Author Archives: jerseycitytoday

Equity Firms are Buying Up Homes in Newark: What About in Jersey City?

In May this year, CLIME: Center Law, Inequality and Metropolitan Equity at Rutgers University, released a report called: Who Owns Newark? Transferring Wealth from Newark Homeowners to Corporate Buyers. It documents how major investment firms are buying homes in Newark on a grand scale, turning them into rental properties. According to the authors, David D.Continue reading “Equity Firms are Buying Up Homes in Newark: What About in Jersey City?”

Journal Square: “At a Turning Point”

C.H. Martin is part of me, I shop there, my mother shopped there, and my friends shop there. It was there when there was nothing else. It’s been there for at least thirty years, maybe more. I remember way back when they had a huge selection of wool for knitting and crocheting. That goes backContinue reading “Journal Square: “At a Turning Point””

Architecture and the Construction of Inequality

Most people take a city’s architecture for granted. They are the buildings we live and work in and pass by everyday. They are the places we shop in, have a meal, cup of coffee, or find culture and entertainment. They are the grand structures we visit for their beauty or places where generations, old andContinue reading “Architecture and the Construction of Inequality”

Selling the City: 99 Monitor Street

On August 18 last year, the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA),the owner of a vacant lot at 99 Monitor Street in the Bergen-Lafayette section, signed an agreement authorizing a developer to build on the property. And, on June 14, this year Jersey City’s Planning Board unanimously approved an application to construct a mixed-use building there.Continue reading “Selling the City: 99 Monitor Street”

Urban Bling: Have You Noticed the Shiny Railings Around Some Homes?

I‘ve seen those silver and gold railings uptown and on the West Side. I haven’t seen them downtown. There may be some of those railings downtown but I haven’t seen them. Downtown has a lot of the old school wrought iron railings, especially on the brownstones. You can’t miss these silver and gold railings –Continue reading “Urban Bling: Have You Noticed the Shiny Railings Around Some Homes?”

Jersey City Summit: Portrait of a “Growth Machine?”

The 7th Annual Jersey City Summit is meeting today, Thursday June 23, at Newport Tower by the waterfront. It is described as a “gathering for real estate investment.” This annual event brings together investors, developers, and allied businesses, as well as local and state officials. Other stakeholders, such as local non-profits and universities, will haveContinue reading “Jersey City Summit: Portrait of a “Growth Machine?””

Gentrification By Public Transportation

In 2019, NJ Transit hired a real estate executive with a a salary of $175,000, to look for new ways to increase revenue to avoid looming deficits and fare hikes. This was the result of legislation passed in 2018 directing NJ Transit to set up a real estate development office and produce an annual reportContinue reading “Gentrification By Public Transportation”

Bergen-Lafayette: Selling a Neighborhood

Now that the waterfront has been mostly redeveloped, other areas of the city have been targeted by investors looking for new opportunities. One of the new growth areas for investors is Bergen-Lafayette with many projects recently completed or underway. However, marketing this area of the city presents some challenges. One is that it is someContinue reading “Bergen-Lafayette: Selling a Neighborhood”

Journal Square: Smart Growth or Green Gentrification?

New development in Jersey City today is continuing at a feverish pace and, according to one recent report, is focused most heavily in three areas of the city: Journal Square, West Side and Bergen-Lafayette. One thing these areas have in common is that development is focused around major public transportation lines. This blog entry willContinue reading “Journal Square: Smart Growth or Green Gentrification?”

The Urby: Luxury Housing for Millennials

Note: This is a revised version of a blog that was originally posted on September, 28, 2021. It contains some new information on this building and a video. Jersey City’s Urby, one of the tallest buildings in New Jersey, is a 69 story luxury apartment house down by the waterfront. Completed in 2017, it representsContinue reading “The Urby: Luxury Housing for Millennials”

The Rise of Bike Culture

Uptown is the new downtown. I think the bike lanes are a good thing. I don’t have anything against the bike lanes but I do have a problem with people on bikes who do not follow traffic rules. The other day I had to get out of the way of a biker who decided toContinue reading “The Rise of Bike Culture”

Dogs: The New Kids on the Block

New development in Jersey City has been accompanied by the rise of a dog care culture, economy. and infrastructure. This can be traced to the influx of professionals who have come to the City to work and live in the new office and luxury housing towers. Many are single adults or childless couples for whomContinue reading “Dogs: The New Kids on the Block”

Bergen Avenue: New Development

Note: This blog was originally posted on June 23, 2021, but bears repeating since so much new development is taking place in the area. These posts on Bergen Avenue are a selective portrait of one part of this street as it begins by Journal Square and runs for about one mile to Fairmount avenue. SignsContinue reading “Bergen Avenue: New Development”

Jersey City by the Numbers

Both my mother and father are Irish. My great grandparents were from Ireland. My grandparents were second generation. I was born in Bayonne in the 1930s and we moved to Jersey City when I was two. We lived on Orient Avenue where my father was the super of the building and we lived on theContinue reading “Jersey City by the Numbers”

Corner Stores

My favorite corner store is on Duncan and Westside. They have everything in there, well almost everything. The other day, a friend needed a money order. She went into the corner store and came out with a money order, envelope and stamp. They don’t call it “Super Convenience” for nothing. Yes, you’ll pay more, butContinue reading “Corner Stores”

Skyscrapers: Symbols of Commerce, Art and More

While there is no exact definition of skyscrapers they are generally viewed as very tall multistoried buildings. The term came into popular use in the 1880’s in the U.S. after the first “tall” buildings were constructed. The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, built in 1885, is often cited as the first modern skyscraper. It wasContinue reading “Skyscrapers: Symbols of Commerce, Art and More”

Bayfront: The People Speak

Of all the redevelopment projects on the West Side of Jersey City, Bayfront is unique in providing a substantial amount of housing that will be affordable to many of the city’s workers and families. Once completed, Bayfront will have 8,000 housing units, 35 percent of which will be affordable while 65 percent will be marketContinue reading “Bayfront: The People Speak”

University Place: Luxury Housing Goes to College

In 2016, New Jersey City University began construction of University Place, on its West Campus. It is a 22 acre redevelopment consisting of 8 new buildings with a cost of $400 million. When completed, there will be a residence hall for students, a performing arts center, supermarket, four luxury housing buildings with over 1,000 unitsContinue reading “University Place: Luxury Housing Goes to College”

West Side Redevelopment

440 is unique and has an interesting mix of businesses. I remember Two Guys, the Pathmark, Roosevelt Stadium, the Colonette diner and when Hudson Mall was the only mall in Jersey City. That mall was always packed and was the place to go. The mall is still there but the diner is gone, Kmart, Pathmark,Continue reading “West Side Redevelopment”