I'm planning on taking a trip to explore the Hudson Valley area of New York. I'm most interested in the town of Hudson, though will also check out Rhinebeck and a few other spots as well.
I'm going to explore these places as possible relocation spots. I'll also be exploring a few other US cities, but I'm quite interested in this area as it's only 1 1/2 to 2 hours outside of NYC with great train access.
My goal is to move to Europe in the near future, but as I've been in L.A. for 15 years now, I am in desperate need of a change. I'd also like a shorter flight to Europe!
So, tell me about this area of New York. Does anyone know much about Hudson? I've been reading that this area is being called the Napa Valley of the East Coast due to the growing wine industry there. I'd be interested to hear more about that as well.
I can tell you loads about the Hudson Valley. I went to college in Tarrytown, N.Y. right on the lower Hudson River for four years and was married in Cold Spring, another wonderful village on the upper Hudson River.
The Hudson Valley is one of my favorite parts of NY because of the sense of history I get every time I venture there. There are wonderful villages to explore; Tarrytown has the wonderful gothic mansion of Lyndhurst owned at one time by Jay Gould considered a "robber baron" in late 19th century NY history. Also located in Sleepy Hollow, NY (formerly North Tarrytown) are Sleep Hollow Cemetary (legend of headless horseman) and Philips Manor. In Irvington, a village just south of Tarrytown, is Sunnyside the home of Washingon Irving. Further north are Garrison, Cold Spring, Hudson, Etc. On the other side of the river are West Point, Cornwall-on-Hudson, and other quaint villages.
I will post more about this later, (have to run out the door) or if you would like, you can PM me.
We spent 4 days in the Hudson Valley in September 2001 - had a great time. I don't know much about Hudson or Rhinebeck - except that Frederick Church's Olana is nearby - well worth a visit.
We were based in Poughkeepsie - close to Hyde Park, Val-kill, the Vanderbilt Mansion. One day we drove south & visited Kykuit the Rockefeller estate near Sleepy Hollow, the nearby Union Church and Sunnyside, Washington Irving's home near Tarrytown.
We spent one day touring several vineyards - remember visiting Millbrook and Clinton - perhaps a couple more.
We had 2 very good meals at the CIA - Culinary Institute of America, 3 miles north of Poughkeepsie.
We drove home on September 4 - a week later the world changed.
I would only note that we tried to plan a relatively short-notice (4 weeks out) trip there last fall, and found that many accommodations and restaurants were booked. I believe the CIA and Blue Hill usually take reservations several months in advance. We were looking for two rooms, which was harder than one, and had the misfortune of picking parents' weekend at one of the nearby colleges. However, my impression is that fall is a pretty busy time, so advance reservations at least for accommodations are important. But I defer to others who have actually made it there -- we're going to try again sometime soon . . .
Posts: 123 | Location: East Coast, USA | Registered: 06 November 2006
I forgot the CIA is in that area. I'll have to pop in for a meal, no doubt.
Hi Kathy,
Better make a reservation first - quite popular when we were there.
We dined in the Italian (Ristorante Caterina de' Medici) and French (Escoffier) restaurants. Actually, we ate at the bar in the Italian restaurant - were able to see into the kitchen & inter-act with the staff working at the bar - younger staff from around the world.
One thing I remember about our desserts - I ordered a very Italian-sounding dessert one evening & and equally French-sounding dessert the next. The desserts were exactly the same.
Our daughter went to college in Poughkeepsie (Vassar) so we had a number of opportunities to see the lovely Hudson valley area. The train ride down the river to NYC is very scenic. One warning, however, that someone alerted our daughter to (after she's already arrived at college!) is that people with allergies to pollen often have a hard time in the lower Hudson valley. this is because there is a lot of agriculture in the region, and the pollen tends to blow and settle in the valley. (Daughter has asthma, so she was careful.)
We especially enjoyued the area in the spring and fall. Summer was kind of muggy.
Posts: 172 | Location: Bangor, Maine | Registered: 02 March 2006
Pemquid, good to know about the allergies. I am a serious allergy sufferer, so I appreciate the information.
Wendy, I joined the Hudson Valley Magazine website so I'll look through the archives and see if I can find that issue you're talking about. Thanks for the link!
You are welcome Kathy. I believe the Hudson article was around Nov., maybe back as far as Sept. or Oct. I remember going through it on the drive to SJ one Saturday. Good luck and enjoy your trip, whenever you go. W
Posts: 3006 | Location: Monterey Peninsula, California, USA | Registered: 07 September 2003
Teachick - I lived in a small town called Germantown for practically my whole life with the exception of the last 11 yrs since moving here to NC. Germantown is just north of Rhinebeck about 20 mins and south of Hudson about 15 min. I'm not sure what you are looking for but Hudson is quite a rundown kind of small city. We were just there about 2 weeks ago visiting family and my husband and I were commenting how we don't miss the area at all. While it has a lot of history and the Hudson Valley itself is beautiful......Hudson is not one of the prettier sites. I'm not totally sure what the weather is like in LA year round but we don't miss the winters there either. I do know the city center has become big into antique shops and a lot of NYC people buying 2nd homes in the area have driven the price of housing way up. But compared to California prices I'm sure it is still dirt cheap. If you'd like to know more...let me know.
