When your city is in flux as ours is, you have the good fortune of watching neighborhoods evolve. Think Paulus Hook before the high rises or Lafayette before the light rail. I’d had my eye on a couple of new condo buildings and then realized that both had art galleries either on site or nearby. To me, this says “emerging community.”
M650 Flats is at 650-654 Montgomery St., not far from the Beacon, the huge condo complex that started life as the Jersey City Medical Center. Make sure you view m650 from at least across the street, so that you can get a good look at the steel and glass rooftop spaces that give it a sleek contemporary feel without compromising the traditional brick of the former livery stables and warehouse. Many units offer spectacular views of Manhattan.
Billed as a boutique condo building, m650 has 22 units that boast custom kitchens with Bosch appliances, heated bathroom floors and towel racks, and an in-wall iPod dock, fully integrated into the A/V system, among other classy amenities.
It also has green features, such as floors made from bamboo that grows fast and regenerates quickly, saving forests and eliminating the need for replanting. And hey, they look great, too.
Worried about parking? Special stacked spaces that can be raised and lowered electronically solve the problem.
On the corner is the Duda Penteado art gallery. Brazilian-born Penteado has strong ties to Jersey City, spearheading the kids’ art project that is on display near the Goldman Sachs building and promoting a sister city relationship between Jersey City and Vitoria, Brazil.
Just south of m650 is Library Hall Lofts at 704 Grand St. In 1866, the building was the town hall for Bergen before it became part of Jersey City, and in the 1870s it became a library. This 12-unit condo conversion maintains the charm of the 19th century structure, while adding modern design elements, such as exposed brick and 15-foot arched windows. The duplexes with views of Manhattan and Summit Avenue through these huge windows are among its best features.
The lofts have 11 parking spaces, and on ground level are two commercial condos. One is occupied by the newly relocated Charles Chamot gallery. Artists and art lovers will remember Charles’s gallery in the legendary 111 First building, which was torn down to make way for new development. The other one is owned by Ian Hinonangan, an attorney, who has also opened an art gallery there called Lenapeeps.
The Bergen Hill/McGinleySquare area is an up-and-coming neighborhood that’s worth a second look.—Kate Rounds
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