Hudson in New York is the cutest little town you ever did see. I grew up in New York state and I don’t remember anything remotely this pretty in the area. After a little bit of digging, I found out why. Hudson is a trendy little town which has been recently colonised by Brooklynites looking for fresh air and small-town atmosphere.
The History of Hudson in New York
The town has had its fair share of ups and downs over the course of its history. Settled by merchants in the 18th century, the town was very prosperous and lost the vote to become the capital of New York State by one mere vote. It had to make do with being the 4th largest city in New York by the early 19th century. By the late 19th century though, it became famous for a less-salubrious reason – becoming the centre of the drinking, gambling and prostitution in the area. The vice rings were broken up by the mid-twentieth century.
In the 1980’s, antiques dealers moved into the area and began the process of gentrification. Shortly, thereafter it was gays and Brooklyn hipsters and the transformation to full-on cuteness was complete.
Many of the houses have historic architectural value because they were built in the town’s heyday in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. The loving restoration of these houses only adds to the charm of the town.
architectural detail
Hudson in New York Today
In addition to the 40+ antiques stores you have art galleries, specialty coffee shops, artisanal food shops and charming boutiques in this town. It is a perfect town for a day trip or a weekend away. We went on a weekday and the town was not busy. Be aware though that the population swells during weekends.
No corporate supermarket here!
Pretentious moi?
The psychiatric help here may be the cheapest thing in town.
You can’t be trendy without the obliquitous food truck.
Nothing practical here but it’s all very pretty.
My son and I had a great time wandering through town on our Hudson Valley Tour. I can highly recommend Lick Hudson for their fabulous ice cream flavours such as gingersnap molasses and salted pistachio. My son had a banana split sundae which I helped him finish. I needed one of their delicious expressos after I came down from my post sundae sugar-high.
We only did a day trip but there’s plenty of accommodation if you choose to stay here. This article from the folks at The Kitchn suggests staying at The Rivertown Lodge for which you can check out reviews on TripAdvisor. Although the article also has got a walking tour and a downloadable map, it has gotten flack from locals who (correctly) insist that Hudson New York is in the Hudson River Valley and not The Catskills.
Image Credit: Rotem Raffe
The town is conveniently located on the Hudson River with its own Amtrak railroad station. It is 2 hours from New York City and 3 hours from Boston. We drove to Hudson and parking is really easy. We rented our car through Hertz as per usual
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Looking for ideas for the perfect day trip from New York City (or Boston)? The town of Hudson, New York, is as cute as you can imagine. Find all the things to do in Hudson NY! #hudson #newyork #daytrip #smalltown USA | United States America | Travel Destinations | Vacation | Family Travel | Bucket List | Wanderlust | Things to Do and See | Culture | Food | Tourism | Like a Local #travel #vacation #familytravel #bucketlist #wanderlust #USA #America #UnitedStates #NewYork
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