Thinking of Moving to the Hudson River Valley

It gets pretty warm and muggy (ugh) in the summer OP. Also, you would have some fairly serious snow to contend with in the winter. It is VERY beautiful in spring and fall though.

If you don’t like lots of snow and ice, it’s not for you. Winters can be brutal.

OP, Why are you calling it Hudson River Valley? It's just Hudson Valley,

There are plenty of mountain swimming holes if you need to cool off in the summer just be smart about hiking

There are lots of trashy people there.

R3

OP did so because both names are correct.

So there.....

R5, honey, if you don't think there are lots of trashy people in WeHo, you've never BEEN to WeHo!

To wit:

You’re about 18 years late.

Luckily, OP can do his call center job anywhere now.

You might as well move to West Virginia. With the exception of small pockets, Hudson Valley is full of white trade MAGAts.

Vocal fry alert in OP, for those like me who get TRIGGERED!!!

I’ve lived in the mountains of Colorado, so can handle brutal winters. I am a little concerned about the muggy summers, but plan on buying a house with a pool, or maybe getting one of those shipping containers pools. I’m an architect, so I enjoy projects like that.

Better talk to me about this first, bitch!

West Point area is gorgeous. Lots of military dick, too.

Jeff Sessums would like a roommate.

Way overrated. I don’t understand why people,think it’s an attractive place for gay men. There is no social life, few decent restaurants and primarily poor hicks. If you want to leave society, it’s fine. But most gay men I know who moved there moved out after a few months to years. Cheap doesn’t compensate for isolation,

Or... try the Delaware River Valley.

They run parallel to each other, the Delaware being about 60 miles west of the Hudson.

Or... anywhere in between,

It is a beautiful place, the people can odd, though. Also, the orthodox sects are scary.

I know several pretentious people from Brooklyn who have moved up there.

Good riddance.

Hope you enjoy the pollution, crappy tap water from the river, ticks, hot muggy summers, and shoveling 5 feet of snow in the winter.

R19 the hassidics are all in the west side of the river.

Op - The 'cool' cities on the east side are Beacon, Rhinebeck, and Hudson. Once you go north of Hudson it's basically Albany. I would stay away.

Lots of guys in jockstraps over in Columbia county.

I was in a movie which was shot in Kingston and Rhinebeck a couple years ago. It was very pretty, but with decaying pockets that gave off a high crime vibe. Still, depending on where you buy I think it could be great. It's pretty much "country living", so you have to be into that.

Why on earth would you leave the weather in WeHo to go there. It was 75 today. It's like broiling hot on the east coast with 100% humidity all summer and them freezing cold in the winter. The 6 weeks of a glorious fall/spring don't seem worth. We have fall/spirn weather from October-May/June every year.

What would you do for a job, OP?

^I’m an architect, luckily I can work anywhere, might have to travel a little bit more.

Yes, 75 degree weather is nice, but the wildfire smoke and extreme heat was too much last year. I’m also not thrilled about Sunset Blvd looking more like a Bladerunner version of Times Square everyday.

Lot sof stereotypes and dumb ideas here. If anything, the Delaware Valley would be more muggy being further inland and further South, plus it's a slo a mix bag of fairly nice towns and places like Port Jervis that have seen better days.

A friend of mine bought in a little town near Middletown (the anme escapes me at this moment) and plans to retire there from her job in NYC. I know a couple Columbia faculty who also have houses in that general area and have similar plans. Yes, you have to worry about deer ticks--plant stuff that keeps themaway like raspberry bushes with abundant prickers. Many of the towns have seen better days esp. toward the Catskills and on the Western side of the Hudson, but there are gay communities and active arts scenes. You can find deplorables just about anywhere and I'm sure there were plenty in Colorado when you lived there. You probably want to look at commuter rail to see the easiest ways into NYC. Northwestern Connecticut has some of the same features, but even town like Litchfield are being "discovered" and becoming more expensive.

