PATH Cars Meet Critics

Seems like not everyone is a fan of the new PATH train cars.

255 Grand Street

255 Grand Street continues to rise at a rapid rate. The New York Times mentions that the tower will top out at 15 stories.

213 Newark Avenue

The six story residential and retail building on Newark Avenue is beginning to get windows and brick work. The project will hopefully help energize Newark Avenue retail, especially on the western end.

Tasti D-Lite Really Coming

Tasti D-Lite really is coming to the base of Grove Pointe. The storefront on Marin Blvd will join Duane Reade, Starbucks, Valley National Bank, and an organic dry cleaners. Three other retail locations are still available. For now, the northeast corner space houses three art pieces constructed of Lego bricks.

Connected Waterfront Park Plan Revealed

The dream of a single contiguous waterfront walkway is a little closer to fulfillment with an ambitious plan to connect Veteran's Park and the Morris Canal Park over the Morris Canal. The plan bi-passes a small stretch of land where developers did not construct the waterfront park.

Veteran's Park, pictured above, is home to the famous Colgate Clock and sits beside the Goldman Sachs tower. The Morris Canal Park is part of Liberty State Park and extends east into the Hudson River from Washington Street. These two parks would be connected by an ambitious plan created by the Jersey City Waterfront Parks Conservancy.

Goldman Sachs provided funds to the city to redevelop Veteran's Park. So far that park remains a pile of rubble and weeds. For the past several years residents have been working to rehabilitate the land and complete the section of waterfront walkway.

The Hudson Reporter has a bit more, and the park merited a mention on Curbed

PATH Replacing Wooden Benches

The Port Authority has installed new metal benches in the 33rd Street station, replacing previous wooden benches. Also, flat screen monitors have replaced older cathode ray tubes for the useless PATH Vision. PATH Vision displays advertisements and occasionally the time of the next departing train, most often after the train has departed.

Retail Closings

The weakening economy is not helping the downtown's beleaguered retail district. Imagine Atrium, the bookstore - gift shop is more or less finished. Rumors on JCList point out that home decor shop On The Inside, pictured above, is closing as well as Maxmillian, a children's clothing boutique.

WTC train FUBAR

WTC service is currently not operational due to equipment failure.

"Manhattan" Style Deli

The south east corner retail space in Liberty Towers will eventually have a "Manhattan" style deli, as first noted in July. There will probably be some high end grocery items as well as prepared foods, like most Manhattan style delis. Of course, unlike New York delis, there will be no beer in the cold drinks section, since selling groceries and beer side by side is illegal in New Jersey.

Organic Dry Cleaning in Liberty Harbor

Liberty Harbor's latest retail opening is an organic dry cleaners along Grand Street.

Tasti D-Lite Coming to Grove Pointe

Tasti D-Lite, the faux ice cream chain is coming to Jersey City in the base of the Grove Pointe tower. Grove Pointe is a little outpost of Manhattan with both a Starbucks and Duane Reade.

Via JCList

255 Grand Street

Below, the south side of the tower, with Gulls Cove behind the photographer.





Looking North towards the rest of the city:


The center of the building, from Grand Street:

Medical Office Tower

A new medical office building is currently under construction south of the Jersey City Medical Center on Jersey Avenue, just west of Liberty Harbor North and the Jersey Avenue Light Rail Station.

Liberty Harbor North Tower 3

A detail of the brickwork.

Mystery Marin Blvd Tower

The architects DeWitt Tishman reveal an image of mysterious Marin Blvd Tower. The 28 story, 220 unit tower with 3,600 square feet of retail is probably too short to be one of the proposed Toll Brothers Towers. Toll wants to build 30, 35, and 40 story towers on property abutting Marin Blvd in the Powerhouse District.

The mystery tower is more likely a lot bound by Morgan and Bay Streets, on the west side of Marin Blvd and owned by Exeter Property. The lot, currently an outdoor parking area, is listed on the city's downtown Development map as having 221 units and 8,600 square feet of retail. DeWitt Tishman is responsible for towers like Grove Pointe and the Jersey City Trump Plaza.

UPDATE
Several readers have pointed out the Jersey City Fire House in the background, which would place the tower on the north west corner of Sixth and Marin. This makes sense, with the small gray block on the far left of the image being the tip of the embankment edge. Google Maps shows this nicely. That revelation only adds to the mystery.

Crescent Court

Crescent Court, a low rise development on the western end of the downtown continues to grow, sprawling out over the whole of the property. The four story project includes ground floor parking.

272 Newark Avenue

272 Newark Avenue is now up to three stories. There are probably another two to go.


Looking east down Newark Avenue



From Third Street looking onto the back of the building.

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Legal Beans Gets New Location

Donwtown cafe Legal Beans will soon have a new location just off Newark Avenue on Division Street. The new store is a bit off the beaten path on the far end west side of the downtown, but for many the trek will be well worth the effort.

Hoboken Drunkeness Parade Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the famous annual Hoboken St. Patrick's Day parade and celebration, a sort of combination of Mardis Gras meets Homecoming with an Irish theme. The parade begins around 1pm, but the drinking begins at most bars at 11am. A few special places will kick things off at 10am, but in most cases there will be lines and $10 to $20 cover charges, not to mention heavily inflated drink prices. A much better solution is finding a fraternity house friend's house where drinking can begin early and end late.

Remember too that since 2007, the police have stepped up enforcement of public urination and open container laws for the sake of balancing Hoboken's municipal budget safety.

