Hudson (New York) - city and the county seat of Columbia County, New York, United States

Hudson is a city in Columbia County, New York.

Understand

Hudson is an important city in the Hudson Valley that is known for its art galleries, antique shops, and boutiques, and also for blocks upon blocks of beautiful historic buildings. These center on Warren St. but are also present in large numbers on the parallel Columbia St. and some side streets. Hudson is worth at least a detour if not more.

Get in

By plane

• Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St, New Windsor, +1 845 564-2100 .
• Albany International Airport, 737 Albany-Shaker Rd, Albany.

By train

• Amtrak, +1-800-USA-RAIL . Rail service to Hudson station, 69 South Front St, from New York City's Penn Station to the south and Albany and Montreal, Canada to the north.

By car

US Route 9 is the main road for access to Hudson. State Routes 9G and 23B, which constitute Columbia St. and S. 3rd St. within city limits, are major streets in the center of town. Columbia St. actually forms one end of 7th St. Park, which is the city green. Watch out for traffic along these streets, as they are also truck routes.

A bit south of Hudson, the Rip Van Winkle Bridge traverses the Hudson River and enables access to and from the town of Catskill, on the west side of the river, and the Catskills, further afield.

Get around

The center of town is walkable. To get further, you will need a vehicle.

See

• Olana State Historic Site, 5720 State Route 9G, +1 518 828-0135. The mountain-top villa of Frederic Church, one of the most prominent Hudson River painters and one of the United States' most significant artists. From the hilltop home there are sweeping views of the Catskills, the Hudson River, and the Taconic Hills. Grounds are open year round for walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, and other activities. 2021-02-18
• Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren Street, 42.2521°, -73.7904°. New York State's oldest surviving theater, dating from 1855, offers a year round schedule of arts and cultural programming.
• Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, 42.252222°, -73.808889°, +1 518 822-1014. Located offshore, limited tours through Hudson Cruises.
• FASNY Museum of Firefighting, 117 Harry Howard Ave, 42.256868°, -73.779227°, +1 518-822-1875.

Do

Walk the length of Warren Street, from the river to the park, admiring the beautifully preserved turn-of-the-20th-century architecture.

Satisfy your aesthetic eye at the many galleries.

Watch the boats sail up and down the Hudson River from the riverside park.

Buy

Hudson has a huge number of art galleries and antique stores for a town of its size as well as fashion, fabric, and other craft studios.

• John Doe Books and Records, 4 Park Place, +1 518 212-7653. 12-5. Hundreds of used records and books.
• The Spotty Dog, 440 Warren Street. Bookstore/art supply store with a great selection, doubles as a bar/cafe.

Eat

Budget

• Organic Market Breakfast and lunch.
• Kennedy Fried Chicken, 320 Warren St, +1 518 828-5922.
• Diamond Street Diner, 717 Warren St, +1 518 828-2131.

Mid-range

• Wasabi Sushi.

Splurge

• Red Dot, 321 Warren St, +1 518 828-3657. Upscale bar and restaurant.
• Ca' Mea, 333 Warren St, +1 518 822-0005. Italian fish, pasta, and meats.
• Mexican Radio, 537 Warren St, +1 518 828-7770. Mexican food and margaritas.
• Vico, 136 Warren St, +1 518 828-6529. Tuscan cuisine, with local ingredients.

Drink

• The Spotty Dog, 440 Warren Street. Bookstore/Bar with a handful of excellent local artisan ales on tap for reasonable prices. Also hosts interesting musical performances, usually on weekends.
• Taproom (located in the St. Charles Hotel). 10 beers on tap. Happy hour specials. 25 cent wings & 2 dollar pints on Wednesdays.
• Hudson Brewing Company, 60 S Front St.

Sleep

• St. Charles Hotel, 16-18 Park Place, +1 518 822-9900. $69-$109, including continental breakfast.
• Mount Merino Manor Bed and Breakfast, 4317 State Route 23 (Next to Olana Historic Site, a mile east of the Hudson River), +1 518-828-5583.

Go next

• Rhinebeck, a charming town with pretty historic buildings though perhaps less spectacular than the stretch along Warren St., is about 35-40 minutes to the south via Route 9G
• Kingston, the state's first capital, has three historic zones and would take more than a day to fully explore. 35- to 50-minute drive to the south and on the other side of the river from Hudson and Rhinebeck.
• The Catskills are to the east, across the Rip Van Winkle Bridge
• Albany, the state capital, is about a 45- to 60-minute drive north
• Troy, about 45-60 minutes to the north, has an impressive ensemble of 19th- and early 20th-century urban buildings; as it was more built-up in its heyday than Hudson, the style of the buildings is considerably different and worth seeing by contrast
• The Berkshires of Massachusetts are about a 40- to 60-minute drive to the east