Summer in New York. There’s lots to love. The city takes on an outdoorsy vibe, with parks and riverside spaces coming alive with picnickers, open-air film screenings, plays and concerts. But when the heat gets too much, you’ll want to escape the city streets.
And you don’t have to go far for some respite. But rather than the expensive, overpopulated Hamptons on Long Island, head to the cool environments of The Berkshires, Hudson Valley and Catskills just a couple of hours’ drive north.
Home to some of the country’s most beautiful rivers, mountain ranges, highlands and vistas, they have long been the getaway choice for the creative classes – Edith Wharton, Norman Rockwell, Herman Melville and Henry David Thoreau all gravitated here.
With music, theatre and dance festivals, farm-to-table restaurants, world-class museums and vintage design stores, as well as trails for hiking, rivers for tubing and lakes for boating, varied days mixing art and nature are guaranteed.
THE BERKSHIRES
Culture and green spaces come together spectacularly in the Berkshires, a surprisingly sophisticated environment in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts.
Dart from one small town to another, taking in everything from the summer theatre productions in Williamstown, Great Barrington and Pittsfield, to the Jacob’s Pillow dance festival in the town of Becket. Traditional and contemporary museums dot the landscape, and creative restaurants whip up local delicacies. The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority runs buses between towns, but hiring a car is the best way to explore.
What to do
Fill your days with art at the area’s three very different museums. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge (nrm.org, adults $17.50, children $5) holds the greatest collection of works by the famed chronicler of 20th-century American life. Rockwell moved to Stockbridge in 1953 and his studio is also on site.
The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown (clarkart.edu, adults $20, children free) houses an extensive collection of impressionist and old master paintings. Sitting on a 140-acre campus surrounded by mountains, the exterior is as enthralling as the interior.
Since its opening 15 years ago, MASS MoCa (massmoca.org, adults $18, children $8) has become one of the most popular contemporary art museums in the country and is a must-visit. With an active artist-in-residence programme, the museum’s support has led to the creation of more than 80 major new works of art, and some 50 original performances.
Where to stay
With its sweeping front porch filled with rocking chairs, year-round outdoor swimming pool and cosy rooms that have hosted six US presidents, history abounds at The Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge (+1 413-298-5545, redlioninn.com, doubles from $105 B&B), which was built in the late 1700s. But despite its age, the 125 rooms have flat-screen televisions and power showers.
Contributing to the revitalisation of the town, The Porches Inn in North Adams (+1 413-664-0401, porches.com, from $189 B&B), which was inspired by MASS MoCA, is housed in a line of renovated Victorian terraced houses (all with porches, of course). This retro-contemporary hotel consists of boldly coloured furnishings, a year-round pool, sauna, hot tub and fitness centre, and pays tribute to the burgeoning cultural scene in the town by exhibiting local artists.
Where to eat
The bright, small Nudel Restaurant in Lenox (+1 413-551-7183, nudelrestaurant.com, dinner for two with wine around $60) takes its inspiration from local producers and turns natural ingredients into culinary works of art – these might include a pasta dish (summer squash mac and cheese), a salad (peach and cucumber with farro and feta), or braised beef with corn salad.
Over in Pittsfield, Mission Bar & Tapas (no phone, missionbarandtapas.com, dinner for two with wine $40)serves small plates – meat and cheese platters, pork tacos and paella – perfect for a pre- or post-theatre dinner.
In Great Barrington, The Preservation Society (+1 413 429 6310, facebook.com/preservationsocietyrestaurant) is a new, simple but upscale annexe (next door to Route 7 Grill, a famed barbecue joint) that’s attracting curious customers with its $100, five-course tasting menu featuring local producers. Every dish, from the pea shoots gracing the salmon tartare to the wood-grilled steak, and strawberries sprinkled over shortcake, is fresh off the farm.
HUDSON VALLEY
Though the Hudson Valley region spreads over 10 counties, extending 150 miles north from the tip of Manhattan, a good place to start is in Duchess County, a two-hour drive from New York City. Here, history is on the agenda – from pre-revolutionary war sites to legendary homes from the early 20th century – allowing visitors to go back in time while taking in the timeless beauty of the weaving Hudson river.
Foodies will appreciate the richness of this agricultural region’s culinary offerings. Every town has its share of quaint restaurants and speciality food shops filled with artisan cheeses and breads – making packing a picnic a tempting option.
Most unexpected, however, are the antique and furniture stores in the town of Hudson (check out Mark McDonald for mid-century design furniture and Sutter Antiques for art deco furniture) and Rhinebeck (try Sawkille Co for handmade “farmhouse modern” –wooden tables and stools inspired by the Shaker movement).
In Hudson, a walk down Main Street feels more like strolling through Manhattan’s SoHo in the 1980s. New York design-driven business owners have migrated here to curate the types of stores one can no longer afford to open in the city.
What to do
The Springwood estate of Franklin D Roosevelt is a national historic site in Hyde Park (nps.gov/hofr, two-day ticket to the home, library and museum $18, under-15s free) with daily tours of the home of the president and the first lady, Eleanor. One can easily spend half a day here, walking through the gardens, taking in the views of the Hudson river and soaking up a remarkable time in history.
