Kennedy property. Also looked at 333 Fairmount, and found that to be very nice as well, saving me 5 minis walk to the PATH.

Offer time....

Quote:

My parents have lived on Waldo Avenue for 48 years, and I grew up there. Parking is not too much of a problem and the neighborhood is changing rapidly. I like the interior renovation job that is nearly completed on the corner of Waldo and Newark Avenues. Again, there is plenty of public transportation, and it is a short walk to the PATH.

Currently, the largest building on Waldo Avenue (96 Waldo) is for sale, and I believe that it will go condo in the next few years. This location is close to the Downtown section, and there is a grocery and liquor store one block away on Chestnut. The closest supermarkets are the PATHMARK on Grand Street and the SHOPRITE on Manila Avenue which are just a 5 minute drive.

Also, there is a very active neighborhood association
(Hilltop Neighborhood Association) headed by Richard Boggiano (former police officer and mayoral candidate) that meets at the St. Joseph's grammar school basement.

Because I grew up there, I may be a bit biased, but the area has a lot of potential. A new 12 story building is being built on the other side of the Jersey City Cemetery and Turnpike extension, and there are plans for the vacant lot across the street from the building that you are looking into. It can be a bit noisy because Newark Avenue is so busy, but there aren't many parts of Jersey City that are very quiet and secluded anyway.

2520 Kennedy Blvd might be cheaper than the building on Waldo Avenue, and it is closer to a public park. Like I wrote, my parents still live close by, and my sister lives 2 blocks from the new building. Send any questions to my inbox via this site.

So anyway.....to be helpful, there is a Stop and Shop on Central avenue, albeit not the best assortment/people/staff. Personally, I use the ShopRite in Hoboken.

Quote:
Are you kidding?

Thanks for the insight guys. My main concerns with the area were the parking (as I will be commuting every day out of the city to Madison, NJ) and general getting around for restaurants/groceries,etc.

Seems odd that whole area of JC doesnt have any real supermarkets. Where is the nearest Shoprite/ Stop & Shop, etc.

There is another new renov building on Waldo and Newark that Im looking which is a 7-9 minute walk to the Path, so that is my other option. Also I have always found street parking available on Waldo Ave. with no problem.

Going to be a tough decision but thanks for your help.

Quote:

I stand corrected.

Great to hear that it happens less.

I lived on Bentley Avenue until 10 years ago, and my best friend lived on Jewett until 6 years ago. His car was stolen twice, and mine had been broken into three times and the engine igniter stolen twice (darn Toyota).

Yeah, the driveways are a kick in the pants when you're looking for parking at 2 am.

Quote:

Up until recently, I lived around the corner from there for 4 years. Street parking can be tedious, but it's hardly the most difficult part of town to park in, and there are privately owned driveways and lots within a 2 block radius with spaces to rent for around $100/month on average.

And for the record, neither I or my roomate ever once had any of our vehicles interfered with, nor did I ever hear of or witness any car break-ins or thefts. Not saying they don't happen, just questioning the basis upon which shadrack offers his/her assessment that they happen frequently, or any more or less frequently than any other area. Just ask anybody who lives near Hamilton Park, Paulus Hook, or VVP about car break-ins and spare tires being stolen.

Other than the car break-in comment, I agree more or less with shadrack's comments. Commuting via JSQ is not hard, 15 minutes on foot, less by bus. Also, for groceries, Shoprite in Hoboken has a great and very reliable delivery service if you don't plan to keep your car, but it sounds like you do.

Parking is terrible in that area.

Auto thefts and break-ins happen frequently, but the area has been improving slowly over the last 10 years. There are many charming old apartment buildings and houses in the area.

Bergen Avenue is to the east (some bodegas, take out food, and liquor stores), so you will need to drive to the supermarkets on Route 440 or downtown. Westside Avenue is to the west and again, there are bodegas, liquors stores, and a few Chinese restaurants close to 2520 Kennedy Blvd. The location is a few blocks from the Westside Animal Hospital which is convenient if you have pets.

Lincoln Park is a block away, and there is a dog run on the 440 side of the park if you have a dog. Also, the county has made many improvements (running track and racket ball) to the park.

There is good public transportation in the area and the walk to the Journal Square PATH is about 15 minutes.

It's good and bad. There are some quality of life concerns, but the location is convenient to public transportation and Lincoln Park.

Looking at the new renovation building @ 2520 Kennedy to buy. Does anyone know anything about the building/area/parking situation/etc?

Thanks!