From boutique retailers and cosy cafés to charming countryside inns, a slate of new openings is bringing city-dwellers back to the Hudson Valley.
Upstate New York has quietly become the state’s hottest area, luring New Yorkers north in numbers that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago. Once a sleepy agricultural region with a smattering of farms and quaint towns, the area was formerly earmarked for weekend getaways from the city. Speckled with holiday homes, few lived here full-time. As remote-working options have increased over the past few years, the open spaces of the Hudson Valley have seen an influx of approximately 80,000 New York residents moving upstate between 2019 and 2021, and urbanites continue to decamp north.
Local entrepreneur Erin Winter and her business partner, Taavo Somer, are behind some of the region’s most inviting hospitality spots. “The area has changed dramatically,” says Winter, with her establishments having no small part to play in its transformation.
Sprawled across 89 hectares of pristine woodland, Innes is a Scandinavian-inspired country retreat that Winter and Somer opened in 2021 in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. In nearby Kingston, the pair’s pizza restaurant, Lola, is a popular choice for dinner and drinks. Their most recent venture, Little Goat, a bakery, pantry and all-day café, opened in May 2025 inside a restored 18th-century townhouse in the village of Rhinebeck across the Hudson River. The establishment was born out of “selfish reasons,” says Somer. Co-founder of cult Manhattan restaurant Freemans and a former architect, Somer relocated upstate in 2016. “Being here mid-week, there were things I was missing from the city,” he says. “I wanted somewhere to grab a cup of coffee.”
Finding a good stop for a brew or lunch in Upstate New York isn’t difficult these days. In the hamlet of Pine Plains, chef Clare de Boer runs Stissing House. Co-founder of King, one of New York’s chicest dining spots, De Boer’s upstate restaurant is a wood-clad tavern with low-slung ceilings and giant fireplaces. Expect a menu replete with hearty country dishes such as roasted halibut with chanterelles or steak-and-ale pie. For some lighter fare, head to Eliza in Kingston to sample oysters and steelhead trout in a snug dining room. Looking to while away an afternoon? Try the family-owned Tenmile Distillery. Offering fine whiskey, vodka and gin made with local ingredients by master distiller and Scotsman Shane Fraser, the distillery offers tours and tastings as well as the occasional restaurant pop-up.
The town of Hudson is still by far one of the ritziest points in the valley. Its high street is a tour of independent brands and artisanal produce. For American-made denim, stop by B Sides Jeans, while Talbott & Arding offers a choice selection of produce, cheeses and baked goods. If you’re looking for a bite, try Hudson Diner: a veteran of the town’s food scene. Recently renovated and refreshed, it still fields a menu with comforting classics, from burgers to patty melts.
For those looking to stay a little longer, boutique hotel The Henson serves as a trusty base. A 16-room lodge where historic guestrooms are softened by big rugs and beds dressed with patterned comforters, the property also hosts restaurant Matilda. Another good choice is the countryside inn The Six Bells, a recent arrival that mixes a cottage-core aesthetic with liberal doses of Americana. Big brands have moved in too, including luxury hospitality group Auberge Collection, which opened its 65-key Wildflower Farms on a 140-acre piece of land complete with meadows, woodlands and orchards.
Despite all the openings, there hasn’t been an issue with filling seats. Back at Little Goat, Somer and Winter are eager to extend the opening hours so customers can swing by any day of the week. “There’s [so much] demand from the people,” says Somer. “They just want more.”