I'm confused as to where the Hudson Valley starts and stops. Above Westchester, up to Albany?

Yes. And it often includes the Eastern Catskills even though they are obviously not in the "Valley"

The question is how far East of Hudson the Valley applies. If you go over to Millbrook and east of there, It seems to be a region more in common with Western Connecticut. And then further north, NY towns seem to be more like the Berkshires than Hudson Valley.

Whatever you do OP, be sure to choose a town that close to one of the express train stations on the Metro North, it can be a breeze to get into Grand Central if you do, but a nightmare if you’re on one of the locals.

I moved to New Paltz from NYC years ago (originally from LA). I love it here. Summers are fine - I love swimming in Lake Minnewsaska. I kayak as well. It's best for those who like the outdoors. Winters aren't too bad and are getting warmer.

The job situation isn't great, but I work in healthcare so it's fine for me.

New Paltz, Stone Ridge, High Falls and Kingston are full of gay men/liberals and wonderful bars/restaurants as well. Go get your stone house and start fixing it up.

There are express buses from Kingston and New Paltz to Grand Central btw. If you commute to the city you probably want to stay in the lower valley.

R15 tell us about the military dick!

In terms of visiting the Hudson River valley though for a few days - where would you recommend staying?

Moving there - no thank you.

R36 I’m not a big fan of Taylor Philips, but this place, June Farms, where they go to seem kind of cool with various housing options and it’s owned by a hunky gay entrepreneur. Link is below the video.

We love our place in Sullivan County, near the PA border. Very active gay community. Made a lot of new friends as well. Good restaurants, markets, festivals. Got more for our money over this way.

Beacon is Brooklyn-lite. And they've added express trains that get you to Grand Central in an hour.

Kingston is now the place Brooklynites head to. The Stockade District is pure Brooklyn now, with the increased prices that reflect the new denizens.

Welcome to my home, OP! ❤️

I recommend someplace close to the river so that you are close to the train and can take in sweeping views of the hills and river. Yes, we call it the “Hudson Valley,” but without the river, what’s the point?

Watch out for flooding in the Roundout/Wallkill/Esopus creek areas! Sometimes it's best to not be at river's front in the Hudson Valley, which has a huge flood plain. If you buy a home by water here, be prepared to spend a lot more on flood insurance.

I live close to the Wallkill River, a gentle river; however most of the waterways here are contaminated so don't go in the water.

One of my favorite spots, 5 minutes from my home, is below.

link for above

Don’t be put off by all the place names with the word “kills” in it, it’s an old Dutch word for creek, not a murderous community.

Thanks R44, I lived here for years and didn't realize that, and I live near to an old Dutch Reform Church founded by the Huguenots in the 1600s.

Oh, I did my birthday at June Farms last year. It was super-fun and the owner very friendly (and yes, gay).

I live in NYC but go upstate a lot. There is absolutely a rich, cultured life to be had up there. TONS of gay people live in Kingston, Rhinebeck, Hudson and the surrounding areas. - as mentioned. Lots of things to do. You just gotta work for it a little (as opposed to the convenience of the city).

OP, since you’re an architect maybe you want to buy porn star Matthew Camp’s former home that was a victim of arson. It’s a historically and architecturally significant house that someone of your skills could perhaps restore. The video here is heartbreaking of the water rushing out the front door. Amazingly, no one died in the fire, but the house does have a history of paranormal activity.

Move to Hawaii

Since people have brought up the Delaware Valley, the one place you might consider is New Hope, Pennsylvania or the surrounding Bucks county. It’s an artsy Gay enclave with plenty of cultural resources, nice restaurants in a beautiful landscape.

I appreciate the suggestion, but Bucks County isn’t for me, it’s kind of boring. I also would prefer to be closer to NYC over Philly.

