The key to living in New York City is knowing when to get the hell out of Dodge. Those reprieves are obviously fewer and farther between during the pandemic! Our first real escape out of town (apart from my work trips to the North Fork) in 2020 was in August, when we spent a three-day weekend in Hudson. Hudson is the largest town in the Hudson Valley, which was one of my favourite destinations for a short break from New York City. We spent the weekend in Hudson, and were completely charmed!
This was our fourth trip to the Hudson Valley in Upstate New York, but the first time we’d stayed overnight! We’d already made day trips to Beacon & Cold Spring in summer, a day spent apple picking in Peekskill in autumn and a winter day trip to Tarrytown in January, before all hell broke loose. I wrote this post shortly after our trip, and never got around to adding photos & hitting publish – I’ve left the post as I’d originally written it, and have checked that anywhere I’ve linked to is still operating.
Where is Hudson & Why Visit?
Hudson is one of the oldest cities in the USA, with a long history dating back to 1785. It began as a trading port and whaling town (eek), and has gone through booms and busts over the centuries. In modern times, the city went bust in the post-industrial 70s and 80s as factories closed and the city ground to a halt. Antiques dealers and artists were the first to make the most of the cheap rents, and paved the way for Hudson’s revival.
Now, it’s more like a stylish northern outpost of Brooklyn. It’s extra popular this year with Manhattanites and Brooklynites making a permanent move out of the city. Hudson is just 2.5 hours north of New York City via train, and the area is simply gorgeous, so I can see why the move is so tempting. The town’s heritage architecture has been carefully restored, and the surrounding landscapes are idyllic. It’s easy to see why the region inspired the Hudson River School, one of the most important artistic movements in the United States.
For any Gossip Girl fans reading, Hudson is the town that the Humphreys’ mother flees to when she leaves her family. Hudson is pretty great so I can see why the fictional Alison Humphrey decided to escape Brooklyn.
Related: The most charming small towns in the USA
Saturday: Backbar & Warren Street
We took Amtrak’s Empire Line from Penn Station. People moan about Penn Station being a labyrinthine hellscape, and it is for the most part true. You really do need to leave extra time for getting lost. This is nothing like Grand Central, and is the most confusing transport terminal I’ve ever visited.
The train trip is pleasant, as it hugs the Hudson River, but I was a little annoyed at how Amtrak filled the carriages. They advertise that the trains will run at limited capacity, but Amtrak staff direct passengers to fill carriages based on their destination. Our trip to Hudson wasn’t too bad, but on our return trip the carriage was jammed. What do I care if 30% of the train is totally empty, if my carriage is full?
Hudson B&B
Hudson’s train station is only a couple of blocks from the centre of town, where we were staying, at Hudson B&B. Just off the main drag, Warren Street, Hudson B&B is perfectly located and has the most charming host I’ve ever met, Carolyn. You can see her design school credentials throughout the B&B, which has heritage chic décor without being remotely twee or stuffy. I could move in! Carolyn is so warm and friendly, and full of great recommendations and local knowledge – we had lots of good chats over the course of our stay. And delicious breakfasts! Staying here has ruined me for all other B&B experiences.
Backbar
It was a sweltering summer’s day, so we went on a mission to find somewhere to relax in the shade – ideally with a cold drink in hand. Backbar was just the ticket – a relaxed outdoor patio, with frozen cocktails and a BBQ smoker out the back. I don’t eat meat, so I had a delicious Asian-inspired salad, and gelato from an ice cream shop housed in a cubby house.
I love that first moment when you get out of New York City and you feel the stress slipping away. You yourself taking deep breaths, your heart rate slowing down and your mind settling. You don’t even realise how much low level stress you’re living with until it slips away. On this trip, that moment was at Backbar.
We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering up and down Warren Street. It’s the town’s high street, and has 8 blocks of pretty architecture, antique stores and bars and restaurants. It was still boiling, even by the late afternoon, so we relaxed back at the room for a while before dinner.
Swoon
We didn’t have a reservation for dinner, but we got lucky with a walk-in table at Swoon. Carolyn later told us how lucky we were – it’s one of the most popular restaurants in Hudson and usually requires a reservation. I think a sign of a good restaurant is when you can see three or more dishes you really want to try – I could have dined at Swoon all weekend! I settled on the summery tomato salad, which was heaven. We had a stroll around town after dinner, and a drink at natural wine bar Lawrence Park, before heading home. I was smitten with Hudson already!
Sunday: Olana House & The Maker Hotel
We started our day with a beautiful breakfast prepared by Carolyn, followed by coffee at Moto Coffee on Warren Street. This is easily the loveliest B&B breakfast I’ve ever had! The hot apple cider donuts were to die for.
Olana House
We booked a cab to take us to Olana House & State Historic Preserve, which is one of the main attractions in the region.
One of Hudson’s claims to fame is the 19th century artistic movement, The Hudson River School. This was a movement of landscape painters and artists inspired by the beauty of the Hudson River Valley. One of the major painters of the movement, Frederic Church, designed a mansion and grounds, that today is a NY State Park.
Due to Covid, we couldn’t tour inside the house, but it was worth a visit for the architecture and the setting alone. When we got back to town, we spent the rest of the afternoon shopping at antiques and homewares stores, and I picked up a lovely hand blown glass vase.
Dinner & Drinks
We had a reservation at WM Farmer & Sons, one of the most popular restaurants in town. We swung by Hudson Brewing Co. beforehand, which was a little hard to find, as it’s in the middle of a large carpark near the train station, but had such a nice time once we were there. Totally relaxed and laidback, they had a great range of interesting craft beers for David and were not fussed that I wasn’t going to drink any beer. The sangria I had instead didn’t taste much like sangria I’ve had anywhere before, but it did the job! I honestly could have hung out here all afternoon, the bartender, Lauren, was so warm and welcoming, and the space just had a really great vibe.
WM Farmer & Sons was only open for outdoor dining when we visited, so we were dining on a pebbled patio underneath a large tent. I didn’t get a peek at the interiors, but the outdoor dining area is casual but lovely. I wasn’t wild about the deconstructed parma I ordered, but it was the only meat-free dish on the menu that day, and they don’t offer substitutions to any dishes.
The highlight of our evening was undoubtedly the Lounge at The Maker Hotel. Not only is it totally moody, secluded and gorgeous, but the service was warm and attentive, the cocktails spectacular and the cheeseboard one of the best I’ve had in …ever? I was in HEAVEN the entire time I was there, and would 100% have returned had we had another night. I wish we’d come for dinner, the menu looks great.
Monday
We started our day with another marvellous breakfast from Carolyn, and then got coffee at The Maker Cafe, on her recommendation. I had some sort of fruit-studded scone, which was delicious, and a solid coffee. We spent the morning browsing Hudson’s many charming antique stores, before heading to Promenade Hill Park, to take in the gorgeous views over the Hudson River.
It was SO hot, so after we walked back into town we stopped by the super cute Verdigris Chocolate & Tea Shop for an iced tea on the patio. We had an early evening train back to the city, so we spent our final hour or so hanging out in the lovely shaded garden of Red Dot with another cool drink, before we boarded the Amtrak back to the city.
I fell head over heels for Hudson on our first visit, and I was so desperate to get back there before we left New York City. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be but I’d highly recommend it as a weekend trip to anyone spending an extended period of time in New York City.
Do you have any favourite spots in New York State, outside the city? Let me know in the comments!