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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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I can't imagine how much of a downpayment this couple made on a $454k unit if their mortgage is $1850 per month. Certainly A LOT more than 20%.


Yes, that was my first thought too. Perhaps one of those cutesy "interest only" mortgages that were so popular before the s#@t hit the fan.

And I guess there are no real estate taxes to consider and no maintenance...or HEAT?

BTW, there is NO PLACE on Ogden Avenue, not even on COngress and Ogden from which you can reach the light rail platform in 5 minutes without running, catching the light just right, having an elevator waiting and then sprinting North from elevator to Light rail platform.

And THEN you wait for the right train and THEN you walk a couple blocks through the station to the PATH platform and. If you live on Ogden around Bowers or Griffith plan an extra half hour to 45 minutes before you are on the PATH platform.

I lived in the heights for many years and DROVE to Journal Square to catch the PATH.

Anyone who can call the PATH crowded and smelly has NEVER been caught in one of those jitneys stuck in the Lincoln Tunnel for a half hour...and then the jitneys drop you off at Port Authority so you need to catch a subway unless you are starring in a show on Broadway!

The commute from the Heights into Manhatttan was usually a big pain in the ass. And that's why people pay a BIG premium to be atop a PATH train station.

Posted on: 2009/11/21 16:31
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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also, give that number to your neighbors. i think the cops will repsond more if they get more than one call. about 3 or 4 of us always would call at the first sign of trouble, and w/in 5-10 minutes we'd have cops breaking it up...

Posted on: 2009/11/20 18:00
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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here's the number i had on speed dial for over a year, and they always came and were quick! 201-547-5477.

good luck!

Quote:

snorky wrote:
I live over near Pershing Field - do you know what that phone number is? I call and sometimes the police show up. Sometimes they don't. Maybe I am calling the wrong number.

I am not the type to complain. we even accepted it for a while until every guest we had over told me how they could not believe the noise. Other than two houses, my neighborhood is very quiet. If they handed out noise pollution fines I think the noise would stop immediately.

Let's keep improving JCH. Let's start by being respectful of other people and we are off to a great start.

Posted on: 2009/11/20 17:58
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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snorky wrote:
Bring in the yuppies.
Bring in anyone that respects others' property.
Bring in anyone that does not crank terrible music until 2am every weekend, even after the cops have stopped by several times that summer.
Bring in anyone that will invest money into their home and neighborhood.
Bring in anyone that wants a better place to live and is willing to try to make that happen.
Bring in anyone that does not think the streets are meant for tossing trash and hocking snot.
Bring in anyone that is willing to fight for change.

I HATE Starbucks, but if bringing in people that want to see the area flourish (for whatever reason) leads to more corporate businesses/restaurants rather than the bodegas and poor quality restaurants then bring it on. In time it will lead to higher end unique restaurants.

I live here in the Heights. I like it. I don't like the inconsiderate neighbors that think they are in their homeland (where ever that may be), the scary figures that I often see around at night, the roach filled restaurants (cafe at the corner of Manhattan and Central - first week in town had breakfast there - terrible service and two roaches ran across the counter and onto my plate - I have not been back).

I want to see it flourish. I want my children to be safe. I don't want to have to call the cops on EVERY summer night so my family can go to sleep before 2am (the music starts at noon, ends at 2am - the screaming over the music goes on throughout - luckily there is cold weather or they would be outside cranking music all year). The Heights has the potential, but without some money moving in you will have to deal with all the things that must be overlooked.


+1 on this post.

and bring in some businesses that aren't 99 cent stores or chinese food.

I have lived in the heights since 03 and the pace of gentrification as been about the same as watching paint dry. The neighborhood can?t change over fast enough for me.

Sometimes I kick myself and wish I would have stretched financially and bought something downtown. Oh well we are stuck now. With the level of foreclosures, short sales and distress sells that took we can?t get what we paid for the current house we live in.

