A Weekend Trip to Hudson, New York
Looking for a weekend getaway from NYC? Hudson, New York is easy to get to and there’s plenty to explore when you get there.
I was so excited to finally see the town Jenny Humphrey went to after she was banished from Manhattan (yes, hi, basic Gossip Girl fan over here writing this post).
But really, Hudson has been on our list for a while and we were craving a change of scenery for the weekend, so Hudson it was.
We decided to book the trip on a Wednesday and by Friday afternoon, we found ourselves in this cute, upstate town. Read on for everything we did in Hudson.
How to Spend a Weekend in Hudson New York
Getting to Hudson from NYC
Drive to Hudson
You can rent a car from NYC to drive up to Hudson if you’d like. We drove but left from Hoboken, New Jersey and the ride took just about two hours on a Friday afternoon.
Train to Hudson
You could also take the train from Penn Station to Hudson and that will take about 2 hours and 10 minutes. You can absolutely enjoy Hudson without a car and the train station is walking distance from the town.
Hotels to stay at in Hudson
The Wick
We stayed at The Wick hotel in Hudson, which was really nice. It was actually an old candle factory, hence the name The Wick. I liked the hotel, it was nice and clean.
My only note is that It's just a little further from the center of town and we had to walk up some crumbling stairs (not part of their property, but nearby) to make our way to the main part of Hudson on foot.
But parking was included, the service was good and it’s right near the train station.
The Maker
The Maker may just be Hudson’s best-known hotel and it was created by the founders of Fresh Beauty, which is one of my favorite beauty brands.
As soon as you walk through the door, you are just overwhelmed with incredible scents, many of which are available for you to purchase. It’s housed inside of three historical buildings and in addition to a gymnasium and a pool they have a restaurant, a café, and a lounge all on-site.
There are only 11 rooms on the property, so it was all booked up since we were planning a last minute trip, but I would love to stay here in the future.
Other hotels to consider
I also saw The Amelia recommended more than once, so that could be another option to consider as well.
We also walked by the The Hudson Whaler hotel on Warren Street that I thought was in a great location, so I’ll also shout them out.
Shopping in Hudson
When it comes to shopping in Hudson, there were so many cute stores and I think we only scratched the surface of all of the incredible local businesses that are based there.
There are clothing stores, beauty stores, and an overwhelming incredible amount of home decor stores as well.
You could honestly probably spend an entire Saturday afternoon just window shopping and popping in and out of all of the cute stores on Warren Street.
Some of my favorites were:
Spotty Dog Books & Ale
Was this my dream store? Spotty Dog is a bookshop that also had a bar with beer taps! They served craft beers from some of the local breweries.
We didn’t have any drinks here, but I picked up a book called Maybe Once, Maybe Twice that I’m excited to read. (You may also like it if you’re a fan of the second chance romance literary trope.)
Minna
I could feel this home decor store calling me in from the sidewalk. There was a sleepy dog inside the store just chilling amongst the fabrics and the girl who was working there told me that they collaborate with artisan groups throughout Latin America to make their pieces.
According to Minna’s website, their patterns and colors are meant to be mixed and layered and the designs are inspired by Feminist art and vintage textiles.
John Doe Records
If I see a record shop, I’m going in. It evokes that sense of nostalgia for sure, and just flipping through all of the albums feels soothing and like I’m really stopping to smell the flowers.
Also, as a recent new owner of an ~actual record player~ I am now on a mission to own all 10 (soon to be 11) Taylor Swift albums on vinyl.
I currently own Red, Lover and Midnights so only a few more to go.
Hudson cafes to try
Wylde
Guys—this place was so vibey.
I could see myself posting up at Wylde with my laptop for a few hours to get work done, cozying up alone with a good book and a coffee, or catching up with a friend on a sleepy Saturday morning.
I tried both their chai and matcha lattes and would definitely go back for the matcha.
The Maker Café
Just to warn you now, The Maker will be a running theme throughout this post, so buckle up. On Sunday morning we treated ourselves to a sit-down breakfast at their lovely café.
You could also grab pastries and a coffee to go if you’re in a hurry.
MOTO Coffee/Machine
Where else are you going to find a place that is half coffee shop half motorcycle store? Only in Hudson.
We initially were planning to eat breakfast at Moto, but one of the workers told us their kitchen is currently being renovated so they only had coffee and to-go pastries at the time we visited (March 2024.)
We didn’t end up getting anything just because we were pretty hungry, but I would definitely come back to this place to experience their full menu.
Where to eat in Hudson
The Maker Restaurant
When we arrived on Friday night, we were able to get a dinner reservation at the restaurant at The Maker Hotel, which was just incredible and we decided it would be our fancy meal for this trip.