Hoboken Rejects Terminal Redevelopment Plan As Though It Matters What They Think

Hoboken's City council rejected a resolution authorizing a contract for FXFOWLE, an architectural firm designing a plan for the Hoboken terminal. NJ Transit has been looking to develop land above and around the rail yards that are mostly, but not entirely in Hoboken. A small portion of the yards falls within the boundaries of Jersey City.

Hoboken residents have been upset about the proposal fearing the high rise tower component of the project would block their views. These concerns are mostly irrelevant since Jersey City's Newport development is already zoned for high rises and borders the NJ Transit Property. Newport's northern quadrant may be several years away from new construction; indeed, the Lefraks have not even sought final site approvals for those towers. However, with the soon to be completed NJ Transit bridge connecting Newport to the Hoboken terminal, the northern quadrant is suddenly a much more desirable location for residential and office development.

Hoboken Now quotes the always insightful Dawn Zimmer as saying: "I don't think they have the right to come in here and build sky high." Actually Dawn, NJ Transit, as a state agency, can pretty much do whatever they want.

The plan developed for the terminal includes an area of high rise office towers on the east side of the property and mid rise residential buildings around the perimeter of the property. The southern portion would abut against the north side of Newport's redevelopment zone over the existing canal. The project would also include large areas of park space around the terminal and the new buildings.

Along with the project, new sewers and flood pumps would be constructed. While these upgrades alone won't solve Hoboken's flooding problems, the improvements are at least a step in the right direction.

While many in Hoboken are arguing against high rise towers, there is little the city can do along the border. Jersey City's zoning already allows high rise towers in areas like Newport. The problem is best illustrated by 700 Grove Street, a large residential building in Jersey City, but north of the train tracks. Hoboken receives the drawbacks of that building, such as increased traffic, without any of the benefits, such as increased tax revenues. Because the building is in Jersey City, Hoboken had no control over the zoning. The terminal project, split between the two cities, would produce similar challenges for Hoboken.

Automata Chino Provides Music Venue

Automata Chino is a new music venue attached to the Iron Monkey in Paulus Hook. They seem to have a very full schedule of bands. They have a limited food menu, snacks mostly, and a more or less full bar. Hipsters will appreciate the Pabst Blue Ribbon.

W vs. Westin: Fight!

Last month, Jersey City's newest hotel, the Westin, opened its doors. At the end of March, Hoboken's W hotel will open. Both high rise towers will have views of Manhattan's skyline, though the many rooms in the Westin will be looking into the Newport Center towers. Both hotels will have steakhouses attached to them. But only the W is giving out free packets of promotional materials with mints and a mini telescope, today at the PATH Station in Hoboken. Hoboken Now has a picture of the W's goodie bag. Step it up, Westin, this round goes to the W.

Friday is JC Fridays

Friday is the March edition of JC Fridays. Events are planned throughout the downtown, including several gallery openings and art shows at various bars and cafes.

255 Grand Street

The new tower rising on the corner of Grand Street and Marin Blvd, just north of Gull's Cove has made some remarkable progress, adding two floors and extending the base around the property. The most remarkable thing about this building is how it illustrates the height variation along Marin Blvd. The foundation wall rises dramatically as it approaches Grand Street.

Down the Rabbit Hole Opening Night

Megan Gulick's solo show featuring furry animal paintings opened last night at LITM. The show runs through the end of March.







Fuzzy bunnies were in attendance. Apparently some of the LITM staff "lost" their fuzzy ears

Bunnies

Megan Gulick, downtown painter, is opening "Down the Rabbit Hole" tonight at LITM, the Newark Avenue bar-lounge-gallery. The show features 45 to 50 paintings of furry bunnies being abused as well as more colorful fish and barnyard animals. More importantly, we've been assured that at tonight's opening-- 7 to 10 PM, there will be a full sized, pink, furry bunny rabbit. In a stockade. Still not convinced? Check out MeganGulick.com

Down the Rabbit Hole
LITM

Winter Storm of 2009

Van Vorst Park and Montgomery Street


Hudson Street with light rail tracks


Manhattan Skyline from Hudson and Montgomery Street


Waterfront from Exchange place looking south


Paulus Hook with Goldman Sachs and 77 Hudson Street towers


Third Street


Powerhouse


Third Street


Second Street


York Street along Van Vorst Park


Mercer Street at Jersey Avenue

City Slaughters Trees

A plaza on the corner of Newark and Jersey Avenues once had five trees that towered over surrounding buildings. The trees were removed last week. Redevelopment: You're doing it wrong.

Atomic Wings

The mythical Atomic Wings on Newark Avenue is slowly becoming a reality.

ZogSports Starting Jersey City Leagues

ZogSorts, the adult for fun sports, is starting a few Jersey City leagues this spring. The registration deadline is on the 13th. Zog crossed the Hudson to Hoboken a little while back. There was a Jersey City indoor soccer league this past winter, but that was mostly because the facilities were in the downtown. This spring Jersey City will get touch football, rugby and basketball leagues.

Port Authority Answers More Questions, Ignores Others

The Port Authority answered more New York Times's reader questions in Part 2 and Part 3 of the series. Of course, as is typical, there is more answer dodging than answering going on. Still not addressed is the ticking time bomb of World Trade Center station closures coming this summer.

JC Independent Officially Launches, Conquers World

The Jersey City Independent officially launched today. We've mentioned before, but will say it again, we think independent journalism projects like these will soon supplant old media (read: newspapers).