Nestled Along New York's Hudson River Is An Underrated Artsy City With Flea Markets And Quirky Shops

Moving to New York City is, for many people, one of the most exciting life events they could possibly dream of. The bright lights! The crowds! The hidden gems where you're likely to spot a celebrity! It feels like living in a movie. But before long, Big Apple fatigue sets in and, like native New Yorkers, residents of all stripes will find themselves dreaming of a day or two's escape from the city.

Luckily, New York State offers plenty of charming cities and towns all with their own attractions and a different pace of life. One popular day tripping destination is Beacon, a city on the banks of the Hudson River with a population of around 15,000. Beacon is not only beautiful, with gorgeous Victorian architecture and a calm, waterfall-laden creek running through the center of town, but is also a laid back hive of culture and activity, with galleries and museums including the sprawling Dia:Beacon museum of contemporary art, and great stores focused on craft, art, and vintage items.

Leafy Beacon, New York has a great deal to offer those looking to reconnect with the great outdoors. It has plenty of hiking routes with views of the Hudson Valley while boat hire and fishing shacks allow you to make the most of the Hudson River. But for many visitors, the heart of Beacon is Main Street, where galleries, stores, and cafes vie for your attention.

Beacon has an abundance of great stores, and particularly popular among them is super cool Finders Keepers, which from its two locations focuses on vintage garments and costumes, as well as LPs and antiques. Hyperbole, meanwhile, is the result of two former shops, Artefact and Wares, merging together to offer great quality handcrafted jewelry at affordable prices. Another Main Street store, Witch Hazel, offers clothes, beauty products, and other creations by New York craftspeople and artists, alongside vintage clothes and antiques. And they're just a fraction of the great stores you'll want to check out during your time in Beacon. On top of this, on Sundays with good weather from April to December the corner of Henry Street and South Chestnut you'll find Beacon Flea Market, which offers a relatively small but definitely eclectic selection of goods that thrifting aficionados will love.

With such a nice atmosphere and so much on offer, no wonder Beacon, New York has long been a popular destination for big city dwellers looking to get out of the hustle and bustle for a while and relax and unwind. Driving to Beacon from Manhattan takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes, either via Palisades Interstate Parkway North, or via I-87. However, there are other options, including regular trains which leave regularly from Grand Central, and the journey takes roughly the same amount of time as it would to drive, and is incredibly picturesque, with the track running along the bank of the Hudson River on its journey north. There are also several buses, though travel times differ by route. Seeing as Beacon itself is a famously walkable city, it might be worth taking public transport to make your journey even more relaxing.

For those not planning to come back the same day, Beacon offers a whole host of accommodation options, including hotels and bed & breakfast places. The Roundhouse for example is a chic 3-star hotel and restaurant in a historic building which overlooks a waterfall on the river, while the Dutchess Inn & Spa offers utterly a charming setting in which to unwind and pamper yourself.

Looking for other adventures in New York? This decadent upstate road trip is the ultimate foodie adventure, or you could visit another overlooked small town that travelers say are the most beautiful in the state.