The Sugar House Guide: 174 Washington Street, Paulus Hook, Jersey City

By Anthony Vetrano, Associate Broker, Hudson Agents team at Weichert, Realtors · Reviewed August 2026

The Sugar House is the oldest building in this guide and the only one that was standing during the Civil War: an 1863 sugar warehouse designed by Detlef Lienau, part of the American Sugar Refining complex on the Paulus Hook waterfront, with brick walls several feet thick, arched windows, and timber beams, converted at the turn of this century into 65 lofts one block from the Paulus Hook waterfront. Every home is different, the garage puts a parking space under most of them, and the penthouses are among the largest lofts on the Jersey City waterfront. I sold unit 4D here for $1,320,000 in 2023.

Building facts

What the Sugar House is like to live in

Thick walls, tall windows, and quiet. The building predates everything around it by more than a century, and the homes feel it: walls that hold the temperature, ceilings that make a 1,300 sq ft loft feel larger, and windows set in brick arches that frame the street or, from the upper east facing lofts, the skyline across the river. The garage under the building is the practical luxury; in Paulus Hook, where street parking is by permit, a space in the dues changes the math. The terrace and the gym are the social spaces. Residents are long term owners, downtown professionals who wanted a real loft near the ferry, and buyers who came from Manhattan or Brooklyn loft buildings and recognized the type; homes come to market a few times a year at most.

The lofts that set the price

Light and exposure first: the east facing lofts on the upper floors with the arched windows facing the river carry the premium, and a penthouse with a terrace is the top of the building. Volume second: the lofts that kept the full ceiling height and the open bays trade above the ones that were divided into more rooms. Layout third: the two bedroom lofts near 1,300 sq ft are the core product; the larger two bedrooms near 2,000 sq ft and the penthouses are their own market. Renovation last: the conversion finishes are now more than 20 years old, and a renovated kitchen and bath inside the original shell is what the premium buyer expects.

Documented sales at the Sugar House

My own closing, public record and listed on my Track Record page:

For context, the same loft, unit 4D, a 1,300 sq ft two bedroom, was back on the market in the summer of 2026 asking $1,450,000, and penthouse A, a 1,900 sq ft two bedroom, was asking $3,350,000, which is the top of the building and one of the highest loft asks in Paulus Hook.

What buyers should know

Buy the specific loft; with 65 homes and no repeating plans, the building average is meaningless. Read the conversion documents and the reserve study with care, because an 1863 structure has roof, window, masonry, and elevator cycles that a 2010 tower does not, and the good associations fund them. Confirm the parking inclusion and the lobby staffing. Confirm the tax line. Model the true monthly number with the dues, which carry the garage; on a like for like basis the Sugar House usually beats the towers on the monthly and wins outright on character.

What sellers should know

Your buyer is specific: someone who wants a real loft in a landmark building near the ferry, and who is also looking at the Paulus Hook brownstones and the district conversions. Lead with the history, the volume, and the parking, photograph the arches and the beams in daylight, and price from the building’s own closed history by floor and exposure rather than from any neighborhood average. Small buildings reward patience and punish overpricing; the right buyer for a loft here comes along a few times a year.

Quick answers about the Sugar House

Nearby buildings

Pier House (15 Warren) · Liberty View (126 Dudley) · 149 Essex · Liberty Terrace (25 Hudson) · 77 Hudson

Tools for this building

Condo carrying cost calculator · NJ seller net sheet · What HOA fees cover in a Jersey City condo · Jersey City Abatement Checker

Reviewed August 2026 by Anthony Vetrano, Associate Broker. Building details are provided as general guidance and change over time; confirm specifics for any unit with your agent and attorney.