We believe the Heights is at a cross roads. Within the next few years is going to be the time to make the move. I agree! It might have to be BYOB because of the expensive licensing. And the space needs to be right. Madame Claude may be small but it's just the right amount of space for an intimate restaurant with a good, limited menu. Now is the time to decide the next generation of the Heights!

I still think the Heights is lacking a good sit down restaurant. One with a cozy atmosphere, consistently delicious food, and great service.

If you could replicate The Hamilton Inn but in the Heights, my family and I would be there every Friday!

I know a liquor license is expensive so you could also follow the Madame Claude model and have people BYOB.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide. It's exciting times in the Heights.

Great input! Thank you for the post. All those suggestions are good and solid and practical. The Heights has a lot of great real estate going fallow and I agree that a great bakery like Choc-o-Pain would be a great addition. (To replace Goering's?) But, I have a feeling that piece of real estate is quite expensive. We would like to keep it small so we can create a good, urban vibe and not sink like a stone and go back to the same empty spaces we already have in the Heights. It is possible to do a home decor store that would include good quality cooking products (seriously lacking up here), and collaborate with some local artists. An art supply store that exhibits and has classes has also not been ruled out. Part of our goal is to make it fun for all of us. We are here. It's our time. Let's put our heads together.

Good luck - I hope your business plan falls into place, and it's a success for everyone involved!

I'm probably not representative of the Heights demographic as I don't have a car; but I've lived here for 6 years having to ferry nearly everything (other than groceries and booze, LOL) over from Manhattan, and am excited about seeing and patronizing new establishments that add to a real urban vibe. Here is what I would like to see more of in the Heights:
- Cafe or gastropub that could host art exhibits etc
- a good bakery, like Choc-o-pain on 1st Street in Hoboken
- Home decor store - good quality cooking products, artwork and crafts, especially locally made

I just joined Blink Fitness in JSQ, it's only a 10 minute bike ride (one's warm-up) away, and is really big, clean, and well equiped so a fitness space may have serious competition from that.

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You should also ask on reddit. Better community there overall.

http://www.reddit.com/r/jerseycity/

It IS true that bookstores have a rough ride, especially in Jersey City. Still, WORD might be successful. Let's hope so. A bookstore might not serve enough interests in the Heights area. I also agree that an emphasis on our art scene would be necessary!

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WHAT!?!? A bookstore is a TERRIBLE idea. This city, in general, is a terrible place to open a bookstore. One hasn't been able to survive, even downtown. I really hope Word can make a go of it. All the other places that have opened in the past have gone bankrupt or have chosen to pack up and leave. Jersey City is about to become the largest city in the state and we have ONE bookstore. How sad is THAT!?

Thank you all! These are great ideas that we have all been considering. The now closed bar, Monaghan's, is up for sale with a liquor license so it is a bit expensive but, I agree, a gastropub would be most welcome. A gym was one of my first ideas. The Lucille Roberts just doesn't cut it. We've also discussed just opening up a big space for a gym on Central Avenue but the costs on Central Avenue are very cost prohibitive. The rumor mill has it that those who own property on Central Avenue are holding out for the highest price franchises. For instance, a space on Central and Bowers is about $4,000 a month. I agree that a bookstore has a snowball's chance but mingled with some coffee and a place to sit, maybe it would encourage the rest of us to put all our heads together. A vintage store would be fun but I wonder if with the current foot traffic, we could pay the rent. But, I will take these ideas to the investors. Keep them coming because our neighborhood is changing very quickly.

Bookstore would be lovely, but I wonder if/how bookstores survive nowadays. Word does well, but it is in a different part of town that already has a lot of foot traffic. I usually go in after dinner or brunch in the DT area. Would a bookstore on Summit get that kind of traffic?

A gym is a great idea. I I like the Lucille Roberts because of the convenience and the Zumba classes, but it is only for women, it's too crowded, and doesn't have equipment for the serious weight lifter. They only have a few weight machines, and the free weights only go up to 12 pds (seriously? people still think women don't lift more then 12pds????). They also open at 9AM, so workouts before work are not a possibility. A better gym would be fantastic!

