Something special is happening in an office building in downtown Jersey City. The Serendipity Loft, located at 121 Newark Avenue, 3rd floor, is a new multi-use space created for music, performance, and healing. It was designed with acoustics in mind, and the space is meant to be a place for gathering. The Hoboken Girl took a look around and spoke with the founder of the space to learn more about its mission. Read on for more about this unique space, Serendipity Loft, in Jersey City.
Behind the Scenes
Serendipity Loft is located at 121 Newark Avenue, 3rd floor and it opened in October 2022. Dominic Barzel is the manager of the space. He describes it as the third and final arm of the work he’s been doing to create a collective. “There is also a crystal shop in Jersey City and a retreat center in rural Pennsylvania,” he said. “Everything here is acoustically designed. The wood we used was specifically chosen for its acoustic properties. This is a space for sound healing and music, because music itself is healing.” Dominic has two partners that help him run the collective. Chad “Bo” Messier runs the retreat center, and Letitia Gontijo runs the crystal shop.
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Dominic said that he got into healing work after over 20 years of working in commercial real estate and construction. “I knew I needed a change. I opened the crystal shop because I wanted to be around that energy,” he said. “I wanted to immerse myself in it and find myself in a better space.” The goal of the collective is to introduce the gifts of the self and energy to the rest of the world, Dominic said. “I’m a student. My mission is to provide accessible space to expand the collective. Through music, we get people in here who might not be in touch with spirituality, but here they can get in touch with it. The space is very calming, and it might open people to learning more.”
The Loft’s schedule is available via its Instagram page, and every week there are over a dozen events and classes. “There’s no membership requirement,” Dominic said. “You can walk in off the street and try out any of the classes.” Dominic coordinates with local performers, teachers, and healers through social media, so there is always a lot of variety from week to week. “We try to gear everything around music and the arts,” he said. A sample of offerings from a recent week included: Zumba, guided meditation, ecstatic dance, comedy, and live music. Tuesday nights are Comedy Nights, Wednesday Nights are Live Music, and Friday nights are open rehearsals. Saturday nights are a yoga ‘plus’ type activity like yoga and painting.
For those who may be new to sound healing or some of the other offerings, Dominic says that the Loft is a good place to try new things. “It’s a shared space, it’s a very safe space,” he said.
The space is available for rent, and Dominic says that it’s an ideal space for anyone who wants a private space for something music, dance, or art related. “We’re trying to keep it focused on the idea that music is healing, art is healing,” he said. The in-house sound system has Sony speakers and a Sony AP system. “People can plug into the system, or use a microphone,” he said. “The room itself sounds fantastic.”
About the Space
The contrast between the cozy, inviting space and the building it’s in couldn’t be more stark. Serendipity Loft is on the third floor of an office building on the bustling Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza. Guests are cued to the space’s aesthetic by the burnished wood that lines the hallway into the Loft. The burnished wood covers nearly all of the walls, giving the space a cabin vibe. Interspersed among the pieces of wood are hand-written passages of The Tao. “The carpenter and his wife were studying The Tao when they were working on this,” Dominic said. “She wrote some of her favorite passages on the wood and it adds so much to the space.”
The loft itself is serene and welcoming even when empty. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook Newark Avenue and let in incredible light. Soft lights give the wood a glow, and oversized crystals add color and texture.
Walls that aren’t covered with the burnished wood have exposed brick. At just under 800 square feet, the space makes for a nicely sized yoga studio or an intimate performance space. There is a small meditation room just off the main space with floor cushions for guests. Oversized houseplants add texture and color to the space. Since the planters are on wheels, they can be moved to accommodate different setups in the room.
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Dominic said that while the sound system isn’t terribly huge, the size and dynamics of the space make it a great fit. “Even the sound engineers said that the space is a musical instrument itself. It becomes another player in the band,” he said.
