The Beacon

Been here for about 6 months. I love the place. The shuttle is great. The management is alright.
I almost gave up on this place after reading the reviews online but after talking to someone who lived here decided to give it a try and I don’t regret my decision.

Pros: the view, amenities, new apartments, friendly staff, 24 hour gym, a community.
Cons: the distance to the PATH and lack of temporary parking for guests.
Now the surrounding area is sketchy, I’ll be the first to admit it but if walking around your neighborhood and local stores and restaurants is your thing don’t lease here. There is nothing around to even walk to. However, I never feel unsafe within the complex. Gated community, I’ve never seen any trespassers and a 5 minute shuttle ride to Grove and Exchange place. The shuttle for the most part is always on time. They have recently increased frequency and weekend hours. However, it is annoying to rely on the shuttle to have to do everything! That is the ONLY reason I don’t want to renew my lease. My work hours are unpredictable and I hate having to time my train timing with the shuttle timing at late nights so I don’t have to wait.
The management and staff is exceptional. All my maintenance requests have been met and successfully completed within 24 hours if not sooner. The staff is super friendly; always have a smile on their face.
No termites or bugs.
Have I mentioned the VIEW?
It’s annoying to pay for monthly parking if you have a car but that’s standard jersey city. It’s even more annoying that guests have to either park their car in the «hood» or pay for Valet. But in all honestly, $ 14 for up to 24 hours is NOT BAD!
The beacon is honestly a GREAT place to lease if your work hours are set, you enjoy clean and new amenities and buildings and you like the company of friendly staff and neighbors.
Oh also have I mentioned the VIEW?

This place gets 1 star but let me very clear, the Beacon is a beautifully designed community. I think I am not alone when I say that many people actually like the community on it’s own– by community I mean neighbors, outdoor space, and some apartments. The diversity is upstanding. However the BEHAVIOR of Some of the Leasing Staff after you are a resident is DISGUSTING. Utterly and completely Disrespectful and Disgusting. They seem to be Very confused about what their job is– Clearly they are being taught that their primary role is to get people to sign, however, Retaining those same people is not a priority. There is something repelling about spending your hard earned cash in a place where the management shows such condescending, unappreciative, disinterest and disrespect for the residents. That’s not Luxury.
To Show a gorgeous cake in a shop window to a prospective customer and then after the person pays, give them a stale Twinkie while showing them your _​_​_​ (insert curse word) is misleading and border line — a scam.
Don’t sell people service when you have no intentions of upholding it.
Don’t sell concierge when you are going to take it away. That’s not luxury.
Stop– STOP selling a pool when you Know that pool belongs to the Condo owners which you are not affiliated with.
Don’t sell Over-​priced parking at almost $ 300/​mth to then take no effort in caring for the resident’s vehicle.
Don’t sell shuttles, when you are too cheap to buy more shuttles to accommodate your ever growing community.
Don’t sell community, when once you get your commission you don’t care what happens to the resident.
FYI– this is not a Frat house/​Dorm room with college students you are managing:
— It’s grown adults, working High Pressure– demanding jobs who CAN take their lovely paycheck somewhere else.
–It’s families who want to give their kids a stable environment to live in and not constantly move because of your indifferent and crude behavior.
I would like to say though that there Are some leasing staff that are genuinely professional and friendly and so is one of the property managers but the culture needs to be improved. The maintenance staff is friendly and professional but understaffed. The concierge (where available) are always polite and friendly.

Let me start by saying this place is the worst place to live. They have no security what so ever. Peoples cars are broken into if parked on the streets surrounding the beacon. The valet service that they offer is horrible and over priced. The manager of the valet Johnson was very rude and unprofessional. If you do not have a parking permit with the beacon or if you have a guest you have to use there valet service. They like to tow vehicles and put stickers that do not come off on vehicles parked inside the beacon. I’ve saw them damage a customers vehicle and try to cover it up so they didn’t have to pay for damages.

