Sir Edmund Andros certainly knew a cool place when he saw it. In 1677, the then Governor of the Dominion of New England purchased the land that became the village of Saugerties from Kaelcop, chief of the local Esopus Indians, for the price of a piece of cloth, a blanket, some coarse fiber, a loaf of bread, and a shirt. Exactly 332 years later, in 2009, Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine echoed Andros’s vision—and likely that of the town’s current population of just under 20,000—when it named Saugerties one of its Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America, based on the municipality’s quality of life, arts and restaurant scenes, and proximity to nature.
It’s the last of these attributes that makes Saugerties—which is the name of both the village and the town that surrounds it—geographically unique to other Hudson Valley locations. Saugerties lies exactly 100 miles up the New York State Thurway from Manhattan and is spread out over 68 square miles along the base of the Catskill Mountains to its west. At the town’s heart is the 2.3-mile-square village, which is bordered on its east by the Esopus Creek, a tributary with walkable shorelines that’s connected to the Hudson River. Saugerties not only has the easy mountain access of its neighboring Catskills towns, but also its own beach making it known as “the place where the mountains meet the river.”
Hamlets, Here Art Thou
Cross cut by Main and Partition streets, the village of Saugerties is a Christmas card-worthy tableau of clapboard and brick buildings holding a diverse array of stores, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other amenities including a renovated 1890 vaudeville-theater-cum-movie house, the Orpheum. Also still to be found in both the village and outlying town are many of its original 17th- and 18th-century stone houses, such as the Kiersted House, home to the Saugerties Historical Society. Dotting the map around the village are a considerable number of hamlets, 24 in all; mostly small but distinctive, blink-and-you-might-miss-’em spots like Mount Marion, Malden-on-Hudson, Glenerie, Quarryville, Glasco, Fish Creek, Canoe Hill, and Veteran.
The name Saugerties is thought to be a variation on an old Dutch word meaning “sawyer,” or a person who operates a saw mill, and has been traced to one Barent Cornelius Volge, the builder of such a structure at nearby Sawyer’s Kill in the 1600s. The sawyer term lives on as the name of the high school’s sports teams, as does the blue-collar base that was for generations linked to the area’s saw and paper mills. Although today the mills are gone (the largest, the Cantine Paper Mill, burned down in 1978), Saugerites retains its proud working roots, and is lauded for its good school system, low crime rate, and welcoming, family-oriented sense of community. Notable natives include “Late Night” host Jimmy Fallon, baseball historian John Thorn, herbalist Susun Weed, and John Henson, son of late Muppets creator Jim Henson.
“It’s a really special place, with a lot of history,” says another well-known Saugertiesian, Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who grew up in the town. “Overall, people are very friendly, and the town government does well for them. There are a lot of great economic opportunities, and just about every building in the village is inhabited and operating—there really aren’t very many vacant storefronts there these days.”
A Beacon That Beckons
The shining icon of the community is the Saugerties Lighthouse. Located at the tip of a wooded peninsula extending into the Hudson, it dates from 1835, when it used whale oil lamps to guide river traffic. Today the lighthouse, which was rebuilt in 1869, serves as an atypical bed-and-breakfast and each August stages the all-ages Between the Tides Festival. Another of the town’s beloved waterside family attractions is the Arm-of-the-Sea Mask and Puppet Theater. Every August, the 20-years-and-running troupe presents two nights of performances, known as the Esopus Creek Puppet Suite, at Tina Chorvas Waterfront Park (located on a bank of the Esopus Creek adjacent to the village’s two functioning marinas). Using handcrafted papier-mâché masks and props, the players weave enchanting stories of magical realism centering on environmental and social topics.
If Saugerties had an official flower it might very well be the garlic blossom, in tribute to the wildly popular Hudson Valley Garlic Festival. The event, held every September for the last 22 years, rain or shine, at the Cantine Field sports complex (this year it takes place September 25 and 26), has drawn upward of 40,000 people and offers a never-ending variety of traditional and inventive dishes made with the so-called “stinking rose”—garlic chicken, garlic soup, even garlic chocolates and ice cream—plus live entertainment and vendors.
But one shouldn’t ignore the town’s other celebrated flower, the chrysanthemum, which is the focus of the annual Mum Festival (October 3 this year). The event follows the crowning of the Mum Queen and her court after the high school’s Mum Bowl football game, and promises live music, family entertainment, and horticultural talks and turns historic Seamon Park into a color-bursting floral panorama. And for the best of the local harvest, across from Cahill Elementary School on Main Street there’s the Saugerties Farmers Market, from late May through October 16.
Accent on Art
“I kind of fell upon the place by accident,” says English-born Adrian Frost, a long-time local resident, internationally shown artist, and curator of the cutting-edge 11 Cross Street Gallery. “I’d been living in Mount Marion and got to know the rest of the town from there. The arts scene is wonderful, there’s a lot of great artists working here. But what drew me in originally was the geographical beauty. I can step out my studio door and walk to the Esopus Creek Beach in five minutes, or take a short drive and go hiking up on Overlook Mountain. The down-to-earth feel of the town just really suits me.” Frost is a regular participant in August’s annual Saugerties Artists Studio Tour, which also features other galleries like Half Moon Studio, P. Fox Gallery, the Image Factory, and that of expatriate Belgian sculptor Ze’ev Willy Neumann, as well as displaying local art in restaurants and businesses.
