Highlights of a Hudson Overnight

Updated October 2021 with pandemic info

Discovering Hudson

How would you like to escape New York City to Hudson and experience the top things to do in Hudson?

The first time I hear of Hudson is from a former boss who likes to explore new Upstate New York restaurants. He comes in on a Monday and gushes about this little Upstate town that is so serene but with an abundance of boutique stores, galleries and the like.

He discovers Hudson in the Amtrak seat magazine on his way to Albany the previous month and it hooks him. “Interesting”, I say. “I’ll look into it”.

Since then, every time I check train prices for Hudson, they are $70 on average. A return would be about $150 to escape New York City to Hudson and that is just too much for a local trip. Sadly, I put Hudson away until I see an ad stating that Amtrak has reduced train fares. Say what now??

The frugalista in me still wants to see if I can get cheaper tickets so I go on to Wanderu, enter in dates for Hudson and get $38 Amtrak tickets *insert happy dance*. I hurriedly purchase a return trip and set about searching for a b’n’b. Even though I am staying overnight, I still want somewhere cozy and comfortable but every one I contact is crazy expensive!

I see why this is: there are no hotel chains in Hudson and b’n’bs are in historic homes with beautiful architecture and interior. The pictures stun me and as I much as I love them and want to stay there, I cannot fathom $600 per night! Yes. You read that right. One stunning bnb with Edwardian interior is $600 a night.

I do the Googles and discover 26 Warren BnB so call and inquire on rates. The owner, David Brown, is so pleasant to speak to and I get a rate of $270 per night, which isn’t cheap but is the cheapest rate out of all my Hudson bnb inquiries. Sigh. Ah well. Thank God I can afford it and it is a splurge for me but it will be worth it … I hope.

I pay a deposit and I know that I will have a pleasant time when David emails me restaurant details and things to see in the Hudson area and on their main street, which is actually on Warren Street. How many hotels/bnbs you’ve stayed in in the past or even now do that? For me, never.

Escape New York City to Hudson: Hudson Overnight

Fridays are slow at work with weekly conference calls at 1 pm so I usually work from home unless my manager is in town, and my colleague does the same thing on Thursdays because he has small children. My train is at 11.20 am and arrival time is 1.20 pm so I figure that I can listen in to the call on mute till I arrive Hudson.

I leave home 90 mins early to get to Penn Station. The commute takes 40mins, tops, but I see on Twitter that there are northbound delays and we city dwellers know what that means. I wasn’t taking any chances, mate! I’d rather wait around than miss the train, so off to Penn I go.

Believe it or not, this is my first Amtrak ride but I have taken Metro-North out of Grand Central to Connecticut and parts of Westchester. It is also my first overnight city escape within the state and I’m so chuffed to finally be going on one. This is part of my resolve to maximize and get more out of travels with the limited PTO we are given here in America and I’m slowly doing that each chance I get.

I board the train heading to Albany and settle in for the ride. I hear that the best view is from the left side of the train, alas, no available seats there so I settle for the right hand side and just chill. Amtrak has free WiFi so I browse a bit and empty my head. At 1 pm, I join the conference call, put it on mute and take pictures and video of the view. I can imagine all that green being deep reds, browns and oranges in the fall and I just might return for this.

Before you have a fit, the call is one of those corporate ones where there’s a call to discuss the previous week’s call and more people attend than actually work on the project so don’t think I’m being fickle with my work. We’re nearing Hudson at this point and I lose reception. Just as well.

Arrival: Hudson!

The train pulls in and we disembark … onto the tracks. Huh?! There’s no platform and the conductors place little yellow stools in front of the steps because the distance between the steps and the ground is a bit, especially if you have luggage. Anyone with bad knees or back regardless of age will appreciate the stools greatly.

It’s a gorgeous sunny day and I almost regret wearing my mac and boots even though rain is in the forecast. The station is so tiny with red and blue benches that stand out in the shining sun and I love it already! Off to find a cab to my bnb on 26 Warren Street.

I see only two cabs and they’re both full so I ask one of the drivers if there are more cabbies arriving and he says “no”. I could wait and see but it’s a no. Huh?! No cabs?? I pull out Uber and it pretty much tells me that they don’t exist in Hudson. Yikes!

Ok now…

Here I am in an empty station at this point with no transport. I previously looked up the distance between the b’n’b and the station and while it isn’t far on Google maps, I was worried that it would be over a highway, bridge or something. I have no choice now and pull up Google maps for directions and start walking.

 

Escaping NYC to Hudson: 26 Warren Bed ‘n’ Breakfast

So far, so good…

No highways, no unsafe roads, just a very, very quiet walk on a gorgeous spring day. I get to the b’n’b and the whole walk is no more than 5 minutes, seriously. I walk up to the door and use the door knocker. The last time I used one was back in England and I have good memories of that time.

I meet David and get shown to my en-suite room, Avedisian. Each en-suite room has a name – Edwardian, Kiki, Studio – but mine is super special because it has its own private veranda and an extra bed.

This whole space is larger than my studio in Brooklyn and I am literally gushing over the space and decor. I’m a New Yorker and anything larger than a cubicle for living space is huge.

