Why Weehawken is much more expensive than Union city?
Real Estate Agent · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2014 · 218 posts · 50 votes
I am wondering if anyone familiar with both Weehawken NJ and Union City NJ have thoughts on why prices in Weehawken is around $200k more than Union City prices. The homes in Weehawken near the water with NYC views are understandable. i know the schools in Weehawken are better. Is there anything else i am missing?
I am a realtor in that area and own an investment property in Union City. The schools in Weehawken are better, and that is a factor. But it is more then that - Union City is a mess. Its over-populated, and as commendable as it is that the city works to save low-income housing they make it extremely difficult for builders and developers to build up and improve existing homes. By making it difficult for people to build/rehab they prevent real growth and development for the town. I was in the construction office the other and watched a man finally resort to screaming that it has been 2 years and he hasn't been able to get finished because of the city - and I know this is true. I watched them brush him off, refusing to allow him to schedule a meeting with the head of the construction office. I have personally waited 6 hours for an inspector to show up, and had them cancel or change appointments on me without telling me. I have been a property owner there for 12 years - and they prefer to cater to the renters then the owners, and make growth impossible. Its sad that I have to say these things, but its the truth and the opportunity for the city to become something greater and match the growth Jersey City is having is hindered by the their policy. I inquired about adding 1 floor to my 3 story (basement+2) building. The whole rest of the block with the exception of 3 other houses are 4-5 stories. I was told that adding any floor would require going in front of zoning and add 6 months to the process. SIX MONTHS! My neighbor added that 4th floor 15 years ago, the whole block is 4-5 stories - in other towns this would not be necessary. Submit plans, but adding a floor to a rowhouse when THE WHOLE REST OF THE STREET already is built higher is insanity. In Hoboken, JC and Weehawken you would not need to go in front of zoning and add 6 months for the addition of a floor if it already exist on the block. The best thing about the town is the Mayor- he seems to really care about the people, and he gives out his cell phone number. He personally calls people back. If only the building department were as caring as the mayor. The taxes are also high compared to the property values, and thats because of the over-population and gazillion children squeezed into tiny apartments there.
@Diana Tian
If you are comparing the average house price between Union City and Weehauken, Weehauken commands a higher price for the reasons that you mention: Better school district, most of Weehauken front the Hudson river with some new developments with great amenities and expensive properties with stunning views of the NYC. But also the commute to NYC is better: more options such as the Ferry, quicker bus rides, The Hudson-bergen Light Rail, etc.
People will also pay a higher price to live in Weehauken than Union City because it is perceived as a better city.
That zip code commands a premium.
Thank you for sharing your perspective! it is interesting to see the price differences of houses on palisade ave or park ave. They are on quite similar but one side is union city, the other side is weehauken.
Hi @Diana Tian, as @Patrice Penda has mentioned, some of the obvious, such as better schools, new developments will play a role in the prices of the neighborhood. The underlining factor that determines a neighborhood's price is demand and sales (comps), which happens over a longer period of time.
As more people are willing to buy into an area, and more investors force appreciates the properties value by rehabbing and improving, this raises the overall value of other homes. This process repeats, more commercial investors see the trend, also buys into it, etc., which in turns makes the neighborhoods even better.
And then a Starbucks opens up and the neighborhood is set.. lol
Hi Diana,
I live in Union City, very close to the Weehawken border.
Union City is a lot denser in terms of population. Also, in my opinion, the properties in Weehawken are higher quality, and are better maintained. Finally, it is more convenient to get to NYC from Weehawken; many bus lines run on JFK Blvd East. The eastern side of Union City actually benefits from that, and property costs in Union City tend to decrease the further west you go.
@Michael Lee, this area is in a dire need of a Starbucks, or any decent coffee shop, really!
I am a realtor in that area and own an investment property in Union City. The schools in Weehawken are better, and that is a factor. But it is more then that - Union City is a mess. Its over-populated, and as commendable as it is that the city works to save low-income housing they make it extremely difficult for builders and developers to build up and improve existing homes. By making it difficult for people to build/rehab they prevent real growth and development for the town. I was in the construction office the other and watched a man finally resort to screaming that it has been 2 years and he hasn't been able to get finished because of the city - and I know this is true. I watched them brush him off, refusing to allow him to schedule a meeting with the head of the construction office. I have personally waited 6 hours for an inspector to show up, and had them cancel or change appointments on me without telling me. I have been a property owner there for 12 years - and they prefer to cater to the renters then the owners, and make growth impossible. Its sad that I have to say these things, but its the truth and the opportunity for the city to become something greater and match the growth Jersey City is having is hindered by the their policy. I inquired about adding 1 floor to my 3 story (basement+2) building. The whole rest of the block with the exception of 3 other houses are 4-5 stories. I was told that adding any floor would require going in front of zoning and add 6 months to the process. SIX MONTHS! My neighbor added that 4th floor 15 years ago, the whole block is 4-5 stories - in other towns this would not be necessary. Submit plans, but adding a floor to a rowhouse when THE WHOLE REST OF THE STREET already is built higher is insanity. In Hoboken, JC and Weehawken you would not need to go in front of zoning and add 6 months for the addition of a floor if it already exist on the block. The best thing about the town is the Mayor- he seems to really care about the people, and he gives out his cell phone number. He personally calls people back. If only the building department were as caring as the mayor. The taxes are also high compared to the property values, and thats because of the over-population and gazillion children squeezed into tiny apartments there.
