This is not the first time I’m using these pages to crow about my hometown, and I doubt it will be the last. I love that my little city of Beacon is nestled right between its eponymous mountain and the gorgeous Hudson River. I’m thrilled that I can easily walk to said mountain and river — and everywhere else for that matter. It takes me less than three minutes to hoof it over to Main Street, with its growing number of galleries and eateries, and less than 15 minutes to make it to the Metro-North station for a train into the Big Apple (okay, sometimes that includes a little jogging).
I love sitting in my creaky rocking chair on my wraparound porch and watching all sorts of people walk by. I love Poppy’s hamburgers, but I’m trying very hard not to love them too frequently.
In this issue, we outline eight Hudson Valley hometowns, from semirural Pleasant Valley to funky little river spots like Catskill, which is finally on its way to an arts-fueled revitalization. So whether you are looking for a new place to call home or just want to find out what is going on in another neck of the woods, check out our cover article here.
In the meantime, here’s what some of our staffers had to say about their own hometowns.
Web Editor Jess Friedlander on Hyde Park: For my 21st birthday, my resident director at Marist treated me to lunch at Cranberry’s Café. I swear to God, that turkey and cranberry chutney on a croissant spoke to me. (It was so memorable, in fact, I demanded we include it in our “Sandwiches” issue, ha!) We finished our trip with a stroll through the Vanderbilt gardens and some chocolatey concoction from the Culinary’s Apple Pie Bakery that I ate far too quickly for a woman with any sense of decorum. So I suppose it was only natural to live in Hyde Park when I struck out on my own. The drive-in, the brewery, Eveready, the landing, Vandy and its many trails — I adore everything about this little town, and it’s gonna take a lot of bribing (with cranberry chutney sandwiches, perhaps) for me to ever leave.
Senior Account Executive Dan Morrison on Lagrangeville: There’s nothing to do in my town, and that’s why I love it. Sitting on the back deck on a summer night with the grill going and iTunes playing.
Account Executive Doug Anderson on Kerhonkson: The housing costs are low, there are beautiful views and farm fresh produce within walking distance in the summer. The best thing to do is walk the rail trail next to the Rondout Creek with my dogs.
Senior Editor Polly Sparling on Poughkeepsie: I like the way the Spackenkill area is like its own little town. We bought our house because the elementary school is at the end of our block, and my kids could walk there. Our area is so convenient; everything you could possibly need — the malls, the highways — is right here.
Imaging specialist Lauren Golde on Cornwall-on-Hudson: It was cute and cozy and all my friends lived within a three- or four-block radius. I always walked to school, and my dad and I used to go fishing at Ring’s Pond. They had a big Fourth of July parade; you know, typical small-town stuff.
Happy reading.
Olivia J. Abel
Editor In Chief
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