Poughkeepsie - Walkway over the Hudson
Oct 4th, 2009 | 02:19 PM
#1
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Poughkeepsie - Walkway over the Hudson
The long anticipated Walkway over the Hudson spanning the river at Poughkeepsie opened up this weekend. I didn't attend any of the opening ceremonies on Saturday, but rather took advantage of the beautiful early fall weather Sunday. So did seemingly everybody else in town, and many out of towners too.
http://walkway.org/
The walkway is a 1880's era RR bridge, the 1st one to span the Hudson anywhere from NYC to Albany. A deck fire in the mid 70's shut down the RR bridge and it's stood unused for the last 30+ years.
The views from the bridge are fantastic - it's a very pretty stretch of the Hudson river, and you can see about 15mi down river (to Mt. Beacon), and maybe 5+ miles up river. It's about 1/4 mile north of the Mid-Hudson auto bridge - a simple but pretty suspension bridge that makes for a nice photo-op with the river and hills in the background. To the north you can see Marist College and the old Hudson Valley Psych Center high up on the hill. Down below the bridge is the waterfront which is mostly abandoned heavy industry lots, a reminder of the industrial past of the area. There's talk of waterfront revitalization but I don't expect that area to be made nice for decades, if ever.
They've done a great job making the walkway. It's about 25' wide, made of heavy concrete slabs, so even though you are 200+ feet above the river you don't get the sense that you're on a bridge. Massive 4' high railings give you an added sense of how big the structure is. No movement at all like you find on many bridges - it was built for heavy RR freight traffic.
You can access the walkway from both sides of the river. The approaches to the RR bridge extend far inland on both sides, so the access point is not near the Poughkeepsie Metro North / Amtrak RR station, but rather quite a distance away in a rather forgettable part of town. There are about 100 parking spots so getting there with a car is easy.
Today they had shuttle buses from the RR station/waterfront area up to the walkway, but I don't think those will be a regular service. The walkway was packed today - many 1000's of people. It was great to see so many people out. Mostly walkers, but lots of bikes, and even a few Segway's and some wheelchairs. You can rent Segways near the Poughkeepsie RR station - not sure if they shuttle you to the walkway or not. A bike would be handy as it's a long span (1.25mi end to end) and connects to a network of bike trails on the west side of the river. A hike/bike trail is being built through Poughkeepsie/Dutchess Co, but it's not going to be in place for another 1-2yrs.
On the western/Highland side the area is very undeveloped - about 20 parking spots not far from the exit from the Mid-Hudson auto bridge.
You can also do a loop walk - I'd say about 3mi total - crossing the walkway in one direction then back over the auto bridge the other way. That will mean you'd be walking through the mixed commercial/industrial/old residential areas of Poughkeepsie. Not a problem, but not the most attractive walk for that part either. The route is marked with signs and zig-zags a bit.
As a bonus I took a sail on on the sloop Woody Guthrie, operated by the nearby Beacon Sloop club. They were offering free sails today to join the festivities. We sailed under the bridge, approached the 3x larger sloop Clearwater which was docked on the far shore, then returned across the river. Nice relaxing way to spend an hour in the sun.
http://walkway.org/
The walkway is a 1880's era RR bridge, the 1st one to span the Hudson anywhere from NYC to Albany. A deck fire in the mid 70's shut down the RR bridge and it's stood unused for the last 30+ years.
The views from the bridge are fantastic - it's a very pretty stretch of the Hudson river, and you can see about 15mi down river (to Mt. Beacon), and maybe 5+ miles up river. It's about 1/4 mile north of the Mid-Hudson auto bridge - a simple but pretty suspension bridge that makes for a nice photo-op with the river and hills in the background. To the north you can see Marist College and the old Hudson Valley Psych Center high up on the hill. Down below the bridge is the waterfront which is mostly abandoned heavy industry lots, a reminder of the industrial past of the area. There's talk of waterfront revitalization but I don't expect that area to be made nice for decades, if ever.
