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let's see, the altessa, a bodega on one corner, a liquor store on the other, a dominican barber shop across the street, a 24 hour laundromat around the corner, and a block away from a high school that will hold 2500 to 3000 kids...i wouldn't wanna live on that block
U wouldn't live there either.. my god the craziness that will be around those business,especially a liquor store and high school.
I've been there twice now and just can't seem to pull the trigger. No offense to those of you on here who have purchased or are considering purchasing since I do feel that in the long term 5-10 years you will see appreciation on the property, but I just can't see how its worth the prices they are charging, especially when you are tacking on over $400/month in maintenance. What does that $400 get you?
1.) Gym Access. The Gym looks tiny( I think only 4 tread mills for over 100 apartments?)
2.) An entertainment center/children's playroom that you will never use.
3.) No public outdoor space with views of Manhatttan( unless you count the small balcony outside of the gym)
4.) a doorman( the one thing that is definitley nice to have, especially in that area)
About the building. There is definitley NOT a noise problem. This building seemed very well consturcted. When the door to the balcony is closed you hear nothing from the outside traffic. Very impressive since the building is basically on top of the lincoln tunnel entrance. The interior walls also seemed to have good soundproofing( not like the ones at Dixon Mills in JC, as those seem like they were made with cardboard). The layouts are good, and 1 br plus den is almost as big as the 2 br. If you can deal without a window in the second bedroom than thats the best deal in the place.
If you are considering the lower floors make sure to go above the 3rd floor. The VA housing out front could be torn down in the future and any new construction is allowed to go one floor higher than it is right now with no additional variance. That means those on 2nd and possibly 3rd floor would loose their already obstructed views of the city.
My wife and I walked around the neighborhood on 2 seperate occaisons. Let me just say this IS NOT hoboken or the "Gold Coast" waterfront. It really is a long way from getting anywhere near either one of those areas. Dirty and depressed are the words we kept using when walking around, seriously no offense to residents of that part of Union City but the sales office touts it as a hoboken-like area, and you KNOW that is not the case). We walked down to the "good part of town" where all the yuppy bars and restaurants are...yeh that really dosen't exist even though they make it seem like it on the brochures. Taxes are really high once the abatment ends and combined ith the maitenance you are at almost $900. Considering the Coops in Union City like Troy Towers and The Doric also have great views they seem like better options. Granted the building are older but they have a pool and the $1,000 maint includes taxes and ALL utlilities( gas, cable and even AC!).
All that being said if prices dropped by about 15% I'd buy in a second!
Been to the building, amazing. Views, unbelievable! Area is definitely up and trendy. The hardhat tour is great, but the price points are what really got us to buy.
Been to the building, amazing. Views, unbelievable! Area is definitely up and trendy. The hardhat tour is great, but the price points are what really got us to buy.
I get the distinct impression in reading your post that you sell condos at the thread. How can you say that the area is "up and trendy"? It's a heavily immigrant neighborhood. I have nothing against that. In fact I live nearby in Weehawken and shop at the same grocery store, go to the same movies, eat at the same restaurants as UCers. But nothing (eg music, food, people, styles) says trendy to me about this area. There are many good things about the neighborhood, esp, IMO, if you are young and willing to deal with a bit of urban grit. Commute to NYC is easy from here and hoboken is a cinch. If you're looking for an up and coming area though, or an area that is trendy, I wouldn't look in Union City. That's just my opinion though.
I get the distinct impression in reading your post that you sell condos at the thread. How can you say that the area is "up and trendy"? It's a heavily immigrant neighborhood. I have nothing against that. In fact I live nearby in Weehawken and shop at the same grocery store, go to the same movies, eat at the same restaurants as UCers. But nothing (eg music, food, people, styles) says trendy to me about this area. There are many good things about the neighborhood, esp, IMO, if you are young and willing to deal with a bit of urban grit. Commute to NYC is easy from here and hoboken is a cinch. If you're looking for an up and coming area though, or an area that is trendy, I wouldn't look in Union City. That's just my opinion though.
agree completely.
now, could UC become "up & trendy" ? sure... but if it does, it will take a long time, and it's in the embryonic stages right now
now, could UC become "up & trendy" ? sure... but if it does, it will take a long time, and it's in the embryonic stages right now
Here's my take on UC in terms of being an up and coming town. I think for the past 5 years, people began to think that UC was going to get better and better, riding the coattails of Hoboken and JC, until it was a prosperous, vibrant town. Up until then, UC has been a largely immigrant community. Most buildings are ugly. There are a lot of multifamily units with aluminum siding that looks like it could use a wash. Bergenline avenue looks to be a has-been main street that has slowly been taken over by dollar stores, fast food, check cashing places, and no-name cheapie clothing stores that cater almost exclusively to the heavily immigrant community. In the real estate bubble, developers bet that union city would float upwards with Hobo and JC and started developing condos. They built the park ave grande, thread, altessa, and several other places. There has been some resurfacing of some of the facades along bergenline. I wondered myself if UC reemergence (assuming it ever emerged in the first place) was a possibility. But now that the bubble has begun to deflate and unemployment is up, my guess is that union city will not continue its rise, but may take a step back. I know a few people who moved in a few years ago and got tired of holding out and moved away. I don't really like UC. I don't feel entirely safe there--it doesn't have a dangerous feel per se, but it's not exactly mayberry either. It's not a clean town. People throw garbage out their car windows, in parking lots, let their dogs crap on the sidewalk and don't clean it up. All in all, it has the feel of a poorer town. I get the feeling that UC residents just don't care about their town.
Goonsquad, I actually think the opposite of what you said. With the economy I'm wondering if it is giong to help UC grow. People are scared, and they are being more careful with their money. Along with the taxes going up in Hoboken, more people may move back to more affordable areas, while still having easy access to what they want (whether it be their job in NYC, the possibilities for a job in NYC, nightlife, etc).
Hardly anyone feels safe with their job right now, and the lower rent in UC will make living a bit more sustainable and maintainable if they loose their job. This also applies to the more undeveloped areas of JC.
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