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Re: Input About Living at the Beacon?
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cancoloftyesno wrote:
any ideas about maintenance in beacon for a 1000 sf condo?


About $750

Posted on: 2013/5/30 13:37
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Re: Input About Living at the Beacon?
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It is very safe at the Beacon. We have high intensity lighting all around the grounds. We have fencing all around the grounds. We have cameras everywhere except the Spa and the residential hallways. There is a guard at the gate 24/7.


jesus christ..... sounds like this other place people pay good money not to live there.....

Posted on: 2013/5/30 3:13
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Re: Input About Living at the Beacon?
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any ideas about maintenance in beacon for a 1000 sf condo?

Posted on: 2013/5/30 1:22
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Re: Input About Living at the Beacon?
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My large 1 bedroom has had PSE&G bills of $32 - $65 / month over the 13 months I've lived there.

Posted on: 2013/5/29 20:14
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Re: Input About Living at the Beacon?
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pinkydapimp wrote:
Also, about how much do the utilities go for there?


My utilities for a 2BR vary from $60 - $100 depending on how much I'm using the heat/ac pump. You only pay electric since gas is included in HOA fees. This month it was $65.

Posted on: 2013/5/29 18:49
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Re: The Beacon
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Yes, guests can use the shuttle buses to come to the Beacon. They just have to tell the bus driver that they are a guest and the apt. number they will be visting.

Guests can also use the valet service, they have to if they want on-site parking at this time. I do not know what the guest policy will be when the parking garage is finished.

Guests that are short term guests, for just an hour, should consider parking on Montgomery to avoid the fee.

Posted on: 2013/5/28 20:44
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Re: Input About Living at the Beacon?
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Hey a few questions about the beacon. Can guests use the shuttle to visit you? if they drive can the use the valet parking? Also, about how much do the utilities go for there?

Posted on: 2013/5/27 20:16
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Re: Input About Living at the Beacon?
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I've lived at the Beacon for more than 5 years. It is very safe at the Beacon. We have high intensity lighting all around the grounds. We have fencing all around the grounds. We have cameras everywhere except the Spa and the residential hallways. There is a guard at the gate 24/7. We do not think about all this, we do not live as if we are under seige. It is very peaceful and quiet away from the construction going on to renovate more buildings and finish the garage.

I and others walk our dogs outside of the Beacon perimeter all the time and I haven't heard of any incidents. In 5 years I've seen 4 cars broken into on Montgomery but I think that number is so low because of the intense lighting.

There is and always has been valet parking. However, once the new parking garage is finished this Summer there will be a self park option.

The Spa and other amenities are first class. The Shuttle buses have just been replaced and are all new.

Montgomery Gardens is still there but some of the buildings have their first and second floor windows boarded up and a fence has been put in place to keep people out of those buildings. There are still plans to turn that space into mixed use but construction won't start until the project is viable.

There is going to be a new private school built
across Montgomery from the Beacon according to the development firm that is continuing to renovate the Beacon complex remaining buildings.

Posted on: 2013/5/21 18:50
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Re: Input About Living at the Beacon?
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I would love to know what it is like to live in Beacon. I've heard that their amenity is great and the building is beautiful. But I also heard that they require valet parking (maybe someone can confirm this). If so, I don't like that. I mean, every morning when I drive to work, I have to have someone bring my car (and give him a tip for it?). I often see their shuttle bus going to and from Grove Street Path station, so for those who commute to NYC (and if that's pretty much all they do), I'm sure it is a nice option. I would love to see this neighborhood improves in the near future though. At this time however, it does not appear to be happening.

Posted on: 2013/5/21 15:56
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Input About Living at the Beacon?
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Any updates on living at the Beacon? Is it safe? Parking secure? And I really thought the Montgomery Gardens projects were supposed to be transformed into low-income, low density housing by now...

Any input would be appreciated.

