New Paltz - My Home Away From Home

New Paltz is a great town, with an artsy college town vibe, great restaurants and bars, hiking and different seasonal events. Historic Huguenot Street is also located in New Paltz, with old historic homes and buildings dating back to the French Huguenots who founded the town over 300 years ago. The rail trail, an old decommissioned rail line popular with hikers, bikers and people strolling crosses through town as well. It is a liberal town, with a variety of active political and social organizations. It is also home to a store whose entire purpose is to sell tie died goods.

Upon first entering New Paltz from the interstate you are greeted by a Shop Rite and McDonald's but head farther down main street past route 9W for great independently owned shops, restaurants and bookstores. New Paltz is home to an organic grocery store, a winery and an arts collective that is also a cooperative coffee house that displays/ sells local artists works and serves fair trade coffee. There are also numerous restaurants and shops, selling a variety of local artisans work as well as antiques. There are also stores specializing in outdoor and climbing gear catering to the hikers and climbers that pass through New Paltz on their way to Mohonk Mountain House and Minnewaska state park which are another 15 minutes or so from the center of New Paltz.

Farther down Main Street is the Water Street Market, a small strip of antique stores, an art gallery a few Jewelry stores a cheese shop, candy store and The Harvest Cafe (http://www.harvestcafenp.com/home.htm - for a menu). Which has good food and both indoor and outdoor seating. The market is a nice place to take a walk and browse.

SUNY New Paltz is also located in the town (and can be found by turning left on 9W - there are signs). This liberal arts college is known for its liberal views and activist students. The school hosts frequent lectures and events and is home to the Samuel Dorsky Museum of art. More about upcoming events can be found at http://www.Newplatz.edu .

New Paltz's claim to fame is its Mayor, Jason West and his decision to wed gay couples in front of the New Paltz town hall in Peace Park. He was arrested, but all charges were dropped and he continues to serve as mayor.

Quick Tips:

In the fall it is a great place to look at the fall foliage and pick apples and pumpkins. Some of the farms also offer Hay Rides and other activities. Make a left on 9W and head past the college to a small farm stand where unforgettable apple cider doughnuts can be purchased, you can also pick apples and pumpkins at this orchard. Another 15 minutes down the road is Red's (on the right side of the street), a grocery store that is attached to an apple distributor with more local fruits/vegetables baked good.

Best Way To Get Around:

New Paltz is right off the New York Interstate and a mere hour and a half from New York City. There is also a Trailways bus stop in town (www.trailways.com - it is the Adirondack line), with frequent direct busses to and from New York City. A car is suggested for access to lodging and the Mountain, but main street and the rail trail is walkable. There is a hostel on main street next to the bus station, but its quality and guests are questionable.

A micro-brewery and fine dining establishment. The Gilded Otter is a great place to go for a laid-back night of good food and beer with friends. The restaurant, a large wooden room, with huge windows surrounding it on all sides. It is decorated with large prints of the surrounding natural landscape and has a homey log cabin atmosphere. There is both a bar and main restaurant floor. The place is fairly casual, and dress usually varies but jeans are sneakers are probably fine. There are two floors, the top is often used for private parties. It is a good place to bring large groups of people, although there might be a wait on weekends when there is live music and the bar tends to get more crowded. It is also a good bar to escape from the normal college crowd, with patrons generally older and more laid back.

The beer, brewed on premises is quite good and specials change regularly. A class runs about $3. The food is also quite good. I stick to the classics here, and have never been disappointed with the Brewmaster Burger, which is massive and runs about $8 and is accompanied by perfectly crispy fries and so-so cole slaw, which is an un-unneeded distraction from the massive steak burger on a kaiser roll. Nachos also prove to be an excellent choice, portions are so huge so bring plenty of people to share with. The pizza was disappointing the one time I tried it. The menu also includes more intricate dishes, which if judging on the few items I have tried are probably excellent as well (their menu can be viewed on their website). I definitely recommend the Gilded Otter, for a relaxed, laid-back quality dining experience.

Check out http://www.gildedotter.com/splash.htm for the menu and more details.

This popular annual event, which takes place each September, offers locals and tourists alike a chance to sample food from great restaurants at reasonable prices, browse and purchase locally made products, crafts, art and see live bands perform. Local businesses also occupy one part of the fair, offering their services, chances to enter raffles, and a plethora of free pens. There are also activities for kids including magic shows, and huge blowup slides and games.

