Poughkeepsie, NY, what's it like?
 

We're having dinner at the Culinary Institute of America and I was wondering if nearby Poughkeepsie, NY is worth stopping at to walk around and see what it's like? Is it interesting, quaint? Thanks for any help!

Poughkeepsie is not small or quaint.
It's a city with some very rundown areas. Bard College there does have a very good performing arts center.
Hyde Park, where the CIA is has FDRs home, Springwood, and Eleanor Roosevelt's cottage, both worth seeing.
For quaint--shops, cafes, B&Bs you can drive up short way to Rhinebeck

The City of Poughkeepsie is neither interesting nor quaint. The downtown area (if you can call it that) has a civic center that draws your occasional 80's rock revival band, WWE, and ice skating shows. It's on the same road as the county welfare agency, a bank or two, the historic Bardavon theater, and a run down little diner. Stray a few blocks away and you'll be in some areas you'd rather not be in.

One thing that is worth a stop if it's a nice day is the new Walkway over the Hudson. http://www.walkway.org/ It's an old 1880's RR bridge that was in service until the 1970's, idle for 35yrs, then converted to a pedestrian walkway last year.

Bard is about 30min north of Poughkeepsie, further North than the CIA or Rhinebeck.

If you're looking for things to do there's plenty in the area, especially if the weather is nice. Visiting the City of Poughkeepsie isn't one of them.

Thanks so much for the quick and informative replies!

Wait a moment. Bard College is not in Poughkeepsie.

But Vassar College does have a good art gallery and a beautiful campus, even if I am a bit biased. Unfortunately, it appears that the Art Center will be closing soon for renovations.



http://fllac.vassar.edu/


But I do agree that unless things have changed a lot since my own residence in those parts, the city of Poughkeepsie is not much to write home about.

Sorry--I don't know where my head was when I said Bard was in Poughkeepsie! Obviously I had Vassar in mind and Bard got mixed up in there somehow.

I poughkeepsied in my pants once...

Did you pick your toes in Poughkeepsie?

It is very Bard, not to know where it is.

I always thought it was "pick your feet in Poughkeepsie."... if you get the connection.

And it was in my genes that I thought toes instead of feet.

The civic center is about as unattractive a building you'd ever see. (Later 20th century architecture.)

Nevertheless, unless you're looking for only quaintness, why not give Poughkeepsie a try? It's a city beset by later 20th century woes, not the fault of its' residents.

Eating at Culinary Institute is terrific. A must is visiting the FDR home and museum. It is not unreasonabe to plan on spending 3 hours or more there. Rhinebeck (20 min) is a quaint, small town with one of the oldest Inns, small shops and cafes. There are places along the Hudson which offer boat tours that are enjoyable when the weather is warm and sunny.