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Re: The Jersey City experience in one night?
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Home away from home
 
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It's probably just me but the area around DM...always seems too dark. I wish there was more lighting. That said it would be an awesome place to live.
Posted on: 2012/4/20 0:10
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Home away from home
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I'm guessing that everyone who says that Dixon is rodent-filled is either a disgruntled tenant who is being forced out or someone who's never gone beyond the gates. I went for a tour and wish that I had waited to buy until I knew what DM was all about. It's REALLY nice. (And nope, I have nothing to do with them professionally or personally.)
Posted on: 2012/4/19 21:55
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Just can't stay away
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I'm in a very similar situation. My husband and I are moving to Dixon Mills in early May. We're Brooklyn transplants and are really looking forward to getting to know the neighborhood.
Posted on: 2012/4/19 21:43
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OP here. I just wanted to follow up since you were all kind enough to reply to my thread.
My fiancee and I are officially moving to Jersey City. We're in contract on a place in Dixon Mills and will be moving in June. I don't care to rehash the merits (or lack thereof) of Dixon Mills here, we're thrilled with our unit and the development. We've spent quite a bit of time in JC since this thread was started a couple months ago and we're really excited to be a part of the neighborhood. Everything about it is exactly what we're looking for: quiet and "neghborhood-y" while still having plenty going on. People who are friendly, unpretentious, and cool without needing a NYC address for validation. We really can't wait to get settled into the neighborhood. I also have to say it's amazing how nice the area looks now with all the trees filling in and Spring in the air. Definitely much different than the dead of winter when we first started exploring. Anyways, just wanted to check in. I regularly read the forum and hope to contribute more once I actually am living in JC. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions in this thread.
Posted on: 2012/4/19 21:32
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Quite a regular
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Pardon the digression- but DM rodent filled?? I know it was a big issue year agao, but recently!? I beg to differ. Jersey city has changed a lot, so have buildings.
Posted on: 2012/2/17 18:25
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Dixon Mills is rodent filled.
The fight should be for higher salaries. More development brings about a better quality of life for all - less crime, more tourists, better restaurants and businesses.
Posted on: 2012/2/17 17:41
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Newbie
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5 years ago what you are saying may have been true about being able to afford JC on a middle class salary, but unfortunately the more manhattan transfers JC gets the more the owners of buildings jack up there pricing. A nice 1Br rental 5 yrs ago would run you between 900-1300 downtown in a row house. Now you cant find one for under $1750. Still cheaper than manhattan but almost on par with Hoboken at this point.
Dixon Mills is a nice place to live. As far as bars, depends on what your vibe is. If your into flannels and beards: Good beer = Barcade, overpriced drinks = LITM Lucky 7 is a good all around place and all the restaurants the above poster mentioned are nice. Just be careful, the Snookie monster will be living next door to Marco and Pepe for the next 2 months.
Posted on: 2012/2/17 14:40
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Quote:
For the longest time the cable TV provider for the Newport area was a Nyc based cable company. There were even some J.C. residents going to that government building near the Brooklyn Bridge for city information on...Jersey City. I wonder if they were embarassed when told to go back over the river?
Posted on: 2012/2/14 1:10
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Get on your bikes and ride !
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Home away from home
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It would also help if people moving here let go of their preconceived ideas of what was "cool" or "hip", instead of trying to force feed us their idea of how our neighborhoods should be. (this is not directed at MaybeMoving - he seems to have an open mind here). Its just a general observation.
From a 16.5 year resident of JC...
Posted on: 2012/2/14 0:04
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Also we might as well just call a truce right off the bat since most of our disagreements never really go any where. I'm giving you an E handshake
Posted on: 2012/2/13 21:22
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Re: The Jersey City experience in one night?
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Yes the rest of JC is in tact for the most part but since I am from this city and still work in it I feel I have a say in what I see wrong with it, in all neighborhoods. If I just moved here then fine I can see your argument.