I am happy to get some thoughts from locals. @Tania Patch, I can't agree with you more on the union city building department. that scares a lot of investors away from union city. @Vlad S. unit city border is a great area for investment. it could be more affordable and also get the benefits of the school zone. Woodrow Wilson Elementary School is ranked really high, score 10, and top 10 in New Jersey . the school district covers Weehawken and part of union city.
Thank you all for your inputs here.
Among all these areas - Union City/ North Bergen/West New York/ Guttenberg- where is the best place to invest now (2-4 family) and gain property appreciation in the next 5 years ?
I like them all but a little less interests in north bergen. I think union city is catching up with West New York/ Guttenberg. but West New York/ Guttenberg are very solid .
Union City - best location and prices; but the building department is very hard to work with. it is hard to get anything done. it has the highest tax...even though they all have very high taxes;
North Bergen - it is furthest away from the city. the area west to union city/jersey city is less expensive but lower quality of houses. The area north to Guttenberg is really nice but priced higher as well compared to other three cities. it has a lot of 1 - 2 families houses. it is great for a large families.
West New York/ Guttenberg - they are small - maybe too small for a lot of investors to explore. the location is good and also next to Hudson River. the building department is more friendly. I haven't seen a big growth as in union city.
@Liz C. Here is how to initiate an appeal of property taxes in Union City: http://www.njappealonline.com/prodappealonline/hom...
This is directly off of the city's website (http://www.ucnj.com/Departments/tax/).
Hope this helps.
@Vlad S. thanks for sharing. I have been debating if I should do it myself or hire a lawyer.
Vlad S. Thank you so much , by the way which website is the one you can find out your neighbors tax.
I know all apartment are tax half of my price , my mortgage broke told me once . But didn’t k ow which one to look for it
Thanks
Here's a link that may help:
Is the current local government in Union City keeping the city the way it is with the building department the way it is? I am a Union City resident and own two homes in the city. I actually like UC and feel that the mayor has done some good things, but it may seem that he doesnt want to lose that base of support he has there by keeping new residents out.
Weehawken is definitely considered the nicer town and also its demographic is less homogeneous compared to Union City. Commute to NYC is on average slightly briefer for Weehawken compared to Union City, although this would depend on the particular spot you are in.
The waterfront newer construction is in its own league and so are Boulevard East properties with NYC views (even if the latter may be older buildings). The only apples-to-apples comparison between the two towns would be the area up the cliff inland and excluding Boulevard East. This area is greener and prettier in Weehawken compared to Union City and, well, it belongs to a trendier zip code.
From an investor perspective, Weehawken is not particularly more 'investor-friendly' then Union City, nor it is booming with new construction. Its rent control and vacation rental ordinances seem even stricter than Union City. In my mind, broadly speaking Weehawken has stronger appreciation potential than Union City, where its appreciation would come from being an already established nice area with great proximity to the city. More so than investor-driven appreciation/new development.
Union city , at least nice areas along palisade Ave , will catch up. Now is good time to invest.
1. Union City is landlocked. Weehawken isn't. This goes to what was mentioned before about bordering the river.
2. Weehawken, much like Hoboken and Jersey City, is a transit hub. Union City isn’t. Union City has precisely one stop on the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and it’s on 48th Street, which ironically, its northern border with West New York. This is true of any town that borders the river, so this is an extension of #1, but it bears mentioning as its own point, because these things tend to be interconnected.
3. Union City is poor. People here simply do not like spending money. To give you an idea of this, consider, as an example, the art and music festivals that Hoboken puts on, compared with those Union City has done. The ones that Hoboken does are at least four or five blocks long, attract hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, and those people SPEND MONEY at the eateries and tents that sell stuff along the way. Demand to get a tent spot requires you to spend several hundred dollars, with higher prices on premium spots like corners. By contrast, when Union City used to have its Art & Music Festival, they put it on in Ellsworth Park, which takes up one block. There were a few eateries, rides for the kids, and that’s it. There were very few people selling art, despite the fact that the space was free. Hell, for the first few years they even supplied us with the tables and chairs. I tried for at least three years in a row to set up a table for my artwork, and to do live portraiture and caricature, and zero customers. Some people would take my card, but never follow-up. One year my best friend, whose extremely talented, did it with me, and still, we got nothing.
A couple of people above said it’s over populated or densely populated. In fact, Union City is THE MOST DENSELY populated incorporated city in the United States, according to the U.S. Census, has been for decades. Why this is, I don’t know. Is it because it has historically attracted a lot of undocumented immigrants? Is it the affordable housing? Again, I don’t know. Mayor Stack has done an excellent job making do with what we have, obtaining federal funds regardless of whether the governor has a “D” or “R” after his name, and as a result, many parks, libraries, schools and community centers have been built or refurbished, including a state of the art high school and elementary school, numerous repaved sidewalks with trees, etc. And a couple of luxury-high-rises have even been built. But it’s not gentrified like our neighbors have, and people here do not like to spend money.