Despite all this activity, the food is the highlight of the day. The fair is popular so arriving early is recommended, otherwise be prepared for a long wait to drive through town to get to the fairgrounds. After parking and paying your three $3 entrance fee, you then get the chance to buy tickets for $1 a piece. Buy a bunch, especially if you're hungry. I would recommend going with a few people, investing about $10 each and sharing. You use these tickets (one or two, depending) to get your tastes, which range in size from single bites to significant portions.

The quality and type of food also varies. The restaurants represented come from New Paltz and the surrounding areas, and each offer a number of different choices. Selection ranged from the normally super high priced and Zagat rated fare, including the restaurant at Mohonk Mountain House whose "tastes" consisted of baby lamb shanks, to locally made ice cream, and baked goods, from the local bakeries. With so many restaurants represented I would suggest taking a walk around and planning accordingly, so as not to fill up before getting to try everything you would like. Some of my favorites included Tuna Tar Tar from Gadaletto's for a mere two $2, hearty portions of ribs, mousse from the French connection, sesame encrusted scallops with whole wheat pasta, to die for pumpkin cheesecake, and so much more.

Taste of New Paltz promises great food, and great atmosphere. I recommend bringing friends and sharing, you will want to try way more than you will be able to eat.

Lake Minnewaska is 5 miles west of New York State Route 299, near New Paltz. The park has many trails, ranging in difficulty from the very simple paved paths to more challenging, less-travelled marked trails that include some rock scrambling and climbing. The views are incredible, and swimming in the lake is permitted. Views from some of the highest peaks seem to go on forever. People also bike, climb, ride horses, boat, picnic, and stroll. In the winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are popular. It is $3 for each car that enters and restrooms are available, as are lifeguards in warmer weather. I definitely recommend Minnewaska State Park for its incredible views, range of activities, and proximity to New York City (an hour and a half). The town of New Paltz also offers a variety of dining, shopping, and lodging options.

Mohonk Mountain House is also located on the grounds.

For more information, consult their website at http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/. More detailed trail maps can be found here: http://www.lakeminnewaska.org/hiking.html.

Hosting a variety of international artists as well as student and faculty works, this relatively small museum packs a lot of punch. The museum is located on the SUNY New Paltz campus, between Smiley art building and the FAB Rotunda. The museum, which is divided into two sections, frequently changes displayed artwork. One part features local, student, and faculty exhibitions while the other hosts more internationally known artists. Recent exhibitions included paintings from the Judson River Valley school, and an exhibition of faculty prints. Admission is free of charge and art students are usually on hand to answer questions.

Visit the website to see current and future exhibitions.
http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum/welcome.html

This Southwester restaurant and bar, offers the largest selection of beer in town and a laid black place to eat, drink, play pool and mingle with college kids and locals alike. Bacchus is named after the Roman God of wine, women and song and is housed in a building that dates back to the 1800s. Brick walls and antiques decorate the restaurant and bar.The menu offers a variety of choices, that range in price from a massive $5 bread bowl full of chili, to more upscale entrees in the $20 range to accompany the more than 300 different types of beer they offer. Their curly fries, black bean soup, and chili are comforting and hearty with just the right amount of kick. Good solid food, not the most remarkable food I ever eaten, but I always leave full and happy— although I have failed to explore their large menu.As a bar it's one of the more laid back places in town, there are plenty of college kids but not the rowdy type and those under 21 who sneak into many of the other bars in town.I would recommend Bacchus as a nice place to grab some spicy Southwestern cuisine, drink a beer, and hang out. Although I wouldn't recommend Bacchus if you're in a hurry, the wait staff is extremely knowledgeable about the astonishing number of different beers they offer, but are not the fastest in the world.Visit their website to see their complete menu.
http://www.bacchusnewpaltz.com/

The Rail Trail, is a 12.2 mile stretch of an old railroad line that was decommissioned in the late 70's and is now open to hikers, bikers, horseback riders and of course people walking. The trail consists of loosely packed stone and gravel, and goes through a number of towns. It offers spectacular views and makes for a great uninterrupted walk or bike ride. The trail is flat and crosses few roads (those that it does cross are largely secluded). It offers spectacular views of the mountains and runs through farms, orchards and over a number of rivers. There are benches as well as the occasional porta potty along the trail.

If you are biking make sure you have a hybrid or a mountain bike because the trail is a little rough.

There are many places to get to park and get to the trail but one of the best places to pick up the trail (and park) in New Paltz is by the Water Street Market, along Main St. right before the bridge.

For a map of the trail and more information on parking http://www.gorailtrail.org/mappics/directions.gif