Posted on: 2009/11/20 17:48
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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I live over near Pershing Field - do you know what that phone number is? I call and sometimes the police show up. Sometimes they don't. Maybe I am calling the wrong number.

I am not the type to complain. we even accepted it for a while until every guest we had over told me how they could not believe the noise. Other than two houses, my neighborhood is very quiet. If they handed out noise pollution fines I think the noise would stop immediately.

Let's keep improving JCH. Let's start by being respectful of other people and we are off to a great start.

Posted on: 2009/11/19 21:37
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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snorky, i feel for you. we had the EXACT same problems during the summer when we first moved in. Not only the noise but people hanging out on our stoop (which is behind a gate) acting like THEY owned the place. Best thing we did was call the cops EVERY time they got loud (and for those about to bitch that noise is part of where we live, i'm not talking about a radio here or there, i'm talking about thumping that shakes walls, and then people screaming on top of that, all at 2am).
Also we went to a couple neighborhood watch meetings. Not sure where you live, but once we went we realized there were others on the block as sick of the BS as we were, and we just talked about it.
Getting people out b/c of noise complaints is really not going to happen and the cops told us the best way to target the drug houses and the loud overall houses were to submit zoning violation complaints b/c both were overcrowded w/ illegal apts (some noisy neighbor knew that.)
well we did that, and i noticed a few months later suits showing up to the houses...
2 years later our good friends bought and fixed up the drug house and the other house was refurbished and rented out to about 6 people instead of 16.
Just keep on calling the cops (non-complaint number) and try and see if you have a neighborhood group.
good luck!

Posted on: 2009/11/19 21:09
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Quote:

ErinMaiden wrote:
perhaps not purely scientific research here, but in my four years of living in the heights (right off the elevator) my elevator ride during commuting hours has gotten a LOT more hobokenified in the past year or so (probably past 2).

What you may ask is that? Khaki pants, blue shirts, and jogging blondes along palisades ave. thats what.

pure science people.

oh don't forget the new dog run and park association who did a lovely planting outing in the spring...(washington park)

Also James Vincent Bicycles bike shop on Palisade Ave. and I see more bike commuters along with those who choose to bike around town instead of using their cars.

Posted on: 2009/11/19 19:43
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Bring in the yuppies.
Bring in anyone that respects others' property.
Bring in anyone that does not crank terrible music until 2am every weekend, even after the cops have stopped by several times that summer.
Bring in anyone that will invest money into their home and neighborhood.
Bring in anyone that wants a better place to live and is willing to try to make that happen.
Bring in anyone that does not think the streets are meant for tossing trash and hocking snot.
Bring in anyone that is willing to fight for change.

I HATE Starbucks, but if bringing in people that want to see the area flourish (for whatever reason) leads to more corporate businesses/restaurants rather than the bodegas and poor quality restaurants then bring it on. In time it will lead to higher end unique restaurants.

I live here in the Heights. I like it. I don't like the inconsiderate neighbors that think they are in their homeland (where ever that may be), the scary figures that I often see around at night, the roach filled restaurants (cafe at the corner of Manhattan and Central - first week in town had breakfast there - terrible service and two roaches ran across the counter and onto my plate - I have not been back).

I want to see it flourish. I want my children to be safe. I don't want to have to call the cops on EVERY summer night so my family can go to sleep before 2am (the music starts at noon, ends at 2am - the screaming over the music goes on throughout - luckily there is cold weather or they would be outside cranking music all year). The Heights has the potential, but without some money moving in you will have to deal with all the things that must be overlooked.

Posted on: 2009/11/19 19:14
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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perhaps not purely scientific research here, but in my four years of living in the heights (right off the elevator) my elevator ride during commuting hours has gotten a LOT more hobokenified in the past year or so (probably past 2).

What you may ask is that? Khaki pants, blue shirts, and jogging blondes along palisades ave. thats what.

pure science people.

oh don't forget the new dog run and park association who did a lovely planting outing in the spring...(washington park)

Posted on: 2009/11/19 18:00
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Quote:

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Quote:

Iwitness wrote:
PATH train superiority complexes are so cute. Because shoehorning yourself into a smelly metal box overcrowded with strangers 10x a week is so much classier when the box is on rails than when it operates on 4-wheels.