So we ordered an appetizer from the specials that we shared, our entrees, and we also ended up getting tiramisu for dessert.
We sat inside the conservatory which was really beautiful, especially as it started to get darker outside and you can also book in the Rose Room at The Maker but I personally think either option is great.
We had a great server and everything was so tasty—definitely one of the best meals I've had in a while.
Little Rico
We ventured over to this cute spot called Little Rico on Warren street for breakfast. We ordered iced coffees and I got a breakfast sandwich called La Carmen that had bacon and egg and it was served on a gluten-free bun.
The store was also set up similarly to an NYC bodega and sold smoothies and juices to go, beauty products, and more.
La Mision Hudson
We had walked past this Mexican restaurant called La Mision on Warren Street and chose to have dinner on our last night here. We both ordered fajitas which were sooo good and the service there was great.
Hudson breweries
Union Street Brewing Co.
We didn't get an official lunch on Saturday, but we ended up going to Union Street Brewing Co. where we got a soft pretzel and some french fries.
This place was fantastic—there was so much outdoor seating and a huge indoor space as well with TV’s airing sports, a cart of games to play and even a rack to hang up your coats.
We easily could have spent an entire afternoon here, but with two other breweries just a few blocks away, we decided to survey all of the options.
Upper Depot Brewing Co.
Located inside of a revamped train station from the 1800s, Upper Depot Brewing Co. has a modern and industrial feel to it.
There’s plenty of seating, whether you want to be inside at the bar underneath the railroad crossing sign watching a game or outside soaking in the sun.
They usually have a food truck parked right next to the building as well in case you get hungry and I did see a cornhole game, although someone grabbed it before I could convince Andrew to play a round with me.
Return Brewing
Our last stop of the day for breweries on Saturday was Return Brewing. They also had both indoor and outdoor seating and they had traditional long tables with benches and also some cozier corners and bar seating.
They also had my favorite neon sign that I saw on our trip, which I’ll share a photo of in this post.
We also saw a Cousins Maine Lobster truck parked outside and treated ourselves to some lobster rolls (so that plus the pretzel and fries we shared was our lunch for Saturday) so if you don’t want a sit-down meal, I’m a big fan of collecting snacks from various breweries.
Hudson Brewing Company
Yes, there was a fourth brewery we didn’t make it to, and ironically this one was right next to The Wick!
But you know, three breweries in one afternoon isn’t half bad, So I’ll have a visit to the Hudson Brewing Company to look forward to when I return.
Where to drink in Hudson
The Maker Lounge
The Maker reign continues. After we finished dinner at the restaurant, our waitress suggested we check out the lounge. We only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated inside this beautiful space.
It’s actually an old carriage house that has been converted into a glamorous bar. We were seated in two armchairs and sipped on red wine until last call. I’d love to try their cocktails next time!
The Hereafter
Sometimes there is no greater bar than the one that your mom DM’s you about on Instagram.
That’s right, my mom sent me a reel of this place since she knew we were in the area and about 10 minutes later we were sitting at The Hereafter bar.
I loved the vibes here and the dirty martini was delicious. I would definitely make a point to stop here while you visit!
Padrona
We passed by a sign that mentioned a happy hour at Padrona on our first night.
I decided to order a dirty martini and it was brought out in this cute bucket, which I actually appreciate since an ice cold martini is the only acceptable type of martini in my book.
This particular martini was way too strong and not very dirty—I feel like this was just a one-off though because I saw another girl at the bar who seemed to love her martini made by a different bartender.
I also probably could have said something or asked them to fix it, but decided not to because I was feeling shy (so unlike me lol). That said, I liked the atmosphere here and would definitely give this place another try.
How long should I spend in Hudson?
We arrived in Hudson in late afternoon on a Friday and left late Sunday morning and we thought that was a pretty good amount of time to spend there.
I am hoping to plan a return trip there with my mom this summer so we can stay at The Maker and visit more of the shops on Warren street.
What time of year is best to visit Hudson?
Honestly, I think you can visit Hudson any time of year! We ended up visiting on a pretty mild weekend at the end of March and were still even able to sit outside at one of the breweries we went to.
Over the summer would definitely be a fun time to visit because you could stroll in the sunshine around or stay at a hotel with a pool to enjoy the warm weather.
I bet it would also be gorgeous anytime in the fall. You’d have an amazingly scenic drive or train ride up from the city and there are a few parks and hikes nearby if that’s something you’re into where you could go leaf peeping and check out the foliage.
So what do you think? Will you be adding Hudson to your road trip list this year?
yours,
Austen