The Beacon

Classy, professional, upscale. Views are incredible. Must live here!

This place is a hell hole. Don't let the fancy finishes fool you

DON'T LET THESE FAKE, PAID FOR RATINGS FOOL YOU. THERE IS A REASON WHY THERE IS NO WRITTEN REVIEW ATTACHED TO THEM!!!
if the previous reviews don't frighten you enough, the leasing office has "lost" my rent and charged me a return fee in addition so stating they never received my payment from my bank, which bank of american confirmed they did.
this was after two months of no sleep because my neighbor illegally had dogs in her unit that barked all night, in addition to mysterious sketchy men in and out of her apartment all the time whom are loud in the hallways, no matter if its noon or 3 am.
Once the leasing staff is called out on their mis-management, you get called names and generally get NO service instead of the bare minimum faux-concerns you got previously. It's so frustrating to not be able to get out of my lease, and the only option I've been given to move is to go into a $200 more a month apartment... why would I ever agree to pay these people more money than I absolutely have to?
don't be cheap and just settle. there are so many better options in jersey city. I am counting down the days until i can escape this place.
[UPDATE] still the most god awful place ever. For the first time in 11 months, I left my keys on the UPPER EAST SIDE [1.5 hours away!!!] and was threatened to a lockout charge of $150...for what?! I have lived in doormen building my whole life, and not ONCE have I ever been CHARGED to get in. Apparently they don't trust SECURITY or the DOOR MAN to have access to keys... but they trust a HANDY MAN?! explain that to me, please. There is no courtesy, the shuttles are so crowded sometimes you have to wait for the next one, the neighbors are incredibly rowdy and inconsiderate, and the walls are paper thin. This is not luxury, this is cheap and tacky. Every single thing they do is to pinch pennies, and I cannot wait to leave this hell hole when my lease is over.

If you're in the Rialto-Capitol building, there are a lot of rules that seem to apply to some but not others. People park wherever they feel like even on someone's reserved spot. If you want to move out, it has to be done Mon-Fri 9-5p...no exceptions made, apparently only for a selected few. If you purchase a new appliance or furniture, it can't be delivered on weekends...again, that seems to not apply to a selected few. The employees in the management office are extremely rude and unprofessional, and they definitely don't go out of their way to help you in any way. Once you're in, they no longer look at you or care if you have concerns. The parking is through an outside company (ProPark), so if you have issues with that, the building management won't help...it's not their problem. And the price to park goes up every year anywhere from $25-$50...it's currently at $275/month. I hear that reserved spots in the Beacon garage is $325/month It's insane. By the way, as a Rialto-Capitol residents, you're not actually allowed to self park your car, only the Beacon residents can. And your car is parked in an old garage building where the elevators are constantly breaking down...so if you need your car on those days, GOOD LUCK!! Beacon residents, however, get to park in the brand new multi-level garage that's right next door. The two management companies, Rialto-Capital and Beacon, seem to constantly be at each other's throats and the residents always pay the price for it. The Beacon has a huge gym that the Rialto-Capital residents can't use, but the Rialto's small gym is open to everyone. Doesn't make any sense to me. So many issues, I feel all jumbled up. Can't wait to get out of this God-forsaken place!!

The saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" stands very true for the Beacon.
Please Note: This review is for The Beacon, not Rialto. Rialto is a condomium within Beacon, but it has its own separate management.

When you walk into the BEACON for the first time you will be impressed with the entrance, the manicured side walks with flowers and the great view of Manhattan from the park. The enormous space of the place attracts you to sign a lease. The leasing staff are very nice and pleasant when you are the prospective leasee in their building. When you move in the reality is quite different!

CONS:

MANAGEMENT (HORRIBLE)
One of the other reviewers mentioned that she has a bad experience with the management. I am not surprised. The management staff is a combination of inefficiency,and rude behavior. The property manager Shayna Komack is the worst to deal with. Her toxic attitude has percolated down to other staff in the leasing office. She is practically rude, unhelpful and unresponsive.I am surprised that such a big estate should do such a shoddy job of assigning such terrible people in the leasing office.
If you need to get anything done with the leasing office, be prepared to make several rounds before the job gets done.
The management changes policies very often on the ways of living within the complex, which will give you a feeling like you are in some coed hostel.

INFRASTRUCTURE (MIXED)
The apartment complex is a mix of old and new buildings. While the old buildings have more space in the apartments,there are infrastructure issues.My apartment had a leaking ceiling that only got repaired after 4 months after I made numerous complaints.
Also to avoid cold wind seeping into my apartment the repair personal did a temporary fix by using a duck tape to seal the misaligned window pane. Nothing was done after that and till to date, my window is jammed with the duck tape. I cannot open it !
The newer buildings have smaller spaces and you are actually paying more for such small spaces.

MAINTENANCE (BELOW AVERAGE)
While the repair personnel do respond to repair request within a decent amount of time, they are not able to handle any infrastructure related issues like roof leaks,etc.

CAR PARKING(TOO EXPENSIVE)
There is plenty of room for car parking for residents on a monthly basis with a whopping rate of 225/month. If guests come in, they still have to pay an hourly rate. The car services unit Propark are not very helpful.

Overall, you still may have a good experience PROVIDED nothing breaks down in your apartment or if you do not use most of the amenities. Well, if you plan not to use most of the amenities, why pay more to stay here?

PROS:
1) Very spacious complex, probably one of the most spacious in jersey city
2) Lower rental rates than downtown luxury apartments

Pros: New apartments, great views, nice common areas, with an uber/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.