They've done a great job making the walkway. It's about 25' wide, made of heavy concrete slabs, so even though you are 200+ feet above the river you don't get the sense that you're on a bridge. Massive 4' high railings give you an added sense of how big the structure is. No movement at all like you find on many bridges - it was built for heavy RR freight traffic.
You can access the walkway from both sides of the river. The approaches to the RR bridge extend far inland on both sides, so the access point is not near the Poughkeepsie Metro North / Amtrak RR station, but rather quite a distance away in a rather forgettable part of town. There are about 100 parking spots so getting there with a car is easy.
Today they had shuttle buses from the RR station/waterfront area up to the walkway, but I don't think those will be a regular service. The walkway was packed today - many 1000's of people. It was great to see so many people out. Mostly walkers, but lots of bikes, and even a few Segway's and some wheelchairs. You can rent Segways near the Poughkeepsie RR station - not sure if they shuttle you to the walkway or not. A bike would be handy as it's a long span (1.25mi end to end) and connects to a network of bike trails on the west side of the river. A hike/bike trail is being built through Poughkeepsie/Dutchess Co, but it's not going to be in place for another 1-2yrs.
On the western/Highland side the area is very undeveloped - about 20 parking spots not far from the exit from the Mid-Hudson auto bridge.
You can also do a loop walk - I'd say about 3mi total - crossing the walkway in one direction then back over the auto bridge the other way. That will mean you'd be walking through the mixed commercial/industrial/old residential areas of Poughkeepsie. Not a problem, but not the most attractive walk for that part either. The route is marked with signs and zig-zags a bit.
As a bonus I took a sail on on the sloop Woody Guthrie, operated by the nearby Beacon Sloop club. They were offering free sails today to join the festivities. We sailed under the bridge, approached the 3x larger sloop Clearwater which was docked on the far shore, then returned across the river. Nice relaxing way to spend an hour in the sun.
Oct 4th, 2009 | 03:43 PM
#3
Joined: Mar 2009
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J62, happy to read your report.
Joy and I are really looking forward to doing this. Our friends, who live on an island in the Hudson near Poughkeepsie and who are heavily involved in Hudson Valley philanthropies, have kept us advised of the progress of this project.
We were originally scheduled to attend opening day ceremonies with them on Saturday, but they advised that the crowds would be huge this weekend. Instead, we're going to join them on October 18, the same day we are later to be their guests at the Apple Shindig at the Boscobel Restoration, where they're trustees.
Should be a fun day.
Joy and I are really looking forward to doing this. Our friends, who live on an island in the Hudson near Poughkeepsie and who are heavily involved in Hudson Valley philanthropies, have kept us advised of the progress of this project.
We were originally scheduled to attend opening day ceremonies with them on Saturday, but they advised that the crowds would be huge this weekend. Instead, we're going to join them on October 18, the same day we are later to be their guests at the Apple Shindig at the Boscobel Restoration, where they're trustees.
Should be a fun day.
Oct 4th, 2009 | 05:15 PM
#5
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Parking was the real problem today. Official parking lot reserved for special permits, several local private properties charging $5 to park, but plenty of on-street parking if you were willing to walk a few blocks.
I took my bicycle so distance didn't matter. I suspect that after today the crowds will taper off quickly. Lots of publicity for the opening weekend.
The bridge is huge so while there were lots of people there was plenty of room to walk or even ride (with caution).
I took my bicycle so distance didn't matter. I suspect that after today the crowds will taper off quickly. Lots of publicity for the opening weekend.
The bridge is huge so while there were lots of people there was plenty of room to walk or even ride (with caution).
Oct 4th, 2009 | 09:33 PM
#7
Joined: Jun 2009
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I went for the opening Saturday - mobbed but not claustrophobic. The bridge is amazing. Scenic Hudson has developed a 3 mile loop trail that takes you over the Walkway, through a part of the city of Poughkeepsie, up a ramp and across the bike/walking section of the Mid-Hudson auto bridge, and down the side road that leads to the other end of the Walkway. (I just walked over and back on Saturday, but saw people doing the loop.)