Rob grew up in Sugarloaf and Chester, both are in Orange Co. NY. Sugarloaf, which is just a hamlet, is now quite the art colony.
Funny. I went to catholic high school in Goshen, we played Chester in Basketball and used to hang out in Sugarloaf.
Kathy, this thread came back up. The lower Hudson Valley is beautiful but has gotten pricey. If that natural river bed kind of are is what you are interested in, you might want to try one river lower, the upper Delaware, which runs through New York, New Jersey and Pennylvania.
The most beautiful artisan town in the area lies directly on the northern Delaware and is called Milford, Pennsylvania. In the last fifteen years, the Victorian homes have been restored, and the town has an annual film festival and arts festival. It is one and a half hours from Manhattan. It has an extremely high quality of small town life, with lots of culture, art, and good coffee places. It is about 45 minutes from the lower part of the Hudson River Valley.
I apologise, I haven't had a chance to return to this thread. I too am curious why Hudson has you so fascinated? It was in decline for a long time and has only recently started coming into its own again in the past decade. It is now know for its many antique stores.
When I think of charming hudson valley towns and villages I think of Rhinebeck, Kinderhook, Garrison, Cold Spring, Hyde Park, even Tarrytown and Irvington because of their history.
Here are some links that I hope will help you in your research.
Diana, what a small world this really is. As I had mentioned before, Rob came from Sugarloaf and Chester. Born in Warwick in '46, spent his first 11 years in Suagarloaf - his house was next to the cemetery, quiet neighbors - and then they moved to the house in Chester on Rte.94. Do any of those years work for you?
He went one year to Oakland Academy, but only for one year. ... No girls
Posts: 3006 | Location: Monterey Peninsula, California, USA | Registered: 07 September 2003
I am rethinking the Hudson Valley. I do plan on checking it out eventually, but I am realizing that I need to have access to certain things that this area might not have to offer. I do want to explore Rhinebeck as the Omega Institute is there, but the town of Hudson may be too far north for me and sounds like it is still fairly run down. We shall see...
Hudson NY has been revitalized the person who said it was run down is incorrect. It's very close to NYC which has many more things to do and I am sure that would be to your liking.
Cruiser - Basically one street has been "revitalized" that being Warren St. which has lots of antique shops. Do you live there or have you been there recently? I don't mean to insult anyone but the facts are the facts. One street over and we're talking run down... Sorry but I'm from that area (and I was just there less than a month ago) and I do know what I'm talking about. NYC is great but it is 2 1/2 hrs from Hudson.
I am NOT from Hudson and only been there once, but as an outsider, I do have a few comments.Every summer we do a combo trip - Catskills area and NYC for a week. The area around Hudson is beautiful. There are lots of nice little towns - weaving up from Kingston and on both sides of the Hudson are charming communities. We have stayed near Phonicia and Cairo.
It is an interesting area of the state. Sure it has seen it's share of downsizing and out-migration - indicative of whats happening prety much all over the north east - except for certain pockets. We went to Hudson for the first time last summer, so its fresh in my mind. Compared to alot of downtowns I have seen, it's looking pretty darn good. But it is hedging its bets, it looks, entirely on growth through Antiques!
I think it is trying to promote itself and surroundings as a "get-away" and "second-home" from NYC. This strategy can revive a community to a certain extent but it's also not good to build your economic base from "people from away" and be at their whims. We had a great lunch there - there are lots of little stores, but it is one loooong street - and yes, just behind that street with nice storefronts, there are housing that need attention. It was a surprise, but it also looked as though some of those are being renovated and fixed up.
Anyways, I cannot speak for Hudson at all other than that, but I do find the Kingston-Woodstock-Big Indian-Hudson area interesting and scenic. It has seen it's heydey, but who knows....
Last summer we picked up a car in NYC on the west side and within one minute were on that west side parkway (is it the Hudson?) with no traffic and it took like one minute to get over the Washington(?)Bridge and smooth sailing from there. It was the same way coming back - no traffic at all!
I think you hit it right on the head! I truly believe the Hudson Valley is one of the prettiest places to visit. The scenery of all those places you mentioned is just wonderful..quaint villages/quaint shops. But as you also mentioned ......"just behind that street with nice storefronts, there are housing that need attention." That was exactly what I was referring to when I said 'rundown'. Street after street that is exactly what we saw...housing that was in desperate need of repair. I'm not poking fun of this place. I truly understand that it is a very small community and the economy being what it is in that area makes it understandable. It just struck me when Teachick mentioned she was thinking of moving there from LA. It just seemed a drastic (different?) move from LA to Hudson that's all.
It just struck me when Teachick mentioned she was thinking of moving there from LA. It just seemed a drastic (different?) move from LA to Hudson that's all.
Yes, it is drastic! Trust me when I tell you that I am thinking very carefully about all of this. I like the idea of moving to a place that is still on the rise, but I am a city girl at heart. I'm not entirely sure I could swing small town life, though there is a lot about it I find alluring. I'll see as I go along...
The articles I have read about the town of Hudson suggest that those run down houses are being snapped up and people are flooding in from the city to either live there full time (to then open businesses there), or to have that second home some of you have mentioned. I am eager to at least visit this area so I can see what all the fuss is about.
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