Hudson Tea: Three Distinct Model Units Speak to Different Demographics at Toll Brothers’ Hoboken Condo

By Erika Schnitzer, Associate EditorFor a slide show of this project see “Hudson Tea: Three Distinct Model Units.”Originally the Lipton Tea headquarters, Hudson Tea in Hoboken, NJ boasts 13-ft. ceilings with oversized picture windows, hardwood floors, marble bathrooms, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. “The ceiling height is not something that exists in many places at all on the [New] Jersey side,” notes Ben Jogodnik, division senior vice president, Toll Brothers City Living. That, coupled with the waterfront views of Manhattan and the desirability of redeveloped Hoboken, he believes, provides “something that’s really unparalleled.”“It [also] helps dramatically when you spend a lot of time trying to figure out who your buyer is,” adds Jogodnik. Since Toll Brothers was converting the development from rentals into condos, there was a real understanding of who was living in the building—and insights into the mindset of the potential buyer, which included young professionals and families, asserts Mary Cook, president, Mary Cook & Associates. To convey the property’s selling points directly to the target audience, Toll Brothers City Living enlisted Mary Cook & Associates, who designed three character-inspired model homes. The demographic consisted mostly of “people who really want to live an urban lifestyle and don’t want to move to the suburbs, but are cramped by what they might be able to get in New York,” notes Jogodnik. Thus far, 165 renters have purchased their units, and Toll Brothers is selling the remaining 21 percent as leases come up. The project is expected to be complete by late 2009.    Cook has designed three model units. A bold, orange one-bedroom with clean lines, stainless steel and black leather was created for the single, urban-sophisticated male, while a one-bedroom with a “happy, light, easy color palette” was created “for the single female who has a passion for the arts,” Cook explains. “She is more of a collector. Nothing matched; the furnishings were almost one-of-a-kind collectibles.” The third model, designed for a professional couple—with or without children—is a warm, earthy two-bedroom with “a feminine touch to it.”Hudson TeaLocation: Hoboken, N.J.No. of Units: 525 Unit Size: 735-1,640 sq. ft.Pricing: $400,000s to $1M+Sold: 79 percentProject TeamDeveloper: Toll Brothers City LivingInterior Designer: Mary Cook & AssociatesMarketing/Sales: Toll Brothers City LivingManagement: Community Services Group