Posted on: 2012/2/13 21:12
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Home away from home
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Quote:
OK, you're right, but the beer garden is a new entity, and nobody is forcing you at gunpoint to visit the venue. I know I've said this before...the vast majority of the city of Jersey City is undisturbed by yuppie and hipster invaders, maybe you should hang out there instead? The "good old Jersey City" is alive and well in ALL neighborhoods outside of downtown.
Posted on: 2012/2/13 21:05
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You're right , I do not. Keep all that trendy b.s. on the other side of the river(or even Hoboken for that matter) I can't even go to the Beer Garden now without having some soccer moms with their kids sitting next to me spitting up peas.
Posted on: 2012/2/13 20:45
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Home away from home
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Quote:
It's pretty simple - downtown JC and Hoboken offer commutes into Manhattan that are superior to the commute from most parts of Queens, most parts of the Bronx, many parts of Brooklyn, and all parts of Staten Island. That, and the housing options in Hoboken and JC are largely more attractive than the housing options in the other boroughs. In Hoboken and JC there are blocks and blocks of really nice dense brownstone neighborhoods. In my opinion it's much more aesthetically attractive here than even the "cool" innermost neighborhoods in Queens such as LIC or Astoria (both of those neighborhoods are generally unattractive to me). Also, like MaybeMoving indicated, in JC and Hoboken there is a fairly high amount of "cool stuff" that people from Manhattan or Brooklyn are accustomed to, whether you like that fact or not (I sense that you do not).
Posted on: 2012/2/13 20:14
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Parts of Queens are perfectly nice. Obviously Astoria has a fair number of young people and Sunnyside is aesthetically lovely. I think Queens in general doesn't have the same density of "cool" stuff that the transplants that make up prime Brooklyn and Manhattan expect when they move to NYC. Some day it may get there but it's not there now. Additionally, those same people either want to hang out in Brooklyn or Manhattan below 14th and Queens isn't really convenient to either (except for maybe LIC and the G train). Jersey City or Hoboken is quicker to lower Manhattan than anywhere in Queens which is part of the draw.
Posted on: 2012/2/13 19:36
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Off topic, but why is it that everyone wants to live in NYC but limit their searches to Manhattan and Brooklyn? Why not Queens and the Bronx? Then you can actually tell people you live in NYC, unlike most of the yuppie transplants getting off the Grove st stop when a few minutes before I'd here them on the train saying they live in NYC??? Gimmie a break.
Posted on: 2012/2/13 18:43
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And don't limit yourself to just the Downtown area. The locals know where in J.C. all the good spots are. Whether it is food establishments, restaurants, bakeries, tailors, shoemakers, bike shops, auto mechanics, libraries, candy shops, record stores, and then some. I'm all over the city granted the safer parts but I'm not limited. For instance this Friday the Brennan Coffee House on Newark Ave. is having their monthly folk music gig (Red Molly) at the county court house it's opposite the McDonalds near Dickinson H.S.
http://www.brennancoffeehouse.com/home.htm http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewt ... 0&forum=14&post_id=283700
Posted on: 2012/2/13 2:05
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Get on your bikes and ride !
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Thanks to everyone for the replies. This has all been very helpful.
We spent Friday night in Jersey City walking around. We wanted to get a sense of what it was like on a night when residents might be hanging out locally. I'm happy to say we had a great time. We only went to Barcade and Lucky 7 but we really liked the crowd and the vibe. Much less preening and more laid back and "neighborhoody" than Brooklyn or Manhattan. We walked around Newark Ave and around Dixon Mills, Grove St. and the surrounding areas at about 1am. It was quiet but we felt perfectly comfortable. I could definitely see us ending up in the neighborhood. The Path came right on schedule and we were back in Manhattan in ten minutes. We'll be making our way back to the neighborhood many times in the next few months and sampling some of the other places around the area. We give JC a big thumbs up! Just wish it hadn't taken us years of living in NYC before we made our way across the river to visit.