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ripple wrote:
Except you don't have any mass transit within reasonable walking distance - PATH is at least 15 minutes from most places in the heights.

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Michael Castro Jr., 25, a bank sales associate who has been living in the 600-square-foot Heights condo he bought for $140,000 a year ago, said his new neighborhood "is like 20 years ago in Brooklyn."


Yes, but the main drawback is the complete lack of late night transportation to/from the Heights.

As uncivil as the PATH may be at times, it is a lifeline, like an old friend, that is "usually" there for you, 24 hours a day.

And Downtown JC has *3* PATH stops. You are never far from one.

Some parts of the Heights are nice. But to claim that the Heights is as convenient, transportation-wise, as living Downtown, is in most cases just incorrect.

There is a give and take when living in the Heights as opposed to DT. It's a trade off sacrificing one thing for another.

Posted on: 2009/11/19 17:26
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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and for full disclosure... my wife and i live in the Heights... love it... and our house has manufactured siding that looks like wood. and it's lovely.


ps - Christine - don't spread the secret about Jose and his cooking on the corner of NY and Congress.... he's our little awesome secret!

pps - have you stopped by Mission Burritto on South and Palisades? delish!

Posted on: 2009/11/18 14:27
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Most insightful, JCShep!

Posted on: 2009/11/18 3:21
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Christine stated it succinctly and well. If you are truly happy living in the heights, capable of living elsewhere but happy where you are it might not be worth your effort sticking to your guns here. For a bit I was wrapped up in identical threads trying to get people here to understand that sentiment about me and where I live in JC. I thought about it and came to the conclusion that it really wasn?t worth any effort or time.

I watched the posters here do this to people in other areas of JC. I came my own conclusion that anyone who rejects the possibility that someone else can like a place just fine compared to their place?but they are still adamant that their place is better, adamant that anyone who thinks differently is wrong fall into one or more of the following:

1) People that actually don?t know what they are talking about, never lived there, never experienced it but think they know it all and/or are opinionated enough to assert what they think as if it is fact.
--These people are not worth it because they will defend their position to no end as they can not be wrong?after all they know it all.

2) People who could have some experience, maybe, maybe not. Lets just assume they got the facts right and know?their place is just better, and you are wrong for saying otherwise. They could have been raised?or society told them?or they otherwise learned what is ?right?. This many times means criteria need to be lined up in a tight range around whatever the mold is for ?right?. If not it doesn?t fit and to them is wrong. In this case for a place to be OK some aspects of where they live must meet criteria X, Y, and Z?e.g. no vinyl sidings or something. They may very well need these things for them to feel comfortable that a place is good, etc. Anything outside of this can easily be seen as ?wrong?. They are convicted of this and may fail to comprehend that other people may not need the same things lined up for a place to be ?right?. If they get this, they may think the other person is wrong for believing in their own version of ?right?.
--These people are not worth it because they have a conviction, a belief, a paradigm they hold?while not of the same magnitude it is like arguing with a religious zealot that there is no god, or an atheist that there is a god. They might not be able to see out of their box. Their box is comfortable for them, let them live in their comfortable box.

3) Insecure ? Some people are insecure and perhaps it feels good to openly air their position as correct and/or invalidate others in an online forum. If they were indeed secure and happy they would have no desire to do this, it would serve no purpose.
--These people are not worth the time. They are insecure so you can succeed in getting across to them but that could make them feel worse than they already did about themselves.

4) small man in life, BIG man online ? this doesn?t need an explanation I hope. Be submissive, make them feel big?your making someone happy. Come on, be nice, it would really suck to have this affliction.

5) Unstable ? Berates others to make themselves feel better/superior/etc ? also no need for an explanation. Illogical.


6) Troll ? likes conflict, your response is feeding them, feed as you like.