Posted on: 2013/5/21 15:37
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For years, the Jersey City Medical Center looked down from its inner-city perch as the nearby waterfront was transformed from a gritty mix of rail yards and factories into a forest of high-rise condominiums and Wall Street back offices.
Downtown Jersey City, once a working-class neighborhood teeming with immigrants, also underwent a drastic conversion and today is a historic district with trendy shops and restaurants that cater to young professionals lured from Manhattan, Brooklyn and the New Jersey suburbs.
In 2005 George Filopoulos, a wealthy developer with strong ties to the Hudson County Democratic organization, bought the 14-acre property from the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority for about $7 million with the goal of sharing in the city?s rebirth.
Filopoulos promised luxury condominiums in the eight Art Deco buildings that make up the complex, which are on the national and New Jersey registers of historic places. They would feature an outdoor market, a rooftop restaurant and other amenities, including transportation to a PATH station and a parking garage.
The single biggest worry and toughest sell for what was renamed The Beacon Jersey City ? whose imposing buildings vary from 8 to 22 floors ? was the rugged neighborhood surrounding it.
Today the ornate 1940s-era buildings ? whose very existence is a testament to the street muscle and political machine of the legendary Mayor Frank Hague ? are only partly developed and face hundreds of millions of dollars in construction costs and an uncertain future.
The sprawling landmark is testing the limits of Jersey City?s success. A planned high-rise in nearby Journal Square is stalled, and a renovated factory featuring loft-style apartments overlooking the Pulaski Skyway is also struggling financially.
"There has been a great reset," said Robert Antonicello, head of the redevelopment authority. "George is a pioneer. The project is on an island, and that didn?t matter when the economy was humming, but it mattered when it collapsed."

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger
Beacon resident Bill Matsikoudis relaxes in the poker room. Once considered one of the largest historic rennovations in the country, the Beacon in Jersey City has hit hard times and was quietly sold nearly $50 million. The former hospital has 8 buildings and 2 million square feet.
Residents, some of whom have seen the value of their condos plummet from almost $500,000 to about $200,000, are pinning their hopes these days on a Connecticut-based company that bought the troubled complex from Filopoulos.
By early 2007 Filopoulos had reportedly spent $110 million renovating the first two towers, named Rialto and Capital, featuring a sauna, pool, gym and a small movie theater.
Sales were brisk at first, but as the economy faltered residents sensed trouble ahead. Renovation of a third tower, the Mercury, was halted in 2010 when credit dried up. Filopoulos began selling units through auction.
Struggling to pay off his loans and getting hit with tax liens, real estate records show Filopoulos quietly sold at least five of the remaining buildings for $47 million last December to Building Land Technologies of Connecticut.
Two city officials familiar with the sale who declined to identify themselves because they were not authorized to speak said Filopoulos retained a small share of the property to help the developers navigate the tricky political waters of Hudson County.
Building Land Technologies jump-started the stalled renovations at one building, and city officials said the company plans to market 110 units as rentals this summer. The company did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger
Beacon resident Bill Matsikoudis checks his phone while in the living room of his apartment at the Beacon.
"Things got worse, and people got more and more pessimistic," said Becky Woods, an international human resources representative who bought a condo about two years ago. "But, I am happy to hear the sounds of hammers. I think there?s light at the end of the tunnel."
Leon Potts, an insurance consultant who was among the first buyers in 2008, said he was attracted by the Beacon?s luxury, diversity and historic charm. Potts says in the early days there were parties by the grills on the marble terrace.
He bought his 1,000-square-foot condo for $484,600, records show. Two years later, a similar unit on the floor below his sold for $190,000.
"It is what it is," Potts said. "He (Filopoulos) had to do some short sales, I understand that, but I love this place. They will have to carry me out of here."
In 2007, the Beacon sold 191 condominiums, when most buyers paid $458 a square foot or more. By 2010, records show, there were only 26 sales, and the average price per unit was $339 a square foot.
Bill Matsikoudis, the city?s corporation counsel, bought his unit at auction.
"Of course, I am happy to buy at the lower end of the market," said Matsikoudis, who paid $335,500, about $285 a square foot. "But, if you talk to people here, I think you?ll find that even the ones that bought at the height of the market are happy and believe in this place."

Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger
A library at the Beacon. Once considered one of the largest historic rennovations in the country, the Beacon in Jersey City has hit hard times and was quietly sold nearly $50 million.
During the New Deal era, Hague wielded his influence with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to secure public financing for at the time was the country?s third-largest medical center. The mayor took advantage of the federal generosity, importing terrazzo marble a quarter-inch thick for the floors and walls and installing brass doors.
The maternity ward where generations of North Jersey residents, including former Gov. James McGreevey, were born was named after Hague?s mother, Margaret. Hague?s old wood-paneled office in the hospital is now a poker room.
When Filopoulos bought the complex in 2005, the project was awarded tax abatements over 30 years, the most generous in the city?s history. It was also granted tax credits from the federal government because of its historic status.
"He tried to do all he could, but no one was spared by the economy," said Lauren Fasano, vice president of the condo association. "It?s amazing that he was able to sell the place, and we are grateful.The alternative would have been worse."Beacon Sold

Posted on: 2012/4/4 12:02
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Re: The Beacon
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Posted on: 2012/3/12 22:57
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JCSHEP wrote:
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JCSHEP wrote:
Hey Vindi, have you been up here? Grove? JSQ, .9 miles by foot. Just walked it in approx 15 mins (rushed a little as my wife was cold). Kinda shocked wiki quotes that speed, I plan a faster cadence when backpacking alpine carrying a 65 lb load. I think I can somersault or log-roll faster... Anyway, no need to hoof it to the further away Grove St. PATH. Have a good weekend.


My fault, I overestimated the walk, it's closer to .75 miles: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5342785


Don't argue. His calculator is more accurate than your watch. It's mathematically UNWALKABLE.

Posted on: 2012/3/12 13:00
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Re: The Beacon
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JCSHEP wrote:
Hey Vindi, have you been up here? Grove? JSQ, .9 miles by foot. Just walked it in approx 15 mins (rushed a little as my wife was cold). Kinda shocked wiki quotes that speed, I plan a faster cadence when backpacking alpine carrying a 65 lb load. I think I can somersault or log-roll faster... Anyway, no need to hoof it to the further away Grove St. PATH. Have a good weekend.


My fault, I overestimated the walk, it's closer to .75 miles: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5342785

Posted on: 2012/3/12 12:17
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Re: The Beacon
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Hey Vindi, have you been up here? Grove? JSQ, .9 miles by foot. Just walked it in approx 15 mins (rushed a little as my wife was cold). Kinda shocked wiki quotes that speed, I plan a faster cadence when backpacking alpine carrying a 65 lb load. I think I can somersault or log-roll faster... Anyway, no need to hoof it to the further away Grove St. PATH. Have a good weekend.

Posted on: 2012/3/11 9:30
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Re: The Beacon
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Average walking speed is 5 kilometers per hour or .05 miles per minute (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking). Beacon is 1.5 miles away from grove street and christopher columbus drive (PATH station location).

So it takes about a 30 minute walk to the grove PATH station - that's a mathematical statement not my subjective opinion.

It's also fact that areas CLOSE (not 30 mins away) to a major transportation hub gets developed first. I've seen too many projects with "committed" funds from the state get abandoned. This is 2012, not 2006 or 2007 when developers built everywhere and anywhere.

I can almost guarantee you that the area near dixon mills gets gentrified first before the area around beacon. it just makes logical sense...

I've been to the beacon. The units are large and finishes are great. If you can stomach the location then you have no problem. I can't speak about the people there but they may be great too. But don't try to paint the location as some uncovered gem that will quickly get developed in the next 2 years. please....the powerhouse district, journal square area, van vorst area, liberty harbor north all come before anything near the beacon (Because they are closer to the PATH). Let's not tell people something that is false. The beacon isn't some undervalued property. There is a clear and logical reason why the beacon is priced comparatively to dixon mills and not to PH, Shore, Crystal Point, 77 hudson.

The beacon area will probably get gentrified before the west side of jersey city and the jersey city heights area.

Posted on: 2012/3/11 1:25
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you people kill.. Neighborhoods can and do change, and I can see the change going on in that area especially if montgomery gardens are demolished or as the residents get older.

Posted on: 2012/3/10 23:50
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One thing possibly underrated about the Beacon is the people. There is more of a community feel than other places I have lived in JC, much more. When I lived in PH I found I didn?t appreciate many of the personalities I encountered, that?s just my preference, and I wouldn?t project that onto anyone else. At the Beacon I didn?t run into that as much and now have a lot of close friends I met as neighbors here. Honestly, I would prefer we stop trying to convince these JCLIST personalities the Beacon is a good place to live (I used to try). I am glad they feel this way, based on how some of them behave on this board I wouldn?t want them as neighbors...

A lot of people have misconceptions and generally don?t take time to step outside their bounds. Provided how diverse this city is it tends to make JCLIST a lively place and somewhat interesting. I always take people?s opinions with a grain of salt, and ask about their experience to provide validity/context.