Another idea is a restaurant serving good " new American" food. My hubby is sad about the lack of good burgers, sandwiches, meatloaf, etc in the neighborhood. Once in a while he wants something other than Latin food or pizza. I've heard AJ's is filling this void, but that's on Palisade. Maybe something like a gastropub. I remember when the Hamilton Park Ale House back when I used to live on HP. It was a perfect neighbohood gastropub without being expensive (this is back when Maggie owned it, before she opened Skinner's Loft).

I think there would be strong interest in a nice fitness studio. I honestly don't like the brand, but I think there's enough people in the Heights who'd shell out for a Crossfit type place now. The closest one requires a walk down the 100 steps to Hoboken. Plus, having done Crossfit before, you'd benefit by being close to the track and reservoir for the outdoor runs and boot camp shit. You could also consider partnering with the yoga studio, or letting an independent zumba instructor come in for classes sometimes or whatever.

If you get a place that has easily accessible parking I think you'll have a lot of success because you can also target Weehawken and the growth in the nice condos/apartments along Palisade Ave in Union City. When I was looking for a house in these three areas I asked my real estate agent about closest gyms and she said most people get a membership to some place in Hoboken and never use it because they can't find a place to park easily.

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The thing about both is that they need to be close, no one wants to go far, that's the secret of the Starbucks on every freakin corner of Midtown. Actually, I've been spending a lot of time to the east of the Reservoir, and there's neither coffee nor a real pizza joint to my knowledge other than up Central. Amazing given the hospital. The only food by it is the DD's and the Subway.

A gym. Another coffee spot is like opening another pizza spot in this city. There are not many good places to work out in the heights. Only places that I can think of are Lucille Roberts, some new bot camp place and a small and dirty "boxing" place.

2. A better bar. Downtown has so many good options that are fun yet chill enough to have a good night out without going crazy. The heights has mainly dive bars and not much else.

3. A vintage shop like another man's treasure downtown wouldn't be a bad idea either.

4. As others have mentioned a bookstore would not be a bad idea either

Kudos. Just about anything you do would be a welcome improvement to the reservoir area. The Basic coffee shop in HP would be a good business to model. Pretty simple, but effective at serving the immediate neighborhood.

Is there any truth the rumors I've heard that Councilman Yun has been hostile to commercial development anywhere but Central, particularly seeing new stuff on Palisade as a threat to his business district?

Coffee and pastries cafe where you could sit with friends get a quick sweet, etc. Internet access would be good. Books (donated) would also be nice. There really is nothing in the area along those lines. Maybe even include work from local artists and bulletin board for local events.

Thanks for your reply! Yes. The ModCup guys are coffee artists so coffee from us would be more for the sit down, wi-fi, computer crowd. And...to be honest...I would love to open a bookstore since that's my training. A nice coffee-shop, bookstore vibe would be a nice improvement to the area. Besides, there aren't many places to get cozy in during the Winter. I'm certainly an expert at sourcing books...but I might consider more used books.

That's great news, selfishly, for me at least. I've been in the Heights for a little over half a year and can say it's pretty much a blank slate for any business model. I think it's a good strategy to choose Summit as 942 Summit [artisan tea, pastries, soap store] just opened a few blocks north. That way you'll likely benefit from the same pool of customers.
I suppose you could do a sit-down coffee shop as it's different from Mod Cup as they don't really have a sit down feel to their space. And, they're on Palisade Ave. However, those guys are some seriously good coffee makers, so I don't know if you'd want to take them on in that regard. The organic grocery element isn't too shabby of an idea. Those types of items simply don't exist around here. Again, it's so open for anything, whatever you choose, you'll bound to be the first to do it. Personally I'd love a bookstore on par with Word in DTJC, but that's just me. Good luck!

There is a group of us hoping to open a new business on Summit Avenue. We want to open something that will be a benefit to our community. Perhaps a small, sit-down Coffee Shop with Organic Groceries? A Co-work space? Well...we would appreciate any good ideas. We would like to make it a good addition to the JC Heights neighborhood some call "Reservoir", near Pershing Field. Thank you, in advance, for your ideas.