Pros
1. Unbeatable view of NYC.
2. The apartments are clean with updated appliances.
3. Friendly neighbors.
4. You can find outdoor parking. (stop being lazy and walk)
Cons
1. Management is unresponsive to fixing the elevators. The apartment has 18 floors and usually only one working elevator.
2. Management must be reminded constantly about home repairs. You have to really nag people.
3. They charge a high price and they used to have a doorman, but they dissolved the position.
4. They claim to be luxury and they had a Jacuzzi, which worked and it has not been fixed in months. They are ducking my claim to fix it.

Very inefficient management.
When i joined in February, there was a concierge in my building. In a couple of months it was removed and i’ve lost quite a few packages. Moreoever food deliveries have become painful since there is no one to buzz the guy in now or collect the delivery on my behalf. When i signed the lease i was paying for the concierge!
Amenities :
Swimming Pool and hot tubs are in a mess and barely functional to say the least.
Gym is well maintained and the only saving grace.
Shuttle: guests are now allowed to travel ONLY if they are on the guest list. To get them on this list one has to call up Propark two hours in advance which is annoying. Also i have family visiting for a couple of weeks in a year and the situation only gets worse for them. Also shuttles are super crowded.
Maintenance is okay. I was charged for «breaking an item» that was broken when we moved in. Management was pretty rude .
Electricity bills for PSEG are generated not off a metered reading but on a ball-​park basis.
Beacon management is having legal issues with the builder and hence they are cutting costs.

Pros: New apartments, great views, nice common areas, with an über/​cab it easy & quick to get to from public transit, cheap compared to downtown JC.
Cons: Incompetent management that pretty much never replies to emails, constant elevator maintenance, not a very lively neighborhood and insufficient shuttle service during off-​hours and it is just a bit too unsafe for walking at night, half-​assed concierge service if you’re not in the main building, ongoing feuds with condo owners, they rip you off when you move out, expensive parking.

If you are considering living here, there are a few things to consider:
–the view is absolutely amazing and pretty much never gets old. After a long day, it can make things just a wee bit better.
–the shuttle is almost ALWAYS on schedule. If people say it’s not, it’s probably poor timing on their part. And with the printed/​digital schedules and the shuttle tracker app getting around was pretty easy.
–amenities are actually pretty great. I love the 24 hour gym.
–the communication could be better for sure. This was clear since before I moved in and it continued until I moved out. So getting important things done was a little tedious especially if you, oh let’s say, HAVE A JOB and the leasing office and maintenance guys aren’t there when you are. Messages left with the concierge seemed to get lost in the abyss so you had to be very persistent.
–when toilets flush from floors above you, you’ll hear this noise that sounds like rocks falling in the walls. Disturbing and seemingly loud at first, but you get used to it.
–I’m a stickler for clean floors and with the two labs across the hall and my doormat that sheds I was constantly sweeping but noticed the hallways were rarely swept or mopped. Me didn’t like that. Me didn’t like that at all.
–you will have a great GrubHub/​Seamless selection. This is key. Not a lot around the complex for a quick corner store run. There are some places but again I’m kinda big on clean space especially if I’m getting food from there.
–there is not temporary parking for your friends who visit except for valet.
–I NEVER had to worry about bugs. A few flies or gnats if I left my window open but that’s it.
–I felt like I was nickeled and dimed at times. I had a mattress removed on a Wednesday and I was very aware of the fee. I receive an email Thursday saying that if I didn’t pay it by Friday (the next day) I would accrue a late fees.
–on that note, despite how often you may say hello and as friendly as the leasing staff may seem, if anything went wrong or if you needed their services, I hated how I was treated. I was actually told after a certain incident «that’s not our fault» then I was heftily billed. There’s a huge lack of human touch from the leasing office once you move in. Nothing wrong with that, I guess, but it’s nice to know that you are dealing with good people especially when you are paying lots of money for pseudo luxury…
So if your life is absolutely perfect and things never go wrong, this is the perfect place for you. For the rest of you heathens, it’s a great place to live, you just have to over communicate and stand up for yourself when you’re pushed because, chances are you will get pushed. Sadly I never heard a success story of a tenant who pushed back and won :0(Overall my experience was worth it and my leaving has nothing to do with things that did or did not happen. Definitely worth checking out and seeing for yourself.

