Barring erratic weather, or some other unforeseen calamity, on our 2nd or 3rd day in upstate New York I gathered that the fall season was as typically beautiful in 2023 as it was in 1923 (though one would think these are better times for folks of my persuasion).
The plan was to spend a few days upstate before a visit to the city and thankfully the plan wasn’t foiled. Though we didn’t know it at the time, this would turn out to be the first of a few trips where we would be blessed by unusually good weather.
We rented one of a handful of cabins in Ulster, all of which were in various states of repair, and whose best feature (the 3am train crossing through notwithstanding) was a lovely view of a placid, glittering stream with a gorgeous house a (long) stone’s throw across from our site.
Kingston, NY
As soon as we hit town, we drove into Kingston, the first capital of New York state. Kingston dates back to the 17th century and survived being burned nearly to the ground by the British in the Revolutionary War. It reminded me of how much history I’ve yet to visit in my own country.
Walking up and through Wall St. we quickly caught the distinct vibe of an artist’s community. We stopped in a hattery slash record store (because, why not?). It was owned by a brother of a certain age. He was cheerful and after we talked about his experience in the town we said goodbye as he tried to recruit two more black people.
Wall St. was lined with the kind of charming and folksy small shops one would come to expect in a village this age. But don’t get it twisted, stopping inside any brewpub (Brickmen is a good one with amazing patio views) reveals a menu fit for palates ranging from simple to sophisticated.
After strolling the town we retreated back to our cabin, turned the heat up to 11 and watched movies on the iPad.
Hudson, NY: a stroll down Warren street
The next day we got off to Hudson to see what the fuss was about and started with a delicious lunch at Kitty’s market/café. Beside the food, what made us feel warm and comforted about the place was the way the afternoon light fell through the side door.
How uniquely it was framed by shadow, the two doing their little dance.
It was two weeks until Halloween and the decorations (animatronic clowns!) were plentiful on a sunlit stroll up and down Warren street.
I’ve heard the Maker’s lounge is a great place for a cocktail but a private event happened to be booked so that would have to wait for next time.
We peeked inside and noticed the decor was regal, but not in a stiff way; in the warm buttery kind of way that dark tones and supple leather can exude and confirm that yes, this is a great place to have a drink.
Antique shops abound near this end of the strip and feature everything from cowboy clothes and ephemera to original Eames chairs.
Warren street alone is chock full of so many art galleries, chic shops, tasty eateries, furniture stores and stylish cocktail bars that the effect of years of NYC transplants is easy to spot.
As night moved in we went back to our little cabin in Ulster and started a fire by the water. We grabbed a couple glasses of wine. We reclined in the Adirondack chairs, alternately sipping, watching the flames licking the cold night air and wondering whether more remote living is in our future.
