The Hudson Valley village where Mamdani vacationed is a 3-hour getaway from Long Island
The Yellow Deli in Coxsackie, a hidden-gem town on the Hudson River. Credit: Brian Logan / Alamy Stock Photo
Coxsackie is the kind of Hudson Valley town you have to seek out.
A 2-mile road winding downhill toward the Hudson River brings a storybook scene into view: Historic Reed Street stretches along the river, lined with independent shops, restaurants, a bookstore that turns into a bar after dark and a hotel on the water.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently vacationed in the Greene County village with his wife, bringing new attention to the charming river town just off Route 9W. A decade ago, there was little more here than a post office, a library, a bank and a few office storefronts.
"His visit is definitely bringing more traction to our town, which has grown a lot. It had almost nothing for a long time," said Peyton Bradt, director of operations at the James Newbury Hotel and a Coxsackie native. "Within the last five years, it got to where it is now. It's ever-changing and still growing. This is fresh for Coxsackie."
Coxsackie is about 30 minutes south of Albany, just off the Thruway. The three-hour drive from Melville makes the area a natural overnight or weekend trip.
Here's what to do, where to eat and where to stay.
Exploring Reed Street Historic District
Reed Street was mostly boarded-up storefronts when Susan Baldaserini and Shai Kessler opened Reed Street Bottle Shop there in 2016.
"At the time there was not much in terms of newcomers," Baldaserini said. "As outsiders looking in, we could see the potential in what was next for this village."
Floral design studio Village Blooms opened in downtown Coxsackie in 2023. Credit: Jessica Cahill
Coxsackie General Store (45 Reed St.; cxegeneral.com; 518-731-7200) followed a year later and is still open daily, while other businesses filled in from there. Village Blooms (1 Mansion St.; villagebloomscoxsackie.com; 518-731-2687) owner Jessica Cahill moved to Coxsackie for its small-town feel and opened her flower shop in 2023 after noticing the village had no florist. "It's grown so much," she said. "We're seeing a big influx of tourists, especially downtown." Many of Reed Street's businesses are woman-owned, she said
Reed Street was mostly boarded-up storefronts when Susan Baldaserini and Shai Kessler opened Reed Street Bottle Shop in 2016. Credit: Jessica Cahill
Many shops are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, with tourism picking up Wednesday through Sunday. Reed Street Bottle Shop (34 Reed St.; reedstreetbottleshop.com; 518-731-6326) remains a stop for wine, spirits and cider from small producers. Down the block, Pilothouse Paper (49 Reed St.; 518-731-8082) sells paper goods and gifts, and Shipwrecked (8 Reed St.; shipwreckedcafe.com; 518-719-0048) serves coffee by day, drinks by night, with books throughout. Grab a sweet treat at Coxsackie Creamery (12 Reed St.; coxsackiecreamery.com; 518-731-2700) or shop for antiques at UnQuiet (47 S. River St.; unquietupstate.com), then head to the back of the store to Ravish Liquors, a speakeasy-style bar open late.
For dinner, Che Figata Italian Bistro (10 Reed St.; chefigatabistro.org; 518-731-2220) is a family-owned Italian restaurant and Patrick Henry's (48 S. River St.; patrickhenryswt.com; 518-731-9982) is a neighborhood tavern with waterfront views, serving American classics.
Riverside Park (Betke Boulevard, greatnortherncatskills.com; 518-731-2718), down the street, has a farmers market on Wednesdays and live music on Sundays in the summer, along with a boat launch and kayak rentals on the Hudson.
Each year, artists decorate owl sculptures placed around town, a nod to the town's name, a Native American word meaning "hoot of the owl." Town hall has maps showing where to find them and the owls are auctioned off at the end of the season to raise funds.
Each year, artists decorate owl sculptures placed around town, a nod to the town's name, which comes from a Native American word meaning "hoot of the owl." Credit: Jessica Cahill
Antiquing and the outdoors
In West Coxsackie, back on Route 9W, is Coxsackie Antique Center (12400 Route 9W; 518-731-8888; greatnortherncatskills.com), which hosts more than 100 dealers with over 30 years in business, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Manager Diana Barr, who's worked there nine years, says the recent influx of tourists in the area is made up of younger travelers.
"A lot of millennials are getting more savvy with their money and are loving to furnish their homes and apartments with older stuff," Barr said. Prices run from a few dollars to a couple hundred. "You could spend the entire day here."
Also nearby is Four Mile Point Reserve (169 4 Mile Point Rd.; scenichudson.org), Coxsackie Creek Grassland Preserve (19 Houghtaling Rd.; greenelandtrust.org) and the Hi-Way Drive-In (10699 Route 9W; hiwaydriveinny.com; 518-731-8672) with four screens and two movies on each, open weekends.
Where to stay
The Voco James Newbury Hudson Valley by IHG (60 S. River St.; ihg.com; 518-719-9800) includes 47 rooms on the river in downtown Coxsackie. The hotel opened about three years ago as an independent boutique property before joining IHG. Bradt said the affiliation has helped draw leisure travelers from downstate and other states, plus wedding groups. Amenities include restaurants, a rooftop feature, spa, yoga and Pilates. Rates start at $150.
