Kingston, NY

Uptown Kingston.  

The Stockade District’s leafy streets and weathered stone facades hide modern magic. Start your day at Hotel Kinsley's sun-drenched restaurant—heir sourdough french toast with blueberry compote is amazing. For a quick gourmet escape, Black Eyed Suzie's packs picnic-perfect sandwiches and seasonal prepared foods for takeaway. Come evening, check out Chleo for a glass of wine and dinner or slip into Stockade Tavern's moody embrace for an Old Fashoined or join literary types at Rough Draft Bar & Books, where IPA flows as freely as poetry (also great for hanging out in the daytime with coffee and pastries). Craving carbs? Lola's wood-fired pizzas and pastas and Deising's Bakery's sweet treats will get you sorted.

Among my fave shops is Exit Nineteen, where hand-poured candles scent the air like a cedar forest, and mid-century ceramics beg to be touched. Nearby, Bluecashew Kitchen Homestead stocks kitchen equipment and preserving kits for your farm haul, while Rhino Records' crates overflow with tons of vinyl. For a sweet fit, Hamilton & Adams outfits you in rugged-chic flannels that say "I hike, but I also know my vermouth."

I tend to lose hours at Kingston Consignments—a wonderland of vintage furniture and decor. And, Saturdays belong to the Kingston Farmers Market – between bites of artisanal cheese and heirloom apples, you'll meet beekeepers, woodworkers, and the woman who grows lavender in her backyard. It's less a market, more a block party with better produce.

Midtown Kingston.

Where warehouses now house wood-fired bagels, ceramic studios, and a butcher who knows your name. Follow the scent of jerk spice to Top Taste—their curry goat and plantains will make you rethink every sad takeout meal. At Masa, kofte and falafel is served with hot pita, while Mirador’s sun-drenched patio pairs Spanish tapas with vermouth on tap. Need caffeine? Village Grocery & Refillery pours lattes alongside pastries, breakfast, sandwiches, and grocery items. Later, Sorry Charlie shakes up cocktails and “nonnies” (NA drinks) that’ll make you swoon, and Kingston Standard Brewing Co. turns post-work pints into a ritual. And at Sonder, pair natural wines with a seafood centic menu. Bagel lovers: Moonrise Bagels’s wood-fired "stuffed" beauties (hello, BEC) and Fantzye Bagels’s sourdough bagel and ramp schmear are worth the cross-town debate. Fletcher & Lu's rotisserie chicken, fresh baked bread, and prepared foods might ruin delis forever.

At L'Impatience, ceramic mugs and vases feel like sculpted poetry. Red Owl Collective is a treasure cave with tons of vintage vendors under one roof: think vintage denim jackets beside mid-century modern pottery and psychedelic posters and Eleven Six's buttery-soft alpaca sweaters prove ethical fashion is stylish. For salvage hunters, Zaborski Emporium's 4 floors of architectural salvage (stained-glass windows! clawfoot tubs!) feels like a museum you can touch.

Camp Kingston is the living room Kingston needed: sip espresso and challenge locals to pinball. Need something for the grill in the summer? The Meat Wagon's butcher will hand you a ribeye like it's a precious heirloom. Looking to try something new? Take a pottery class at Kingston Ceramics Studio!

Downtown Kingston.

Maritime ghosts mingle with natural wine bars and wildflower bouquets along the Rondout Creek in Kingston’s Rondout Waterfront District. Hungry? Tortilla Taco Bar serves up Oaxacan-style tacos and margaritas, while Half Moon Rondout Café's hot, sugared donuts vanish faster than seagulls swoop. For a lovely night out, check out Brunette Wine Bar, where natural wines flow, or take the party home with some bottles from Kingston Wine Co. Rosie General's sourdough loaves crackle fresh daily.

Clove & Creek is my go-to for curated home goods, clothing, and apothecary goods that look beautiful on a shelf. At Hops Petunia, wildflowers are arranged like Jackson Pollock paintings, while Chicory Naturalist's nature-inspired books and gifts will tempt you to explore more of the Catskills. Milne's vintage and industrial furnishings will make you want to redecorate instantly.

Lace up for the Kingston Greenline—20 miles of trails threading past brickyard ruins and river overlooks where herons patrol the shore. Hop aboard Hudson River Cruises to see the Catskills ripple in sunset gold. And don’t miss events at Hutton Brickyards, especially Field & Supply's makers market—a twice-yearly spectacle where blacksmiths, weavers, and ceramicists turn industrial ruins into a wonderland. And Artport Kingston? It’s a contemporary art center supporitng the creative community through exhibitions, performances, gatherings, and events!

Kingston reveals its magic through layered discovery—where colonial architecture frames innovative businesses, and river sunsets backdrop local flavors. Kingston's secret? It doesn't just welcome you—it invites you to become part of its ever-unfolding story.