{"id":122,"date":"2020-05-07T18:35:33","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T22:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/2008\/03\/21\/north-of-manhattan-a-cache-of-olde-world-charm\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T21:13:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T01:13:33","slug":"north-of-manhattan-a-cache-of-olde-world-charm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/122\/north-of-manhattan-a-cache-of-olde-world-charm\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold Spring in New York: Up the River, A Cache of Olde-World Charm"},"content":{"rendered":"

COLD SPRING, NY<\/strong>\u2014 An hour and fifteen minutes after you\u2019ve left Manhattan\u2014 approximately 50 miles\u2014you arrive in one of the most pleasant, preserved communities you never knew existed. Take a left out of the train station, walk down the ramp and into Main Street\u2019s endearing hustle and bustle; a collection of antique shops will charm you first, then you\u2019ll push through bell-strung doors into places full of tchotchkes and vintage toys followed by clothing boutiques and a surprising number of well-regarded restaurants for this petite village of approximately 2,000 people.<\/p>\n

Cold Spring is on the National Register of Historic Places<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Established in 1846 as the Village of Cold Spring-on-Hudson, the central area by the banks of the Hudson River is now on the National Register of Historic Places, a tribute to the rows of untouched 19th-century buildings that complement the cozy antiquated air of the community. One big perk about Cold Spring is how walkable the area is.<\/p>\n

Should you want to venture past the village\u2019s sole traffic light at the top of the hill, the Butterfield library is there on the left of Route 9D (also called Morris Avenue); turn right on 9D and you\u2019ll see a couple of small plazas that offer necessities such as a grocery store, drug store, bank and post office.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t feel like strolling far, starting this spring, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays will see the return of the trolley<\/a>. It leaves frequently from the Visitor\u2019s Center, and for one thin dime, you can ride not only through Cold Spring but over to the next town of Garrison (which is also on the Metro-North line) making stops along the way at places like the untarnished historical site of the Boscobel<\/strong> house built-in 1808.<\/p>\n

Aside from its old-fashioned features, Cold Spring\u2019s greatest attraction is its location. Surrounding the village are some of the most beautiful and pristine hiking trails in the Hudson Valley such as the classic Breakneck Ridge scramble<\/a> and Bull Hill loop<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Smack-dab on the banks of the Hudson, the town of Cold Spring is a very accessible riverfront environment composed of benches, walkways and a gazebo; the town juts out into the river, nearly the proverbial stone\u2019s throw from the mountains looming across the way. Picnic-specked parks and weekly summer music concerts transform the area into an idyllic, welcoming retreat from Manhattan.<\/p>\n

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