J Condo Reflection, Jan 2007
From yesterday’s Curbed posting about J Condo’s anticipated move-in date of mid-April (through the 9th floor), end of May for 10th – 22nd floors, and end of July for 23rd – 33rd floors, there are a lot of love/hate comments (67 and counting). As with most new Dumbo Brooklyn developments, there are those who will hate the new buildings and others who welcome change.
For example, some love for the Hudson Company, the J Condo development company:
“Hudson companies looks to be shoring up quite a reputation for itself with this project. From the choice of cladding materials that syncronize with the neighboring buildings, to encouraging a local artist to paint the construction barricades, to having owners select from among a range of local artwork for the common areas. But most impressive is the prospect that they will actually start closing within their projected schedule… Does that ever happen in New York City??”
– #4 by Rascal
And some hate:
“am i the only one who thinks this looks like some office park piece of shit?
to everyone who thinks that this fits in with the aesthetic of the neighborhoood: are you on glue??? brick veneer is not 150-year-old brick layed by hand…. the massing is totally out of proportion to the neighboring structures.BLECH!! condos need to DIE.”
– #25 by !!
And then there’s the question of whether the triple paned windows will block out noise from the Manhattan Bridge. I haven’t been inside the J Condo units yet to speak about the noise levels inside, but as with any Dumbo apartment, or most places in NYC, there will be some noise from the outside. Although I think J Condo has done a good job overall with construction quality and finishes, the building is much larger than anything in the neighborhood and seems out of scale with other buildings in the area. I have to applaud them for supporting the local artists and respecting the anticipated timelines (within reason). If any J Condo owners would like to support or refute this, comment below. Also, if any new condo owners in any Dumbo building want to email me any of their experiences, I may post on DumboNYC.
{J Condo Update: Almost Time to Move In, Curbed.com, 1/31/07}
What I don’t get is why it has to be so modern looking. Are there no architects that can come up with something along the lines of the huge, gorgeous residential buildings on Central Park West? Of all the things people could come up with it boggles my mind that they looked at the designs and said, “yes, this looks awesome”.
What I don’t get is why it has to be so modern looking. Are there no architects that can come up with something along the lines of the huge, gorgeous residential buildings on Central Park West? Of all the things people could come up with it boggles my mind that they looked at the designs and said, “yes, this looks awesome”.
My window has that exact view and what the buildig has done is give me more sun in the afternoon. I now get sun in the morning and afternoon.
My window has that exact view and what the buildig has done is give me more sun in the afternoon. I now get sun in the morning and afternoon.
i cant wait for these homeowners to move in. I think it will help to shape the neighborhood. it will make opportunitys for more restaurants to develop as well as shops.
i cant wait for these homeowners to move in. I think it will help to shape the neighborhood. it will make opportunitys for more restaurants to develop as well as shops.
J condo is certainly going to shape the neighborhood. I’m sure the current business owners can already hear the “ka-ching” of their cash registers! Every time I look there’s a brand new storefront to be rented. Looking forward to the creative and hopefully useful new businesses to come.
J condo is certainly going to shape the neighborhood. I’m sure the current business owners can already hear the “ka-ching” of their cash registers! Every time I look there’s a brand new storefront to be rented. Looking forward to the creative and hopefully useful new businesses to come.
You know, this is going to sound funny, but I’m really excited for the Golden Bridge Cleaners. They are on Front Street right across from the J, and are just the nicest people I’ve ever met. Add to that that they are quality cleaners/tailors, and it makes you feel good knowing their business will do great once the J opens up.
You know, this is going to sound funny, but I’m really excited for the Golden Bridge Cleaners. They are on Front Street right across from the J, and are just the nicest people I’ve ever met. Add to that that they are quality cleaners/tailors, and it makes you feel good knowing their business will do great once the J opens up.
That site was rezoned, just that block, for a different design altogether – one that was beautiful and impressive and “wowed” the BSA.
Then, once the variance was changed, the greedy a**hole developers changed the plan for the building – SUBSTITUTING the hideous and cheap J Street Condo which maximized use & height & profit for the site – and neighborhood scale or character be damned.
This is the problem – its all about money for most developers.
Wake up people!! When some jackass posts that he “Likes the building” he probably is making money from it. Or getting paid to say that.
Guess what? – once the Atlanatic Yards is approved for downtown Brooklyn, the Gehry building ( the keystone to the design being touted & popular) may go POOF – and disappear like smoke.
Hey, People that invested here, you wanna get smart?? Start watching the Brooklyn Bridge Park closely – they are snakes as well. Take a good look at the plan, start doing your research. At the moment, the park we have is the majority of all the park we will ever get…. the rest of the waterfront will be walled off by condo highrises. ( Then think how crowded and worn out that patch of green will be) Get involved people!