There’s a heat exchanger in the room and David turns it on to cool and the combo of a cool room, a yuuuge bed and cozy bedding almost sends me to sleep but I need to explore as I’ve got a night and rain is expected tomorrow.

Escaping NYC to Hudson: Exploring Hudson

First, a little history.

Hudson in Columbia County, is a former whaling port founded so that ships could slip out to sea without attracting the attention of the Royal Navy.

Over time, whaling declines and new industries emerge in the town bringing with it illicit brothels and gambling houses. This continues until the 1950s when these illicit establishments are raided by the FBI and proprietors get arrested thus bringing it to an end.

Now, Hudson has completely reinvented itself and is considered Upstate New York’s Downtown because of its abundance of boutique stores, galleries, antiques, hand-made and artisanal foods, clothing and skincare products, fine dining for every price point, LGBT friendly vibe, green space and quaint charm.

 

Top Things To Do In Hudson: Hudson Overnight

These boots are made for walking!

One thing that strikes me about Hudson is the quiet … and then I get it. There are no buses. There’s no public transport here and you either have a car, bike or walk.

There is virtually no Uber presence in Hudson and I don’t know if it’s due to the off-season – I’m here a week before Memorial Day – or it’s always like this. I mention this to a store owner and she confirms that her friend is the sole Uber driver in the area. Lol.

Warren Street is the main thoroughfare with stores, galleries, restaurants and the like, and it begins at 1st St and ends at 7th St, or as the locals call it: the 100s to the 700s. You can walk the length of the town while hitting points of interest like Hudson Area Library, Historic Cedar Park Cemetary and Hudson Hall at the Hudson Opera House.

 Shop and eat till you drop.

I start at 1st and walk down Warren, stopping to take photos and enter the myriad of shops along the way. I pass Verdigris Tea & Chocolate selling delicious hot chocolate, several tea flavours, tea accessories and fresh pastries. It takes all my willpower not to go in so I quickly walk past because I’m starving at this point and require sustenance in the form of carbs.

It’s past 3pm and I’m in search of a restaurant to sate my hunger. I am informed by David that Fish and Game is too expensive, so I keep walking. There’s Or Gallery & Tavern, another restaurant, but I see a sign outside stating that dinner begins at 5pm. Sigh. I keep walking again.

There are a fair number of art & design galleries with amazing pieces on display: Limner Gallery, Joan Damiani and Jeff Bailey Gallery, textile and furniture shops like Fern Handcrafted Furniture and Kea Carpets & Kilims, flower shops and jewellery stores.

I walk past Good Fight Herb Co. and enter the establishment. It’s a small store packed with natural herb syrups and tinctures made by the owner, Lauren. She also carries natural honey made by a beekeeper friend and the honey line is called Anarchy Apiaries. Lol. I love the name…and natural honey, so I buy a jar and a bottle of Mighty Iron syrup. Still hungry, I continue my forage for food.

I pass by Talbott & Arding, a food shop selling all kinds of cheese, fresh baked goods, organic fruit, artisanal chocolates, honey, relishes and chips. I’m so spolit for choice but manage to get some haul to take back to Brooklyn. I’m trying to restrain myself from gobbling a pie because I’m so starved. Onward, soldier!

There are well recommended restaurants like Red Dot, Ca’Mea, Nolita, Spotty Dog and other eateries but they all begin dinner at 5, and it’s nowhere near 5. Can I wait that long or should I give in and eat cake?? Decisions, decisions. No. Carbs are calling my name right now. Something will turn up.

My hunger is temporarily forgotten by Queen Anne architecture, coloured facades – if you’ve read my Copenhagen posts, you know my love for coloured buildings – an abundance of high-end galleries and studios next to antique stores, quaint bookshops and fancy beauty salons.

There is a socially-conscious store, Tradewinds, selling fair-trade products made by global artisans from marginalized communities. A laudable act.

I spot City Hall in Federal ( I think…) style architecture but what gets me is the City Court and Enforcement building. They are literally one tiny building and honestly, it’s just too cute. Lol. Just when I’m positive I’m going to pass out with hunger, I spy beautiful, purple open windows with flowers. The colours are very striking and I wonder what kind of store it is.

I peep and spy tables and cutlery. *Gasp* A restaurant? An open restaurant before 5pm?? Please, Lord, please… I look up and see its name – Mexican Radio – and I enter. Yes, brethren. They are open for food any and all time. Hallelujah! I order arroz con habichuelas negras y platanos and a glass of red sangria. Aaahhh!! I can think straight now.

#Top Things to do in Hudson, NY

2020 Hudson Pandemic Update

I escape New York City to Hudson in September 2020 as part of my quest to travel local, in light of travel restrictions for the U.S. This time, I go on a road trip with a friend whose first time it is to Hudson.

We park at the Amtrak station on Front Street and walk the now familiar route to Warren Street. The first thing we notice is a large Black Lives Matter chalk mural on the road, and of course, we stop to take pictures.

We walk a bit more and it is obvious that the pandemic is affecting this beautiful city because the lovely galleries and shops I saw last time were either closed, practicing social distancing with two patrons allowed inside, or taking curbside orders till further notice. Either way, there is a strict mask-wearing guideline enforced in Hudson.

