All Over Albany

How you get there matters, because getting there is half the fun

Part of the Albany riverfront was once known as Steamboat Square (shown here in 1921), where people would board steamships for travel along the Hudson River. / photo from Library of Congress via Wikipedia

By now, you probably know "The New York City People" have arrived in Hudson. Or as one writer for the BBC put it, the place has become "a far north weekend colony of New York City."

Like most Upstaters, I'm not impressed by people simply because they're from "New York." But I am impressed by how they come from New York to Hudson. They take the train, for two hours.

Not only does that demonstrate the appeal of Hudson, it demonstrates the appeal of traveling by train. Or any car-free and easy travel, really. The key word being easy.

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Growing from Hudson: Modern Farmer

Modern Farmer CEO/editor-in-chief Ann Marie Gardner in the magazine's Hudson office. / photo: David Harriman

With the fertile soil of the river banks and glacial till, the Hudson Valley has long been regarded as a prime location for farming. And now it's proving a productive place for a different take on agriculture.

Based out of a second-floor office on Warren Street in Hudson, Modern Farmer has become a global media brand. The magazine is, in its own words, "for window-herb growers, career farmers, people who have chickens, people who want to have chickens and anyone who wants to know more about how food reaches their plate." In just its first year of publishing, Modern Farmer has already won a National Magazine Award, and it's attracted attention online via features such as Goat Week (complete with a goat cam).

So why set up in Hudson? I asked Ann Marie Gardner, CEO/editor-in-chief of Modern Farmer, to find out.

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Architecture gawking in Hudson

AOA's summer tour is headed to Hudson this weekend, so we thought it'd be fun to have Hudson Week on AOA. Each day we'll be featuring posts about things to do, see, and sample in this city on the river.

One of the interesting things about Hudson is the architecture. It's filled with fascinating old spaces in a wide variety of architectural styles.

After the jump, a few interesting Hudson buildings that have found new lives...

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A perspective on Hudson's renaissance

AOA's summer tour is headed to Hudson this weekend, so we thought it'd be fun to have Hudson Week on AOA. Each day we'll be featuring posts about things to do, see, and sample in this city on the river.

Carole Osterink has her eyes on Hudson. The creator of The Gossips of Rivertown -- a blog of news and commentary about the city of Hudson -- has been writing about the city for more than four years, and has observed its evolution over two decades, including some time on the Hudson City Council.

There's been a great deal of change over those 20 years, and while Hudson has only recently made it onto the radar of many people outside the city, she says the "overnight success" has actually bee a long time in the making.

Osterink took some time out this week to answer a few questions and share some of her observations about Hudson's renaissance.

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Eating in Hudson: 5-10-15-20

AOA's summer tour is headed to Hudson this weekend, so we thought it'd be fun to have Hudson Week on AOA. Each day we'll be featuring posts about things to do, see, and sample in this city on the river.

For being only a thirty minute drive from Albany, Hudson feels like another world, especially in the gastronomical sense. A distinctive West Village vibe permeates the eateries and food shops that dot either side of Warren Street, to the point that even the staff seems as though they probably arrived at work from a two bedroom overpriced apartment that seven unrelated people live in.

Thankfully, the prices in the Hudson dining scene haven't yet reached skyscraper heights. On a recent trip I challenged myself to eat on a $5-$10-$15-$20 budget for the day. I would find a meal at each price point.

The criteria were that the food had to be 1) delicious and 2) an adequate serving for the price. With joints like Fish and Game and Crimson Sparrow - both run by top NYC chefs who moved up the Hudson - I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anything beyond quick grab-and-go options (a tasting menu at Fish and Game is $75. Add wine pairings and it's another $75).

I couldn't have been more wrong.

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Shopping Hudson with Jess and Kaitlin

AOA's summer tour is headed to Hudson this weekend, so we thought it'd be fun to have Hudson Week on AOA. Each day we'll be featuring posts about things to do, see, and sample in this city on the river. Today, fashionistas and vintage aficionadas Kaitlin Resler and Jessica Bellflower take us shopping on Warren Street.

Kaitlin:
For me the draw of Hudson is the variety of vintage shops dotted around the area. Being able to hop around to several places full of treasures is a real treat (most of the time a given area has one, maybe two spots of this kind)! There is, though, a real variety of the shopping in Hudson, and that's part of what I really enjoy about it. There are a few spots that are must-go places for me on each visit, but I still find some new little shop tucked away!

And there are some neat specialty stores like a little hat shop -- the kinds of specialty shops you don't see much of in this area -- that take fashion to a different level.

Jess:
I always regarded Hudson as total eye-candy, but completely unattainable (for us). But then I re-explored Hudson with Kaitlin. Since she grew up in this area, she knew where we could shop that wouldn't break the bank. We did stand outside the windows of some of the high-end antique shops on Warren St and drool... but it was refreshing to find a few shops that could fit most budgets! Here's a heads up -- Hudson shopping has some tricky hours (lots of weekday closures or handwritten signs on the front doors that simply say "be back soon" or "reopening in July") and it has some seriously valuable antiques, but don't be intimidated: there's something for everyone there and you'll gather inspiration from all those swanky window displays!

Here are a few Hudson finds from our most recent shopping adventure...

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