I would describe Hudson, NY as the Brooklyn of upstate! The town may be quaint but it is busting with culture, style, and artsiness that will make you feel like you are hanging out in Brooklyn Heights or Williamsburg.
I would highly encourage you to take a day just to explore the downtown area! It's a 2-hour drive if you are coming from the city and it is well worth it. They're so many coffee shops, bakeries, and restaurants you could spend hours simply just eating your way through downtown.
Of course, if you only did that, you would be missing out on some of the coolest stores including vintage shops, Art Deco modern furniture shops, bookstores, and so much more.
One of the things that is unique and that I loved about exploring the shops in Hudson is that you can actually talk in person to a lot of the local artists and designers. Everyone I met was so friendly and they had this deep passion not only for their creations but for also being a part of such a diverse and close-knit community. It made you feel good about everything you were purchasing and that it meant something.
Oh, and of course, I can't forget to talk about the speakeasies a.k.a. cool and unsuspecting bars! There are so many places you can grab a cocktail from including unsuspecting clothing stores that have a bar in the back.
We spent hours exploring and we still were not able to starch the surface of what this town had to offer. Below are a few places that I fell in love with:
⋒ Culture Cream:
This is the coolest ice cream shop I think I have ever visited. If you have a dairy allergy or if you are vegan this place, is what you have been dreaming about.
So many times ice cream shops make vegan flavors an afterthought by typically only offering one sorbet option. I loved that she made all the vegan flavors just as appealing as the dairy ones.
Here make their ice cream with either Keifer or Kombucha. So it's not only delicious but it also helps to produce good gut microbes.
The Maker is a posh upscale hotel that also has a restaurant, bar, juice shop, and yes even a speakeasy. The hotel is beautifully decorated and has been highly praised by so many including Chip and Joanna who did an episode about the hotel on their Magnolia Network.
To eat at the Restaurant it is highly recommended to have a reservation, the cafe does not take reservations so be prepared to wait, and the speakeasy/lounge opens at 4pm on the weekdays and 3pm on the weekends.
I only ate at the cafe when I visited but I am dying to go back to dine and have a drink in their lounge. The whole establishment gives me a very 1920s feel tied with a wonderful elegance that just makes you just feel fancy.
At the cafe, you must order the doubled-baked pistachio croissant. Words can not describe how amazing this croissant is. It has the perfect balance of butteriness combined with flakiness with the perfect flavoring of pistachio. I literally dream about this croissant.
⋒ Flower Kraut:
I like big plants and I can not lie!!
If you know me you know how much I love a beautiful plant shop and this is one of the best. The owner is lovely and the plants are beautiful and healthy.
She has a great variety of plants, pots, macrame, and other items from local artists.
⋒ Nine Cakes:
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