Poughkeepsie took a hit as the industrial revolution drew to a close; however, it is pivoting brilliantly, with adaptive reuse projects in full swing and creative locals busy making their dreams real.
In case you’ve ever wondered, Poughkeepsie’s name is derived from a Munsee word meaning “the reed-covered lodge by the little-water place,” which historians believe must have meant a local creek or spring, since it’s obviously right by the big water too. Colonists arrived in 1686 and established their first church by 1720; it was a busy riverport by the time brewery heir Matthew Vassar founded the college that bears his name.
Lured by the work of Hudson River School painters and adventurous writers, a slew of tycoons chose to site their mansions along the Hudson’s east shore, with its glorious Catskills-backed sunsets; much of the Millionaires’ Row of grand estates is now open to the public for tours, picnics, and special events. In 1941, IBM—landing first in a repurposed pickle factory—began making munitions here, then electric typewriters, and eventually the first mainframes and “supercomputers” in history.
Like other Hudson Valley port towns, Poughkeepsie took a hit as the industrial revolution drew to a close; however, it is pivoting brilliantly, with adaptive reuse projects in full swing and creative locals busy making their dreams real. Here are some of our favorite reasons why the Queen City deserves her jeweled crown more than ever:
eat & drink
KING'S COURT BREWING COMPANY
has a great selection of beers—hoppy, dark, and light—and serves local ciders, wines, and spirits along with simple, well-made snacks like pretzels and pizza. Along with weekly trivia and game nights, they frequently host live music and festivals; their Summer Sundays on Cannon Street, the second Sunday of each month, are epic block parties with all of the above plus food trucks, kids' activities, and crafts.
40 Cannon Street, Poughkeepsie,
917-697-3030, kingscourtbrewingcompany.com
MAHONEY'S IRISH PUB AND STEAKHOUSE
is the place to head on a Friday or Saturday night for a kickin’ party. Located in the historic Vassar Brewery building, Emmet Mahoney’s serves a wide selection of hearty Irish and American fare with a few vegan selections and a delectable pub grub menu served till 2 am. Live music happens here six nights out of seven, including acoustic and jazz on weeknights; hilarity is served up hot at the Laugh It Up Comedy Club, and murder mystery dinners happen regularly.
35 Main Street, Poughkeepsie,
845-471-7026, mahoneysirishpub.com
LA DELIZIOSA ITALIAN PASTRY SHOPPE
in Poughkeepsie’s Little Italy has been making choosy local pastry lovers happy for 50 years now, and they just keep getting better. There are sugar-free and gluten-free choices on a vast menu of Old World comfort food, all of it baked and hand-dipped right here—biscotti, cookies, cannoli, sfogliatelle, baba au rhum, and custom specialty cakes. Two of the kids are filmmakers; the whole family worked together to make Cannoli, Traditions Around the Table, a film that explores the intersection of food and family.
10 Mt Carmel Place, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601,
845-471-3636, ladeliziosany.com
ADAMS FAIRACRE FARMS
got their start right here, with a farmstand that has grown into their Poughkeepsie store and family-run empire of all things fresh and delicious. Today, you’ll find a cafe here serving breakfasts, burgers, wraps, soups, and salads, along with a hot bar full of takeout and the signature Adams selection of fine produce, meat, seafood, baked goods, flowers, and candy. Gardening fans will get joyously lost in the adjacent five-acre Mark Adams Greenhouses, which supply the entire Adams operation with bedding plants, poinsettias, and perennials.
765 Dutchess Turnpike, Poughkeepsie,
845-454-4330, adamsfarms.com
farmers markets
POUGHKEEPSIE WATERFRONT MARKET
is a vibrant, international award-winning, seasonal farmers market down by the riverside that's open every Tuesday afternoon from May through October. It features farm-fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, poultry, baked goods, maple products, and live music.
79 North Water Street, Poughkeepsie, 845-471-0589, mhdm.org/experiences/poughkeepsie-waterfront-market
ARLINGTON FARMERS MARKET
over on the east end of town, beside the Vassar College tennis courts, is open Thursdays until November from 2-6 pm with a wide variety of vendors of local deliciousness.
