PARK AND GARDEN
Allison and Allen Bari, owners of the Hudson Table culinary studio, moved to Park and Garden in October of last year because it had everything they were looking for in an urban rental. “It was the location, the New York City views, and the amenities of the building,” Allen says. “Not many rentals have a pool.”
I can certainly attest to the views and the amenities. As soon as you walk in, you know you’re in a luxury building. The lobby is modern, light, and spacious with cathedral ceilings, and artsy décor.
When you get inside the Bari’s apartment, you’re greeted with panoramic views on three sides of the unit. You can see the Empire State Building, World Trade Center, and iconic Hoboken cityscapes.
Allen is also partial to Bijou buildings. “Hudson Table is in a Bijou building, Edge Lofts,” he says. “As soon as this building went up, I kept up with the buildout of the apartment.”
The property’s LEED designation was also a factor. “It’s environmentally friendly,” Allen says. “My electric bill is probably one-third to one-fifth of what it had been in other buildings.”
Allen has lived in Hoboken for almost 10 years, and Allison for five. Between the two of them, they’d lived in about nine different apartments before this one.
The ninth-floor apartment has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. “It’s a corner unit with views of the Empire State Building, the Freedom Tower, and all of downtown Hoboken,” Allen says. “It’s pretty amazing.”
It’s an open plan with no separate dining room. Given the couple’s culinary career, the kitchen is key. “It’s important to us,” Allen says. “We try to cook two nights a week.”
When I took a tour of their space, they’d been living there for only about five months, so they weren’t completely finished decorating.
“It’s contemporary,” Allen says. “We have photography on the walls.”
The allure of the apartment isn’t just about the nuts and bolts.
“There are a lot of intangibles,” Allen says. “It’s comfortable. We love the fact that the doormen and women are there for most of the day and night. The staff is really great. They’re pleasant and know us. We see the building managers every day. If anything goes wrong, they’re there to take care of it.”
The couple also likes the locale.
“It’s just a really nice area, kind of a dead end,” Allen says. “It’s a quiet cobblestone street that’s blocked off when there’s a farmer’s market.”
Allison and Allen take full advantage of Hoboken living. They walk their dog on the waterfront and are looking forward to going to Pier 13 when it opens in the warm weather. They also frequent Bin 14, the Madison, Pilsner Haus & Biergarten, La Isla, Los Olas, and Sting Ray Lounge “for good seafood and cocktails,” Allen says.
I forgot to mention another important member of the family, Lou, the dog. As you can see from Victor’s pictures, taken on a rainy spring morning, he also loves his new digs—07030.