Just my thoughts...I would guess most here fall into number 2, some number 1 and some winners?the rest.

Posted on: 2009/11/18 1:59
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Quote:

Christine wrote:



Each area has its merits and it depends on what the individual is looking for. What makes me mad is when people make authoritative blanket statements as if their perception is everyone's reality. I'm not accusing you of doing this. You seem like a reasonable person. There are, however, some posters who think that their thoughts are static, absolute truths when they are merely their own opinion.


AMEN!!!! To each his own. Go out and explore a neighborhood fully before putting your 2 cents in. Contrary to many of you, Kevlar is not a mandatory accessory when you leave downtown.

Posted on: 2009/11/17 18:15
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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tommyc_37 wrote:
Christine,

Well, as to why somebody would move from Hoboken to Downtown JC ... the main reason is that people in Hoboken often tire of the late night shenanigans and youthful bar crowd that Hoboken is known for. These people can live in a "similar" neighborhood in DTJC that isn't overrun with that kind of stuff, but still enjoy conveniences of some bars nearby, some cafes, and some good restaurants ... but in a more tame setting.

Well.......I don't know that it's the best idea to compare food prices with real estate prices. But if we must, I'd say that the price of food is largely dictated by A) the actual quality of the meat/fish/whatever (for example, it's not absurd to say that the fish at WF is of a better and fresher quality than at TJ's), and B) the principle of supply of said product versus the demand of said product.

So are the houses in downtown JC of a higher quality than the houses in the Heights? In some cases I'd say yes, and in some cases I'd say no. So it's a draw when you look at "product quality" as a determining factor in real estate prices.

But a house or condo in Downtown JC, that needs a bit of work, and is NOT built with the highest quality materials, will typically sell for higher than a house or condo of the same square footage, but in better condition, in the Heights. Why? Because there are simply more people willing to pay a higher price for the house Downtown. There is more of a demand, for whatever reason ... "perception" of safety, walkability, transportation, more bars and restaurants. So a higher demand equals a higher price.


Yes, I know that people get annoyed with the noise in Hoboken. They outgrow the scene, etc. I agree with you on that.

I didn't narrow my comparisons to food prices soleley. I am telling you that the quality of the salmon in my opinion is the same between those 2 markets because I've tried both. I don't think that it would be absurd that one would assume the fish is of better quality, but assuming it doesn't make it true (just as, some may assume that downtown is better than the Heights doesn't make that so). I was trying to make the point that there can be an assortment of reasons and some will make sense and some won't.

Believe it or not, I think that you and I are in agreement because you're answering your question of "why are the prices cheaper in the Heights" with answers similar to mine. I agree that houses will sell for more downtown, but it's relative because they had cost more for the prior purchaser.

Each area has its merits and it depends on what the individual is looking for. What makes me mad is when people make authoritative blanket statements as if their perception is everyone's reality. I'm not accusing you of doing this. You seem like a reasonable person. There are, however, some posters who think that their thoughts are static, absolute truths when they are merely their own opinion.

Posted on: 2009/11/17 0:50
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Quote:

tommyc_37 wrote:
Christine, much of what you say may be truth, but let me ask you this...why, then, is the Heights so much cheaper than Downtown is?

Also, if I was a gambling man, I'd wager that more people move from Hoboken to Downtown JC than from Hoboken to the Heights.


tommy, hoboken is more expensive than downtown jc. where would you rather live? and why?


Well, actually, on average Hoboken is about the same price as Downtown JC.

Posted on: 2009/11/17 0:41
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Additionally, as a downtown resident of JC, I'm thrilled that another neighborhood is growing in success and is generally on the rise. It adds to the value of the rest of the City. I'm glad to see more people buying homes in any area of JC, particularly homes they could afford and I share in their pride. There was certainly a time when folks were criticized for buying homes and moving into downtown JC. Now we have an influx of yuppies who think they discovered the New Jerusalem which needs to be modified and augmented to tailor each of their new and whimsical "needs" only to compete for attention with the new too cool for school, pseudo artists hanging in restaurants complaining about yuppies.

