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Running right through the middle of increasingly modern DowntownJersey City are many links to the now-trendy area’s industrial past. Built circa 1902, the Pennsylvania Railroad Harsimus Stem Embankment is a former freight railway that runs for six blocks, cutting in between the National Historic Districts of Harsimus Cove and Hamilton Park..
Directly across from the embankment, there’s a classic story of the worst house on the street becoming the best. While this convenient stretch of Downtown is just steps from leafy Hamilton Park and the booming waterfront, the historic homes along this block have been kept in various states of repair over the years. Whilst it was part of the historic district when Dixon Advisory bought the 6th Street residence a few years ago, it was boarded-up and deteriorating. With homes beautifully restored on either side, this abandoned property was causing its neighbors heating and flooding problems. After a detailed planning phase Dixon was ready to painstakingly restore the outside of the home to its original look, and on its interior creating a modern home, suitable for the residents of the 21st century.
The front façade—made up of fading yellow bricks before the transition—was totally redone, stripped down, repointed and installed with new doors, windows and cornices, with every effort made to ensure it resembled the house’s original design, as demonstrated in decades-old tax photos. The new red-brick facade matches the other homes on the street; so while completely new, it blends into the historic fabric of this block. Inside, the house had fallen into a complete state of disrepair: floors in some sections were totally collapsed, parts of staircases were missing, walls were rotted through. A complete restoration was needed, but Dixon recognized that the bones of the house were worth preserving. The goal for the interior was to craft a look somewhere in between traditional and transitional, reflecting the historic aesthetic of the exterior but adding some modern details. Exposed brick walls were preserved, cleaned up and finished with a contemporary white paint job. Dark stained white oak floors were installed throughout, along with details like beautiful crown molding—a standard in prewar homes, but a rarity for new developments.
The new five-bedroom, four and a half bathroom, single-family house also has a new layout more fit for today’s tastes. In most historic rowhouses there’s an enclosed wall that sets off the stairs from the first-floor living room, but here they put in a new header beam running through the living room, so that the wall was no longer needed for structural support. This allowed for a wide-open floor plan with exposed staircases that make the whole house feel more open and connected. In the living room, a fireplace is encased in a wall of white-painted brick, while casement openings where double doors once separated the rooms were preserved for their traditional feel. The living room leads seamlessly back to the modern kitchen, where the hardwood floors continue for a sense of flow, while stainless steel appliances and an artful tile backsplash add touches of modernity.
The kitchen intentionally includes a huge amount of fridge and storage space so that in can be the center of entertainment for the house. The kitchen leads to one of the house’s strongest features a new stained-wood deck perched above the landscaped backyard—a formerly overgrown lot now transformed into a sleek space with a central grassy knoll. Meanwhile, a brand new brick façade on the back of the house matches the front, adding to the home’s sense of continuity.
Elsewhere on the main parlor level, a powder room was added, making entertaining more desirable than in traditional old-world floor plans, which usually have the bathrooms upstairs and kitchen downstairs. The basement below the parlor floor now houses a recreation room at the front and a spacious laundry nook and a guest bedroom in the rear.
Upstairs, the bedrooms have all been outfitted with large closets and built-in shelving, the master has an en-suite marble bath equipped with a radiant heated floor, lovely white subway tile walls, individual thermostats and a mix of large soaking tubs and glass-enclosed showers. A skylight sends extra sun streaming into the top level, while all-new plumbing, electric, fully-ducted heating and cooling, and recessed lighting have been added throughout.
With such a great location, it was not surprising that a new tenant jumped at the opportunity to lease the house straight after its restoration and renovation. It’s just a few blocks from beautiful Hamilton Park and amazing bars, restaurants and coffee shops such as The Hamilton Inn, Rustique Pizza, GPs and Dame Espresso Bar as well as the massive Newport Mall complex with its over 1 million sq. ft. of quality shopping and the transport hub that has PATH trains to Manhattan and the buses and light rail to the rest of Hudson County.
Plus, 6th Street has something no other block nearby can claim: a leafy (train-free) embankment that ensures the street remains relatively quiet, adding a surprising sense of serenity to this historic enclave. Dixon is hoping its new tenants settle in for the long term to enjoy this amazing house.
View the floor plans for 6th street