I remember a thread on JCLIST about bars. Ringside was described as a place where you would get shot just for being there, people have, maybe it?s true, right? I was out the other night after work with a buddy, at midnight on a Friday we talked about going to Ringside to check it out. I remembered the thread on JCLIST but dismissed it. Wearing our white collar work clothes?custom tailored pants, shirts, and sport jackets to boot, we walked in. It turned out to be a ton of fun. Did we stick out? Yes, we stuck out, got a couple comments at first too, but then no problems at all, we had a blast. I met some people from Montgomery Gardens, a whole crew, they were extremely nice, and very funny. After a couple hours I realized what is really dangerous about Ringside: the mixed drinks are served in Chinese Food Takeout Soup Tupperware, and they are very, very strong. The one that really got me was called the Undertow I think, so, from experience, watch out for the Undertow at Ringside:)

Posted on: 2012/3/10 23:47
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Re: The Beacon
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3 rules of real estate

1. Location
2. Location
3. Location

3 problems with the Beacon

1. It doesn't have it
2. It doesn't have it
3. It doesn't have it

Posted on: 2012/3/10 21:34
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Re: The Beacon
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I wouldn't say the Beacon is like Dixon Mills, but vindication, it's apples to oranges to compare the Beacon to Crystal Point, Shore Club, 77 Hudson. they are downtown and obviously at a much higher price point than the beacon.

We've been here in the beacon for a couple of years and love it. It's a great value for the product and you're not sacrificing that much vs. the downtown products. Condo fees are way too high but we got an incentive for a limited duration.

Posted on: 2012/3/10 16:15
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Vindication, you must walk really, really slowly. I live at M650, right across the street from the Beacon, and I can be at JSQ in less than 15 minutes. You could even get from the Beacon to Grove PATH in about 20 if you wanted, it's about 1.2 miles.

The neighborhood's not great, but it's improving.

Posted on: 2012/3/9 15:07
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Vindicated, I'm not sure what your beef is with the beacon but it's really not that bad. The residents here are very happy and safe. It is not a dangerous place, we have great security/a whole lot of police presence. Again on wayne st the drug dealers seem to have permanent places by the park and brunswick st so the so called safe neighborhood is anything but. The neighborhood around the beacon is very unsightly and the honest reason sales tanked here is that most of the campus is lies dormant and montgomery gardens is in front of it(less of an issue now that it's almost empty, neighborhood is far less shady now than it was a few years ago), but change will come. I'd argue that organic gentrification would be faster in the places your talking about but there is government involvement, 1200 apartments at the Beacon is 2000 people, then there is another 30 units in 650 montgomery, redevelopment of the housing project and the parking lots across the street, St. Peters college expansion, etc. There are a lot of dollars being pumped in to improve the area, just the increase in new upper middle class residents will change the retail picture.

I know you think Jersey City ends at Dixon Mills but there is actually stuff beyond it, and the Beacon is really only a 10-15 minute walk from Journal Square and a little more than 20 to grove st(not 35), I've done both. Also a cab is like 6 or 7 dollars from grove or 5 from JSQ, the shuttle here runs until 2am. As for the Shore Club, Newport is kind of like the black hole for retail, what is a there, a mall? Some pretty bad restaurants(Confucius used to be good, and I still really like Raaz) some are ok but few are really good, starbucks, duane reade,morton williams? The complex that is supposed to be built across the street from the beacon will have a larger supermarket than what is in newport and will most likely have the coffee shop/bank/drug store etc that goes into every new building around here, there are plans for restaurants and an entertainment center(movies,bowling, bars, and restaurants). Newport looks nice, is clean,convenient, etc but really it is the most boring part of jersey city and unfortunately the mall could be good but it sucks because demographically it caters to people with far less income than those living in Downtown Jersey City.