Just down the road is the Vanderbilt Mansion, a gathering place for the most socially prominent New Yorkers in the late 19th century (nps.gov/vama, $10, under-15s free), also a national historic site, open for tours daily. The mansion is an example of American beaux-arts design and provides a glimpse into the life of an American millionaire, complete with original furnishings, formal gardens and lots of stories from the park rangers who give the tours on how they lived … and partied.
Where to stay
Claiming to be America’s oldest inn, dating from 1766, The Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck (beekmandelamaterinn.com, rooms from $150) has 23 rooms, while one block away, the Delamater (same website, rooms from $155) has another 50. But even the oldest rooms have air-conditioning, television and private bathroom – and most also come with a lovely decanter of sherry. In Hudson, The Barlow Hotel (thebarlowhotel.com), is a small boutique place housed in an art deco building in the heart of the historic shopping district. Its 16 rooms are all decorated in contemporary design, with a long list of amenities from Wi–Fi to an iPad lending library, individual coffee machines and electric fireplaces.
Where to eat
The minimalist, intimate Hudson Food Studio (hudsonfoodstudio.com, dinner for two with wine $80) specialises in locally sourced ingredients cooked with south-east Asian flavours. Seared ahi tuna comes with an avocado mash and tomato chilli accent, while the roasted caramel chicken wings taste like a great savoury dessert. Also in Hudson, Fish and Game (fishandgamehudson.com, seven-course set menu $80), which opened just over a year ago in a renovated 19th-century blacksmith’s shop, is already a destination eatery for New Yorkers. The set menu changes from week to week to include the freshest ingredients available, such as fava beans in a cucumber yoghurt and kohlrabi with radish and currants. It’s pricey but worth it.
In Hyde Park, it’s a must to indulge in one of the three top restaurants at the Culinary Institute of America (Italian, French and American, dinner around $60 without wine), or wait in line at the campus’s Apple Pie Bakery Cafe for cheaper light lunches and snacks. The fun comes from walking the halls of the main building and peeking through the windows at students in white coats and chef’s hats stirring sauces or rolling out pastry. And perusing the shop, which sells everything from cookbooks to measuring spoons and pots, is an activity in itself.
THE CATSKILLS
Outdoor enthusiasts, aging hippies, and music enthusiasts won’t want to miss the Catskills, just a two-hour drive from New York. Famous for the Woodstock music festival (actually held in Bethel, 43 miles south-west), the small town of Woodstock still has many shops selling “groovy” souvenirs. While Woodstock has retained a “peace and love” hangover from the festival (there are spiritual bookshops and yoga centres, clothing stores selling tie-died dresses and record shops still selling vinyl), it also feels contemporary, with cool cafes, upscale restaurants and a decidedly hip, artist-colony vibe.
Yet it is the creeks, rivers, and mountain trails that make the Catskills a perfect getaway for urbanites. Most visitors arrive with bikes and kayaks strapped to their cars, though equipment can be easily rented. Equally, at the end of an active day, they flood into bars with home-grown music, ready to loosen hiking boots and relax over a cold beer. Be warned: mobile phone and satellite service is sketchy, which can affect even the best GPS car system. Bring a map, or you might miss happy hour as you try to find your way out of the mountains.
What to do
For sweeping views of the Catskills, head to the North/South Lake a few miles from Haines Fall, a 20-minute drive from Woodstock (if you don’t get lost). Here you can choose from an array of hiking trails (depending on your stamina) on the northeast rim of the mountain range that rises more than 900 metres. The good news is you can cool off in the lakes afterwards. Or if hiking is not your thing you can always float around in a hired boat and watch the sun hit the hills.
Town Tinker Tube Rental in Phoenicia (towntinker.com) will set you up for a river adventure like no other. For $15 a day (another $8 gets you a much-needed helmet and life jacket) you will be handed an inner tube with a seat – and a safety briefing on how to return in one piece.
Where to stay
The Woodstock Inn (woodstock-inn-ny.com, rooms from $143) is a B&B that’s walking distance from town but feels deep in the country, because it sits on the banks of a bubbling stream you can take a dip in, and is surrounded by gardens. Breakfast is healthy but hearty, just the job before a big hike. Overlooking the Hudson River in Saugerties, the Saugerties Lighthouse (saugertieslighthouse.com, rooms from $225 B&B) is a B&B with just two rooms, and is the most sought-after reservation in the Catskills. Dating from 1869, it has a small parlour overlooking the water, and check-in time changes depending on the tides, as the only access is on a half-mile hiking trail.
Where to eat
Overlooking a creek in Woodstock, the Bear Café (bearcafe.com, dinner for two with wine $80) has a musical history as well as an eclectic menu. Opened in 1971 by Albert Glassman, personal manager to Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin, it has now been updated into a sleek restaurant selling local fare such as grass-fed filet mignon and beer battered onion rings.
In Phoenicia, Brio (brios.net, dinner for two $30) is a playful diner in a small Catskills village known for tubing – you’ll often see patrons wander in with wet hair. It serves burritos, fajitas, piled-high signature sandwiches and gourmet pizzas – in fact there is little you won’t find on the menu, including a long list of cocktails.