Posted on: 2012/2/13 1:28
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Home away from home
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Welcome! I'm a sixteen year resident of downtown JC. I'd say that everyone has had great suggestions, both old and new residents. If you come with an open mind, rather than "I want it to be like Manhattan/Park Slope/BK" etc., I think you will enjoy it more. Not knocking you at all as I can understanding wanting a somewhat familiar vibe. Also, don't call it "up and coming" - many of us hate that. Its been a gem for ages. We're happy you found it, and hope you enjoy your new life here. :) There's a great arts scene too. Check out Art House Productions, and the vintage Loews movie theatre up by Journal Sq. is just incredible (google it - the website is great with a virtual tour). They have film screenings all the time (at least 1 weekend a month), and its a short walk from the incredible little India someone else mentioned. Buffet in Little India is my weekend brunch of choice these days! :)
For beer lovers - add Pint to the list (on Wayne & Grove). Its the unofficial gay bar, but its very chill, neighborly and I've found it very welcoming to all sorts of customers. They have a fun trivia game at 8pm on Wednesdays. Hamilton Inn also has trivia on Tuesday at 9pm. Great ways to come experience the hood and meet neighbors, both before and after you move here. One request: please please please be a nice commuter. I've found that in the past several years, some of the new inlfux of folks (not all) have brought their bad NYC Subway attitude to the PATH, with more pushing and shoving and not sharing the stairs or letting folks out of the train before pushing their way in. We know the PATH is getting too crowded, and we don't like it either. It used to be "friendlier" and I think we can all help make it better.
Posted on: 2012/2/12 20:28
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Just can't stay away
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Hello - I moved from the city and have been really enjoying the area. I was big on going out in the east village/LES so I think I know what you're looking for and this area would suit you well.
Dixon Mills for me seemed too much like a college dorm but if you're looking to meet people and create a sort of community type of atmosphere it is worth taking a look. As for a car, I havent had one and been doing just fine. Everything is within walking distance, even the home depot and the target. If you need a car there is always zipcar. Places I like to visit: Breakfast/brunch - Beechwood Cafe Lunch - taquaria Dinner - Satis Bistro Favorite: pho at Nha Trang For nightlife, I would do a walk starting from the beer garden, then to the few bars on grove, up newark and end your night at lucky 7's. That will give you a general idea of what is around however there are plenty of other bars off the beaten path. Good luck on your search!
Posted on: 2012/2/12 14:33
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maybemoving - I moved to JC from Syracuse over 10 years ago in my early 20s when I got a job in the City but couldn't afford to live there. I moved to JC site unseen and, well, I'm still here. It has changed quite a bit even in just the past decade, but I really love the city. Had a lot of fun in my 20s here, got married (got my future hubby to move here with me) and recently ended up purchasing a condo here. it doesn't have as much nightlife as Hoboken, but who cares - you can take a cab there for $10 or walk the boardwalk there in the summer. I have never had a car until recently, as my husband has a car that we now share. I have to say, it barely gets used. Its good to have for grocery shopping and driving back to the 'cuse for me, but other than that, you don't really need a car if you take the train to work.
As to great places to visit, many good ones have been mentioned above. I love Liberty State park in the summer. Ride your bike there or go for a jog, or just chill. The Liberty House restaurant there is expensive, but its nice to go for a drink in the summer, sit outside, check out the city skyline and relax. In the summer they have some good bands playing there for free. Breakfast/brunch: how is it nobody has mentioned Wonder Bagels yet? Also, the Hamilton Park Inn has a great brunch on the weekend. I also like Basic near Hamilton Park for lunch. For dinner, love Madame Claudes (french - BYO) and I also like Prestos (Italian - BYO). White Horse is good, as is the french restaurant nearby (what's the name? I always call it the french restaurant). As others mentioned, the beer garden is a fun spot.
