93 Bright St.
In our fall/winter 2013 issue, we profiled Jorge Mastropietro’s Jersey City brownstone. He’s an architect, so we weren’t surprised to hear that he’d designed a new building. The four-unit condo property, at 93 Bright St., is notable for its green features.
He refers to his company, Jorge Mastropietro Atelier, as a “microdeveloper,” often taking on the challenge of building on small lots. That was certainly true here. The elegant contemporary structure fits snugly between two others.
“The 25-foot-wide lot produces four single-family residences with the inherent urban quality of narrow, linear space,” he says.
He focused attention on the “exterior skin” of the project in relation to the surrounding historic neighborhood, “which,” he says, “accentuates the diverse urban fabric of Jersey City. The wood frame interior structures receive exterior skins of brick, glass, and cedar wood. The interior and exterior skins are separated by an internal air chamber, providing thermal and acoustic insulation.
“I love the wide street, and it’s close to Liberty State Park,” Mastropietro says. “I love the neighborhood.” He had to meet all the standards for historic districts, including matching the window and brick color and keeping the height of the building to scale.
One of the green aspects is taking advantage of how the windows reflect the sun, keeping the units cool in summer and warm in winter. The back of the building is made from wood siding, and all the tenants have access to garden space on the ground level.
The penthouse has skylights. A green roof garden brings beauty and insulation to the top floor. The penthouse residents can access it from their unit; every unit has high-efficiency appliances, walk-in closets, and bamboo floors. “The space inside is very open,” Mastropietro says. “But it’s very important to divide the public space from the private space, the social life and the private life of tenants.”
Three out of four tenants wanted to be interviewed for this story. The demographics of the occupants is amazingly similar. They are all thirty-something married couples without kids who work in Manhattan, rented there, and were looking for affordable options outside the city. Though all of them appreciate the green elements of the building, all acknowledged that it was the building itself that caught their attention.
Unit Two
Like a lot of young married couples, Alex Pavia and Katie Hoffman wanted to buy a home but could not afford the prices in New York, where they were living and renting. “Brooklyn and Queens were priced out, so it was a logical next step,” says Alex.
“We liked the area. It’s a good investment and a bigger space. The new construction was definitely appealing. The design is beautiful, and it’s a reputable builder in South America and Jersey City.”
They also appreciated the outdoor space, which is hard to get in New York. “That’s what sealed the deal for us,” Alex says. “Each unit has access to the backyard or roof deck.”
“The style is not cookie cooker and adds character and charm to the neighborhood,” Katie says.
They’d looked at a number of places, including older buildings, but liked what they saw when they entered the unit at 93 Bright. “It was the open-floor concept,” Katie says. “You walk in and everything is open—the living room, dining room, and kitchen.”
The unit has a total of 1,200 square feet. Katie says that the way these public areas are completely separate from their bedrooms, en-suite bathroom, and walk-in closet is great for entertaining.
Though they both work in New York and often meet friends there, when it’s just the two of them, they like to stay in Jersey City. “It’s exciting to see all the new development, and there’s an up-and-coming bar scene,” Alex says. They recommend the outdoor space at Zeppelin Hall and Surf City. They also frequent Thirty Acres, Roman Nose, Órale, Park and Sixth, and Sam’s A.M.
They love art and describe their interior-design style as “modern contemporary.” The proximity to Liberty State Park is not only a plus but the park will always be part of their family lore; they got married at Liberty House in April 2013.
Unit Three
Bob Kirby and Leanne Jacangelo lived in New York City’s Chelsea area before settling in Jersey City. They wanted to buy something and looked in Brooklyn but felt it was too far from their New Jersey families.
“We fell in love with the neighborhood,” Leanne says. “There’s a family, homey vibe with great restaurants and shops. It reminds me of West Chelsea with old brownstones in a walkable neighborhood near Van Vorst Park.”
Though they loved growing up in the ’burbs, they wanted to “maintain an urban feel. We don’t see ourselves in the suburbs.” They both still work in New York and love the easy commute by PATH to Midtown. In fact, they like to hang around Jersey City on weekends, and their New York friends were pleasantly surprised by how easy Jersey City is to get to.
Some of the places they frequent are Kanibal Home, Word bookstore, Beakman Lane Antiques, Razza, Thirty Acres, and Marco and Pepe’s.
They also enjoy the area’s art scene. They’ve been to shows and studios, and love supporting the arts.
They weren’t sure if they wanted to live in an old or new building, but character was important.
“It’s new construction, but it has interesting character and design with modern interiors,” Leanne says. “I like the way it looks”
Each unit has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master baths feature marble tile, while the smaller baths have ceramic floor tiles.
Bob and Leanne have decorated their 1,200-square-foot unit with a mix of new pieces and antiques.
The top three units have a balcony off the master bedroom, and the first floor has a patio. “The building has great outdoor space, which we didn’t have in our previous location,” Leanne says. The top three units can access the backyard from stairways that have entrances in each unit. The backyard can also be accessed from the first-floor patio.
Unit Four
Alex and Theresa Boras get a few perks by living on the top floor. The unit is 1,325 square feet, and they have access to the roof deck. “We feel happy and blessed to have this space,” says Theresa. “Jorge has a special eye for designing. We appreciate the extra touches he put into the building.”
Specifically, their unit has two skylights over the island in the kitchen. “Light is a big thing for us,” she says. “We love the sun.” The lighting in the hallways is recessed instead of the usual overhead lighting.
She describes the bamboo floors as “espresso. The apartment is chic and modern, but we feel very comfortable in it.”
Furnishing the place is a work in progress. Theresa can’t quite describe their style, but they do have a rustic antler chandelier and a modern bed in the bedroom. “Industrial modern,” she finally decides. “It’s a minimalist look, but with real people living in the space with photographs and pictures.”
The roof deck is of course a major selling point. They like to sit up there and have a glass of wine. “It’s very calming,” Theresa says. “It’s nice to have a space with flowers and plants.”
Theresa is a runner and was thrilled to discover the huge expanse of Liberty State Park practically in her backyard. Her first run there was an eye opener. “I’m a three-mile girl,” she says, “but Liberty State Park is so pretty, I was enjoying it and ran six miles.”
Friends had recommended Jersey City to these New Yorkers. “We fell in love with the town, the street, the brownstones, and the downtown,” Theresa says. “We were as surprised as anyone else.”
They love the community feeling and have taken advantage of the farmers’ markets, jogs along the waterfront, the Hamilton Park Barbecue Festival, and events they discover on Instagram and other social media.
We’re very excited to be first-time homeowners,” Theresa says. “Getting more involved in the community is on our to-do list.”—JCM