Hudson Stables & The Economic Stratification of Hoboken

You don’t need to spend much time in Hoboken to realize that one of the biggest challenges people face here is parking. You can argue over the necessity of having a car in this town, but the fact is most people need a car for some reason or another, and even the folks that admit they don’t need one like having one. Americans have been raised to equate a car with freedom and economic prosperity, and if Hoboken happens to be one of the most walkable cities in the country, that doesn’t mean the rest of the country is as accommodating. So, parking in this town has long been a Mad Max-like game of aggression, cunning, and occasional violence. What’s always been surprising is the occasional high-end sportscar you find parked on the street, because street parking is rough on vehicles. From kids sitting on your car to people, you know, smashing into it, the longer you leave your car parked on the street the more likely damage becomes. It’s one thing if your $18k Fiat gets a dent, something else entirely if your $200,000 Huracán gets scraped. Well, according to Jersey Digs, that problem has been solved for the One Percenters in Hoboken, because Hudson Stables is about to open.

A Cool, Dry Place

Headed up by Jonathan Lloyd-Jones, a part owner of Classic Car Club Manhattan, Hudson Stables will be marketed towards car collectors and enthusiasts who have valuable, unique cars that you can’t really park on the street, as well as space for storing race cars and associated equipment. Hudson Stables will also help you sell your cool vehicle on consignment. For those of us who don’t own classic cars, sportscars, or similar vehicles, we’re stuck on the street. Or in a parking garage, which is a better choice if you’re worried about damage—though still no guarantee, as we’ve all seen some pretty sketchy driving skills on display in parking garages. Hudson Stables is a reminder that Hoboken is a gentrified town, and there are some seriously rich people living here. That means an increasing stratification; there are two Hobokens, after all, a Hoboken where you park your car on the street and hope for the best, and a Hoboken where you pay to have your car kept in cold storage, where it is cared for and delivered to you fueled up, cleaned, and ready to go whenever you want it. Of course, if Hudson Stables offers tours of their inventory and possibly test drives, we’d be all for it. After all, driving a stick in a 1987 Toyota Camry is pretty much the same as driving a Huracán, right?

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