Posted on: 2012/2/11 2:28
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Quote:
Check out Van Vorst Park definitely, stop in Liberty Wines right around the corner, visit Subia's Organic Market right down the block, peek into Nha Trang, Nicole's West Indian, La Conga Market, or La Isla Nueva to see some of the ethnic stuff we've got in the area, visit Another Man's Treasure for a cool shopping experience. Bars have already been mentioned, but stop by Lucky 7s or Abbey's for a less pricey/fancy alternative. Really there's something around here for everyone. As the first response showed, there's plenty of cheap, "hood" bars and places to eat, but there's lots of ethnic stuff, lots of "hipster" places, lots of "swank" and "organic" and really everything you could think of. Just walk around a bit on Newark and Grove and Jersey and stop in places.
Posted on: 2012/2/10 22:54
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My husband and I moved here from Ft. Greene a few years ago (I'm now 38, he's 42). We wanted more space and weren't taking advantage of all the Brooklyn night life options like we used to. We definitely sometimes miss having a wider selection of things to do (and places to shop) but are generally happy with having more space for less money. It's also great to be able to get away on weekends without having to first get out of NYC. We live near Dixon Mills (in the Village) and really like the neighborhood. We've met lots of lovely people but many of them are ex-pats like us. (Except for the old-timers at the Knights of Columbus on First Street. Those guys are fabulous and have seriously amazing stories about JC back in the day.)
Our favorites for dinner are Marco y Pepe and Madame Claude's - we also recently discovered this awesome JC neighborhood called "Tribeca" that has some great restaurants. ;) (Seriously, the PATH to World Trade from Grove is 2 stops so we do that a lot. The Whole Foods there is convenient, too, if you don't have a car.) Light Horse is also nice although I like their drinks and apps more than their actual meals. I'm not a fan of places like Skinner's Loft and the Merchant but I know lots of people love them for burgers or brunch. There's also a ton of great Indian near Journal Square. For fancy cocktails, we go to LITM; for beers, Barcade or White Star (also good bloody marys and eggs & pancakes for brunch) or Zeppelin Hall (beer garden) in the summer. The Thai and Vietnamese restaurants along Newark also have quite nice bars - especially the Vietnamese one that's farthest from the PATH - not trendy and full of people, but they make good drinks that aren't as pricey as LITM and are quieter for when you just want to sit and talk. Best bakery in the world is on Second Street b/w Brunswick and Colgate, and Torico's on Erie Street has great ice cream (although they aren't open in the winter). For poking around on weekends, there's a great vintage shop on Grove called Another Man's Treasure and a cool homegoods/whatnots shop called Smith and Chang near Hamilton Park. Liberty State Park is also a great place to jog, walk, or ride a bike. Downtown's small enough that you could also just walk around to get a feel for it - from the Grove PATH, I'd head to Paulus Hook (maybe get brunch), then head toward Dixon Mills and check out Van Vorst park, then walk up to Hamilton Park (which will take you through Harsimus Cove).
Posted on: 2012/2/10 22:23
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Home away from home
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There is definitely NOT a need to own a car if you live anywhere in JC, especially the downtown/Grove Street/Hamilton Park/Paulus Hook areas. It's more of a hassle than a convenience, and many people don't own a car and don't want to own one.
Posted on: 2012/2/10 22:21
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Quite a regular
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take the path to grove, get out walk around and go to places that look like they suit you.
Posted on: 2012/2/10 21:54
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Neverleft - Great to hear that us newcomers aren't as maligned as it sometimes sounds. It can seem as if living in JC can make us the bastard children of the NYC metro: our old friends from Manhattan will think it's the hinterlands and won't visit and the long time residents will look down their noses at us and the silly fusion restaurants that follow in our wake. I won't pretend that I won't be looking for a little taste of the Manhattan lifestyle across the river but I do believe there is a happy medium between old and new.