I've been taking the PATH into New York City for work and pleasure since 1982. My ideal mode of transportation would be a chauffered limo. But the fact that I have to walk a mile to squeeze onto the PATH with annoying co commuters who refuse to remove their back pack doesn't devalue my life in JC. Similarly, the fact that some new homeowners in the heights have to take the light-rail to the PATH to JC is just as irrelevant. Quote:

jennymayla wrote:
why is the success of one area so threatening to the other area? doesn't it do the whole city good to have thriving neighborhoods on opposite sides of town?

it just seems so silly to keep bashing one to somehow elevate the other.

live where you live and like what you like. what's the problem with that?

Posted on: 2009/11/17 0:34
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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tommyc_37 wrote:
Christine, much of what you say may be truth, but let me ask you this...why, then, is the Heights so much cheaper than Downtown is?

Also, if I was a gambling man, I'd wager that more people move from Hoboken to Downtown JC than from Hoboken to the Heights.


tommy, hoboken is more expensive than downtown jc. where would you rather live? and why?

Posted on: 2009/11/17 0:32
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Christine,

Well, as to why somebody would move from Hoboken to Downtown JC ... the main reason is that people in Hoboken often tire of the late night shenanigans and youthful bar crowd that Hoboken is known for. These people can live in a "similar" neighborhood in DTJC that isn't overrun with that kind of stuff, but still enjoy conveniences of some bars nearby, some cafes, and some good restaurants ... but in a more tame setting.

Well.......I don't know that it's the best idea to compare food prices with real estate prices. But if we must, I'd say that the price of food is largely dictated by A) the actual quality of the meat/fish/whatever (for example, it's not absurd to say that the fish at WF is of a better and fresher quality than at TJ's), and B) the principle of supply of said product versus the demand of said product.

So are the houses in downtown JC of a higher quality than the houses in the Heights? In some cases I'd say yes, and in some cases I'd say no. So it's a draw when you look at "product quality" as a determining factor in real estate prices.

But a house or condo in Downtown JC, that needs a bit of work, and is NOT built with the highest quality materials, will typically sell for higher than a house or condo of the same square footage, but in better condition, in the Heights. Why? Because there are simply more people willing to pay a higher price for the house Downtown. There is more of a demand, for whatever reason ... "perception" of safety, walkability, transportation, more bars and restaurants. So a higher demand equals a higher price.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 23:19
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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I live in the heights, work in NYC. my commute is 30 minutes on most days. We live in a huge apartment in a two family house and have been renovating it since we purchased it. our backyard has a patio, fire pit and hammock. yes, our place has vinyl siding and it'll stay that way till we're totally happy with the way the inside looks.

It works for us and we would not be able to find this downtown. We'd be confined to a much smaller condo that may have a balcony, but I'm betting we'd be paying a lot more money to have that tiny outdoor space.
We can walk to restaurants on Central, walk to the light rail, walk to a public pool, etc....

Living here makes sense to us. We're not interested in throwing our money away.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 23:03
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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tommyc_37 wrote:
Christine, much of what you say may be truth, but let me ask you this...why, then, is the Heights so much cheaper than Downtown is?

Also, if I was a gambling man, I'd wager that more people move from Hoboken to Downtown JC than from Hoboken to the Heights.


This may seem insane at first, but bear with me. The point I'm trying to make is that there are so many possible reasons for why it's cheaper and some may have nothing to do with the value of something.

Why does the same cut of wild Pacific sockeye salmon cost almost twice as much at Whole Foods in Edgewater than it does at Trader Joe's in Edgewater? (same town, same road)

Why does the vendor at the corner of Congress and New York Avenue charge $3 for the best grilled chicken taco I've ever eaten?

Why does Orkin Exterminating charge condo associations twice as much for exterminating the same bugs as a local guy who uses the same methods?

Why does the cost of hardwood/granite/stainless steel appliances (same exact products) vary so much in price from dealer to dealer.