As for the lifestyle it is almost identical. Here weekday, wake up 6:30am, get ready for work, catch shuttle 7:30, get off at grove station 7:36, take path get to work ~8am(hmm looks pretty similar to the commute I've had everywhere else I've lived in Jersey City), work in city till about 6, 2-3 times a week go out after work, happy hour/dinner etc in the city, leave city around 10pm get to grove catch shuttle home or meet my wife downtown(she works here) go out in JC for dinner etc, cab it or catch shuttle home, or go to sporting event and you guessed it catch shuttle home. So it really does work pretty well on the weekdays the other 2-3 days a week I'm home by 7 and can use the indoor pool, billiard tables, movie room, etc it's a pretty good place to entertain friends. On the weekends I have a car and can pretty much easily drive anywhere around here and it isn't a big deal to park, I generally do a lot of skiing in the winter and fishing in the summer so I'm not around as much but sometimes take shuttle go to city eat,drink, be merry, usually path it back to grove and catch a cab home(funny I used to do the same when I lived at Dixon, don't like walking around there at 1 or 2 am as much as I wouldn't want to walk around here) or just cab it home from NYC(worth the 50 quid, late night path is hell). We also have friends who live further out in Jersey so we do spend quite a bit of time up in the suburbs with them.

As for what the Beacon offers, you have amenities(on par with other luxury buildings in the area), cool old building factor(the architecture is very cool and unique for the area), and then you have price a good 2 bedroom at the beacon is like 400k, that is a spacious 1200 sqft unit with a view, a similar unit at shoreclub is probably 650k, at 77 hudson or crystal pointe it is probably 750k. The beacon really does have great views east,west,north, south it is the highest building around it. So you can basically trade a 600sqft studio at 77 hudson for a 2 bedroom at the Beacon that is twice the size, with the same tax bill, maintenance is of course higher because the unit is larger, that is just as nice inside, with just as nice a view.

FYI JSQ has a lot of potential and kind of being between it and grove st actually makes this a pretty good spot. Unfortunately everything in the economy seems stalled, call me crazy but even the way it is, I enjoy living here, I enjoyed living at Dixon but I actually like it here more. When I'm in Jersey City I spend most of my time in my apartment or complex so the amenities and nice apartment are actually important, the rest of Jersey City is simply not that interesting or nice even in the best areas, at least yet. We have yet to gain even 1/4 the amount of retail and life that they have in Hoboken, in any part of Jersey City, the whole area is predicated on getting to work quickly and into the city, yes there are some undoubtably cool things here, and new things moving in, but we have a long way to go. If this city get to where it needs to be I don't think we'll be having these debates, even the fringes will be considered a "Good Place" to live and the Beacon is far from the fringes of Jersey City.

So tell me what it is you are looking for when renting/buying a place? For some people, they need size, for others they want a hassle free location, for some people it's price, for others it's architecture. Guess what it's Jersey City, when we lived in the back end of Hoboken, we'd see drug dealers there all the time as well. If they can ever get Liberty Harbor North going it will be very good for both of our neighborhoods, but it doesn't have to happen before the area around the Beacon gets fixed we are getting federal money, state money, city money, and money from st peters college pouring into developments in the immediate area, that will lead to meaningful redevelopment sooner rather than later. So I really disagree and welcome to my new neighbor, you'll enjoy living here. The staff is great, the developer seems like a standup guy, and the people who live here are nice, and there is somewhat unique mix of people, I found Dixon to be similar in that regard(you had all sorts living there some very interesting people). Here were have a wild mix of people from different backgrounds who have different careers, many are somewhat eccentric(what else would you expect from a group of people who actually think living in an old hospital is cool, some of my friends actually call it the asylum), but that is what makes it fun, I'd take it any day of the week over the boring Hoboken hirise, I work in a bank type of people who think old buildings are gross, etc, i.e typical luxury hirise people.

FYI it has nothing to do with market preference, it has to do with established neighborhoods vs. non established neighborhoods, almost completed redevelopment vs. not even 25% completed redevelopment, and much lower purchase prices to begin with. My estimation is that downtown luxury prices went from around 650psf to around 500psf-550psf, the beacon peaked at 490psf in 2007 or 2008 and is now trading in the 300-350psf price range, so where downtown buildings saw 15-25% of there value erode, the beacon saw declines of approximately 25-35%, so in reality the declines were greater here by approximately 10%, it has little to do with preference and more to due with what is motivating this market,FEAR, once the completion of the development was called into question, fear took grip, foreclosures started and potential buyers needed to get a real discount to account for the fact that short term losses were a real possibility. Jersey City and Hudson county in general fared well because NYC is really expensive and if you need to go there every day and don't want a hellish commute there are a limited options. You see this as a negative, where I see upside, there is less room to fall as it is already trading at a considerable discount to it's historical price relationship, if the market rebounds(not entirely likely) the beacon will grow with a larger ROR than any other hirise, I'm almost willing to guarantee it. In the meantime it isn't really an investment but a place to live that I'm happy with as are most of my neighbors. I know all about all the warts but perhaps your rose colored glasses prevent you from seeing all that it is and what the potential is, your driven by what the market is telling you when in the short term it is irrational and reactionary. Here it very quickly shot up from the initial 400psf to almost 500psf in 9 months, a gain of over 20%, on the downside it lost that 20% and then another 20% in the next 2 years.