Fuck off, OP

Poughkeepsie definitely isn’t on my list of preferred towns and cities, along with Newburgh. However, I do like a challenge and ghosts!

Poughkeepsie and Newburgh are total shit holes. Which is a shame because they do have some beautiful old houses for CHEAP.

Yeah, avoid Poughkeepsie. I used to work at the shit hole hospital there and got attacked by a shit hole person/patient there.

"A kill will drown in flooding season.

It's called a KILL for just that reason."

Actually, it's just the Dutch word for "creek" as mentioned above, but that's the rhyme I remember hearing as a kid.

Kills in the HRV tend to be deeper and wider than creeks (which usually have English names). They also tend to be more dangerous.

All these comments and nothing yet about Hudson, which is one of the nicest towns along the Hudson -- yes, it's filled with gay antique dealers, and there's crime on the north side of the city (city meaning a place of about 6,000 people). But it also has a lot of great people in the town and the outlying villages can be beautiful -- Elizaville, Chatham, and of course, Mt. Merino (also known as Mt. Mary due to the fact it's so so gay). But if I were to pick a place it'd be Red Hook, which is near a train station (Rhinebeck/cliff) and is unpretentious and liberal. Columbia and Dutchess Counties used to be MAGA territory and there are certainly still plenty of MAGA creeps around but it's now solidly democratic and is represented by a black liberal congressperson (Delgado).

[quote]Northwestern Connecticut has some of the same features, but even town like Litchfield are being "discovered" and becoming more expensive.

You would have been late to the party to have "discovered" Litchfield in the 1880s when it was one of a handful of important centers of the Colonial Revival in architecture, with real 18thC models joined by 19thC revivals in varying degrees of adherence or interpretation. (There's a big 1888 house for sale in the style but with an unbecoming 1950s patient rehab facility built in the large rear part of the lot.).

Litchfield was reasonably well looked after when it was rediscovered in a big way 140 years ago. I don't think it ever quite fell off the map since.

Lived in the Northeast for 49 of my 50 years....never heard of it referred to ask the Hudson River Valley. It's ALWAYS been the Hudson Valley. Just like Jack Torrance has ALWAYS been the caretaker in The Shinning.

We call it the “Hudson River Valley”

R59...Ahhh yes, a Philadelphian...listen shnookums...you're going to be Detroit in 5 years if you don't get a handle on all the violence.

BTW, no cares about Philly slang. It's the Hudson Valley and that's IT!

Rhinebeck is a beautiful town but very pricey and full of obnoxious New Yorkers on the weekend. The Chatham area in Columbia County is incredibly beautiful.

It's nice. Close enough to NYC to get in easily, far enough away that it has a totally different feel. If you love the outdoors, woods and lakes, you'll love it. East of the river is richer and west of the river is cooler.

Scranton, yo! We’re cool. Come get a load of momma’s gravy.

There’s no gay community in Scranton, so doesn’t work for me.

"East of the river is richer and west of the river is cooler."

Do not go west of the river. Yeah, it's getting some buzz but some of the craziest hillbillies live on that side.

East side of the river even close to the Massachusetts border. Chatham, Kinderhook, Spencertown, Craryville, Hillsdale. Also, Tivoli, Red Hook, Hyde Park.

If you really are curious about west side of the Hudson--I would just focus on Woodstock, Kingston; maybe Saugerties or Phoenicia.

R65, oh, please. Nyack, New Paltz, Stone Ridge, Windham, Andes, Catskill, Athens, Hurley, West Park/Esopus, Bearsville, Walden, West Point, Tuxedo Park, Piermont, and other such places are all west of the river.

No hillbillies to speak of.

I spent 12 summers in the Hudson Valley. The area around Rhinebeck is my favorite. Culture, restaurants, beautiful countryside. Very progressive values, at least among the weekenders. lots of gays. Bard college is nearby and they have wonderful summer theater. The Amtrak stop in Rhinecliff means you can get to NYC in less than two hours.

