What's the best city to visit near Pawling, NY?

November 4, 2010 10:28 AM

What's the best city to visit near Pawling, NY?

Qualifications:
1. Not too expensive, so New York City is out.
2. City should have a bunch of young people or be near a college town.
3. Not too far from Pawling, NY, which is where my friend is. Hopefully >1hr. drive, but we'll consider going further if it's worth it.
4. Preferably a good bar scene, and good restaurants.

posted by banished to Travel & Transportation around Pawling, NY (11 answers total)

New Paltz. That's pretty much your only bet. I mean there isn't really a city other than NYC, Poughkeepsie, or Newburgh. You ruled out the first, and the last two, skip it man.
posted by spicynuts at 10:37 AM on November 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

Hyde Park is nice and not too far. that's where the Culinary Institute of America is and a lot of grads have settled there so I know they have some good restaurants. It's also close to Vassar and Marist, so you could consider it a college area. I don't know about bars, but it's also close to Poughkeepsie where there are definitely plenty of bars.
posted by firei at 10:41 AM on November 4, 2010

New Haven, CT was pretty fun when I took the train up there from NYC for a McGill vs Yale hockey game. Looks to be about 1hr 20 minutes from Pawling.
posted by Grither at 10:49 AM on November 4, 2010

nthing New Paltz--it's a small university town. Cold Spring is a possibility, though it's not a college town.
posted by Elsie at 11:00 AM on November 4, 2010

Unless you would be spending the night in a hotel, New York is not significantly more expensive to hang out in than any of the places mentioned so far. You might pay a buck or two more for a beer, but it would be worth it in my opinion.
posted by Sara C. at 11:44 AM on November 4, 2010

Beacon is a quaint village, and has a cool modern art musuem, DIA Beacon. Poughkeepsie recently renovated an old train trestle into a pedestrian walkway over the Hudson River, which I have heard from relatives in the area is neat.
posted by aught at 12:44 PM on November 4, 2010

I live in the area and used to work near Pawling.

New Paltz is very nice. Crowded on weekends but so is Woodstock, also nice but a bit more touristy. The Walkway over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie is a must-do if you're going across the river. The Highland side (across from Poughkeepsie) is less crowded and lots closer to the actual river.

The waterfront in Newburgh is nice. Beacon is nice, and there's a ferry that connects the two. Beacon has DIA which is worth the trip by itself.

Hyde Park/ Rhinebeck/Red Hook/Hudson are pretty little river towns all in a row.

New Paltz has 12 pizza places and 3 sushi places, and a bunch of other good restaurants. Great diner just off the Thruway (in the Plaza where the movie theater is). Ate there last night, in fact!

Did anyone mention New Paltz?
posted by KenManiac at 4:02 PM on November 4, 2010

Response by poster: spicynuts, why skip Poughkeepsie? Seems like it has more hotels and more nightlife / things to do than New Paltz, unless I'm missing something?
posted by banished at 6:06 PM on November 4, 2010

Seconding beacon for the DIA Beacon -- really great museum -- but just for a day trip. Museum is a walkable distance from metro north. I've also heard there is great ethnic (middle eastern maybe?) food in Beacon but I don't know where to go or what to suggest in that regard.
posted by countrymod at 7:34 AM on November 5, 2010

I grew up in Wappingers Falls, which is essentially Fishikill/Beacon/Poughkeepsie. You asked for a college town so I figured you were looking for young, artsy, edgy, eclectic. Poughkeepsie is none of these things and you can't walk around it, you would need to drive. Yeah the rail bridge is awesome, but it's isolated. As far as nightlife, again you're going to have to drive and if by 'nightlife' you mean cheese clubs and one or two college-ish/frat type bars, sure. New Paltz is the closest thing to a walkable, downtown college-sceney place. Beacon, although DIA is awesome, is none of the things you asked for either and outside of one half of the main street, there is zero going on there. New Paltz, then Woodstock is your best bet.
posted by spicynuts at 11:52 AM on November 5, 2010

I've also heard there is great ethnic (middle eastern maybe?) food in Beacon but I don't know where to go or what to suggest in that regard.

Ahmmmm.....NO. No there is not. Unless you are from some farm town in Sullivan county then yeah, the Thai place on Main Street might seem like 'good ethnic' food. Otherwise, hell no.
posted by spicynuts at 11:54 AM on November 5, 2010