The little city of Beacon, home to just under 14,000 people, is splendidly located—it’s tucked between a waterfront groomed into lovely parkland and a mountain to explore, all of it walkable from the Metro North stop. In between those two glories is a fiesta of shopping, eating, and drinking that has something for everyone.
If you make it to the top of Mount Beacon, you’re on the site where rebel troops lit signal fires to warn the valley of British incursions. On a clear day, you can make out the New York City skyline in the far distance. (From 1902 till 1978, there was a single-gauge Incline Railway to the summit that I blame for my mild lifelong acrophobia.)
The city was a thriving manufacturing hub till the 1960s, at one point holding the title of “hat manufacturing capital of New York State.” To get a feel for the history here, take a walk out the Riverfront Trail from Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park to Dennings Point, where you can contemplate industrial ruins juxtaposed with the glorious Newburgh Bay. You’ll pass the Beacon Sloop Club, founded by modest Beacon neighbor Pete Seeger, winner of five Grammy awards, notorious in the ’50s, world renowned beginning in the ’60s, and one of the most important players in the battle to bring this glorious river back to life.
When DIA:Beacon took over a former box factory on the waterfront in 2003, opening one of the largest spaces in the US exhibiting modern and contemporary art, it was all the spark Beacon needed to shake off its post-industrial malaise. Artists—some from the metro area, others from, well, everywhere—moved in in droves and did what artists do best: beautify and invigorate. Main Street has evolved to serve them; this is a jeans-and-T-shirts town filled with intelligent fun.
shop
LAST OUTPOST STORE is a great place to pick up locally-themed T-shirts and mugs, several scents of beard oil, and accessories you’re unlikely to find elsewhere such as a brass compass and a pair of deerskin gloves. The store’s merchandise is a blend of local artistry and vintage finds geared toward a sustainable outdoor lifestyle and presented with an Old World flair.
314 Main Street, Beacon
lastoutpoststore.com
HYPERION JEWELERS founder David Boswell began his adventures in precious stones and metals with a much-loved store in a mall in New York’s Southern Tier. Nowadays, Beaconites enjoy his full-service shop, where they can do anything you need done to a piece of jewelry, buy any gold and diamonds you don’t need, and make you a custom creation using natural, conflict-free, and eco-conscious components. Veterans, military, and first responders get a discount.
482 Main St, Beacon
845-800-1382,
hyperionjewelers.com
KING + CURATED Every piece you’ll find here is designed and made in-house and exclusive to the store: earrings inspired by starbursts and half-moons, custom cuff bracelets in raw brass, long-link paperclip chains and anklets that can be fused on for a forever feel. The store is a passion project; you’ll be warmly welcomed in a space that’s intentionally designed to feel like an elegant living room, and see a selection they describe as “from affordable to aspirational.”
530 Main Street, Beacon
845-440-3368,
kingandcurated.com
HUDSON VALLEY GOLDSMITH was named Best Custom & Socially Responsible Jewelry by Hudson Valley magazine in 2019. They create custom one of a kind fine jewelry including engagement and wedding rings using recycled precious metals, conflict free diamonds and unique gemstones. You can also shop at their new showroom in Beacon which is full of finished jewelry made by us and by artists around the world.
226 Main Street, Beacon
845-440-7894,
hudsonvalleygoldsmith.com
NOURISH NATURAL SOAP COMPANY is dedicated to improving both your skin and how you feel living in it, using fine, all-natural essential oils and fruit extracts that refresh you inside and out. Try the Sea and Sand or Honeycomb soaps, and you’ll see what they mean. There are a lot of choices: bars, bath bombs, shower steamers, and more, all handmade with love and care.
263 Main Street, Beacon
845-440-3922,
nourishnaturalsoap.com
eat
HEALTHY IN COLOR is a strong, knowledgeable ally in the quest to eat right and enjoy it. Their fresh, organic, and nutrient-rich plant-based offerings will boost your energy and immunity; the menu is designed with an eye to helping conscious eaters, including those coping with hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Their hand-crafted smoothies, cold-pressed juices, bowls and salads will delight your taste buds.