I think that when people do their homework, they get good deals. I have friends who will suffer in 300 square feet in Manhattan and complain about smelly garbage at the curb and mice infestations, but it's all worth it to say they live in Manhattan. Getting to say that is worth upwards of $2000/month for 300 square feet.

I find that it's tragically often got a lot to do with people guaging their self-worth/perceptions of success with what some realtor told them regarding a neighborhood. I've had people say to me that they KNOW that Ogden Ave is really nice, BUT they (admittedly) can't say they've been there.

As far as people moving to downtown from Hoboken...what would their motivation be? I can't speak for those people because I don't know any (I don't mean that they don't exist - I just don't know them). I can only say why the people I know moved to the heights. Many of them have New York views, a good commute, and lots of space for less money.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 22:49
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Christine, much of what you say may be truth, but let me ask you this...why, then, is the Heights so much cheaper than Downtown is?

Also, if I was a gambling man, I'd wager that more people move from Hoboken to Downtown JC than from Hoboken to the Heights.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 22:06
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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I love to hear the nonsense spewed about the heights by people who don't live here. Everyone is an expert on what homes are worth, what the neighborhoods are like, etc., without living here.

Downtown has its merits, but remember -- there are people who are from Jersey City Heights who actually KNOW where the best areas are for commuting and shopping. Since we're FROM Jersey City, we also know what downtown is all about. It has nice historic brownstones that most of the owners bought decades ago for cheap and charge very high rents to people who will pay them. Many of those people are probably fabulous.

There are, however, some who think that they are getting some wicked good deal over Hobokenites. Newsflash: you're paying Hoboken prices without being able to walk out of your apartment and have tons of retail shops and restaurants and bars to choose from.

People in the Heights know the following: they have a far easier (shorter) commute to midtown; downtown floods; downtown properties have very limited square footage; the taxes are exhorbitant; and the crime rate is no better than most areas in the heights, and that many people from Hoboken have moved up here (not downtown).

If you want specifics or want to know more about the Heights, why not just ask? Why assume that you know what you're talking about when clearly you don't. Ask about streets by name or general areas. People will tell you sizes of their apartments, their experience as far as levels of safety, commute routes, methods and timeframes, etc.

P.S. Aluminum/vinyl siding is ugly...that's almost a universal truth rather than opinion...but it can be changed quite easily to brick. Many people in the heights are doing just that. Many properties already have.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 21:54
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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Iwitness, I find myself wondering if you have any friends. Because, for sure, your boorish, condescending, and opinionated posts on this online community aren't earning you many more.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 21:37
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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cyclotronic wrote:
This is why Jersey City needs more than the few downtown historic districts. We need them in parts of the Heights, near Lincoln Park, Bergen Hill, etc. Everyone loves bitching about the added overheard and cost of owning a home in a historic district, but downtown would be just as patchy, covered in vinyl, etc, etc if it wasn't for them. It's a shame this wasn't done years ago. In my own neighborhood I've seen so much destroyed in the 7-8 years I've been here.


I've been told that neighborhood movements to create new historic districts have been uniformly killed by property owners fearful of added expense after hearing stories of the "take no prisoners" Historic Preservation Board.

What we need is "historic lite" districts, that conserve the essence of neighborhoods without striving for "museum quality". Something that would encourage traditional flat roof & cornice facades, and discourage pink brick monstrosities and vinyl siding without mandating historic only materials (requiring wooden windows) or exact restoration of what was in an 80 year old photo.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 21:30
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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I don't disagree with your more rational, measured response. Which is a world away from your gross overstatement that the Heights doesn't "have any mass transit within reasonable walking distance."

Sure, coming home at 2am from boozing in the City and stumbling home from the PATH is a luxury, which not everybody finds worth the premium, particularly once they grow up.

