I’ve been watching Journal Square for a long time. And when a project like The Journal hits the market and leases up the way it has, I think it deserves more than a headline. Here’s what I’m actually seeing on the ground.
Let me be upfront: when a new development drops 1,723 rental apartments into a neighborhood in one shot, it gets attention. But big numbers alone don’t tell you much. What actually matters is how the market responds, and in this case, the market responded fast. The Journal reached 50 percent leased in under a year. That’s not luck. That’s demand.
The project sits at 36 Journal Square Plaza, right next to the PATH station. Two high-rise towers, a billion dollars in development, and years in the making. It’s finally here, and it’s reshaping the conversation around what it means to live in this part of Jersey City.
This Isn’t Just Another Building Going Up
I want to push back on something I hear from time to time: that new developments in Journal Square are just filling in gaps, or chasing what’s already happening on the waterfront. The Journal isn’t chasing anything. It’s setting a new standard for the neighborhood.
For years, people assumed that if you wanted luxury living in Jersey City, you had to be on the waterfront. The Journal makes a strong case that you don’t. And the renters signing leases there seem to agree.
“Demand for well-located, high-quality housing in Journal Square is real. The Journal isn’t playing catch-up. It’s helping define what this neighborhood looks like right now.” – Mike Akkus
From where I sit, this is the kind of development that lifts the whole neighborhood. More residents means more retail interest, more street-level energy, more confidence in Journal Square’s future. That matters whether you’re renting, buying, or holding property as an investment.
Location Is Still Everything, but Now the Product Matches It
Being steps from the Journal Square PATH station has always been a selling point. Getting into Manhattan is fast, the options are reliable, and for commuters that’s a non-negotiable. But for a long time, the transit access was there while the surrounding housing options weren’t quite keeping up.
That’s changed. The Journal puts serious quality right at that transit hub. The apartments have upscale finishes, real views, and floor plans that feel like actual homes rather than temporary stops. A lot of renters today aren’t looking to land somewhere short-term and move on. They want to stay put somewhere that feels right.
That combination of strong transit and a genuinely high-quality product is hard to beat, and it’s a big part of why this project has been doing so well.
The Amenities Are Hard to Ignore
About 40,000 square feet of amenity space. I’ll say that again because it’s a lot. We’re talking an NBA regulation basketball court, indoor and outdoor pools, a large fitness center, saunas, coworking space, a screening room, bowling lanes, a climbing wall, outdoor terraces, a podcast studio, and a golf simulator.
Now, some people hear that list and roll their eyes a little. I get it. But here’s the reality: renters today compare buildings closely. They’re not just looking at the rent number. They’re thinking about how they’ll spend their time, whether they can work from home comfortably, and whether the building actually adds something to their day-to-day life.
When a building can genuinely deliver on that, it shows. Leasing numbers reflect it.
What This Means If You’re Watching the Market
At The Akkus Group, we look at projects like this as signals. The Journal tells us that Journal Square has real staying power and that developers with serious money are confident enough to make long-term bets here. You don’t put a billion dollars into a neighborhood you’re uncertain about.
The addition of a 40,000-square-foot Target at the base of the project matters too. Retail follows rooftops. Better pedestrian flow and public plaza improvements change how a neighborhood actually feels to walk around in. These details accumulate, and they shift how people experience an area every single day.
For renters, Journal Square now offers more at a higher quality level than it ever has. For buyers and investors, this is another clear signal that this neighborhood is building real momentum, not hype.
I’ve been in Jersey City real estate long enough to know the difference between a neighborhood that’s trending on a list and one that’s actually changing. Journal Square is actually changing. The Journal is one of the clearest signs of that.
If you want to talk through what any of this means for your next move, whether you’re renting, buying, selling, or investing in Jersey City, reach out. This is exactly the kind of thing we love digging into.