259 Main Street, Beacon
845-440-6221,
healthyincolor.com
BAJA 328 TEQUILA BAR Southwest Grill stocks over 130 top-shelf varieties of the iconic beverage that pairs so well with good times, such as the live entertainment they provide every weekend. “Tequila may not solve all your problems,” they admit on their website, “but we’d like to give it a shot.” Try a tasting flight and you may find they’ve succeeded. A wide, delicious selection of Southwestern delights are house-made with fresh ingredients.
328 Main Street, Beacon
845-838-BAJA(2252),
baja328.com
QUINN’S: Live music, bar, Japanese soul food is quinn-tessential Beacon, a cultural hub for all things cozy and cool, with weekly jazz sessions and other eclectic music. Wash down your Japanese seaweed salad, ramen, or shrimp katsu with a glass of authentic sake, or pair a hot dog dressed in kimchi with a fine craft beer, and stick around to discover bands with names like Telepathic Moon Dance and Scary Mountain Wizard.
330 Main St, Beacon
845-202-7447,
quinnsbeacon.com
KITCHEN SINK SUPPER CLUB hosts Chefs Tasting Menu dinners each Friday and Saturday night, with communal seating, wine pairings, and house cocktails that will turn strangers into friends in no time flat. The rotating menu changes every four weeks or so, giving these chefs-on-a-mission ample opportunity to explore the wonders that can be created when fresh local ingredients meet globally inspired recipes.
157 Main Street, Beacon
845-765-0240,
Kitchensinkny.com
BROTHER’S TRATTORIA is a favorite for artisanal Northern and Southern Italian cuisine, offering a lunch menu with all kinds of thoughtfully made wraps, sandwiches, and paninis and an extensive, elegant selection of entrees for dinner. Grab some pizza in the front room, or reserve a table in the splendid Tuscan Dining Room and finish out your evening with a top-notch cocktail by the fire in the bar room.
465 Main Street, Beacon
845-838-3300,
brotherstrattoria.com
stay
THE ROUNDHOUSE is a splendid reclamation of 200-year-old industrial spaces, remade as luxe accommodations with enormous thought and care. All around the property, you’ll find historic photos telling its story. Today, everything—tables, light fixtures, fencing, tiles—is crafted by local artisans and set off by reclaimed wood. There are glorious waterfall views all over the place, and a wide selection of well-appointed, Midcentury Modern-inspired rooms.
2 East Main Street, Beacon, 845-765-8369,
roundhousebeacon.com
play
DIA:BEACON MUSEUM The DIA Art Foundation was founded by and for artists in New York City in 1974; the goal was “to help artists achieve visionary projects that might not otherwise be realized because of scale or scope.” Opened in a repurposed Nabisco box printing factory in 2003, the Beacon location, an easy, 10-minute walk from the Metro North stop, is one of 11 sites in the US and Germany. Its 160,000 square feet of exhibition space, lit by 34,000 square feet of skylights, offers unique opportunities; you can see Andy Warhol’s 350-linear-foot Shadows here, and a whole lot more.
3 Beekman Street, Beacon,
845-440-0100,
diaart.org
HIKING MOUNT BEACON is reasonably challenging; you’re gaining 1,000 feet in altitude, but there are switchbacks that make it a lot less vertically overwhelming. At the parking lot, you’ll find a handy convenience store, bike rack, EV chargers, and a PortaPotty. Follow the Casino Trail (red blazes) to the 200 iron stairs, from the top of which you’ll get your first view; stay with the red blazes up to the ruins of the casino and the Incline Railway’s summit. On the other side of the ruins, pick up the red blazes again—another 500 vertical feet gets you to the fire tower, with even more spectacular views.
788 Wolcott Ave, Beacon
hikethehudsonvalley.com/hikes/mt-beacon/