Quote:

ripple wrote:
For a work commute, the mode of transportation doesn't matter so much. However, young people like to hang out in NYC in the evenings, and there's a huge advantage to living near a PATH station when you're coming home at 2 in the morning. Without a more direct connection to NYC, I just don't see the heights going down the same path (no pun intended) as downtown.


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Iwitness wrote:
PATH train superiority complexes are so cute. Because shoehorning yourself into a smelly metal box overcrowded with strangers 10x a week is so much classier when the box is on rails than when it operates on 4-wheels.

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ripple wrote:
Except you don't have any mass transit within reasonable walking distance - PATH is at least 15 minutes from most places in the heights.

Quote:


Michael Castro Jr., 25, a bank sales associate who has been living in the 600-square-foot Heights condo he bought for $140,000 a year ago, said his new neighborhood "is like 20 years ago in Brooklyn."

Posted on: 2009/11/16 21:14
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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most of the houses in my area are about 100 years old. i doubt they razed brownstones and built the structures in place today. however, little by little, it's homeowners who are taking the initiative to improve the facades of their houses. drive down any of the side streets by JFK between manhattan ave and JSQ. you'll see progress has been made - many times with the entire existing structure knocked down, and a new one put in place (2 family, 2 car garage on 1st floor). there's a lot of these "new style" houses being made around the heights, and this is without being within easy walking distance to the PATH. if they would improve the late night bus service, i think it would only help to increase the speed at which these renovations take place

Posted on: 2009/11/16 21:08
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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cyclotronic wrote:
This is why Jersey City needs more than the few downtown historic districts. We need them in parts of the Heights, near Lincoln Park, Bergen Hill, etc. Everyone loves bitching about the added overheard and cost of owning a home in a historic district, but downtown would be just as patchy, covered in vinyl, etc, etc if it wasn't for them. It's a shame this wasn't done years ago. In my own neighborhood I've seen so much destroyed in the 7-8 years I've been here.


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tommyc_37 wrote:
Here's my opinion on the Heights. I think a large majority of the housing stock up there is just rather ugly. Vinyl or aluminum siding, stand alone houses, that just look like somebody built them without giving a rat's a** about style or architectural detail. Compare that with some of the jaw dropping brownstones of Downtown, in which attention to detail is an understatement.

Disclaimer - I know there are some very pretty Victorian houses on certain blocks. But I feel that these are far and few between.


I totally agree. I get so sad when I see a nice looking rowhouse or brownstone nestled in it's lonesome amongst crappy vinyl siding houses.

What did the Heights look like 30, 40 years ago? Were there streets of rowhouses and brownstones?

Posted on: 2009/11/16 20:58
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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This is why Jersey City needs more than the few downtown historic districts. We need them in parts of the Heights, near Lincoln Park, Bergen Hill, etc. Everyone loves bitching about the added overheard and cost of owning a home in a historic district, but downtown would be just as patchy, covered in vinyl, etc, etc if it wasn't for them. It's a shame this wasn't done years ago. In my own neighborhood I've seen so much destroyed in the 7-8 years I've been here.


Quote:

tommyc_37 wrote:
Here's my opinion on the Heights. I think a large majority of the housing stock up there is just rather ugly. Vinyl or aluminum siding, stand alone houses, that just look like somebody built them without giving a rat's a** about style or architectural detail. Compare that with some of the jaw dropping brownstones of Downtown, in which attention to detail is an understatement.

Disclaimer - I know there are some very pretty Victorian houses on certain blocks. But I feel that these are far and few between.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 20:53
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Re: Wave of gentrification that leapfrogged the Hudson has reached new heights - Jersey City Heights
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The Thevenots' four-story, 100-year-old, gingerbread-style Victorian cost $454,000, making the family's monthly mortgage payment $250 less than the $2,100 they had been paying to rent one floor of a Park Slope, Brooklyn, brownstone.


Love how they sneak in the little realtor's mantra about paying less to own than rent.

I can't imagine how much of a downpayment this couple made on a $454k unit if their mortgage is $1850 per month. Certainly A LOT more than 20%.

Posted on: 2009/11/16 20:30
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