Green City: Hudson, NY

We, the editors at eco18.com, have decided to chronicle our travels and highlight some of the green aspects in various cities. Please feel free to submit city ideas and information for upcoming Green City features.

How To Get There:

• A two-hour scenic drive from Manhattan, north on the Thruway, nestled in the Hudson Valley and along the Hudson River, is a town called Hudson. Hudson is part of Columbia County, which is not far from the Berkshires, Chattam and Saugerties. Traveling north is always a great way to celebrate the wonderful fall foliage. Getting there by Amtrak train is easily available.

The Town:

• Hudson is a small town with big ideas on how to create a vibrant community. Many, if not all, of the store interiors, storefronts and inns have been gutted, renovated and the dignity of each preserved by the new owners–many of whom are transplanted New Yorkers–who created a real renaissance and renewal for the town. Best of all, it’s an antique-lovers mecca.

Where To Stay:

• The Barlow, The Inn at Ca’Mea and the Croff House Bed and Breakfast are a few of the places to get a good night’s sleep. The Barlow offers eco-friendly towel service, free parking and Wi-Fi and others offer complimentary breakfast.

Shopping:

• Warren Street, the main avenue and one of the main attractions in Hudson is several blocks long offering high end antique and furniture from all different eras, lots of vintage clothing stores, accessories and jewelry, retailers who sell the latest fashions, handcrafted contemporary jewelry, collectibles and art galleries. If one store didn’t have what I was looking for, each shopkeeper would recommend where else to look. One of the best things about visiting is you can walk the whole strip without using a car or public transportation.

Dining:

• Many of the restaurants boast their pure, organic and farm to table foods and offer a wide variety of local produce, grass-fed beef, homemade breads and organic everything. Grazin Diner, besides having its own farm, makes its own half ‘n’ half and butter, which they sell in farmer’s markets like NYC’s Union Square. Baba Louie’s offers the best brick oven pizza with a homemade crust and even have gluten-free upon request. Interestingly, they don’t serve Coke or Pepsi products.

What To Do:

• Hudson Opera House is a multi-arts center, which provides a wide range of cultural opportunities for the community, including jazz. Live Auctions are held at local antique dealers so give them a call before you visit to see what’s happening the weekend of your visit. Meissner’s Auction House in New Lebanon, about 1 hour away stages an auction every weekend, both expensive and moderately priced items.
• If you want to see beautiful views check out Olana, home of Frederic Edwin Church the famed Hudson River School painter about a 10-minute drive from Warren Street. They give house tours, but again call in advance to reserve your ticket. To begin or end your day or even have a picnic lunch walk to the end of Warren Street to see beautiful views of the Hudson from Hudson Upper Waterfront Park. A tiny park with benches where you can spend a few minutes taking pictures.

The only drawback to this really great getaway is that many stores close early on Sundays and some are closed on Monday, so plan accordingly.