If you go further north towards Hudson it becomes more rural and real estate is cheaper. Distances to NYC are obviously longer. There are lots of gays up there as well, but as a rule the more moneyed gays are in Duchess vs. Columbia county

I love the dutch architecture on the other side of the river. Stone Ridge is particularly gorgeous but it feels more remote, and rural. That may be because there is no train on that side of the river which is a big negative in my opinion.

They are gays up and down the Hudson River and museums, theater, culture all summer. I think it’s a great place, but I moved to Litchfield County, CT where you get all of these things as well.

Catskills and Athens have no hillbillies? Hahaha. Ok, Mary - sure.

I’ve noticed that the cities and towns without train stations, or easy access to one, seem safer and a little more polished. I’ll take rednecks over crime.

Yeah R65 is talking out of his ass. I have lived in Kingston and now New Paltz for years. This area is chock full of gays/lesbians and Kingston in particular is a mini Brooklyn now.

R68, Catskill, not the Catskills. The town. Which is jammed full of gays.

If you think Athens is full of hillbillies you probably scream "Oh, God, a wolf!" whenever you see a vole.

Stay on Long Island, sweetie. Some people are just too tender for any experience not drive-through.

OP Update: there are some really nice Hudson (River) Valleys on Susanna Salk’s YouTube channel, Quintessence.

Husband and I think we’ll pause on this idea for now, but we’ll probably change our tune once the wildfires start up again.

I go up there all the time from NYC, my friends own a piece of large property with a couple houses. There is very little to do there, but when you leave your 30s (40s?), who cares. You’re gonna go up there to be out of the city.

I have yet to encounter anything resembling a “gay community” up there, thank god.

"There is very little to do there,"

What do we do in the HV to fill our time as there is "very little to do there". Gee I felt the same in NYC where I lived 15 years before moving to the HV. I just sit and stare out the window, as there is nothing to do here.

R73 You are an idiot. And you know nothing of the HV.

Thanks, asshole. ^^ I didn’t mean that as a DIG against the Hudson Valley; I’m more than happy to go up there to get away from the noise and Gen-Z/young Millennials who pollute my neighborhood here in Brooklyn. I just meant that whatever the vibrant culture supposedly is in the Hudson Valley, it’s distinctly a lot quieter than NYC’s, which is fine.

Me, I just go swimming with my dog when I’m there. It’s fine.

Unclench, R74.

R73 is a new arrival to our DL community. One of his quotes: "There’s an enclave of Africans in Breckinridge, CO. They bag groceries at the local supermarket."

And by looking at his comments, he is a pretentious asshole - from Colorado to boot! But now he is swanning around NYC, visiting his "friends" in the HV. Tell us about your move from Co to NYC R73. We are most curious as to how someone from Colorado so quickly developed Manhattan pretensions.

R76, what in god’s name are you talking about? I didn’t write anything you quoted there, and I’ve been on Datalounge since 2008.

And I’ve never even *been* to Colorado.

Whatever function is passing for Trolldar on this site now is in dire need of an upgrade, apparently.

Sounds like someone needs a hug!

Or you could enjoy Troy. It is on the Hudson.

R80 That Realtor should have her ass beat for the landing page photo showing a snow covered yard in June! FFS, some agents are so damned lazy! When I lived in NYC, the Hudson Valley was a great escape in the Fall with beautiful scenery. I don't think it would be fun in the winter.

Troy is pretty far north but that's where I go primarily. My family is in nearby Latham. I love it because of the architecture. Stretches really do feel like Brooklyn Heights with all of those brownstones. They were just shooting a big HBO series there, from the Downton Abbey people: The Gilded Age - about, you guessed it, The Gilded Age in NYC.

Lots of hipsters and hipster amenities to be found (bars, restaurants) as well as people who work for the universities or in gov't in nearby Albany. There's also a ton of crazy homeless people.

