Jersey City is growing in popularity for those who would previously consider buying a home in Manhattan or Brooklyn.
Those priced out of buying or renting a home across the Hudson River have made Jersey City the fastest growing metropolitan area in New Jersey, according to an article in The New York Times.
The area’s abundance of new housing and a relatively quick train ride into New York means Jersey City is shedding “its dingy image and emerging as a destination of choice,” according to the article.
With exceptional growth – a 6 percent increase in population from 2010 to 2014 according to the U.S. Census – there are concerns about what this boom means on Jersey City’s infrastructure and demographic makeup, the article says.
Jersey City has several schools under construction and some that are being worked on, according to Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill.
She added the city is “in the midst of a major capital investment on sewers,” the largest ever done in the city’s history.
Parts of Jersey City west of Downtown are experiencing growth, the article states.
“With the Jersey City waterfront and downtown nearly built out, developers are moving inland, plucking up parcels close to transit; the area around Journal Square PATH station has become a prime destination,” according to the article.
There are major plans for 30 Journal Square, formerly the longtime home of The Jersey Journal. While the exterior of the building would remain the same, a pedestrian walkway with retail shops on both sides would cut through the ground floor and lead to a 1,400-square-foot public plaza behind the building. Also behind the existing building would sit a massive residential tower facing Enos Place and Newkirk Street that would have no height restriction.
The iconic Jersey Journal sign that sits atop 30 Journal Square is required to stay, according to the plan.
