MSN Updates Jersey City Aerial Photography

If you're a big map dork like we are, you'll be excited that MSN updated their aerial photography of Jersey City. With all the new construction in the downtown, aerial photography is being outdated every few months. One area of interest is the Liberty Harbor area where whole new streets are being created. The updated photos now show a few new blocks of the area from early last year.

Google maps hasn't been updated since the Goldman Sachs tower was under construction-- which is fun for comparison. Take a look at Google and then compare to the completed tower on MSN.

There is also the Trump Tower and Athena Condos on MSN but not Google. Closer to Grove Street, the foundations for Grove Pointe and Columbus Tower are on MSN but neither are under construction in Google

Map Service Provides Subway, PATH Routing, Time Estimates

A little service called GypsyMaps has mashed together MTA and PATH subway maps to produce an all inclusive regional transportation trip planner. Even better, the service estimates walking times between stations, and accounts for the time of day when coming up with a trip duration estimate. We wanted to make a joke about Staten Island here, but even they have been included by way of the ferry.

Unlike previous services we've seen, GypsyMaps seems to understand how people actually ride mass transit. For instance, we tested out the service with a few addresses, one from Jersey City to a random street in Staten Island. Other services we've seen would have sent us through 34th Street with stops in Queens and Albany, but GypsyMaps gets things right. Not that anyone would want to go to Staten Island (oh, and there it is), but just in case you do, the service can tell you how.

Via Curbed

2007 Ground Breaking Predictions

There are plenty of construction projects coming to the downtown in 2007, and what better time to sum up what to expect. As usual, we put together a map, and below we have details:

1. The Majestic II
From the folks who brought us The Majestic condominiums, the Majestic II promises a similarly integrated apartment / condo project for the opposite corner. Right now the lot is an empty church an abandoned store front across from city hall. The developers have been around Jersey City a while and probably know how to fast track things when they want, so we suspect this building could be well underway by next year. Read More

2. Columbus Corner
Another mid-size development on the outskirts of the Van Vorst Historic District, this project could mean the beginning of a renewal on Columbus Drive. The concept involves ripping up a bit of parking lot and integrating an older tower, a Victorian house, and a brownstone into a larger complex spanning Barrow between Wayne and Columbus. The project is probably a good way of cleaning up the blighted parking lots, but the last we heard the developer was sent back to the drawing boards to make a few minor corrections in terms of size and height. We're hoping though to see this take off soon. Read More

3. Gulls Cove II
With the mammoth Gulls Cove I topping out at its final height, we're expecting that the small Gulls Cove II will soon find its pilings driven into the ground. Located ont he corner of Marin and Grand Streets, this lot is a block from Marin Blvd Light rail station, and in essence connect the northeastern end of Liberty Harbor with the rest of the city.

4. Metropolis Towers
So far the old low-rise structures have been torn apart and a slab foundation laid for part of a new structure everyone seems to think is a parking garage. The next step will probably be two twenty-something story towers along Columbus. With Columbus Tower and Grove Pointe nearing completion, the corner of Marin and Columbus are set to become the new downtown hotspot and we can't imagine the owners of Metropolis Tower property won't want to cash in. Read More

5. 217 Newark Avenue
A large empty lot situated on Newark Avenue, 217-219 Newark is a lot that has been listed on the internet for sale. Included in the sale are plans for a few dozen residential units. Any redevelopment of Newark Avenue will certainly require building something on this lot as the vacancy isolates the eastern and western sections of the avenue from pedestrian traffic. Its fairly unlikely that this project is going to take off in 2007, but nothing like a little wishful thinking.

6. 361 Newark Avenue
A few months back this was an old bagel hut. Then after a quick demolition and pilings driven into the ground, work on the site mysteriously ceased. The developer apparently decided to go from six stories to twelve. It seems likely that construction on the new twelve story mini-tower will resume in 2007.

7. Morgan Point
This project pops up now and again; some sources will list the project as approved while others as under construction. Still there are those who seem to indicate this building is going nowhere. In essence its a ten or twelve story building set on the oddly shaped corner of Stueben and Morgan Streets at the intersection of Marin. There is the potential with this lot for Jersey City to have its own Flatiron-sque building. The development is also just outside the boundaries of the Powerhouse Arts District, but we're under the impression the original idea for this building was to actually meet the PAD requirements. Read more at JCVibe.com

8. Aqua
Another announced rental tower in the next phase of Newport. The Aqua consists of a mid-rise base along River Drive and the Hudson River. This will probably do a great job of blocking views in the soon to be completed condominium project The Shore Club, which of course is why its a rental. Expect a somewhat more glass filled tower similar to the Shore Club rather than the boxy concrete slabs that make up the rest of Newport. Read more at The Hudson Reporter
Newport Expansion Map

9. The Ellipse
Technically, the Ellipse will be built on a pier (not shown on map). The Miami-style tower offers a unique addition to the Newport Skyline. The oval shaped building is largely glass and will sit just north of the Aqua and the Shore Club. Both the Aqua and the Ellipse as well as the glass encased Shore Club are a departure from the traditional brick and concrete boxes of the older Newport buildings.
Newport Expansion Map

