Imagine a relaxing long weekend that never has to end. Alison Matheny has figured out how to make that happen. Instead of commuting from New York City to Hudson, NY on the weekend, she decided to live fulltime in the quaint upstate town.
Alison has flipped the script on how we’re supposed to live and work. She travels to the city a few times a month for work, instead of escaping it on the weekends. As the owner and creative director of BEST, a creative content studio, Alison can make it work. The rest of her team is remote, too, giving them the flexibility to work for clients in different locations. This lifestyle has allowed Alison to really discover Hudson, so we wanted her tips for the perfect long weekend. We might just end up moving there ourselves.
Image Courtesy Sidney Bensimon
How hard working the people who live here are. Whether we’re entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry, running a farm, or an artist reclaiming a vision, the passion and dedication to what we do is apparent and something that binds us all together.
Otto’s Market in Germantown. A 15-minute drive from downtown Hudson, neighboring Germantown’s Main Street has a lot of my favorite spots. One being the newly renovated Otto’s Market with my friend, Bobby Hellen, at the helm of the food program. His breakfast sandwich on a hard roll will make your mouth water. Wash it down with an espresso and throw in one of Nancy’s enormous cookies to go.
Image Courtesy of BEST
A nightcap for me is 8 pm, so I’d have plenty of time to saddle up to the bar at my favorite spot, Lil Deb’s Oasis. This haunt is a feast for the eyes with delicious cocktails, a curated wine list worth reading, and some tasty tropical treats. I guarantee you will leave happier than when you walked in. One New Year’s Eve, I booked myself a cruise-themed prix fixe dinner for one complete with a scratch off ticket and snake eyes dice roll. It’s one of my best memories. Get the flan.
Photo Credit to Christian Harder
Check out the performance schedule at Helsinki. They have a music venue in the back of the BBQ joint where you can eat ribs, order a beer, and watch some great music in an intimate setting with all your local friends. I’ve seen Wye Oak twice!
Amtrak pulls right into the bottom of Warren Street, and everything is pretty much walkable from there. If you’re itching to explore the surrounding towns like Chatham, Germantown, Tivoli, Hillsdale, Ghent, Athens or Catskill, you’ll need a car.
Courtesy of Alison Matheny
Fruit picking! If you time your visit right, you can visit one of the many local farms to pick your own apples, blueberries, cherries, or pumpkins. It’s a fraction of the cost you’ll find in the grocery store.
Layers and boots. Likely you’ll want a jacket and some footwear that can get a little mud on them.
Courtesy of Alison Matheny
The train station on a Sunday afternoon.
The Won Dharma Center is a little bit outside of Hudson — actually right near my house in Claverack — but the absolute best place for a moment of peace. Not only do they offer the most relaxing yoga class I’ve taken, but their property has numerous dog-friendly walking paths and light hikes with great views of the Valley.
Courtesy of Alison Matheny
One of Behida’s hats.
For my birthday, my best friends rented a pontoon boat. We packed sandwiches and motored down the river to Kingston for cocktails. So often we only experience the river from the shore, so it was divine to see our towns from a different perspective.
Courtesy of Alison Matheny
The community of the Hudson Valley is an extension of the City, filled with culture, experimentation, wit, and hutzpah.