I am posting an update to my review of the Beacon. Since that review was written, a lot has happened with the Beacon that has significantly changed our lifestyle and our opinion of the Beacon. The biggest thing that happened is that the general manager left. She was great, listened to the concerns of the residents, and always responded to e-​mails/​phone calls. Since she left, we have been left with a management team that is questionable at best. It takes multiple e-​mails/​phone calls to get a response (IF you get a response), and most times their response is not sufficient. We signed our lease with the Beacon with the knowledge that we would have a 24 hour concierge that would ensure our packages were safely delivered and would ensure that deliveries would gain access to our apartment seamlessly. Being that the Beacon is in the middle of a really bad neighborhood (where we have witnessed crimes looking out our very own windows), having a concierge gave us an extra sense of safety. Without our consent, the Beacon removed our concierge with less than a day’s notice. Our packages are supposed to be delivered to lockers now instead of being checked in and kept with the concierge, but instead they are left on the hallway floor for anybody to take. I had a package delivery that got left on the floor and stolen — the Beacon did nothing to help me with this problem and when I brought it up to the management they ignored my request for help or an explanation as to why the packages are just left on the floor for anyone to take. Our front door is locked and any time we order a food delivery we have to come all the way downstairs to let them in because the Beacon’s system does not work and we are not able to buzz them in. We have contacted the Beacon management about the packages left out in the open and the broken front door system a couple of times and they never bothered to even respond to our concerns. Also, they are trying to sell new residents on this indoor pool/​spa and rooftop deck —- do not let this sell you, the pool/​spa and rooftop has been closed for almost a year (with no notice or explanation) and will most likely not open again in the foreseeable future. There is constant dispute with the condo company that we share our space with, Rialto. Although the Beacon has a mutual agreement to share amenities with Rialto, the Rialto board will constantly close things down so that the Beacon residents cannot share the space. The Beacon does nothing to help its residents get these amenities back, yet they still charge the Beacon residents full price to use these amenities.
There are better places in Jersey City to rent for the price, I highly recommend you weigh the pros and cons heavily before considering The Beacon.

I felt compelled to write on here because of all of these extremely negative reviews.
My husband and I moved in June 2014 and renewed our lease for another year recently. We really enjoy living here and have not had our share of negative experiences that people are posting about here. Perhaps this will change in the future (and which I will consequently update my review if my experience changes), I can only rely on our first-​hand accounts of everything at the Beacon.
For those complaining about the shuttle… I can only suggest that you time your departure time a little better? These shuttles leave like clockwork in the morning during rush hour, and my husband and I try to leave least 5 minutes before the scheduled departure so that we are among the first to board. We only end up standing when we leave late from our apartment, which is our own fault. Also, if you catch a shuttle before 8:00 AM, there is considerably more space. We can see that the Beacon is trying to keep up with the growing number of residents, purchasing that big van and also renting unmarked vans whenever a shuttle is out of commission.
The management and leasing office has been very responsive and helpful, and our only negative experience was when we repeatedly requested the hose to be turned on in the garden but they still have not done so.
We haven’t experienced too many problems with our appliances and/​or heating, it’s pretty much pay as you go so if you need a lot of heat or AC, you’ll have to pay the price. We open our windows to cool down our apartment and we haven’t had to turn on the AC yet (already the end of June).
We really like living here and are really sorry to hear that others have been experiencing issues. When the time comes, we hope to leave the Beacon with the same great memories we had while living here. But if they turn sour, I will definitely update and join the bandwagon.