10 & 11. Grover Cleveland and Ulysses S. Grant
Two more mid-rise towers on Tenth Avenue. These two buildings are similar to the Roosevelt and the Lincoln, two other generic brick mid-rise buildings along Tenth Street. However, the site of the Cleveland and the Grant include the Eleventh Street embankment, which the buildings might be built over, not in place of. Also, recent community opposition has for now slowed plans to break ground. We suspect though that one or both of these will be under construction before the end of next year. Read More at 25mc Blog

12. The Metropolitan
Say good-bye to Pep Boys and hello to the second tallest tower in New Jersey. The Metropolitan is a glassy bit of architectural sculpture that will bring 800 or so residential units to the Metro Plaza shopping center. Its the first phase of many that will eventually replace the strip mall containing BJ's warehouse and Shoprite and Bed Bath and Beyond with more towers. The Metropolitan also catches the eye because it will fall just short of passing the Goldman Sachs tower as the tallest in the state-- we have to wonder if the final height will actually be taller. But in either case, everything seems to be a green light for construction in begin in the spring.

13. & 14. San Remo & Monaco
Urban infill along Washington Blvd, renderings for these buildings include three towers. The southern tower will be a single structure about the height of the existing Marbella Tower. The other will be a taller set of dual towers on the north end of the lot. Between the buildings, the existing Double Tree Hotel. These three buildings have been announced, though are yet to receive the final go ahead. Its possible that ground will be broken this year, though we aren't holding our breath, especially since the Aqua and the Ellipse are almost certainly breaking ground first.

15. Harborside 4
The first half of this building-- mostly a parking garage-- has already been completed. The tower though that is intended to sit along Columbus Drive may or may not be going up anytime soon. The commercial office space market has seen better days, and that was before the millions of square feet of new space was announced at ground zero. We'll say this one could happen, but we aren't holding our breath.

16. Second Street
Located on the very tip of Second Street and surrounded by the Hudson River on two sides, this small lot next to the Mandalay tower is set to take off. Financing was secured a few weeks back and the approvals were received this summer. Its likely this project will be break ground as early as the Spring.

17. Manischewitz Site
The last of the matzo has been made and the factory is closing up shop. The Toll Brothers own the development rights, and there has been some debate on JCList as to whether the site is zoned for 10 stories or more than 20. The site is also half in and half out of the PAD, not that the PAD really has any standing any more anyway. Toll Brothers might very well find a way to break ground on the building before the year's end, especially considering how expensive the property was.

18. Van Leer Chocolate Factory
A large scale redevelopment of the former factory site should get started this year. There are two phases to the project that will bring 900 units to the area. Recent utility work along Hoboken Avenue and frequent spotting of surveyors might indicate work is about to begin. Or maybe not.

20. Belfuse
A mid-rise tower on the northwest border of Paulus hook, replacing the old Belfuse industrial plant. Read more at JCVibe.com

Newport Expansion Revealed

Well its not exactly fresh news that Newport will be getting a few more towers. Both the Aqua and the Ellipse were announced months ago, and The Shore Club is well under construction. However, we took the time to build a map of where the Aqua and the Ellipse will be going up in relation to the rest of Newport, just in case it was unclear, and it was to us, for quite a while.



Keep in mind nothing is certain until the concrete is dry, but its fairly likely that this is the future layout of the northern end of Newport. The Aqua will be 32 stories and have 363 units. The Ellipse will have 325 units.

As usual, a larger map is available on the PhotoBlog.

Google Map Tools We Love

We came across WikiMapia, a hybrid between Google Satelite images, Wikipedia, and Flickr. Users can enter data on hot zones on the satelite images-- for instance, the empty lot that now is the site of the new Trump Towers. Like all sites relying on user generated content though, we've come across a few mistakes. But in either case, Jersey City and Hoboken both have extensive entries.


And meanwhile, Hoboken411 pointed out the GMaps Pedometer, a service that calculates the distance of a walking trip using Google maps. We've found this a most useful tool after gathering construction site photographs.

Construction Project Map

With all the fun new development going on in Downtown Jersey City, keeping track of everything has never been more difficult. So we put together our very own Construction Map.

Jersey Avenue Shopping Map

Just in time for your weekend shopping needs, we present to you the Jersey Avenue Shopping Guide. We've included the shops and restaurants between Newark Ave and Grand Street and conviently categorized them for you. And in case you missed it, check out the Grove Street Guide we put together earlier in the week.

Grove Street Shopping Guide

Just in time for the holidays, the first of our shopping district series is now online: Grove Street.

The map tacks south from the PATH station and includes shops and stores one block east or west of Grove.

Eye Candy

So maybe you've been a little confused about how to connect to a subway in Manhattan. Maybe you've been curious about just exactly the mythical Light Rail line goes. Well we've culled information from the Port Authority and the MTA and New Jersey Transit and built the map that they coudn't: The revised New York's Sixth Transit Overlay Map.

And one more thing. You'll notice this revised map has a really long URL. That's because we've posted it on our new Photo Blog we're we'll post all sorts of constructionporn and any oversized pictures that would otherwise screw the ol' layout.

Oh, and another thing too: We're now using labels to categorize all the nifty posts, just like the pros.

Everything Old: Maps

We aren't just interested in the future of our city, but also the past. Rutgers University has a collection of maps showing parts of Hudson County at various stages of development including Bergen City [Journal Square area of Jersey City] and roads like JFK Blvd when it was Hudson Blvd. We especially like that Paulus Hook was once called "Powles Hook."