But again - it's northern Hudson Valley. I would def stay south of Albany. And I TOTALLY disagree with the whole "nothing to do up there" notion. There's everything to do up there: hiking, swimming, skiing, biking - cultural stuff like galleries, museums and concerts. Amazing restaurants all up and down the river. The markets which are AMAZING (that's where Troy shines too. Their farmers market is fantastic). You can live a very full, active life. You just have to drive everywhere. That's the rub.

Do they have water taxis on the Hudson to take you from community to community the way they do on Fire Island and around lower Manhattan and Brooklyn?

R83 No, they have water Ubers that are marginally seaworthy. The interiors smell and the captains are surly immigrants. If you go for Uber upgrade, you might get an old cabin cruiser. Do NOT go below deck! MY friend and I had to help row when it was rush hour and we were being cheap!

Dear God, there is PLENTY to do in the Hudson Valley, particularly if you're not afraid of the outdoors.

R83 Water taxis would be a great idea for the Albany-Troy area but unfortunately Albany cut itself off from the river with a stupid highway years ago while Troy has been developing its waterfront and its adjacent downtown.

What’s the house-less situation in the area? In areas adjacent to WeHo, it’s really out of control. I have done fundraisers to help, have a lot of compassion, but I’d like to be somewhere it’s not so dire.

Current homeless population estimates for the City of Los Angeles is 41,000.

For the Hudson Valley counties of Rockland, Westchester, Orange, Duchess and Ulster, the combined estimate was about 3,000.

I'm not sure what the per capita figures are. Ulster County, where I live estimates that 300 people county-wide are homeless.

I'm a bit surprised it's that many, as they're not super-visible.

^ agree. And in general there is little crime.

Neve understood why people want to be 3 hours north of NYC in the middle,of nowhere - rather than North CT which is between NYC, Providence, New Haven, Boston or Eastern PA which is an hour from both NYC and Philly as well as easily connected to transit. Hudson is the perfect example - a cool enough town but in the middle fo nowhere a days journey to NYC. Western Mass/Berkshires are closer, prettier and less trashy.

R90 A day’s journey from NYC to Hudson? It’s two hours on Amtrak. Western Mass is farther from the city.

Visited briefly 10 years ago. Beautiful. Didn't want to leave.

There was a long-ass thread here a couple years ago about how positively bizarre Connecticut is. Lots of natives and current residents chimed in - much of it was funny stuff and very insightful. I could maybe do Litchfield but that's also really starchy. Hudson Valley has that earthy, hippy, artist thing going on which I love. Also, in places like Kinderhook or Chatham, you're right close to the Berkshires, Lower Vermont, Williamstown (which I love). That whole triad is so charming. During COVID I was up there for 3 months and kinda lived the dream. Kayaked, swam, cooked amazing food. Got high af. Heaven.

R88 Impossible....they'd freeze to death in the winter.

However, I haven't done a survey of homeless shelters in the Mid-Hudson Valley lately so I dunno.

R88 I'm R94...the locales you mentioned are in the lower Hudson Valley....not mid-Hudson Valley.

I guess the same thinking applies though.

Rockland and Westchester counties are lower Hudson Valley. Orange, Ulster, Greene, Putnam, Dutchess, and Columbia are mid-Hudson.

It sounds absolutely dreadful, OP. You are going to leave LA and like potter around a garden in upstate NYC? I would rethink this. Once you leave LA, you can't come back.

^ you can check out, but you can NEVER leave

As some have already stated, OP you're a bit late, and it's getting later than you think as each day passes.

Residents of Manhattan from Upper West Side, huge swaths of Brooklyn (including Park Slope), Upper East Side, West Village, Greenwich Village and elsewhere have been moving up to HRV for some time now. Both as primary and secondary homes, and it goes for gays as well as straights.

Where you live or go largely depends on what you're looking for, and of course other factors such as permanent home, second or just a vacation.