Harrison's not bad but being even further from civilization in a place requiring even more master planned redevelopment than the beacon area seems worse. I think it will get there but I think your in the same kind of risk situation as you are in less established neighborhoods of JC.

Posted on: 2012/3/9 14:50
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Re: The Beacon
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You're better off buying in Harrison than moving to the Beacon. You can get a brand-new 2BD/2BA 1200 sf condo with an association fee about 1/3 of what you're paying at the Beacon for less than $300k, 10 mins walking distance from the PATH station. And unlike the area around the Beacon, Harrison has virtually no crime, is very clean, and is being substantially redeveloped with alot of master-planned, well-thought-out neighborhoods. I've been living here for 3 years and all the crime mentioned at places like the Beacon and Dixon Mills is unheard of here.

Yes, it takes an extra 9 mins to get to Manhattan from Harrison, but at least you can get on the train without having to fight for a place to stand.

Posted on: 2012/3/9 14:42
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Re: The Beacon
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You're wrong. The Beacon is a terrific place to live. I've enjoyed my condo at The Shore at Newport, especially the floor to ceiling glass wrapping 2 sides of my unit (and I never had a utility bill over $51 / month, often less). But it's time to try something new - I've been at Newport for 5 years.


I guess like love, you don't know what you have until you lose it or this case, sell it away...

I hope you are:
1) making a HUGE profit from trading. There are 2 brs going at the beacon for mid 200s. The 1 br that was just taken off the market at the shore club was listed for 525k.

2) living in a much larger space - ie. moving from a 700sq ft unit to a 1200 sq ft unit or more

I'm just trying to logically figure it out for you but I guess it's just personal taste. It's just the market prefers the shore club over the beacon but that shouldn't be news to you.


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I recently moved from Dixon mills to the beacon, there is no comparison. The beacon is much nicer and as for the safety of the neighborhood, much less has happened at the beacon than at Dixon. At Dixon it was not uncommon to be offered drugs on the street in broad daylight, people were mugged not infrequently close by, my car was broken into, my neighbors apartment was burgled as in like totally emptied, etc. The Beacon comparatively is very secure and even in the neighborhood around the place which is not nice, you feel like people look at you like you don't belong, but it does not seem as hostile and the people who live in montgomery gateway by Dixon. What is pretty nice about the beacon is you don't really spend much time in the neighborhood, shuttles are available all of the time, it's close so cabbing it is pretty easy/cheap, and if you own a car it's really easy to go anywhere in NJ/NY when you want to go. Honestly if they build out the rentals, knock down the gardens this neighborhood will be pretty good, if even half the original vision of what was to be here this will be an even better place to live. What I get here is a great view, amenities, really cool old buildings, and a convenient location that while it isn't the best neighborhood, nothing bad has happened to any of the residents and arguably commute times are on par with elsewhere in JC or hoboken, in fact based on the fact that the shuttle at Dixon was kind of unreliable, it is largely faster to get to grove st from here than it is from Dixon. Based on what you can get elsewhere in Hudson county the Beacon is the best value I've seen, I'm biased because I live here but you'll find your lifestyle vs. newport/paulus hook/grove st/hoboken/etc won't change much but dollar for dollar you'll get a bigger apartment with a great view.


To clne178, you can walk to the grove street path from dixon mills. It is not possible to walk to the PATH from the beacon. Not only would it take you at least 35 minutes to walk to the PATH, I would fear for your safety.

I live right around Dixon Mills in a townhome and I'll be the first to say that location wise, dixon mills is way better. I've been inside both dixon mills and the beacon and you are correct, beacon has nicer amenities and finishes. However, even if the condo unit were made of gold, I don't think I would want to be in such a dangerous area.

I think people in Hoboken, newport, paulus hook, grove street would highly disagree with you that lifestyle does not change much when you relocate to the area at the beacon. At the beacon, there is no downtown and the shuttle doesn't run 24/7. Instead of shops, there are drug dealers - I saw them at one of my visits at the beacon!

