225 Grand

This review is long overdue. I moved out two yrs ago. The other reviews are spot on. Although I wouldn’t say the place is a dump, your patience will invariably be tested for what you pay. So brace yourself. It’s basically a place where management doesn’t do anything other than take your money. They also take forever to fix stuff and their attitude is horrible. Yes, I’m talking about Amber and particularly Jean. Jean is the worst. Way too much ego and way to much bravado. Tone that crap down bro! It’s completely unnecessary.
Hurricane Sandy was the worst. Managment did nothing for their tenants. But that’s when the light bulb went off as the wife and I went looking at other apartments and discovered other property mangers brought in food, generators, water, etc. They basically tried to make a crappy situation better. Anyway, my lease was up and 225 Grand wanted to crank up my rent. My wife was smart enough to say enough is enough. Well, she had a lot more to say than that. But you get the picture.
So we bounced and moved. At least I got my full deposit back. That was a pleasant upside. So to say the least, think twice about renting from this place. If you can deal with BS, pay your rent on time, you’ll survive. That’s why I gave it only two stars. But if you want management to manage particularly when your rent pays their salaries, then don’t hold your breath. They are inept.

The staff at the leasing office is extremely rude. They make you loose your time with no reason.
Even the concierge is really unfriendly…
Definitively not the kind of place I want to live in

This building USED to be great; however, in the past 12 months it’s gone significantly down hill. The individual floors are not well maintained and tenants are allowed to continue to violate stated rules; leaving things in the hallway, clogging the trash, allowing their children to run the halls. Now let’s talk about the smell… the doors are not made to size and not well sealed, the AC/​heating unit pull odors in from other units so you are OFTEN subjected to the cooking and personal smells of your neighbors. I’ve complained many times about the horrible and offensive smells on my floor and intruding into my apartment, nothing has been done. My apartment often stinks because of my neighbors, to the point where I’ve had guests mention it.
Recently I’ve noticed a large number of people with huge suitcases picking up tickets at the front desk. I came to find out that they are renting open apartments as long term stay «hotels». Unacceptable!!! I moved into a residential building not a hotel!
The front desk staff is hit or miss; some are wonderful, helpful and friendly while others wouldn’t look up from their phones if the building was on fire.
For what they charge to live here, plus an additional ridiculous fee to park a car you can go anywhere in JC. There’s nothing at all special about this building anymore and it’s not even close to being worth the exorbitant cost.

We moved in to 225 Grand about 2 months ago and have had a great experience so far. The building is always clean and the front desk staff are always helpful. Our apartment is spacious with great views of lower Manhattan from both the living room and bedroom. We love Jersey City and our proximity to both the Paulus Hook and Grove St. neighborhoods. In addition, the building’s close proximity to the marina and waterfront allow for some great weekend walks. With a washer-​dryer and dishwasher included as well as low utility bills we couldn’t ask for much more.

Where should I begin. First off they should rename this building to 225 Grand HOTEL. The building rents out furnished apartments to random people for short term rentals, could be a day, a week, a month. And these people are granted access to the amenities. So that secure doorman building you thought you paid a premium to live in is basically a hotel where people come and go as they please. And since these people are most times on vacation, expect them to take up the majority of the chairs at the pool, everyday, all day.
Secondly, some of the tenants (not all) see no problem with letting their dog bark for hours on end or letting their children play in the hallways. Children running up and down the halls playing for hours at a time. I complained to the management office 3 times about the dog barking and NOTHING was done. I asked the mother to stop letting her children play in the hallways right in front of my door and I was basically told that she paid more than me for her apartment and therefore she can do whatever she wants. Lovely.
Thirdly, expect your apartment/​clothes/​furniture to smell like whatever your neighbors are cooking.
Last but certainly not least. The management office is an absolute JOKE. I’ve never dealt with such rude individuals in my entire life (mainly speaking about the KRE group employees). You’d never know you actually paid $ to them to live there because they treat you like garbage. The regular doormen/​women are very pleasant and know you by name. The «rotating/​floater» doormen are lucky to even glance up when you come in. Really makes you believe all those random renters I mentioned above are being ID’ed every time they enter the building.
Now for the basics. The amenities are decent. Except for the pool that has about 12 lounge chairs and only half the deck actually gets sun and is surrounded by a cement wall. No view whatsoever. Apartment size is decent. Very cookie cutter but that’s to be expected. Thin walls but again that’s what you’re going to get in these apt buildings in JC that they throw up in no time.
I lived in an applied management building prior to this and never once had an issue. Never heard (or smelled) my neighbors. Never heard a dog constantly barking. NEVER had an issue of this hoteling that’s going on here. Just do yourself a favor, and don’t rent from these clowns.

Had a really bad experience at the leasing office of this building. The leasing officer was not at all patient to me. I’ve visited most leasing office in JC these years. This is the worst experience…
We made a appointment few days ago for grove pointe, also managed by this leasing office, and was confirmed by a lady from their office. But when I visit today the leasing officer only showed me apts in this building. But refused to show me the other building and was told I need to make a new appointment!
Also he did not show me any amenity in the building. After see the apartment he gave me some document and just let me out.
This building looks new from outside but not new from inside. Maybe they will do some cleaning before rent it. To me this is a total waste of time to visit.

