Just south of Nyack is the village of Piermont, which in its heyday was a bustling commercial center at the terminus of the Erie Railroad. Today it’s a quieter, less touristy version of Nyack. Woody Allen filmed much of The Purple Rose of Cairo here in the early 1980s.

Most of the village’s shops and art galleries are located on or just off Piermont Avenue. Among them are Boondocks (490 Piermont Ave., 845/365-2221), an “environmental marketplace” selling rainforest kits and the like, and Piermont Flywheel Gallery (220 Ash St., 845/365-6411, www.piermontflywheel.com, 1–6 p.m. Thurs. and Sun., 1–9 p.m. Fri.–Sat., free), which features the work of its 24 co-owners, all artists and sculptors.

In the center of town is Piermont Pier, which extends out into the river about a mile. Built by Chinese immigrants to allow the railroad easier access to Hudson River ships, the pier today is delightfully overgrown with cottonwoods, poplars, and goldenrod. From along its length you’ll have unobstructed views of the Tappan Zee Bridge and Piermont Marsh, a 950-acre wetland and bird sanctuary.

If you’re interested in actually visiting Piermont Marsh, enter Tallman Mountain State Park (off Rte. 9W, 845/359-0544, dawn–dusk daily, parking $6 June–Sept.) just south of the pier and follow the bike path to the shore. The preserve, covered with wildflowers in the spring, is one of the most important fish-breeding areas along the Hudson and an excellent bird-watching spot.