There is no free lunch. buildings and condo units are priced what they are for a reason. There is a reason why crystal point, 77 hudson, and shore club are so sought after....and it is mainly due to location. At the beacon, you are hoping the area gets gentrified but you do realize that gentrification comes in a wave originating from a single transportation hub. in downtown jersey city, the major transportation hub is the PATH train. So the area of dixon mills and liberty harbor north actually has to be gentrified before the beacon gets gentrified....

Posted on: 2012/3/9 0:24
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Re: The Beacon
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Vindicated, I'm reading your post and yes locationally all of those places and dixon are way better than the Beacon. Where I disagree is on the buildings themselves, the Beacon is far and away a cooler building that any of those that you've mentioned, the architecture, high ceilings, amazing public spaces, sorry none of the buildings have rooms similar to the billiard room at the beacon with the hand carved Allen George Newman frieze, gold leaf, marble etc or a poker room that was Mayor Hague's office, etc. As someone who lived in Dixon Mills, the Beacon is far and away a better building, they could have done something really cool at Dixon, some of the apartment spaces were cool in a quirky/unique way, it was the quality of the renovation that is sad, add to that poor security, a low level of service, there is really no comparison. You can fault quite a few things about the neighborhood, location, and campus but the buildings are some of the coolest on this side of the hudson and are definitely unique and are very luxurious. Also the residents here are among the most satisfied I've met in any recent development in Jersey City.

Posted on: 2012/3/8 23:15
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Re: The Beacon
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I recently moved from Dixon mills to the beacon, there is no comparison. The beacon is much nicer and as for the safety of the neighborhood, much less has happened at the beacon than at Dixon. At Dixon it was not uncommon to be offered drugs on the street in broad daylight, people were mugged not infrequently close by, my car was broken into, my neighbors apartment was burgled as in like totally emptied, etc. The Beacon comparatively is very secure and even in the neighborhood around the place which is not nice, you feel like people look at you like you don't belong, but it does not seem as hostile and the people who live in montgomery gateway by Dixon. What is pretty nice about the beacon is you don't really spend much time in the neighborhood, shuttles are available all of the time, it's close so cabbing it is pretty easy/cheap, and if you own a car it's really easy to go anywhere in NJ/NY when you want to go. Honestly if they build out the rentals, knock down the gardens this neighborhood will be pretty good, if even half the original vision of what was to be here this will be an even better place to live. What I get here is a great view, amenities, really cool old buildings, and a convenient location that while it isn't the best neighborhood, nothing bad has happened to any of the residents and arguably commute times are on par with elsewhere in JC or hoboken, in fact based on the fact that the shuttle at Dixon was kind of unreliable, it is largely faster to get to grove st from here than it is from Dixon. Based on what you can get elsewhere in Hudson county the Beacon is the best value I've seen, I'm biased because I live here but you'll find your lifestyle vs. newport/paulus hook/grove st/hoboken/etc won't change much but dollar for dollar you'll get a bigger apartment with a great view.

Posted on: 2012/3/8 23:03
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Re: The Beacon
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You're wrong.

The Beacon is a terrific place to live.

I've enjoyed my condo at The Shore at Newport, especially the floor to ceiling glass wrapping 2 sides of my unit (and I never had a utility bill over $51 / month, often less).

But it's time to try something new - I've been at Newport for 5 years.

Posted on: 2012/3/8 21:57
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Re: The Beacon
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the shore club is a beautiful condo building with amazing views. With that being said, I have no clue what the beacon offers over the shore club.

I hope you talked to other people before making this trade....

Maybe the beacon unit is a larger space but even then, you can find much better buildings in JC

77 Hudson, Pier House, Sugar House, Gulls Cove, and Crystal Point are all vastly superior buildings than the beacon.

The beacon is in the same league as Dixon Mills.

Posted on: 2012/3/8 20:23
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Re: The Beacon
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Montgomery Gardens is 80% vacant.
The first building demolition is scheduled for later this year.

Posted on: 2012/3/8 18:11
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Re: The Beacon
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Quote:

SammyTheT wrote:
I don't understand these negative comments about The Beacon.



Back when I worked as a pump/mechanical seal sales guy, I used to visit the Beacon all the time (when it was still a hospital).

My biggest concern about living there is you are right next door to a housing project. Though it looks like it is being emptied out and slated for demolition.

Posted on: 2012/3/8 18:09
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