Poughkeepsie, New York
The city of Poughkeepsie, NY is situated in the Hudson River Valley right between New York City and Albany. A National Heritage Area, it serves as a county seat of Dutchess County and continues to attract both locals and tourist alike. A geographically fertile and culturally rich ground, you just have to be there to take in all those scenic streets and the lovely fresh northeast air.
Poughkeepsie actually means "The Queen City of the Hudson". The name originates from the Wappinger language where it means "the reed covered lodge by the little-water place". It was founded by the Dutch in the 17th century and just after the American Revolution, became New York's second capital. It continues to amaze tourists and local alike with its fine dining, comfortable lodging, great entertainment and all amidst rich colonial flavor.
One can make a visit to this interesting and beautiful town of Poughkeepsie for a weekend and rejuvenate themselves. The Metro-North line from New York City connects to the city and is popular with visitors to the city who come for the day or stay for a weekend.
Poughkeepsie is a great place to live in. There are intriquing options in entertainment, education, affordable living and many other benefits the city offers its residents. Many businesses in the city also thrive.
Poughkeepsie History
Looking back in the history of Poughkeepsie, it was settled way back in 1659 by Barent Baltus, a Netherland Dutchman. Later, the City of Poughkeepsie was officially chartered in 1854.
Safe and secure, even during the American Revolution, Poughkeepsie was named the 2nd capital of state of New York. The growth of the city was however slow, with very few permanent residents in Poughkeepsie even till 1736. During this time, the city had only two streets with eleven houses. There was the prominent Church, which was quite an evident object in the sparsely populated village, which could hardly be called a town at that time. In 1715, it was made the county seat and by 1734, when the first courts were founded in the county, Poughkeepsie gained importance as it was near the center of the county.
In 1788, the United States Constitution was debated and ratified by the Ratification Convention which led to New York entering the new union. In 1799, a seal was made for the city Poughkeepsie. By 1812, the village was seen to flourish and grow rapidly. Now it had a population almost over 3,000 with five churches. There were more than 400 houses, with many stores, shops as well as an academy. Two well-known weekly newspapers also were well in circulation in Poughkeepsie.
In the year 1824, one decidedly important event occurred and that was the visit by the renowned French-American nationalist, Gen. Lafayette. He made a trip to this small town on his way to Hudson from New York to Albany. The arrival of this distinguished nobleman filled the narrow streets of Poughkeepsie with people and there was a continuous pouring in and out of wagons and carriages coming in from all parts of the country. This brought more focus and attention on this small village.
From 1831 more improvements were seen with the construction of a reservoir, a new brick brewery, a silk factory as well as a new market and village hall. With the real estate value rising, there was not a single vacant tenement in the village by 1835. During the 19th century, the village experienced flourishing industry. Shipping, hatcheries, paper mills, and numerous breweries came into existence. Due to its proximity to New York City and the town's natural beauty, several palatial weekend homes were built by wealthy families in New York.
Today, the town and city of Poughkeepsie are normally seen as one place, and are referred to as Poughkeepsie commonly. With a current population of around 75,000, the city continues to prosper, grow and attracts tourists and new residents every year.
About Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie, New York is simply a great place to spend fun time with family, friends and loved-ones. Whether one wants to go for an early supper or a take a quick shopping lunch break, the city is great for just about every time of the year during the pleasant summers and even mildly cold winters.
With a wide choice of hotels in Poughkeepsie as well as bed-and-breakfasts, one will never run short of ideas for lodging. The Grand Hotel and the Inn at the Falls are very popular among the tourists. One should not waver to stay in the city for a while and absorb the ambiance of this historic, fun-filled city. The quaint yet plush lodging here will be enough to make a visit to Poughkeepsie more remarkable and memorable then before. You will take no time in getting to know the friendly staff at these lodgings as well as the people around and will feel like a local in no time. The charming Poughkeepsie knows how to wine, dine and entertain its visitors and tourists.
Dining and eating out in the city is quite a treat. With hundreds of restaurants located near the center of this picturesque town, it is no surprise to see wide assortments of some great dining opportunities. Whether it is American home cooking, the tangy Italian or the spicy Mexican, you are sure to come back for more. Aloy's Italian Restaurant is conveniently located on Garden Street while Gino's Pizza can be found on the main street. Some other popular restaurants are El Bracero Mexican Restaurant and Rio Bravo Mexican Cantina on the Raymond Street. If you are missing out on good home cooking, you can head for the Nathan's Restaurant or the PCs Paddock Restaurant in Poughkeepsie.
Poughkeepsie takes pride in the energetic small businesses going on in its hundreds of shops and markets. One will literally find everything under the sun here, from carpets to florists, ladies boutiques to gift shops. Enjoy the buzzing life in this small-town, sitting in a coffee shop and watch people go by. Tourists will find some interesting souvenirs and knick-knacks to take back home. For serious shoppers, there are stores showcasing all the main brands.
The steamy nightlife of Poughkeepsie nightclubs and bars make sure that everyone in the city is having a good time. Whether a couple wants to relax in a local spa, or may be even want to kick back with one of the trendy Poughkeepsie radio stations, this historic town has all the modern entertainment perks of a big modern city.
Poughkeepsie also boasts of a number of prominent institutions for arts and entertainment. For instance, the Bardavon Opera House, which has a collection of music, drama, dance and film events, is a delight for performance art lovers. The Barrett Art Center holds demonstrations, classes, and lectures focused on the visual arts. Cafe Bocca is the most recent business to open in Poughkeepsie's and features weekly original music from local artists. The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum, serves as an educational resource center and is a major family destination as well as tourist attraction.
About Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is situated in the state of New York. Centered in the Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley, the county seat is Poughkeepsie. With the population listed as 297,488 by the 2010 census, the county is positioned in south-eastern New York State. The New York- Connecticut border on the east side and the Hudson River lies on the west. Apart from Poughkeepsie, the other city in this county is Beacon.
The county has a total area of around 820 sq. miles, of which about 800 sq. miles is land and 24 sq. miles is water. The landscape of the county is typically hilly. The Taconic Mountains to the northeast and the Hudson Highlands in the south western corner make for most of the hilly region, while some of the regions near the river are more at sea level. The peak of Taconics in Brace Mountain is the uppermost point in the county which stands at 2,311 feet while the lowest spot is the Hudson River which is at sea level.
Dutchess County is the northmost county in the New York Metropolitan area. It develops three core products regularly which are Metropolitan Transportation Plan, a Transportation Improvement Program, and a Unified Planning Work Program. These plans sketch the transportation goals and policies of the Council's for the next twenty-five years. It is regularly updated every four years. All these transportation projects are federally funded in Dutchess County. The Council obtains federal highway and transit funds as the result of a complete planning program that prepares these documents.
The Council works with the help of two committees, the Executive Committee and a Technical Committee. While the Executive Committee has the authority to make the final decisions, the Technical Committee reviews the entire major plans and reports. It also looks into the capital programs before they are finally approved by the Executive Committee review. The membership on the Executive Committee may vary as per the municipality, but the membership on the Technical Committee is open to all municipalities in Dutchess County.
The picturesque and scenic Dutchess County is easily accessible by car, train, bus and air. With plenty of historic landmarks, exotic restaurants, amazing festivals and natural beauty, it is just the ideal place to be for a vacation with family.