I moved into 225 in September. Overall I’m very pleased with the building. It’s clean and the staff is friendly & helpful (especially the concierge). The building is very quiet — I hardly ever see anyone in the halls. I feel safe living here and walking around the neighborhood. My apartment looks over Grand St, which can be a little loud with the windows open. The gym is in the building is decent and there is a common room with TV and wifi that is comfortable.

I have lived here for 2 years now and since they’ve changed management, it’s been awful. They don’t care about their tenants. They raised rent on my unit, and when I showed them the exact same floor plan for rent on craigslist for 200 dollars less, they still raised my rent. I’ve been loyal for 2 years and they’d rather get a new tenant in for less than keeping a great tenant happy.
The building is NOT clean anymore and it often stinks of trash or dog poop. You can see several dirt spots all over the corridor carpet! VERY UNHEALTHY!
Looks like I’m moving out and I recommend anyone to stay away from this place.

I moved in here 6 months back.
1. Professional Leasing Officers —
The leasing officers at 225 grand are really nice to talk to. They patiently showed us various apartments and were considerate about our budget. I would say they were good at their job and hence, impressed us to sign a two year lease with good deals.
2. No hole in pocket:
After moving in here, another benefit came in terms of electricity bill. Previously (before moving to grand), we used to pay around $ 100 dollars for utilities, which included gas, electricity, water. Our overall utility fee at grand is only for the electricity and that too never crossed $ 50 mark.
3. Nice hardwood floor.
While looking for apartments, we visited many of them. 225 Grand had one of the best hardwood floor
4. Hassle-​free shifting.
5. Quick response of maintenance calls.
I still keep it for 4 stars because of the following points:
— The carpet was not in good state when we moved in. Though after raising request, it was replaced with a new one.
— Yes, as other reviewers have mentioned… pool heating is an issue they should look into.

We are now at a loss for words — three summers have passed and the building still refuses to purchase additional lounge chairs for the pool area. Unless you’re someone who anticipates ariving at the pool at exactly 10AM, you will never ever be able to comfortably lay out on a weekend.

This review pertains to the pool only. For the second year in a row, management decides that heating the pool at the end of the season is optional. Even on beautiful days, the pool is empty because the water is too cold.

We have been living at 225 Grand for about nine months now and I have to say I truly enjoy it here. We are coming from Manhattan and the rent is very reasonable in comparison. The area is fun and lively, yet peaceful when you need a break from the New York chaos. We live in a one bedroom that is spacious for the two of us and the amenities are more than what we can ask for from a rental. The building is only a few years old so everything is fairly new. We truly did our due diligence when shopping for a home in the Hudson county area and 225 was a perfect fit for us. We reviewed the lease carefully and it was no different than any other. Our electric bill has also been reasonable depending on the season.
Having a background in design, I truly appreciate what the architects have done with the layout. The lobby is gorgeous, very welcoming, and the staff greets us everyday. The front desk takes care of all deliveries, which is a huge help in itself. In the unit we have a washer/​dryer, walk in closet, GE appliances, and Koehler fixtures. The building also offers a gym, pool, and a community space which can be reserved for hosting private events. There is also an attached parking garage, which extremely convenient for us.
The building is overall very clean. I see the cleaning crew everyday when I leave for work and they truly take care of the building. It’s unfortunately to read the issues that some of the other tenants have experienced, but we (fortunately) have not had any troubles. Our neighbors are generally quiet and courteous. I do have to mention there is a firehouse and hospital very close to the building. There are sirens that sound from time to time and I could see that being an inconvenience for families with small children. There are schools near by as well.
The Paulous Hook area, where the building is located, is beautiful. It’s quiet and just a few blocks over are many dining and shopping options, as well as the Path subway station. The convenience of traveling to New York has always been important to us. It’s a pleasure to come home everyday.

NOTE: SEE PHOTOS FOR PROOF OF DOG WASTE NOTICES IN HALLWAYS AT THIS BUILDING.
We have lived in this building for almost a year now and feel able to leave an accurate review on the building and its management.
Do not move to this building if you expect to have competent management and resolution to your issues and complaints. We pay well over $ 2k a month for our apartment but have faced the following issues:
–Neighbor’s dogs barking at all sorts of hours of the day and night. This is a very pet friendly building and as such they will are not very responsive to complaints of pets within the building. Even when you complain to management. It’s fine to have pets but not at the inconvenience of your neighbors who also pay the same amount of rent to live in a peaceful space. It would be similar if I left my child at home to scream and wail at all hours without concern for those around me.
–Dog poop being left in the hallway of our 15^th floor corridor. We had to call multiple times to have it cleaned up. What luxury building finds this acceptable?
–Treadmills in the gym are often broken. do not ever expect the TV/​controls to be operational either. What is the point of paying extra rent for a gym that doesn’t even fit your basic needs?! You complain to management to address or fix the treadmills — their way of resolving them is to leave a note on the treadmill stating the tv does not work. Thanks for stating the obvious.
–Front desk staff is variable at best — only 2 of the front desk people seem to care about their job and want to provide real customer service. The others look so unhappy or are too busy watching tv /​texting on their cell phones to notice their tenants. Way to make your tenants feel safe and secure.
I could go on but you get the idea. This is not a luxury building and you definitely do not get what you pay for here. We cannot wait to move out..