Or resign yourselves to living in an ugly highrise jungle because we were all too stupid and lazy to say “Wait a minute” – we were all so busy being comfortable and ignorant in our “special neighborhood”. Mmmmmm
That site was rezoned, just that block, for a different design altogether – one that was beautiful and impressive and “wowed” the BSA.
Then, once the variance was changed, the greedy a**hole developers changed the plan for the building – SUBSTITUTING the hideous and cheap J Street Condo which maximized use & height & profit for the site – and neighborhood scale or character be damned.
This is the problem – its all about money for most developers.
Wake up people!! When some jackass posts that he “Likes the building” he probably is making money from it. Or getting paid to say that.
Guess what? – once the Atlanatic Yards is approved for downtown Brooklyn, the Gehry building ( the keystone to the design being touted & popular) may go POOF – and disappear like smoke.
Hey, People that invested here, you wanna get smart?? Start watching the Brooklyn Bridge Park closely – they are snakes as well. Take a good look at the plan, start doing your research. At the moment, the park we have is the majority of all the park we will ever get…. the rest of the waterfront will be walled off by condo highrises. ( Then think how crowded and worn out that patch of green will be) Get involved people!
Or resign yourselves to living in an ugly highrise jungle because we were all too stupid and lazy to say “Wait a minute” – we were all so busy being comfortable and ignorant in our “special neighborhood”. Mmmmmm
Yes, Sam, and there are microphones under your bed and government operatives manning the local deli and aliens listening to your phone calls.
Yes, Sam, and there are microphones under your bed and government operatives manning the local deli and aliens listening to your phone calls.
Re: the comment on JCondo. I am curious to see how the neighborhood will be able to absorb the extra hundreds of people moving into that building. It will be great for the local shops and hopefully attract new businesses, but I wonder if the streets will be like they were during the art festival? I am sure people have been saying that over the years anyway but just something I’ve been thinking about recently.
Re: the comment on JCondo. I am curious to see how the neighborhood will be able to absorb the extra hundreds of people moving into that building. It will be great for the local shops and hopefully attract new businesses, but I wonder if the streets will be like they were during the art festival? I am sure people have been saying that over the years anyway but just something I’ve been thinking about recently.
RE:sam123
i beg to differ: the original design ‘light bridges’ for the j condo site was hideous in my opinion. here is a link to the rendering.
http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3195
if you think j condo looks bad, how does ‘light bridges’ intergrate at all into the neighborhood. while i do think most developers are greedy at the expense of properly contextualized archtecture, you sound like someone who just bashes for the sake of bashing. you said the design was “one that was beautiful and impressive and “wowed†the BSA” PLEASE please tell me how ‘light bridges’ is better than j condo’s design.
RE:sam123
i beg to differ: the original design ‘light bridges’ for the j condo site was hideous in my opinion. here is a link to the rendering.
http://www.wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3195
if you think j condo looks bad, how does ‘light bridges’ intergrate at all into the neighborhood. while i do think most developers are greedy at the expense of properly contextualized archtecture, you sound like someone who just bashes for the sake of bashing. you said the design was “one that was beautiful and impressive and “wowed†the BSA” PLEASE please tell me how ‘light bridges’ is better than j condo’s design.
To all the people who are sh*ts and giggles happy over J Condo and don’t take into account the reality of what sam123 is saying: he/she might be a little over-zealous about preservation and the destrucation of the neighborhood…but give it about 10 years and you will wonder what the hell hit you upside the chin. The neighborhood’s “character” won’t be destroyed by J Condo, the building, (although seriously, if you think it “fits” then you’re injecting yourself with needles from the East River), but when every middle America chain store moves into the area then you’ll wonder what happened to your precious “edgy” nabe. Even some of the current new storefronts are ridiculously overpriced and simply leech off the fact that the area is becoming the suburb of FiDi across the river.
To all the people who are sh*ts and giggles happy over J Condo and don’t take into account the reality of what sam123 is saying: he/she might be a little over-zealous about preservation and the destrucation of the neighborhood…but give it about 10 years and you will wonder what the hell hit you upside the chin. The neighborhood’s “character” won’t be destroyed by J Condo, the building, (although seriously, if you think it “fits” then you’re injecting yourself with needles from the East River), but when every middle America chain store moves into the area then you’ll wonder what happened to your precious “edgy” nabe. Even some of the current new storefronts are ridiculously overpriced and simply leech off the fact that the area is becoming the suburb of FiDi across the river.
I like it and wanna live there…. anybody have any comments? i’m moving from the east village with my wife and kid… i’m not an a**hole, either.
I like it and wanna live there…. anybody have any comments? i’m moving from the east village with my wife and kid… i’m not an a**hole, either.