Hudson, NY Road Trips

Hudson is an important city in the Hudson Valley that gained its wealth in the 19th century from whaling and as a result has a large number of historic buildings; it is also known for its art galleries, antique shops, and boutiques. The historic buildings and shops center on Warren St. but are also present on side and parallel streets for several blocks on either side of that street. If that's not enough, Hudson also features the 19th-century Hudson River School painter Frederick Church's beautiful country house, Olana, and its 250-acre estate, about 3 miles south of the center of town. A single afternoon walking down Warren St is a pleasant interlude, and a few days' visit is well worth the time if you can spare it.

1 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, is a beautiful Persian-influenced grand country house. 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. Various guided tours are offered, but even visiting when the interior of the villa is closed is well worth it. (updated Feb 2021) 2 Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren Street. New York State's oldest surviving theater, dating from 1855, offers a year-round schedule of arts and cultural programming. 3 Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, ☏ +1 518 822-1014. Located offshore, limited tours through Hudson Cruises. 4 FASNY Museum of Firefighting, 117 Harry Howard Ave, ☏ +1 518-822-1875. St. Mary's Church, 427 E Allen St (corner of E Court St), ☏ +1 518-828-1334. The history of this Catholic congregation goes back to the 17th century, but the current rather large church dates from 1929 and is a very striking example of neo-Gothic style, with elements of Flamboyant Gothic style in its decorated facade. Inside, there is a series of lovely stained glass windows, especially the wonderfully colorful rose windows. (updated Jul 2024)

Walk the length of Warren Street, from the river to the park, admiring the beautifully preserved architecture from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. Satisfy your aesthetic eye at the many galleries. Watch the boats sail up and down the Hudson River from the riverside park.

There are many restaurants in Hudson, especially on the upscale side. Quite a few are on Warren St, with additional ones on side streets up to a few blocks away. Beware that many are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; that even most of those that are open on those days close at 8PM; and that even those that are open after 8PM may not have room for you or might no longer be seating people outside. Wasabi Sushi, 807 Warren S, ☏ +1 518-822-1888. Feast and Floret, 13 South 3rd St (between Union St and Cherry Alley), ☏ +1 518-822-1500. Dinner daily, 5-10PM; lunch F-Su, noon-3PM. Creative Italian cuisine using many fresh local ingredients. One example is rye cavatelli with Tivoli mushrooms, scallions and Pecorino Romano cheese. Tivoli mushrooms are not from Italy but from the village of Tivoli about 16 miles south of Hudson. Antipasti and salads: $12-22; pasta: $23-28; vegetables: $12-14; meat & fish: $27-35; wine bottles run a wide gamut, but quite a few are between $43 and $57. (updated Aug 2024) Red Dot, 321 Warren St, ☏ +1 518 828-3657. Upscale bar and restaurant. Rivertown Tavern, 731 Warren Street (between Park Place and 8th St), ☏ +1 518-512-0954, [email protected]. F-W: 5-11PM (dinner served until 10); also open for brunch Sa-Su: 10AM-2PM. Very creative, delicious food and cocktails. Influenced by several cuisines including Italian, Japanese, French, Middle Eastern, Moroccan and Mexican, and all brought together successfully in an imaginative way.

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. Hudson Brewing Company, 60 S Front St.

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.

Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St, New Windsor, ☏ +1 845 564-2100. Albany International Airport, 737 Albany-Shaker Rd, Albany. 1 Hudson station, 69 South Front St. (updated Oct 2023) Operator: Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Dec 2020) Routes stopping in Hudson: Adirondack operating daily between Montreal and New York City including stops along the way in Saint-Lambert, Rouses Point, Plattsburgh, Westport, Ticonderoga, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Ethan Allen Express operating daily between Burlington and New York City including in Middlebury, Rutland, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Empire Service operating twice day between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City including stops in Buffalo, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Additional daily trips operate between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City. Maple Leaf operating daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and Niagara Falls (New York) include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls (Ontario). Stops between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City are the same as those made by the Empire Service.

The center of town and getting between it and the train station are walkable. To get further, such as to Olana, you will need a vehicle.