Raymond Avenue, Arlington, 914-474-7533, arlingtonhasit.org/farmers-market
shop
DREAMING GODDESS
is an oasis of beauty and warmth where caring people will help you find exactly what you’re seeking. The woman-owned shop, located in the Arlington district near Vassar College, has a wide selection of gemstones, oils, candles, herbs, jewelry, and bath and body products meant to help awaken your intuitive wisdom along the path to enlightened wellness. A diverse and trustworthy team of readers is available for consultations both in-person and remotely, and there are ceremonies, rituals, workshops, and monthly “CommuniTeas” to bring like-minded souls together.
44 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, 845-473-2206, dreaminggoddess.com
VINCITORE'S HUDSON VALLEY PIANO CENTER
is the oldest family-owned Yamaha piano dealer in the US, founded in 1946 and dedicated to music for everyone. They’ve got all kinds of instruments—new, pre-owned, digital, hybrid, portable—and financing that can make your piano dreams real, including a rent-to-own program. If you already own a piano and need to move, tune, restore, or sell it, they’ve got the expertise, and they’ve got 10 instrumental music teachers teaching not just piano but violin, guitar, trombone, flute, and accordion.
748 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, 800-303-8462 or 845-452-4990, vincitorepiano.com
explore
WALKWAY OVER THE HUDSON
a repurposed 1.28-mile-long former railway bridge soaring 212 feet above the water, offers incomparable Hudson River Valley views that have delighted millions of visitors from around the world. You can board the glass elevator right at the Metro-North train station; the whole experience is accessible to all (even if the elevator’s closed, the approach is flat and paved), and for just $5 you can join astronomers there at one of the frequent “Walkway at Night” events.
61 Parker Avenue, Poughkeepsie Elevator entrance: 83 North Water Street, 845-454-9649, walkway.org
MID HUDSON DISCOVERY MUSEUM
is designed with kids in mind, offering five exhibit galleries, a Children’s Garden, and an Imagination Playground designed to foster and satisfy every child’s curiosity. There are frequent programs for all ages, from Toddler Tinker Time to STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts and Math) Lab, live science demos, and planetarium shows, as well as arts programming at the waterfront pavilion.
75 North Water Street, Poughkeepsie, 845-471-0589, mhdm.org
THE ART EFFECT
empowers young people to develop their creative voice to shape their futures and bring about positive social change. They provide immersive, hands-on programming in all sorts of media, from drawing and painting to cutting-edge multimedia production, to ages 4-24, sorted into Explore (ages 4-11), Experience (for teens), and Excel, which readies students for higher education and professional roles. The public’s invited to learn more via frequent festivals and juried exhibits at the Poughkeepsie Trolley Barn (489 Main Street).
45 Pershing Avenue, Poughkeepsie, 845-471-7477, thearteffect.org
FRANCES LEHMAN LOEB ART CENTER
at Vassar College has gathered a permanent collection of 22,000 works of art—paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, textiles, and glass and ceramic wares—spanning 6,000 years in time, and the public is welcome to come see these in their elegant surroundings free of charge from 10 am to 5 pm every day except Mondays. A free digital guide offered on the Bloomberg Connects app lets you craft your own tour with an interactive map and in-depth audio.
124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie,845-437-5237, vassar.edu/theloeb
The gardens at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
side quest: mans ion madness
Besides developing the telegraph and the code that bears his name, Samuel Morse was an accomplished artist. Locust Grove Estate comprises the Italianate mansion he once called home, along with five miles of riverside trails on its 200 acres.
Explore American history in nearby Hyde Park, just seven miles north of Poughkeepsie on Route 9, home of the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, the home and library of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (also a national park), and the Culinary Institute of America.
Less than five miles further north is Mills Mansion, which is now surrounded by 1,000 acres of state park land with loads of trails, a scenic 1893 golf course, and a summer-long Music in The Parks concert series.
