February 9, 2022
Discover Putnam County, Hidden Gem of New York's Hudson Valley
Kelsy Chauvin READ TIME: 7 MIN. SPONSORED
Up the Hudson train line, about an hour from New York's Grand Central Terminal, the river bends into Putnam County. The historic county is a destination of nature and culture, a place where you can discover scenic trails, original arts, independent shops and eateries, and a vibrant LGBTQ+ community. And because it's easily accessible from Manhattan, New Yorkers seeking a bit of small-town serenity turn to Putnam County for getaways that invite exploration.
The county is nestled between the Hudson River and Connecticut state line, inviting scenic drives from all directions. But many prefer taking convenient Metro-North Rail Road to avoid traffic, and especially for the scenery along the way. Cold Spring is the fun, friendly village of choice for most visitors, thanks to its dockside perch and charming Main Street.
Incorporated in 1846, downtown Cold Spring is on the National Register of Historic Places owing to its 19th-century architecture. Those well-preserved buildings are still in action today, inviting quality browsing for books, antiques, vintage and new fashions, gifts, and housewares. Foodies love exploring delights at cafés and specialty spots like the Cold Spring Cheese Shop and Homestyle for baked desserts and ice cream (including vegan treats).
"Part of the intrigue of Cold Spring is that you're never quite sure what you're going to find," says Nat Prentice, president of the Cold Spring Chamber of Commerce. "Some of the shops have been here for a while, and they sell all manner of interesting things. And I'm always amazed at who just opened, too. It can be pretty fluid, which means it's always great wandering around. That adds to the attraction of the place."
LGBTQ+ Pride of Putnam
Source: Putnam County Tourism
Prentice is especially proud to call Cold Spring and neighboring hamlets and towns like Garrison and Philipstown "very welcoming and broad-minded." LGBTQ+ locals, visitors, and allies appreciate raised rainbow flags that reflect the vibrant and supportive community. The progressive style of Putnam's Hudson-Valley enclaves even led to the first annual Putnam Pride in 2019.
Led by a small team of local LGBTQ+-identifying locals, Putnam Pride began as a Facebook activist group called Putnam Needs Pride. Members took to the streets in June 2020, explains Putnam Pride Founder Eileen McDermott, "marching in solidarity with Putnam for Black Lives in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder, in Carmel, the county center of Putnam."
Source: Laurie Doppman and Stephanie Schleicher
Through McDermott's perseverance and a growing number of LGBTQ+ allies and advocates, elected officials and community leaders are now participating in Putnam Pride happenings, working together to create a welcoming and diverse environment for locals and visitors alike. (The 2021 event added key speakers, sponsors, vendors, and performers, including drag queens Angel Elektra and Shay D'Pines.) The 2022 event details are still to come, but McDermott suggests it may take place in Brewster (Southeast Putnam County) this June.
In addition to "their fearlessness and resilience," McDermott says, "many of those in the Putnam LGBTQ+ community are talented artists and performers, and Putnam Pride is a great opportunity to showcase that talent."
Outdoor Adventure
Source: Putnam County Tourism
Stepping off the train in Cold Spring, avid hikers love taking on Breakneck Ridge, considered one of the state's top hiking trails. The trailhead is about a mile north of Cold Spring, with a total ascent of 1,440 feet that makes for epic hilltop views across the Hudson Valley. Hiking Little Stony Point is a far milder, just as lovely, and mostly flat one-mile loop on the north edge of Cold Spring.
Head south from the village center to explore a less-traveled, more historic hiking find at the West Point Foundry Preserve. Site operator Scenic Hudson calls the preserve an "outdoor museum" for its remarkable place in history and recent designation as a National Historic Landmark. Now a riverside park with two miles of trails, the foundry ruins are a wonder to today's visitors, who can imagine the former bustle of a place where 19th-century steam engines, Civil-War cannons, and other Industrial-era infrastructure were built.
History Comes Alive
A bit south of Cold Spring, along Route 9D, stands the Boscobel House & Gardens, a stately historic house museum that represents early 1800s architecture and furnishings. House tours are currently on hiatus, but on weekends the grounds are open for touring with advance tickets, inviting guests to imagine a time when the Neoclassical mansion was the ultimate Hudson River cliffside destination. As weather warms up, guests can join tours, outdoor performances, and other programs on Boscobel's grounds.
Every Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Boscobel hosts the Cold Spring Farmer's Market, featuring tastes of local, seasonal products and a variety of homemade foods, drinks, and specialties. Boscobel also was the longtime home of the celebrated Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, which is relocating to permanent new grounds in Philipstown for the summer 2022 season.
Distinctive Arts
Among the most unexpected finds in Putnam County is the Magazzino Italian Art Foundation, a museum and research center devoted to postwar and contemporary Italian art. Located three miles east of Cold Spring, Magazzino (meaning "warehouse" in Italian) programs its expansive, award-winning museum with year-round exhibits. Perhaps as intriguing is its innovative indoor spaces and outdoor landscapes is its miniature-Sardinian donkey farm, which adds whimsy and a special kids' attraction to the center. Come spring and summer, Cinema in Piazza showcases new and exhibit-related films in the center's open-air courtyard.
Just south of Garrison is another county gem known as Manitoga / The Russel Wright Design Center. Built by renowned mid-century American designer Wright in the 1950s, the experimental green-roof dwelling occupies a rock ledge on a small piece of the 75 acres he and his wife purchased years prior. The marvelous modernist home and landscaped grounds are open for tours resuming in May 2022 (with reservations), along with other on-site summer programming. Two miles of Wright-designed "woodland paths" are, however, open all year, and link to the Appalachian Trail.
To those who already know and love Putnam County, it's no surprise to discover more of the area's imaginative, inspiring, and iconic points of interest. For those who have yet to arrive in this spectacular pocket of the Hudson Valley, come ready for tastes, sights, and seasons of a destination always unfolding with something extraordinary.
Kelsy Chauvin is a writer, photographer and marketing consultant based in Brooklyn, New York. She specializes in travel, feature journalism, art, theater, architecture, construction and LGBTQ interests. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @kelsycc.
