January 29, 2021
High-rise buildings are changing the face of New Jersey’s skyline
During his daily commute to and from Manhattan for his job as an equities trader, Westfield resident Peter Zecca has watched in amazement as a shiny, new and impressively tall skyline has emerged along New Jersey’s Gold Coast.
An area once dotted with mainly low-lying industrial buildings, “development in Jersey City has been rapid, and it’s exciting to see,” said Zecca, a Harrison native who’s regularly driven past Jersey City for the past two decades. “From my vantage point in Manhattan, there are big residential towers behind Newport Center and when the sun rises in the east, tall glass buildings in that area light up with an orange glow and really stand out. It’s been beautiful to see these buildings emerge over the past five years,” he said, “and they’ve truly changed the face of New Jersey.”
Transforming the Texture of Jersey City
The developers of these sleek and modern new developments couldn’t agree more.
At 235 Grand, a 46-story luxury rental building in downtown Jersey City, for example, residents enjoy sweeping views of Manhattan, New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty from the building’s 537-foot-high vista. Developed by Ironstate Development Co. and KRE Group, two prominent development companies that have helped transform the Jersey City landscape with iconic residential properties, the building’s HLW-designed tower, with its modern glass façade, is a significant architectural contribution to the Jersey City skyline. Inside, the building’s 549 studio- to two-bedroom homes feature light-filled living spaces with upscale finishes (including Bianco quartz countertops, herringbone mosaic backsplashes, stainless steel Whirlpool appliances, Carrara marble and Kohler fixtures), contemporary conveniences and dramatic views. Designed for entertainment, work and leisure, other building amenities include a 24-hour attended lobby, state-of-the-art fitness center, barre/yoga studio and a landscaped roof terrace with a swimming pool, movie screen, fire pit, barbecues, showers and WiFi…