I agree with 7thstreeter on a lot of the "little details", especially the tub faucet on the outside of the tub (instead of by the wall) on the top floor unit, and that pipe running through the floor in that "panic room".

However, I have to mention my son LOVED the fifth bedroom in the duplex/triplex units, aka the "Harry Potter Cupboard" room under the stairs.

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About $56k/year unabated at today's rates.

Loved that they preserved the structure instead of tearing it down to add something ho-hum. Utilizing the stained glass and vaulted ceilings were no-brainers in the design, and absolutely give a "wow factor". We also liked the dark stained floor - very modern and different from what we've seen elsewhere. And who doesn't love 12' ceilings?

We thought the first floor units and the top floor units were the most successful, with great light and access to some of the beautiful and charming "remnants" of the building's former life. The second floor units on the front were a little cave-like due to the position of the existing windows.

That being said, there were some elements that left us less than impressed, especially at these price points. Many of the following items are little aesthetic things that I'm guessing most people wouldn't care about. Others are probably indicators that the developers were through putting money into the project. But a couple are worth a second look.

The allocation of space in the first floor units did have some fails: the second bath off the hallway was very large, but all the fixtures were spread out instead of leaving one wall for built-in storage. The tub was also a short tub, instead of bumping the wall out into the hallway (which was very wide). The amount of closets in the hallway was also verging on insanity. One closet space on either end would have been much better utilized as a desk nook.

The left side first floor unit had a glass door with outside access in the second bedroom. We wouldn't be comfortable with that on the ground floor.

Many of the baths had a very odd aluminum stripping instead of grout between the tiles in the showers. Not the greatest look.

The master bath in the largest unit (the unit with that crazy wet bar in the master suite) had the tub fixtures installed on the room side of the tub instead of the wall side. The adjoining closet had an uncovered old pipe running along the floor.

The balcony off the back of the largest unit was definitely not graded properly: standing water on the building side.

And there were already drywall seams splitting, so that could be some settling or just not so great drywalling.

Verdict: for $2.5mil in Jersey City, you can get a lot of square footage (3500+?) but not the best quality construction, fixtures, or taxes (it's got a 10yr tax abatement, so who knows what that top floor unit will be paying in the future). Regardless, I hope they sell at asking because that can only be good for surrounding values :)

That $2.25 million triplex is pretty awesome, though that top floor with the sink in the bedroom/living area is a little odd. Cool building.

A similar building (historic church turning into condos) that's wrapping up is Boniface Lofts, though all the units sold before going on the market, so no open house. Good to see these beautiful buildings being saved rather than being torn down, though I know some people disagree with it.

http://www.bonifacelofts.com/

Absolutely beautiful layout indeed. Each apart has its own individuality while the functional areas (closets, machinery) are layed out the same way. The careful reuse of historical details is to the builder credit - yes this includes the new spires which makes we ponder whether we should not call the place the Santa Sophia condos.

What a contrast with the Gannon I visited the week before: bathroom doors bumping into toilets, baseboards that already were ungluing themselves, the only advantage the Gannon had was parking and I guess more affordable pricing although I would not risk putting my car in a basement in that area...

The beauty of market forces is that the price will hold if folks want to pay. Certainly a beautiful neighborhood with great street life and retail. A bit far from the path and the local PS still has some way to go.

We went to check out the open house at The Centenary today. Wow - love all the top floor units!!! But at $1.5mil - $2.25million (the lower units are cheaper), how many people can afford it? Although we did see a lot of other families checking out the apartments too. I guess Jersey City has "arrived"? Well, definitely the prices has "arrived" and even "gone beyond" our means!!! :-( PS Did I mention that the most expensive unit ($2.25 mil purchase price) has a property tax of $36.000. That's $3000 per month, fix cost that never goes away!!! Unbelievable!!! The Centenary 304 Pavonia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07302 http://www.thecentenaryjc.com