Whether they live in the towns of Hudson or Woodstock, many people who call this region home have a zeal for supporting local businesses. In the smaller villages and towns, you won’t see a lot of national chains on the main streets. Local farmers’ markets and artisan shops thrive, and the liberal culture here means that folks take buying organic or free range seriously.
The river and its sublime locales have long captured the imagination of travelers. It was the first region where steamboats enabled travel over the water on a regular schedule, and it was also an important commercial route for European merchants who sought out new trade opportunities in Asia.
While the river’s history of exploration and commerce has made it one of the most iconic cultural regions in the nation, modern-day life in the mid-Hudson Valley is just as fascinating and diverse as its historical legacy. Small homesteads first settled by Dutch immigrants, aristocratic palaces on private estates, and industry-friendly river towns coexist in the region, creating a distinctively American cultural landscape with rich texture and depth.
The first time I visited the mid-Hudson Valley, I was taken by its utter variety and diversity. It’s a place where small homesteads are still rooted in the land, but the burgeoning Bangladeshi and Caribbean communities have diversified the local economy and brought new energy to some of the region’s old-time downtowns. It’s a place where you can find status-obsessed shoppers browsing the antique wares of Warren Street, as well as affluent retirees escaping to their weekend retreats on the shores of Lake Tear of the Clouds.
And it’s a place where you can taste some of the best wine and spirits in New York State. Vineyards, orchards, and farms have proliferated here in recent years, and sustainable-food champion Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and avant garde art centers such as Dia:Beacon and Storm King Art Center are among the region’s leading cultural institutions.
The area’s pristine lakes and mountains also make for an ideal backdrop for outdoor activities. You can find miles of hiking and biking trails, and the Hudson Valley National Heritage Area has designated more than 175 sites, ranging from the Palisades and the Hudson Highlands in Westchester County to the Catskills and Dutchess counties in Ulster and Hudson. The region is also home to small liberal arts colleges such as Bard, Vassar, Marist, Mount Saint Mary, and Sarah Lawrence. Their students are a source of constant intellectual and cultural renewal in the community.