Finally, it is the call of the wild that lures many travelers to New Paltz. The chalk-white cliff face of the Shawangunk Ridge provides a stunning backdrop to much of the community. Known locally as the "Gunks," and located just outside the village of New Paltz, the range is home to several parks and preserves that provide outdoorsmen and-women with thousands of acres to hike, bike, and climb on. The area attracts more than 50,000 climbers each year. Only Joshua Tree National Park in California attracts more climbers annually in the US.
New Life, Old Things
Walter Marquez, who owns two antiques shops in town, The Antiques Barn and Antiques on Main, says New Paltz is energized by all the different types of people it attracts. "For a small town there's a lot going on," he says. "It's a great town to be in. Weekends are always busy with people from the city, and Jersey, and Albany, and Kingston. There's a lot of diversity here; we have the climbers and the Mohonk people [lodging at the historic hotel atop the ridge], and we have the college here, and Historic Huguenot Street."
Both of Marquez's stores feature an eclectic array of antiques. "We offer a pretty wide range. We don't have one specialty—we like to appeal to everybody," he says. The antiques carried at both stores include small collectibles, like pieces of kitchenware and goblets, as well as large items like furniture. These pieces come from a variety of time periods. "We have items from the 1800s up to the 1960s—we like to cover it all," Marquez says.
Visitors to New Paltz won't want to miss a trip to Water Street Market, a quaint European-inspired outdoor shopping village that is home to more than 20 restaurants and shops, which offer a variety of wares. Shops located within the Water Street Market include The Mudd Puddle Café;, a coffee house that futures delicious coffee hand roasted and blended by owner Michelle Walsh. Elsewhere at the Water Street Market, visitors can stop by the Bridge Creek Café;, which serves a mix of comfort foods with Mediterranean, Latin, and Asian influences. Stop in at Jar'd, a micro wine pub, for a restorative glass and some small plates.
Downtown is full of wonderful and diverse dining options. Moxie Cupcake is a hip and vibrantly decorated cupcake boutique. To flavor its cupcakes, Moxie uses pure Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans as well as local dairy and eggs, and never adds trans fats, preservatives, or stabilizers. The shop also offers organic fair-trade cocoa, coffee, and tea.
Visitors to New Paltz can also stroll through Historic Huguenot Street. The street is a National Historic Landmark District, featuring seven stone houses dating to the early 1700s, a burial ground, and a 1717 stone church, all in their original village setting. The New Paltz Huguenots were Protestant residents of France and what is now Belgium. Seeking religious freedom, they sailed to the New World in the 1660s and 1670s. The group traveled to present-day Kingston and then founded New Paltz, named for "Die Pfalz" in Germany, where they had received temporary refuge before fleeing to America. In 1677, 12 families purchased 40,000 acres of land stretching from the Shawangunk Mountains to the Hudson River. Huguenot Street allows visitors to get a glimpse of what life was like for the founders of New Paltz. Visitors can stroll through the neighborhood on their own, or get a guided tour that will allow them to peak into some of the buildings that are operated as historic museums.
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail runs through New Paltz. This past summer, the Historic Rosendale Trestle became a part of the trail. The trestle is a 118-year-old structure that is now a walkway over the Rondout Creek—150 feet high, 940 feet long, the trestle offers spectacular views of the Shawangunk Ridge, Joppenbergh Mountain, and the village of Rosendale. The trestle's completion means the Open Space Institute and Wallkill Valley Land Trust are now close to completing plans for a continuous 24-mile trail running from the town of Gardiner through New Paltz, and ultimately to Kingston. A $200,000 grant from the state Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation was awarded in December to aid in the completion of the trail.
Into the Wild
Leaving downtown and heading toward the Shawangunk Ridge, one drives through a sprawling, flat valley of farmland. Here, there are several locations that farm-to-table enthusiasts won't want to miss, including the Wallkill View Farm Market, which sells a variety of fresh vegetables and produce as well as tasty baked goods.
Those looking for outdoor adventures in the Shawangunks have lots of options. There is the Mohonk Preserve, Minnewaska State Park, and the Mohonk Mountain House, a Victorian resort that has miles of trails that guests can access.
The Gunks were first climbed by Fritz Wiessner in 1935, and Wiessner and Hans Kraus mapped out many of the classic climbing routes on the mountain range, including a legendary route called High Exposure, considered by many climbing enthusiasts to be one of the best climbs for its difficulty level anywhere in the world.
One of the most popular climbing areas in the Gunks is called the Trapps. Located within Mohonk Preserve, the Trapps consist of a striking gray-white cliff wall that is close to 300 feet high. There are more than 1,000 different climbing routes in the Gunks (more than can be found at any other Northeast climbing location), and about half of these routes are found in the Trapps. Many of these climbing routes have colorful-pun inspired names, including Tequila Mockingbird and Into Thin Hair.
There are several licensed New Paltz-based climbing companies that will instruct beginning climbers. Last year I climbed with one of these companies, HighXposure Adventures, Inc. I was a novice climber and was able to climb a route called Three Pines, which is one of the less challenging routes in the area. While I haven't been back on the cliff since, I found climbing the Gunks to be an exhilarating and rewarding experience, and one that, when done with professional guidance, can be fun and safe, even for climbing newbies.
Once your visit to the Shawangunk Ridge is complete, there are many dining options you can enjoy as you head back downtown. Two sushi restaurants nestle within blocks of each other, plus there's Greek food at Yanni's, two gourmet hot dog outlets, and upscale rustic Italian at A Tavola Trattoria.
Fans of craft beer will want to sample the selection of home brews at the Gilded Otter, a brew pub and restaurant that has been serving beer lovers in New Paltz for more than a decade and a half. Kelsey Stoddard, a bartender at the Otter, says patrons are drawn to the pub for its "locally brewed beers and family atmosphere." A popular item is the "Beer Garden," a beer sampler that includes small samples of all the brew pub's current offerings.
Stoddard lives within walking distance of The Gilded Otter, and says New Paltz is a great place to live and work. "It's a beautiful area, there's so much hiking and the mountains are right here, and it's just a cute little town that people like to walk through. There's eclectic shopping, plus, with the college, there are always kids around, so it gives it life here."
