b"How to Lure a New Yorkerto New Jersey?Major renovation of a '30s classic makes Maplewood feel like homeBY ROSE BENNETT GILBERT PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE VAN TASSELLThis Tudor underwent a renovation that restored its charm with attention to details such as oak beams, iron-framed casement windows and bespoke brick work.T heywerestillbarelymarriedwhenA native Long Islander, Carter enjoyed the bigtural community. Oh, and there had to be at least Greg Lembrich first pitched the ideacity hustle and bustle. Our New York neighbor- one Ethiopian restaurant nearby.of moving to New Jersey to his wife,hood had a taxicab depot. The Central Park car- Maplewood and Montclair made the cut. But Alexandra Carter, an avowed foreverriage horses came home there at night, she says.Maplewood won out, thanks to local real estate New Yorker who hated New JerseyId gotten used to the city noises, but not toagent Priscilla Egan, who found the vintage Tu-from afar. their cramped living quarters. Lembrich, who haddor. Built in 1930 with attention to details such You can imagine the negotiationsalready begun running the numbers on buying aas oak beams, iron-framed casement windows and that would follow, finally leading them from a tinylarger apartment, quickly realized we could havebespoke brick work, the house checked all Carters apartment in Hells Kitchen to the elegant 3,900- a whole house in New Jersey for what a two-bed- boxes. Plus, just down the mountain in South Or-sq. ft. Tudor house on Sagamore Road in Maple- room apartment would cost in New York. ange there was Walia, a well-reviewed Ethiopian wood they now call home. Carter, the director ofHis wife was unmoved. Vividly, she envisionedrestaurant named after the Walia ibex found only the Columbia Law School Mediation Clinic, is athe horrors of The Commute! Packed trains! Mein the northern mountains of Ethiopia.renownedprofessionalnegotiator.Shehasevenbeing crammed up against the train door. If it flewBingo!Theymovedinduring2007.We written a Wall Street Journal bestseller on the art ofopen Id fly out! scrounged everywhere for the money to buy the negotiating, titled Ask for More. So began the negotiations. I wanted to makehouse,butwehadnofurniture,Cartersays. Incontrast,Lembrichhadgrownupintheitreallydifficultformyhusband,Cartersays.Were city people. We sat on the floor in the liv-small town of Branchburg, NJ, in Somerset Coun- She drew up a long list of demands to be met be- ing room surrounded by takeout from Walia, Bill ty, where his father had been the mayor and hisfore she would give in to her husbands reasoning.& Harrys and Roman Gourmet. mother a Somerset County court supervisor. HeShed need a direct train to New York and an olderEventually they gathered some bargain furnish-and Carter met at Columbia Law School. home, pre-1940, in a diverse, liberal, multi-cul- ings, shopping at Bloomingdales Outlet and on-12/ matters magazine / hearth + home 2026"