There's Shakespeare!

Pride!

OP lives in a palce with ever rising house prices, so it's not like he will leave WeHo as a pauper. He'll be going from one hot market to another. He may actually want four seasons and real greenery as opposed to warmth punctuated by periods of gloom and surroundings that are basically desert with an unsustainable bit of green verneer. He'd also have ready access to outdoor activities whereas now, behind some hiking, he had long depressing drives to anything outdoors.

Many of us have been to the places that get tauted here for "weather" or some other reason (the endless references to moving to insular, dull college towns like Bloomington, Indiana) and know they aren't for everyone and often are grossly overrated on their presumed merits. That's why people laugh at truly over-hyped places like Atlanta no matter how much their few boosters yammer on about the supposed joys of living there. I don't live in the Hudson Valley but I have been around there and have been to LA enough times (dozens actually) to know whay someone would want to move. LA's real heyday seems to have ended in the 70s--WeHo, like a lot of gay ghettos had alonger lasting appeal than that, but really it's been a long time since there was a big rush to move there.

Calling Litchfield County “starchy” is another clue that the OP full of shit. Litchfield County is full of writers and artists and progressive gays and straights. There is very little difference between residents of the Hudson Valley and Litchfield County from my 20 years experience in both places. The areas literally bleed into one another.

I think OP is looking for some Nirvana that doesn’t exist except in his own cluttered mind. I bet he’ll end up staying where he is and coming back on here six months from now to complain and propose another place where he might be happier.

"Litchfield County is full of writers and artists and progressive gays and straights"

Yeah, most of whom have money. I'm sorry but Litchfield county is a different vibe from most of the areas I described in the Hudson Valley. It's weird that you see very little difference between the two. But hey, perception is reality.

before investing why don' you rent someplace for a few weeks in the summer and a few in the winter. Then you'll know if you want to live there or not. You'll also get to see what the people are like. I grew up on Long Island and moved back and forth from the city to the Island until I eventually moved to Western PA. It was hard being accepted by some of the people who felt like you were intruding. It's a little different today but just the same it is good to see what the people are like.

I am near the Allegheny River in PA so we do get humidity but nothing even close to what they get on the East coast. Humditiy in NYC and on the Island can be brutal. The weather is also changing so we don't get anywhere near the snow that we used to get so you have to check the past few years weather.

I would like to clarify a couple of things, not leaving WeHo because it’s “over” or anything like that. Love all that this area has to offer, especially visiting the Getty Villa, and excited to see if Zumthor delivers at LACMA. Don’t need a strictly gay area to hide in, just somewhat open minded. At any rate, there’s no gayborhood in WeHo after Ms. Vanderpump moved in, and gay life is much different now, as you all should know. The days of hanging out in gay bars with the community is over, only alcoholics left. I’m just ready for some seasons and have a couple of acres for gardening and architectural experiments, while being close to a major city if I want it.

I think it’s fine - but don’t blow the money you make on a real date sale in the Hudson Valley. Save it. Rent for a year. Then if you want to go back to CA - or anywhere else - you have e the ability. Too many people I know went up there, sold their city place and planned to live off the proceeds - only to decide after a year or two, it wasn’t for them. Then the main option was the Wilton Manors area - but even that has now become pricey like Palm Springs.

Try it out - but prepare financially to return to CA if need be.

I also agree with renting. But I'm the opposite of r107. I've known many people - gay and straight - who moved up there and absolutely love it. Just know what you're in for.

Litchfield County is tony as fuck. Gorgeous, but very well-heeled and with a colonial vibe.

Interestingly enough, Litchfield County is more affordable than WeHo. I like this area, but there’s more of an arts community and gay community along the Hudson.

The Hudson Valley is more ethnically mixed from the colonial days onward. Litchfield is lovely but too uptight for me.

I love the quirks of the Valley. And there are so many unusual towns and unexpected places. A lot of it is campy or kitschy or sometimes a bit sinister - but that suits my temperament overall.