I ASSURE you I'm no MTV scout but I can see how my post could fit the bill. I was actually joking with my fiancee about whether we should get in before the Jersey Shore spinoff raises property values. Her response: "Ummm....I think we should wait til after when home prices are cut in half". I'm obviously not the best judge but from what I've seen of downtown JC it doesn't seem like it caters to the Snooki type.
Posted on: 2012/2/10 21:54
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There is absolutly no reason to have a car if you live in dixon mills.
the walk is under ten minutes, if you walk down wayne, which is nicer and calmer than colombus. some people even find it relaxing to walk since thier in a cubicle all day. in addition the bus runs during commuter hours. it is a little hard to catch in the afternoon but in the mornings it runs like clock work. I did not have a car for two years after moving from Brooklyn. It is by far the most bang for your buck, the streets are spotless becuase of maintenance. In addition I work in jersey and drive, and my wife works downtown. it is a great area becuase I have the option to job search in NJ, jump right on the turnpike, exit 14 or take the path to the city. In all honesty, JC does not even compare to the nightlife Hoboken can offer, but if your looking to have a few go to places to drink and a few to eat you will find jc satisfactory. But it is still lacking a centralized fun zone.
Posted on: 2012/2/10 21:51
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Tommyc - Thanks! That sounds like quite a comprehensive list. I'm a bit of a beer geek myself and have been told to check out Buy Rite which offers an enormous selection and delivery. Sitting out at Zeppelin or on the roof of Iron Monkey sounds like a great way to spend a summer evening.
We walked around last weekend and went to Hamilton Park, Grove Street, Van Vorst, up by Dixon Mills, and down through Paulus Hook and the waterfront. The brownstone areas were all very charming while also not feeling quite as refined as brownstone Brooklyn. One thing I was actually quite surprised to find was that many restaurants seemed closed (LITM, for one) on a Saturday afternoon. There also wasn't much in the way of pedestrian traffic on what was a pretty nice February weekend afternoon. Is this the norm? Does it come alive in the warmer months? Do people just go out in Manhattan during the weekend days and come home in the evening?
Posted on: 2012/2/10 21:45
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Hey are you sure you are just thinking about moving here? We are on the look out for the MTV script writers who will try and pump the unwitting DTJC locals for the same type of information that you are requesting. Hmmmm. We are not going to see Jwoww or Snooki taking the above mentioned ?party? paths are we?
Interesting question though. If you want a take from an old-timer who does not live in DTJC here it is. Let?s see its Friday night so as soon as the sun goes down I will triple lock my doors and windows and sit down with a good book until day break?.Monday. Only kidding.. PS ? in my opinion you couldn?t be more wrong about this.. Quote: I don't expect to be greeted with open arms by the "old guard" of Jersey City but I also am the type who finds the JC waterfront and it's highrises boring and sterile. From reading around it sounds like there are all of the common tensions that are found between newcomers and long time residents in a gentrifying neighborhood. We just goof around here on jclist as an old-timer we love having new blood in JC. (if you notice it?s the newcomers who bark the hateful words at us old-timers) Yeah we have to put up with their annoying complains like ?we want a Whole Foods? , or ?can someone teach me how to cross a busy street? but we still love having them here. (after all it?s more people to rob they have some good shi*) Seems like JC is slowly coming back to life. One thing you are NOT wrong about is the ?highrises boring and sterile? part. I don?t know why JC let those ugly monsters be built. Should have kept everything to maybe 5 stories like the old buildings they replaced. Enjoy!
Posted on: 2012/2/10 21:38
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Roslyn - Good to hear that you're happy there. Did you make the move from NYC? How have you found the adjustment?
I've heard great things from those that purchased there and we are very tempted. It's by far the most bang for our buck that we could find in JC or Hoboken. Our only concern is that many say we need a car if we're living there. It seemed quite close to the Path so I don't really get that. I have no intentions of owning a car so I'm hoping that's not the case.
Posted on: 2012/2/10 21:36
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