Hudson, New York
 

There is an interesting article in today's NY Times in the Home section about Hudson, NY. It isn't a travel article, but it certainly has wetted my appetite for a possible visit.:Cultivating Hudson.

The term "rurbanism" is introduce as meaning "urban expats bring their cultural touchstones and appetites with them when they move to a place like Hudson."

Sounds like an interesting place to visit...

This working class river town has had quite a rebirth. With direct trains to NYC, it is an easy get away spot for city dwellers.

You could call it Brooklyn on the Hudson if Brooklyn weren't already on the Hudson.

We have been there a lot, both to visit friends and on the way to Cooperstown for the opera. There are a couple of good places for lunch and antique shops galore. Many of them specialize in mid-century modern, which is what we were all trying to get away from when we were younger.

Olana, the Persian-style house of Frederick Church is just outside town and is well worth a visit.

It used to be a center for hookers and other criminal activity.

Haven't seen anything like that in the last ten years., though I suppose the closer to the river you get the more likely you might be to find " fun" or trouble. Port areas are like that.

On the main street, you might get mugged for a Heywood-Wakefield dresser, but you are otherwise safe.

Rurbanism could be called gentrification. I like Hudson, but it is a bit precious.

Hudson is a cute little town, albeit a lot smaller than it used to be in the whaling, then later canal traffic & textile/industry heydays. The crime/prostitution era ended mid 20th century.

If you like antique shops then Hudson is a great place. If you don't then IMO it's not much more than a whistle stop.

I would say that sections of Warren Street are cute, but if you get a couple of blocks away (or down by the river), all the cuteness disappears. And the last time I was there (granted, not since the fall), there were still a fair number of empty storefronts on Warren itself. But when I was around the area for a few days in the summer, things were definitely hopping.

I've been reading that Hudson is "coming up" for the past 6 or 7 years, and I am not fully convinced that this wave will be a lasting one. Certainly, there's a lot going on. And I'm looking forward to trying Fish & Game, which I've not been to. I'll be up there next weekend, so I'm going to look around and see, though it's always hard to judge in the middle of winter, when things are really quiet.

We enjoy an occasional trip to Hudson. Visiting Olana and the downtown area makes for a fun day.......but, I'd wait until the warmer weather sets in. Actually, the best time to go in probably in the fall, when the foliage is at its peak, which indeed makes the Olana property a magnificent sight to behold.