The Walkway has some Guide-By-Cell stations (call a cell number to hear more about what you read on a sign) and plans for education programs, both for the public and for school groups.
As an aside, I am scared of heights but not on this bridge. It does not have any "give", the concrete walkway panels are grouted so you don't look down under your feet and see the river, and the railings are almost shoulder-high and VERY sturdy (I was told they were built to withstand a fire truck hitting them at 60 mph). I was comfortable enough to lean over the side to get some photos, but felt a bit queasy when I saw people with kids riding on their shoulders. Yikes.
Within a year or so, there will be an elevator big enough for bikes so you can descend straight to the waterfront and skip walking inland over the city of Poughkeepsie. You'll be right by the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum and Waryas Park (waterfront), and also about a block from the Metro-North train station. You'll miss seeing the old buildings and industrial areas of the city. You can rent a Segway right by the train station - don't think there's a bike rental place yet but I'm sure it's coming ...
Some good places to eat - had great sushi at Akari Sushi; Andy's Place and River Station are in the shadow of the Walkway; Cafe Bocca is in the Mt. Carmel section under the Walkway that is the original neighborhood for the Italian bridge workers from the 1880's; up near the parking entrance in Poughkeepsie are Janet's Jerk Stop and Cafe Lola. You can find more on one of the map programs like Google Maps or Bing Maps.
The bridge is open from dawn to dusk, but be alert when walking around Poughkeepsie. Some areas are a bit sketchy.
This is my favorite project in my area - good for river lovers, naturalists, history buffs (especially bridge or railroad), hikers, and bikers. You get views just like the Hudson River School painters depicted. An added bonus - on a windy day, the bridge "sings" - whistles a high-pitched noise, especially in the middle. And keep your eyes peeled for the two rusting railroad signal towers left in place on the Poughkeepsie side - one just past the info kiosk heading toward the bridge, and one where the parking lot and path to the street diverge.
The Walkway has some Guide-By-Cell stations (call a cell number to hear more about what you read on a sign) and plans for education programs, both for the public and for school groups.
As an aside, I am scared of heights but not on this bridge. It does not have any "give", the concrete walkway panels are grouted so you don't look down under your feet and see the river, and the railings are almost shoulder-high and VERY sturdy (I was told they were built to withstand a fire truck hitting them at 60 mph). I was comfortable enough to lean over the side to get some photos, but felt a bit queasy when I saw people with kids riding on their shoulders. Yikes.
Within a year or so, there will be an elevator big enough for bikes so you can descend straight to the waterfront and skip walking inland over the city of Poughkeepsie. You'll be right by the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum and Waryas Park (waterfront), and also about a block from the Metro-North train station. You'll miss seeing the old buildings and industrial areas of the city. You can rent a Segway right by the train station - don't think there's a bike rental place yet but I'm sure it's coming ...
Some good places to eat - had great sushi at Akari Sushi; Andy's Place and River Station are in the shadow of the Walkway; Cafe Bocca is in the Mt. Carmel section under the Walkway that is the original neighborhood for the Italian bridge workers from the 1880's; up near the parking entrance in Poughkeepsie are Janet's Jerk Stop and Cafe Lola. You can find more on one of the map programs like Google Maps or Bing Maps.
The bridge is open from dawn to dusk, but be alert when walking around Poughkeepsie. Some areas are a bit sketchy.
This is my favorite project in my area - good for river lovers, naturalists, history buffs (especially bridge or railroad), hikers, and bikers. You get views just like the Hudson River School painters depicted. An added bonus - on a windy day, the bridge "sings" - whistles a high-pitched noise, especially in the middle. And keep your eyes peeled for the two rusting railroad signal towers left in place on the Poughkeepsie side - one just past the info kiosk heading toward the bridge, and one where the parking lot and path to the street diverge.
