36 Hours in the Hudson Valley: Things to Do and See

Wake up in Midtown Kingston at the pocket-size Village Coffee and Goods with a frothy flat white ($4.25), made with beans from Partners Coffee Roasters, of Brooklyn. Then walk to Fantzye Bagels, which opened in November and serves hand-rolled sourdough bagels in a cute, sunny space where families linger over breakfast. Try a rosemary-salt bagel with a lemon-caper schmear ($6) or the outstanding Remix sandwich with folded egg, melted Jake’s Gouda, aioli and an herbaceous green sauce ($11). Or start Uptown at Camp Kingston, a popular community hangout that opened in 2023, with a warm potato-and-cheddar breakfast burrito ($11) and a campfire latte made with graham-cracker milk and a toasted marshmallow ($7).

About 40 miles northeast of Kingston in the hamlet of Omi, a cluster of cheerful blue clouds hovers near the entrance to Art Omi, a nonprofit arts center and sculpture park. The cumulus sculpture, by the Swiss artist Olaf Breuning, is one of more than 60 works of art and architecture on display throughout the park’s 120 acres. Bring the kids, bring the dog (on a leash) and set off on a walk through the grassy meadows to spot Pippa Garner’s customized pickup truck, Iván Navarro’s neon-lighted water towers, Chemi Rosado-Seijo’s functioning skateboarding bowl, and new installations, like a climbable stacked-concrete tower by the architect Jimenez Lai. Admission is free (suggested donation $15; register dogs in advance).

Support this agricultural region at the source: small working farms, many of which have stands or stores open to the public. Near Art Omi, Kinderhook Farm has been providing the community with grass-fed beef, lamb and pasture-raised pork for over two decades. Visit the farm store to stock the freezer with choice cuts or pick up picnic supplies, like salsiccia stagionata or finocchietta salami. Drive south to Churchtown Dairy, a biodynamic farm where cows munch hay in a beautiful domed barn, for a wedge of buttery, semi-firm tomme cheese. Farther south, at the family-run Greig Farm, the operation includes a market, a cafe, a taproom and a bulk-refill store. There are also goats to feed out back (50 cents per serving) and pick-your-own opportunities, beginning with asparagus in May.

The curated home-design shops and antique furniture stores along Warren Street, Hudson’s main drag, are astonishingly expensive but great fun to browse. First, fuel up at Mel the Bakery, which moved to Hudson from a tiny storefront in Lower Manhattan in late 2023. One bite of a laminated croissant ($5), an iced cinnamon roll ($6.50) or a flaky kouign-amann pastry ($6) is all you’ll need to understand the devoted following of the baker Nora Allen. Then check out the stationery offerings at the Social Type, buy a local author’s latest — Shanekia McIntosh’s poetry collection or Adelle Waldman’s novel — at the Spotty Dog Books & Ale, pet the friendly shop dog at the hip clothing store Jamestown, and sample imaginative ice cream flavors, like miso-and-roasted-strawberry, amid the tropical vibes at Culture Cream.

In this apple-rich region, sample one of the valley’s favorite craft beverages at Left Bank Ciders, a small-batch cidery with a taproom across the river in the village of Catskill. Try Northern Spy, made from the heirloom apple of the same name, or Car Trouble, a complex cider aged in whiskey and cognac barrels ($9 each). Prefer to sit within apple-throwing distance of a tree? Rose Hill Farm, on a gravel drive outside the village of Red Hook, features a taproom in a soaring wood-paneled barn beside the orchards. Join families on the patio sharing bottles of the farm’s sparkling pétillant-naturel-style ciders and co-ferments made with apples, plums and blueberries.

Opposite the Amtrak station in Hudson, Kitty’s opened in 2020 as a market cafe offering great fried chicken, pastries and my favorite breakfast sandwich in the area (egg, cheese and sauerkraut). Eventually the popular spot expanded next door into a full-service restaurant with fun upscale-diner décor: red-pleather booths, a U-shaped bar counter, butter yellow tiles and an abstract mural splashed across one wall. At a candlelit table in the bustling dining room, standouts on the seasonal menu recently included a colorful Caesar salad with local chicories and citrusy yuzu-colatura dressing ($21), pea-shoot-and-potato dumplings ($26) and cinnamon-sugar churros dipped in dark-chocolate sauce ($12).

After dinner, hop across town for a nightcap at the Hereafter, a stylish cocktail bar that opened last year on the upper end of Columbia Street and features pressed-tin ceilings, warm lighting and a long wooden bar. A welcome addition in a town that typically tucks into bed early, this atmospheric bar attracts a lively late-night crowd eager to flirt over inventive cocktails, such as the House Dirty martini with oregano-infused gin ($16) and the Good Denim, a smoky mix of mezcal, amaro, sweet vermouth and local pear brandy ($18).