I love Litchfield County. Hate upstate NY - especially Hudson. Perhaps it’s like the UWS/UES opinion divide. I like clean, classic towns and architecture. Litchfield is like a dream. Upstate is filled with trailers mixed with rundown shacks - next to a $1million gay couples fixer upper.

OP, I hate to crap all over your dreams but If you aren't happy with the weather in Los Angeles, you won't be happy anywhere on earth. The summers in LA are lightyears better than an east coast summer and the winters are just fucking perfect.

Hudson River valley is a VALLEY. Hot, humid air gets trapped in it. The cooler air is in the areas above the valley.

Unlike the Hudson Valley, Litchfield Hills are at a higher elevation. Consistently cooler than NYC - sometimes dramatically - 10-15 degrees. A much better summer place. Though admittedly the winter heating bills can be high - especially since it’s mostly oil heat up there.

Don’t think this comment posted, but Litchfield Country doesn’t have enough CrossFit boxes for me. As far as weather is concerned, I’ve lived in similar climates before and I’m ok with that. Not ok with brown hills and wildfires and constant street racing anymore.

Yeah it's kinda like an UES / UWS thing, back in the day.

CT is lovely in the summer but it is otherwise cold, damp, overcast and wet. No thanks.

R17 Obviously, you have never been to Cold Spring.

[quote] I’m an architect

Sure you are.

Why not, R120? There are a lot of architects, probably 2 Million in the world, 222,000 in the U.S. (1 for every 1300 people), nearly 20,000 in Madrid alone, and in Italy at a rate of 1 in 414 people.

I really am, if you’ve worked in an office, been to a movie studio or stayed at a hotel, you may have seen my work. I doubt you live in a house designed by an architect, so much less likely.

Well, did you move?

Not yet! Going with my husband next month to take a look around. We’re going to visit a couple of times before we decide, as much as I love to be impulsive, have to make sure it’s what we want. I’m also busy with a couple of big projects right now, yikes!

I never understood the appeal of the Hudson Valley when the Hamptons are about the same distance and have everything upstate has plus the ocean. I’ve spent a bunch of time in both places and see no reason to go upstate. I even prefer the north fork over Hudson Valley. What am I missing?

R125 To each his own, some don’t need oceans and wineries from old potato fields.

Or not being able to make left hand turns in high season.

I don’t know R125? Stunning natural beauty, charming historic towns, historic sites?

R125 Also, you don’t have to go through Queens to get to the Hudson River Valley.

The same can be said for the Hamptons, R128. Maybe it just depends on which atmosphere you vibe with?

"I never understood the appeal of the Hudson Valley when the Hamptons are about the same distance and have everything upstate has plus the ocean. "

The Hamptons fucking suck. It's everyone you hate from NYC packed onto a series of beaches. The traffic is fucking crazy, the restaurants and bars are mobbed, everything is ridiculously expensive. It's really not much more than a notch above the Jersey shore in terms of the scene. I used to go back in the day when it was way more chill (late 80s, 90s) but now? It's an utter shitshow. And it's all contained on a little stretch of the south fork.

The Hudson Valley is expansive and definitely for people who aren't hung up on being seen and going to the latest hot place. It's way more laid back and unassuming. Also, I disagree - the restaurants up in the Hudson Valley are way better simply because young ambitious chefs can afford to open a place. And put the focus on food rather than how many tables they can turn on a Saturday night.

Disliked Eastern Long Island, loved the HRV. Beautiful!

The Hamptons don’t appeal to me for the same reason Beverly Hills doesn’t appeal to me. There’s nothing undiscovered or interesting about the Hamptons. Living there is like going to a European city and buying the same luxury goods that you can buy in ANY city in the world. Boring.

There are way too many insects there!

I’m not one to focus a trip around the accommodations, but some of these look amazing.