Verdigris Tea & Chocolate is open with no entry restrictions

Good Fight Herb Co. where I had previously bought tonics my first time, is closed and taking online orders.

Talbott & Arding is taking curbside orders only.

Mexican Radio, the restaurant that assuaged my hunger, is closed for good.

Tradewinds, the socially-conscious store, is open and allowing patrons inside without restrictions.

This leads me to believe that bar mask-wearing enforcement, each business chooses whether or not to take curbside deliveries or online orders as they please.

Enough of pandemic news; let’s read the top things to do in Hudson on Warren Street.

 

Top Things To Do In Hudson: Hudson Overnight

🍕 Clam pie from Oak Pizza Napoletana on Warren St. It was so good, I wish I had space for an extra box to bring home!

🍷 A drink from the bar at The Maker Hotel with its intimate, Victorian-esque decor with a fragrance room, a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, curated antiques, mood colours, lighting, and drapery.

🍩 Macarons and pastries from Nine Cakes. The Macarons are a four-bite size.

⛴ Ferry to Athens across the Hudson for the Athens lighthouse. There are also ferry rides for sunsets and fall colours till October.

🏖 There is Oakdale beach in the area. Obviously, it’s no Hawai’i or even Coney Island, but it is a pleasant escape especially during lockdowns.

🌅 Hudson Waterfront, near the Amtrak Station, with lovely views over the Hudson.

🎲 Socially conscious clothing, games, sauces, candles, arts & crafts from Tradewinds. Merchandise is handmade by women and marginalized communities across the globe.

Quiet Botanist. A hidden botany shop full of living plants, edible flowers, and a zen atmosphere so chill that you feel your stress dissolve into vapours.

 

The grass is always green…in green spaces

There are a number of playgrounds and green spaces within Hudson ideal for whiling away time with or without a picnic basket, and they are:

7th St Park Public Square, Oakdale Lake on N 6th St, Promenade Hill Park on Warren and Front Streets with views of the Hudson River and Henry Hudson Waterfront Park behind the train station. Apparently, hiking is possible behind the train station so if you’re game, don’t forget your boots.

 

Row, row, row your boat gently down … to Athens

One of the best activities to do in Hudson is the ferry ride to Athens for the lighthouse tour.

The ride is by Hudson Cruises departing from the waterfront park and it sails to a brick lighthouse which has been present since the 1870s. Tours of the lighthouse are available to imagine what it was for the keeper and his family to live up there and I really hope to experience this one day.

Beyond Hudson Historic District

If you’re curious about what lies outside Hudson, there’s Omi Conservancy. Technically, it’s in Ghent, but by car it’s about 15mins from Hudson. Omi has artwork and architectural works on natural landscape and as such, there are no paved grounds therefore arrive with sturdy, waterproof boots, depending on the season.

There is a park, gallery and cafe present and it seems to be somewhere to visit if you’re into art or just want to explore more. Read more about Omi here.

Top Things To Do In Hudson: It’s a party in the USA!

There are parades and festivals happening in Hudson from Memorial Day through December, namely:

• Hudson Children’s Book Festival – May
• Design Hudson – May
• Flag Day Parade – June
• Hudson Pride – June
• Hudson River Exchange Summer Market – June
• Basilica Farm & Flea Festival -May & November
• Hudson Black Arts & Cultural Festival – August
• Bed Races -September (I’m curious as to what this is…)
• Basilica Soundscape – September
• Bangladeshi Festival – September
• Halloween Parade – November
• Winter Walk – December

Departing Hudson

David at the BnB is such a darling. Check-out time is late morning because another guest is expected but I’m allowed to wait in the parlour till I’m ready to leave. Seriously, I don’t want to leave. It takes effort to even get out of bed because it is so cozy! Sigh.

I have breakfast of yoghurt granola fruit parfait and scrambled eggs, plantains and tomato salad with chutney. It is all so delicious, I tell you. I have very interesting conversation with the other residents and they’re from NYC too. What are the odds? Lol.

I learn that a lot of people escape New York City to Hudson and don’t mind the 2hr commute to Penn Station. They can get more house for their money and a better quality of life than in the city.

Just for comparison, one of my companions mentions calling about an apartment for rent in Hudson and is told $1100! My studio in Brooklyn costs more. She’s currently considering a move if she can arrange with her company to work remotely and come in twice a week.

It’s raining heavily and that halts any plans of last minute exploration I have in mind but no worries, it is very warm and comfortable inside and I lie on the chaise anglaise to read till 5.45pm, before I start heading for the train at 6.38.

Bear in mind that there is no 24/7 station agent so make sure you already have a return ticket for departure else I’m unsure if you can purchase tickets on the train.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

I enjoy escaping New York City to Hudson and I hope to explore more of Upstate New York while maximizing vacation days with a full-time job.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the top things to do in Hudson this pandemic period and remember that social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines are in play in Hudson and New York State.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to comment, share and Pin the graphic below! xoxo

 

*Musings and Adventures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.*

 

Sharing is caring! xx