This is seriously the worst «luxury» building in Jersey City. Perhaps even the Tri-​State area!!! They’ve taken away almost ALL of the amenities (Valet Parking, Concierge) The hot tub has been out of service for over 6 months, the pool has been under construction for over 1 year and the sundeck/​fire pit is closed… with no reason listed. How disgusting! The shuttles are overcrowded and you’re no longer allowed to schedule your maintenance because of the «growing size of the community». How about hire more staff to support the growing community? Aside from that, the sundeck was equipped with two gas grills and cabanas and tables and chairs and it was tucked away, quiet and enjoyable. Since the sundeck is now closed, they have installed 4 tacky cheap grills right at the shuttle hub where cars are entering with loud music, no prep space for the food you cook, no ambiance at all. I seriously hate it here and cannot wait to get out of this place! They need to lower their prices drastically! this is not a luxury community at all! when you bring your concerns to the leasing office, all they do is give false hope and make it seem like the issues aren’t even that big a deal. Tenants are paying $ 600+ annually on the amenities alone and they don’t even work! What a disgrace!
Seriously, do yourself a favor and find someplace else to live. Trust me, it is not worth the money!

Unhappy. Hot tubs have been out of action for over 6 months now. We have now been informed the rental company has no control over the facilities as it’s in the section of the facility that is owned condos and it’s their responsibility. This wasn’t mentioned at any stage until recently. If we’d known, we wouldn’t have rented.
Removed the concierge in our building and replaced with, it seems, packages just being left out in the open. I saw 9 Amazon packages left in an open room. Could’ve easily been stolen and Amazon packages can be worth hundreds.
Contract states they can remove any amenities at any time without warning and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Don’t rent here unless you’re a huge fan of amenities being removed, your packages being left in the open and being told they don’t care when you raise these issues.

I moved here in March and so far I’ve loved it here for the most part. At first I was pretty hesitant due to the the other negative reviews and I’ll admit that things did not start out perfectly. My agent was helpful in the end but there was a time when the leasing office was very slow to respond and appointments were missed, and the original apartment I was promised was suddenly taken off the market when the resident decided to renew (if there’s a required 60 day notice for renewal, why was it on the market in the first place?) However, I eventually went with an identical apartment that was one floor down and cheaper, and I love it.
Moving in was easy and my agent was really helpful even with the «pre-​existing conditions» forms (he noted a lot of details I would’ve missed myself). I don’t know how painful it is with security deposits upon move-​out, but I’ll update this review once my term is up. The apartment also has a community portal that is fantastic and really useful for buying/​selling furniture, arranging events, finding sitters and dog walkers, etc. It also makes putting in service requests and front desk instructions (permitted guests/​key access) really convenient.
The amenities are great – I love the gym and the Great Lawn which has a dog park and playground. I’ve met a lot of nice, friendly neighbors just taking my dog to the dog run. They also installed grills in the park which was a nice touch. I also had a service request recently and they were very prompt about coming in and fixing things. However, the spas in the condos for Mercury/​Orpheum are down, and we were a little pissed when they consolidated the concierges into one «Community Concierge» at the Paramount (meaning Mercury/​Orpheum no longer have their own concierges), but the «Package Concierge» lockers and the Community Concierge still suffice. Shuttles run on time for the most part but can run into some traffic in the morning (so commute to Grove street can take anywhere from the allotted 10 minutes to double at 20).

Update: It’s been a Year, and I’m still dealing with a (small) issue. But, I must say… The Beacon is my Home, and I look forward to coming home from the road! I’m very comfortable in my place, and haven’t had any major problems. The staff has be really good at getting information out to the tenants. Not to mention, the sense of community that has been generated by all the events put on by the Leasing Crew. From, big time Boxing and Game parties, to the Gourmet Vendor Trucks parked right on the property on different days. I’m glad to see, the staff is thinking outside the box. It really makes a difference!!! Sometimes, little things occur that we’d like to have resolved, but… Patience and understanding helps create just the right balance, for it to feel like Home!

Stay away from here. Took away most of the amenities they sell you on. Pool is a disaster and hot tub has been out of services for 6 months. Promised construction completed soon. Still not done. They took away concierge as well as valet parking. Shuttle service is God awful. Will NOT be renewing my lease here. Overpriced sh|T hole.

