Travel Diary: The Trip that Made Me Want to Move to Hudson, NY

By the end of my second trip to Hudson, NY, I had already bought a property, planted my dream garden, opened a small neighborhood bar, and settled into a simpler life upstate—in my head, that is. 

My first visit to Hudson was last November, two days after a massive windstorm had swept through the Hudson Valley and taken nearly every fall leaf with it. I loved the town anyway, but I knew I needed a redo. This summer, my husband and I finally made our return, trading bare trees and frigid walks for hydrangeas, afternoon swims, thunderstorms, and more antique shopping than our luggage could reasonably accommodate. 

We drove up from New York City and made our first detour before we even reached Hudson, stopping in Millerton, where I promptly bought a gorgeous vintage rug from a shop on the main street. By the time we reached our destination, I had fully mapped out our future life Upstate. Below, my highly opinionated guide to Hudson.

Photography by Adam Szafranski.

The Amelia 

Our home base for three nights was The Amelia, a charming B&B and historic old home just off Warren Street that quickly became part of our daily routine. After spending the mornings walking around town, eating, shopping, and then eating some more, we’d retreat to the backyard pool for the afternoon, surrounded by towering hydrangeas and grasses. 

One day, we struck up a poolside conversation with a woman who writes for The New York Times. Naturally, we ran into her again later that evening while drinking martinis at what had, within roughly 24 hours, become our favorite bar in Hudson. More on that in a few. 

Hudson Diner

After a long, winding drive up from New York, we wanted exactly three things on our first night: a burger, a cold martini, and somewhere we didn’t need a reservation. Hudson Diner delivered on all three. 

Circles Bagels 

I was not prepared for the sheer size of my bagel at Circles. It was enormous, delicious, and just what we needed before setting off for another full day of walking Warren Street and convincing ourselves that, yes, maybe we could get that chair back to Seattle somehow. 

Bartlett House 

About a 10-minute or so drive outside Hudson in Ghent, Bartlett House was one of the places I knew I wanted to revisit from my first trip. The café and bakery are housed in a gorgeous historic building. We sat outside on the front porch overlooking the garden below, coffee in hand. 

The Maker Hotel / Serre 

For one of our dinners, we decided to splurge a little and booked a table in the conservatory at The Maker Hotel, in their newer (refreshed) restaurant, Serre. Dinner was excellent, including one of the best roast chickens I’ve had, and our server was hilarious. But the real show arrived toward the end of the meal, when a thunderstorm rolled over Hudson. Within seconds, the entire restaurant went quiet. All you could hear were the clinks of forks and knives against plates while rain pounded against the glass ceiling overhead.  

Red Dot Restaurant & Bar 

And then there was Red Dot. 

A family friend who grew up in Albany told my husband and I that we had to stop in at least once while we were in Hudson. 

We went three times. 

Two of those visits were in the same night where we closed down the bar with our new favorite bartender (Lionel), whose phone number we somehow left with, alongside a handful of local regulars we’d met. The drinks were great, but what stuck with me most was the hospitality. Red Dot is one of those increasingly rare establishments where you walk in knowing no one and somehow leave feeling like you’ve been coming there for years. It’s something I wish more restaurants and bars, frankly anywhere, could recreate. 

We never actually made it past the bar, which gives me an excuse to return to try the restaurant. Next time we’ll be having dinner in the back garden. 

The Shopping 

We were so excited about all the shopping to be had in Hudson that we purposely packed light to leave room in our luggage for our return trip.  

Our final haul included the aforementioned vintage rug from Millerton, a canvas painting from The Modern Exchange, a metal basket from The Antique Warehouse, and an assortment of small tchotchkes collected from shops along Warren Street. And, of course, we stopped at FINCH, which manages to combine an exceptionally good home and furniture assortment with men’s clothing and accessories. 

The best discovery required no purchase at all: spotting our very own Gardenista book on display, looking quite at home and in good company. 

Until Next Time 

By the end of three nights, Hudson had officially carved out a special place in my heart. I can very easily imagine my husband and I living there one day, whether part-time or full-time, with a garden, an old house that probably needs far more work than I’m anticipating, and, apparently, a small bar where everyone knows each other. 

Besides, moving there may ultimately be the more practical choice. How else am I supposed to buy all the furniture that won’t fit in my checked bag back to Seattle?