Hudson is one of the most interesting towns along its namesake river. The town is part gentrified second-home-owner territory, part 19th-century boomtown now down on its luck. Handsome antique stores and weathered Victorian buildings, Manhattanites and proud descendants of African American whalers, struggling to make ends meet, all live side-by-side in Hudson.
The heart of downtown Hudson and the gentrification process is Warren Street, lined with one historic building after another. On the block closest to the river, there’s a Greek Revival mansion with a “widow’s walk” that once belonged to a whaling captain (No. 32). Along the 100 block alone are a Federal-style brick house with “eyebrow” windows (No. 102), a Queen Anne clapboard house with attractive trim (No. 114), and a rare Adam-style house with an ornamental marble frieze (No. 116).
The 1811 Robert Jenkins House (113 Warren St., 518/828-9764, 1–3 p.m. Sun.–Mon. July–Aug., or by appointment, adults $3, seniors $2, children under 12 free) houses a small local history museum. Exhibits include paintings by several lesser-known Hudson River School artists, the jawbone of a whale, General Grant’s “personal table,” and other curious odds and ends.
In recent years, Warren Street has become a mecca for antiques lovers; dozens of stores of varying quality are located here, most between 5th and 7th Streets. Among them are the Hudson Antiques Center (536 Warren St., 518/828-9920), housing about 20 dealers; Theron Ware (548 Warren St., 518/828-9744), specializing in classic Americana and ornate European antiques; and Ornamentum (506-½ Warren St., 518/671-6770), part jewelry store and part art gallery.
The two-story Carrie Haddad Gallery (622 Warren St., 518/822-9744) exhibits paintings, photographs, and sculpture by both established and up-and-coming artists.