The plan demolished the 1950s addition, retained the original 1930 school, and built an enormous complex of new multistory buildings, containing 116 apartments. Next month, the first tenants will be moving into twenty-one "inaugural apartments," but before that, The Falls is having an Open House tomorrow, Saturday, October 22, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The advertising copy for The Falls stresses its proximity to "historic Hudson" and Hudson's "renowned Warren Street shops and restaurants," but the "resort-like lifestyle" it promises seems the antithesis of a college campus for grownups or "Upstate's Downtown," which is how many Hudsonians view their city. Historic architecture and the commitment to authenticity in its preservation are what most people find attractive about Hudson. With The Falls, the one historic element--the original 1930 Greenport School--is hard to pick out from all the new construction that surrounds it, and the restoration of "the school's architecturally significant auditorium" seems far more splendid than one imagines it was originally meant to be.
The amenities at The Falls make it sound as if it should be located in Boca Raton instead of Greenport: fully equipped gym, yoga/spin room, children's playroom, adult game room, two swimming pools, tennis court, basketball court, walking trails through more than twenty wooded acres, space for gardening, playground for children, movie theater, and spa with heated pool, salt room, and sauna. And then there are the features of each apartment: nine-foot ceilings, crown molding, hardwood floors, a gas fireplace, and a balcony, which for some but not all means a view of the Catskills. What may be most appealing to some is that pets--dogs and cats--are allowed, and there is even a plan for a dog park somewhere on the complex's twenty-two wooded acres.
It will be interesting to see who ends up residing in the 116 apartments at The Falls. The first wave of Hudson newcomers now septuagenarians and octogenarians weary of maintaining their historic houses? Weekenders seeking a low maintenance pied-à-terre in the Hudson Valley? Or the people The Falls seems to want to attract: the "explosion of newcomers to the region" brought here by the "attraction of outdoor living."
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Monolithic .
ReplyDeleteI hope this isn't the first step in the Hamptonization of Hudson. Don't be surprised if developers start buying up tracts of land and farms around Hudson to recreate the Hamptons in upstate New York.
ReplyDeleteNever fear. Hamptonites would not be caught dead anywhere near this complex. It looks more like the Crosswinds Apartments in Hudson than anything else as an architectural matter. It's also nestled in what I consider one of the ugliest spots in all of Columbia County (the lack of zoning in Greenport has had its consequences), but I digress. Thank heavens for Greenport. It serves as a continual reminder of precisely all of the things that Hudson should never, ever do. JMO. :)
DeleteAs an aside, the rents seem high for what you get.
Took the tour today and they actually seem quite nice and with the amenities. Definitively not Crosswinds, Joslen Commons, etc by any case but well constructed, nice place. These apartments are designed for the professional in mind or folks wanting to get out of owning a home, which by comparison is not much different in cost if you compare a typical 3 bedroom home in Claverack, Greenport, Livingston who has the following (mortgage, taxes, home maintenance, lawn care, snow plowing, garbage cost, etc). Also Hudson area has a very low inventory of respectably nice market rate apartments especially downtown. If more decent and nice apartments were available, you would see rents drop a bit. It is about supply and demand.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with all of that having visited it myself, and happen to meet the enthusiastic owner, who was a nice guy. What is inside is definitely not Crosswinds. It struck me as something along the lines of a 3.5 to 4 star hotel really (offering lots of amenities that explain some of the reason why the rents seem relatively high). It's an interesting product they are offering, and it will be fascinating to see how it all plays out.
DeleteI did find out that have the first 24 residents, 10 are full time residents, and 14 are using the units as pied a terres. I wonder if that will impact the Hudson lodging market at all. I tend to doubt it since it is so different, but I guess we will find out in due course about that too.
I also took the tour. Apartments are spacious, new appliances, washer/dryer, wheelchair accessible, basic cable, WiFi, comes with a 10x10 storage space, free parking, gas fireplace (you have to pay for the gas), and more. Also access to outdoor swimming pools, tennis & basketball courts, spa, fitness center, 30-seat movie theater, and more.
ReplyDeleteIf you want the bare-bones of a space, this is not want you want.
I think the complex would make an nice retirement community at par with the Summit in Saratoga. If they had 24 hr emergency staff, and residents could actually buy shares in their apartment, I know half a dozen people who would find this the perfect place. But as off the shelf rentals I'm not so sure.
ReplyDeletepopulation growth is exponential, and at this point a can't lose game. we have only to wonder if this will become a "community" or just another bunch of boxes.
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