Googlemaps said: 13 minutes. From my gym on 14th Street to Hoboken, New Jersey. Thirteen measly minutes. That’s basically how long it takes me to get my coffee in the morning! I’m almost disappointed it’s not going to be more of an adventure. I won’t even need to pack provisions and bottled hydration for this trip! I’d just get on the path train, sit down for three stops and get off. And it costs the same as a subway ride? What is going on? Why am I not living in Hoboken, New Jersey?? I imagine spectacular views of Manhattan and quiet, modern living. Maybe like Williamsburg’s new development, but with more New Balance sneakers.

I ponder these questions during my hypersonic trajectory underneath the Hudson River and the five minute walk to Molly Kennedy’s one-bedroom apartment on Garden Street. It’s a lovely neighborhood with lots of green and fetching little townhouses. It’s also quirky; a mix of institutionalized kitsch and the inevitable hipster infusion. And obviously Molly is all smiles when she opens the door, because she doesn’t get that many visitors “from out of town”. “You made it!” she cheers. I can tell she was worried about my commute. But I passed the test and welcome a world of crochet tops, Indie music and picture frames.

So why New Jersey? I need the inside scoop. “My husband and I ended up in Hoboken over five years ago after a year stint in Switzerland with his company. Peter works for a small pharmaceutical company called the Medicines Company where he does drug development.” Pros? “I love my apartment and having more space than I would in the city. It’s quiet and mellow and always a happy place to come back to at the end of the day. And I love the treelined streets and how close we are to the city.” Cons? “Even though we are close to the city it’s super expensive to get a cab home because of the tolls. I could be home in ten minutes but $60 poorer. We don’t have a fun local bar! And I can’t pop out and meet friends down the street. They are all in the city or Brooklyn.” A few years ago you could still get cheap apartments but that ship has long sailed. Hoboken is coveted and trendy as heck.

There is one other important downside to living here: there is no vintage in Hoboken! “I have an urgent need to go into vintage stores wherever I am,” admits Molly, “but the closest place to shop is Jersey City…” Growing up with an antiquer and Pendleton collector for a dad, and a kid’s penchant for dressing up, thrifting is in her blood. “My dad has taken me to some of the best stores – like one in Cambridge, MA called The Garment District where the clothes are divided up by decades. You need days to sort through everything.” Molly wanted to be an actress when she was growing up. “I had replica academy awards in my room and used to rehearse a pretty fabulous acceptance speech,” she laughs. “I also wanted to be a figure skater but lacked any sort of skill, coordination or focus. I think I just liked the costumes and hairspray.” She went on to study Art History in New Zealand and works as a stylist now.

Molly is a happy 29-year old girl with a hospitable, giddy laugh, delicate, artful taste and the kind of cheeks you want to pinch. She collects old polaroids that she sends to friends as birthday cards. She loves embroidering “anything from pillow cases to underwear”. And still cherishes a signed photograph of Bernie Kopell (who played Doc on Love Boat) – “It says “Happy Sailing Molly!”. When I was twelve I met him at a celebrity convention at the Beverly Garland hotel in Los Angeles and thought that was pretty amazing…..” She admires Carolyn Bessette‘s off-duty 90s Tribeca style, Maria Schneider‘s wardrobe in The Passenger, and Diane Keaton‘s character in Interiors. Her mantra is Dolly Parton’s ‘Better Get To Livin”, with a pillow case in the bedroom to prove it. 

We never met before our shoot but we both feel at ease, even with the rush of humidity and afternoon heat slaying us like giants. Molly takes me around the corner to a creepy local bar, a busy public park and a walk along the boardwalk to the famous Lackawanna ferry terminal. “I just realized I have a lot of clothes that look like vintage,” she says when we head back up the stairs. “I truly am happiest at home in a robe, mumu or kaftan. Outside the house I try and maintain that same comfort level by wearing organic shapes and materials. I like clothes that feel lived in like a great pair of high waisted jeans or an easy dress. I always think of the Clueless quote: “I know it sounds mental but sometimes I have more fun vegging out than when I go partying. Maybe it’s because my party clothes are so binding.” There’s nothing binding about today. We talk about her amazing trip to the Amalfi Coast and sip Coca Cola to stay on our toes. Until the music stops. “Aha!” she lights up. “That means my husband is coming home. Because he kicked me off Spotify.”