Daniel_Williams

Hi all,

Often when I've travelled south to the DC area from Montreal, I've split the journey, overnighting in New York City or Albany, occasionally Philadelphia to see friends. This year, for a change, I decided to break up my journey south to DC in Poughkeepsie, to which I've never been. I'll be without a car, arriving by train around 7pm and leaving the next morning by train at 9:20am. My hotel (the Poughkeepsie Grand) is a short walk from the train station in downtown Poughkeepsie.

As one never knows when one wiIl return to a place, I was thinking if I get up early enough, I might have time to walk around for a bit in the morning before my train. Maybe check out the Hudson River Walkway, perhaps stroll over to a park overlooking the river/do a self-guided downtown architecture tour or catch a cab to look at the Vassar campus (which I've heard is beautiful) and snap a few pictures before catching my train south. For those of you who've been, what would you do in this scenario? Any architectural favorites? Thanks! Daniel.

PS I've read enough to not have my expectations too high. To give context about me, I try to appreciate places as they are--even recently enjoyed an afternoon strolling around Trenton NJ, which despite it being a bit rough around the edges, I appreciated for what it did have to offer in terms of its history and architecture.

tomfuller

Keep in mind that Poughkeepsie is the north end of the Metro North Hudson line. Glad to see that you are still enjoying Amtrak travel.

J62

Don't get your expectations too high...

Walkway over the Hudson is just a short walk up Washington Ave.
If you're looking for a basic breakfast standby, the New Poughkeepsie diner is about 2 blocks away.

A very short ride (bus?) up Rt9 is FDR mansion.

bachslunch

Haven’t been here but have researched it a little. If you’re arriving at 7 pm and leaving around 9:30 am the next day, you won’t have time to see any local attractions. There is a historic house (Locust Grove) in Poughkeepsie but it’s about 3.5 miles south of the train station and has hours of 10-5. Likewise, there are the FDR Presidential Library and home in Hyde Park and other historic homes further north scattered in the various towns (Vanderbilt Mansion and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site/Top Cottage in Hyde Park, Staatsburg State Historic Site in Staatsburg, Montgomery Place in Red Hook, Clermont State Historic Site in Germantown), but these are even further afield, have hours that don’t work for you, and are served with spotty bus service.

Further south are attractions near the various commuter train stops like the DiaBeacon Museum. Again, not useful for the time frame you have, unfortunately.

The whole Hudson River area between NYC and Albany has about a week’s worth of attractions, mostly historic houses and mansions and the DiaBeacon. It’s on my personal radar screen — hopefully some day.

bachslunch

Should add that what you’re thinking of doing (poking around Vassar for some photos, Hudson River Walkway, etc.) will be about all you’ll be able to accomplish given your time constraints. Again, haven’t been here, so can’t give better advice. No idea what the architecture is like downtown.

RoamsAround

This time of year sunrise in Poughkeepsie is around 7:20AM giving you only about 2 hours of daylight before your train leaves the station. If you are comfortable with the time constraints then you could take a cab from the hotel to Vassar for a "quick look" before heading back to the train station.

Daniel_Williams

tomfuller-- Thanks for the words on MetroNorth. I've booked my Amtrak trip south but when booking Poughkeepsie, a part of me thought that if a blizzard hit the Albany area but not further south, that MetroNorth might be an option.

J62--Expectations set. Thanks for the Walkway advice and diner suggestion. Breakfast is included at the hotel, but maybe supper there?

Bachslunch--Thanks for the ideas for future visits to the area. Some year I may stop for longer, ideally not in winter too, so I can truly explore. As you say, nothing will be open yet.

Bachslunch,RoamsAround--You're right; I knew that I'd have truly about an hour of daylight at best to meander even if I'm really organized. So, unless someone has another idea, Walkway or cab to Vassar picture snap it is! I'll have to look up to see what Vassar buildings are "iconic".

tomfuller

Next trip plan on a stop in Saratoga Springs. The Roosevelt Spa is the only one still open.

J62

There are two good restaurants close by (around the corner, on Main St.) for dinner; Artist's Palate & Brasserie 292

Plus one next to the Walkway on Washington St.; Crave.

Yes, the diner is always an option. I've not been to that diner except for breakfast - it does not seem like your typical 24x7 establishment (like the one further up Rt 9 in Hyde Park, EverReady.

Other than perhaps the Bardavon theater there's not really any notable buildings I can think of.

Agreed, Saratoga is another option for a future stop - I can help you there (here) as well. Schenectady I know you've done. (prior posts).

Daniel_Williams

tomfuller, J62-- Yes, I've long thought Saratoga might be an interesting possibility one day. It's close enough to Montreal, I've thought about it even for a weekend getaway. I've actually "seen" the town quite a few times, as the Greyhound from Montreal to Albany/NY meanders quite a bit around town (including on occasion through the cute downtown) to get to the bus stop in Saratoga.

J62--Thanks for the restaurant suggestions and the Bardavon theater mention! Believe it or not, I wouldn't mind stopping again in Schenectady some day--I thought Jay Street and the Stockade District were quite charming and I only had about 3 hours on my first and only visit to Schenectady!

Daniel_Williams

Thank you all for the advice! I ended up having a terrific risotto at the Artist's Palate, a fantastic spot, so thank you J62! While some areas of the city are nondescript, there were parts where I appreciated the architecture, in particular the Poughkeepsie Journal Building and the nearby Post Office. Other than my amazing supper, I really enjoyed jogging on the Walkway over the Hudson in the morning for the views.

Thanks again for all the suggestions! Best wishes for a happy holiday season, Daniel

HappyTrvlr

Walk around the campus of Vassar College, beautiful place, history.

Daniel_Williams

Thanks HappyTrvlr,

Alas, I did not have time to make it to Vassar campus. Given that the complimentary breakfast was a sit-down affair, I didn't end up leaving my hotel to explore until a bit too close to 8, which gave me just enough time to make it to the Hudson River Walkway and jog to the Hudson River. By the time I checked out of my hotel, it was already 8:50 and my train left at 9:20. Next time I know I must plan longer so that I can see Vassar. Cheers. Daniel