For a 0.6 square mile hamlet on the Hudson River, Cold Spring draws a tremendous amount of attention to itself. Just 90 minutes by train from New York City, it’s an almost too easy day trip for NYCers, who flock for the pretty shops and the climb up Breakneck Ridge.
The sheer cliff hike is perhaps Cold Spring’s most prominent attraction, so much so that the Metro North train has a dedicated stop at the base of the mountain. But the famous trail is also a sticking point for locals, who can no longer access or enjoy the nature walk which features the best views of the Hudson (immortalized by Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School) during the hours. peak. Likewise, on weekends, Main Street crowds become impossible to negotiate while having a coffee at Cold Spring Coffee House or a beer at Doug’s Pretty Good Pub.
That aside, Cold Spring is popular for good reason. This waterfront village of bright Victorian cottages and Italian-style country villas set in a dramatic bend in the Hudson River retains that elusive ‘Little American Town’ ideal, while still being quite chic. to inspire the envy of Brooklyn hipsters and Manhattan jet setters. look alike. In addition, there is a castle. Who doesn’t want to live out their Cinderella fantasies for a day?
Cold Spring dazzles not only for its history, but also for its current iteration as a hamlet teeming with cultural institutions, nature expeditions, and the coolest contemporary produce on the market (nothing old to see here, folks. !).
MORE: Where to live in Putnam County: Cold Spring
Avoid the crowds and try a decidedly unconventional tour through this pretty village. Cold Spring is one hour and 25 minutes from New York and 30 minutes from Poughkeepsie on the Metro North Hudson Line; an hour’s drive from Kingston; or 2 hours from Albany. (Note that Amtrak doesn’t stop at Cold Spring.)
Morning in cold spring
For a total change of perspective, see Cold Spring from the water – and Bannerman Castle too – on a kayaking tour around Pollepel Island.
Your RiveraMost day trippers start their day with a robust bite of Hudson Hil’s (129-131 Main Street), with its porch and famous all day breakfast including eggs in many ways. Instead, head to Foundry cafe (65 Main Street) for a good coffee, pancakes on weekends, a potato and cheese egg or a classic BEC.
After you’ve refueled, it’s time to explore Cold Spring’s Main Street, the heart of the city. It is best known for its antique shops, but is now also dotted with curious vendors who cater to a range of goods and moods.
Old souls (63 Main Street) Nearly ten years ago, a hiking boutique appeared that brings the hiking lifestyle to both seasoned mountaineers and those who don’t even have hiking boots. It has the offerings we’ve come to expect from Patagonia, Yeti, and Helly Hansen, but also has its own line of adventure-inspired gear with an instantly recognizable logo (especially in the northeast).
In the same way, Cold Spring Apothecary (75 Main Street) has both the health and beauty products and retail experience that may seem more familiar in Williamsburg (Brooklyn), Silver Lake (Los Angeles), Le Marais (Paris), or even “Schitt’s Creek” ( TV). The apothecary moved here in 2011, paving the way for holistic wellness and locally sourced ingredients that will be commonplace in the bathroom vanities of the chic and famous.
Adjoining the shop is the Wellness home, a full-service salon, spa and dispensary for teas, ointments and other essences. Find everything from their own herbal bug spray and signature scents to post-hike facials in this feel-good, better-looking emporium.
What started out as a vintage Etsy store, Poor Georges (64 Main Street) arrived in 2018 and has since become a hotspot in the city, filling its 70s-inspired walls with a collection of signature jewelry, effortless country outfits, table decor, and plenty of planter boxes from interior.
Speaking of plants, the beloved nursery and design boutique whose motto is “Plant life chose me”, Savage has an annex inside Poor George, as well as a stand-alone location (135 Main Street) where they also organize workshops and special events.
Walk down Main Street to the water’s edge, where you can not only enjoy six acres Dockside park and the Cold Spring Pier which offers stunning views of Storm King Mountain, but you can also rent kayaks to explore the bounty that makes Cold Spring so beloved: the Hudson River. Hudson River Tours offers hourly rentals of kayaks, paddleboards and canoes for self-guided exploration, as well as a 3-hour guided excursion to Bannerman Castle. The stone castle, which was built in the early 1900s to house the inventory and ammunition for a military store and abandoned in 1950, sits atop Pollepel Island.
Cold spring afternoon
Magazzino is home to a collection of world-class Italian modern art and is a short drive from Manitoga, a modernist arts and crafts complex.
Photo by Marco Anelli. Courtesy of Magazzino Italian Art.Now that you’ve been sweating and starting to get hungry, the empanadas are Argentinian Rincon Cafe (21 Main Street) are no longer a splashing secret, but remain the tastiest takeout in town, along with decadent chocolate ice cream – the enrichment you’ll need to get to Magazzino Italian Art.
Six minutes to downtown Cold Spring by car (without a car? Book a cab with Alleys Way Car Service) or via the free shuttle service from Cold Spring Metro North Station, Magazzino (2700 United States 9) dazzled the art world and the inhabitants of the state with its free entry to the building designed by Miguel Quismondo housing a collection of world-class Italian modern art.
It is the leading institution focused on post-war and contemporary Italian works, including a solid roster of artists from Arte Povera, from Michelangelo Pistoletto, Happy Mirror, to Guiseppe Penone, and Conceptual Swindler. Alighiero Boetti. For connoisseurs and the uninitiated alike, Magazzino is a world of wonder.
As you are already a few minutes from the city, continue the journey to Stonecrop gardens (81 Stonecrop Ln., Where advance reservations are required) on route 301; it is one of the Hudson Valley’s most remarkable horticultural destinations.
“Miz Martha Washington’s most spectacularly dismal trial,” by James Ijames, opened the 34th season of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, its last at Boscobel House and Gardens before moving to a new home in Philipstown next year.
T. Charles Erickson, courtesy Hudson Valley Shakespeare FestivalDesigned as a place for gardeners of all kinds to nourish the senses with an endless variety of plants and flowers in an immersive setting, Stonecrop showcases different vignettes of plant life, including alpine stone beds, a rock garden, woodlands and water gardens; and an English flower garden of over 50 plant families – all ripe for inspiration and admiration.
For additional cultural credit, head to Garrison (9 minutes on Route 9) to Manitoga (584 NY-9D), Russell Wright’s Modernist arts and crafts complex that houses the pioneer designer’s home, studio and woodland garden. Wright was a visionary who believed that design was for everyone (yes, everyone) long before quality of life and inclusiveness became part of the popular discussion, and his world is one that fuses human habits. with the knowledge of nature. The tours will leave you aesthetically filled but curious about life.
If you still feel the allure of the magic of Cold Spring, return to dine at an unusual French restaurant Cap (76 Main Street), or take a picnic at Main course (39 Chestnut Street) and enjoy an evening show at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, his last season at Boscobel House and Gardens (1601 NY-9D) before moving to his new home next year.
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