We love the Beacon. In fact, we just renewed our lease! I recommend this place to lots of people.
The apartments are great. We have love the layout and the space. On top of that, the leasing office is exceptional! They have been extremely helpful every step of the way (even when I was locked out of my apartment — with our 4 month old). They help make this place feel like home.
I also LOVE the yoga classes. They just brought in a new instructor who is phenomenal! I hate when I have to miss class. We also use the gym regularly and love the space!
As someone who travels into NYC 5 days a week, the location and shuttle service couldn’t be easier to use. Shuttles come every 10 minutes during busy times taking me straight to the path.
We also have a car and found the cost of parking to be very reasonable. Yes, you have to pay for guest parking (which is valet parking for $ 5 and hr!), unless they park on the street — which is aways an option.
We are BIG BIG fans!

I signed up an Unilocal account because of Beacon’s leasing office. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!
They are PUNISHING residents by putting extremely powerful sticky irremovable parking notice on any residents/​guests’ cars parked in the leasing office parking only area on SATURDAY night…
There is NO FREE/​TEMPORARY guest parking in beacon. They charged $ 5/​hour for any guest parking. I parked my new car in the leasing office parking area on SATURDAY NIGHT. The notice was put on at 11:50 pm and I left at 12:00 am. Then, I spent the whole weekends getting rid of this notice, tried most of recommended methods found online, ended up with bunch of SCRATCH on my car!!! I have to replace the whole tinted window. I finally realized how much they are hating us for taking office’s parking spots at 11:50 pm on Saturday.
I talked with their leasing office manger this morning and she thought it’s our fault for parking at a wrong place and we should be thankful for not having our car towed. As for the unbelievably sticky sticker, she thought we should ask for their advice before we did it by ourselves — it’s our second fault. No apologies from her and keep teaching us to obey the policy. Thank you again…
Based on her incredibly intelligent and logic thinking, I just walked out of the office and typed this long, tedious story.
After talking with her, I was totally impressed by her smart, intelligent and quick-​witted response. I cannot come up with any reason to blame a such nice and thoughtful person who is always caring about people living here.
In the end, I think I owe Beacon leasing office an apology. I shouldn’t park my car in your office only area and you guys would come to work at 11:50 pm on SATURDAY.
Please accept my greatest honor to these hard-​working guys!!!

I have been a resident at the Beacon for 1 year. Outstanding place. They take great pride in not only maintaining the building, but to also provide activities for the residents to socialize. I love the common areas where we routinely gather to watch football games. The wine and cheese parties really help residents to build new friendships. I love the resident portal they use. helps me feel connected to the community.
Apartments are unique and different. I love my studio, have opted to move to a 1 bedroom when i renew my lease next month.
Highly Highly recommended.

I have no heat during the coldest months! This isn’t the first time this has happened either! The windows are not secured property and cold breeze comes from all windows! Every room is not equipped with heat. Since this place was «grandfathered» in, they can’t do anything about it! Not to mention I have mice and cockroaches… and I am a clean person! I had to get inspectors from jersey city here just to make things happen! Please run away as fast as you can from this place. Don’t let the amenities sell you! This place isn’t luxury, it is ghetto fabulous!

The Beacon is a nice complex with beautiful apartments and decent amenities, I can admit that. You are lured in with their cheap rent, shiny appliances, granite countertops, loft ceilings, and views of Lower Manhattan and NY Harbor. It almost sounds too good to be true, and not to spoil this review, it is.
The management office communicates with tenants via email, which is convenient; however, their communication is very poor. Especially this whole 60 day move-​out notice in the lease Rachel P. and Yun G. have alluded to (i had the same situation happen to me as them). You would think that if your primary communication is email, you’d be an excellent communicator and transparent — not this bunch. You’ll get charged to use the amenities, have bulk garbage items taken out ($ 100!), and get treated poorly by an unresponsive and non-​caring management team.
My recommendation is: STAY CLEAR OF THIS PLACE. I enjoyed the convenience of living in a ‘luxury’ building, but the management company made my overall experience negative. You’re better off finding an apartment in the 15 – 20 (and counting) luxury buildings in the downtown Jersey City area. Don’t be lured into this trap!