The patron saint of Saugerties art, however, is the late sculptor Harvey Fite, who created the magnificent outdoor environmental sculpture Opus 40. Located in the hamlet of West Saugerties, the sprawling stone work was begun by the quarryman/artist in 1938, and he worked on it until his death in 1976. The site also comprises a museum (another stop on the Saugerties Artists Studio Tour), hosts public outdoor concerts and private events, and has been called “one of the largest and most beguiling works of art on the entire continent” by Architectural Digest.
In addition to the visual arts the town has long been a haven for music, a tradition that stretches back at least to the 1960s, when the Band recorded its landmark album Music from Big Pink and, with Bob Dylan, The Basement Tapes in West Saugerties. In 1994 the town made headlines when it staged the three-day Woodstock ’94 festival. Today, live music happens regularly at Inquiring Mind Bookstore and Cafe, New World Home Cooking, and the Dutch Ale House, while the long-running John Street Jam (second and fifth Saturdays), an intimate evening of acoustic singer-songwriters in the round, is always packed.
The many renowned musicians who currently call Saugerties home include jazz bassist Dave Holland, singer and producer Genya Ravan, and bassist, producer, and synthesizer pioneer Malcolm Cecil.
From Old Comes New
After the mills shut down and other industries moved out in the late 1950s and ’60s, Saugerties hit a deep slump and for years remained mired in bleak economic depression, the majority of its shop windows boarded up. What brought the town back to life in the mid 1970s, however, was the sizeable influx of antique dealers who make it the prime antiquing destination it remains today.
“[The village] was really depressed,” recalls Saugerties-raised Harold Swart, manager of the Central Hotel Antiques Center. “It was just empty store after empty store, a lot of burnt-out buildings. But because of that, rents were cheap, and antique dealers started moving in. Because of the world economy over the last few years, the antiques business has taken a dip, but it seems to be on the upturn now. It’s an interesting and fun business to be in—and browsers are always welcome.” Among the village’s numerous other similar vendors are Green, the multi-dealer Saugerties Antique Center, and Saugerties Antiques Gallery.
Yet vintage objects aren’t the only treasures waiting to be discovered in Saugerties. Also lining its streets are some fine apparel merchants, such as Montano’s Shoe Store (in business since 1906), Ya Ya’s Emporium (for funky accessories and vinyl LPs), vintage clothing spot Pistol Whip, and hip designer boutique Dig, as well some truly top-shelf bookstores: the antiquarian OUR Bookshop (the acronym is for Old, Used, and Rare) and Inquiring Mind Bookstore and Cafe.
“We’re all about offering people a comfortable place to sit and relax and enjoy good books,” says Inquiring Mind owner Brian Donoghue, whose plush armchair-populated store opened at the corner of Partition and Main in 2001. “And to find some good conversation and have a nice cup of coffee or tea.”
A Place to Please the Palate
Coffee lovers can also hit neighboring Dave’s Coffee House & Tobacco Outfitters, while those in search of something packing, shall we say, a different kind of buzz will want to visit the Main Street Bar and Grille, the Pig Bar & Grill, or the Dutch Ale House, all of which also offer hearty pub food. And while Saugerties, of course, has its requisite diners, pizza joints, and Chinese restaurants, for bolder cuisine its formidable selection of more adventurous eateries make it a Mecca for serious foodies. With the New York Times-exalted temple to spicy global fusion that is New World Home Cooking and the decidely fine Red Onion just a short drive west on Route 212, villagers and visitors alike also step to likewise-worthy, centrally located bistros like comfort-food boites Cafe Tamayo, Miss Lucy’s Kitchen (Zagat-rated and also highly praised by the New York Times), and Tango Cafe; newer Moroccan fusion bistro Fez; and breakfast and lunch spot Love Bites.
Run by co-owners and erstwhile local mushroom foragers Mark Grusell and Juan Romero, the cozy but creative Love Bites is one of the area’s recent success stories. “Business has been just awesome since we opened in 2007,” says Grusell. “Saugerties is an an up-and-coming town with a really young vibe, and it’s turning into a real foodie destination. We have a great local following and get regular visitors from Manhattan and Brooklyn.”
Diners nursing a postmeal sweet tooth are directed south on Partition Street to gourmet organic and fair-trade confectioniers Lucky Chocolates, 1929-founded Krause’s Chocolates, and seasonally open ice cream parlor Stella’s Station, a converted service station that also features a raw bar and outdoor dining. On Main Street is all-natural artisan bakery the Hudson Valley Dessert Company, whose homemade granola has been spotlighted by TV’s Food Network.
A Bit of Horse Play
Saugerties got an economic boost in 2005, when plans were made to open the 100-acre HITS-on-the-Hudson horse show complex on what had been an abandoned golf course just outside the village. Run by production firm Horse Shows in the Sun, which oversees 36 nationwide equine events from its Main Street office, HITS-on-the-Hudson presents world-class hunter/jumper shows at the site during the spring, summer, and early fall seasons. The events draw competitive horse owners from around the world, and 100 percent of the gate from every show goes to benefit public assistance organization Family of Woodstock (HITS makes its money from stabling costs and other fees).
“Horse jumping is one of the few sports in which athletes of both sexes and a wide range of ages—athletes meaning both the riders and the horses—can compete equally,” says HITS Senior Vice President Tony Hitchcock. “We’re thrilled with our relationship with Saugerties, it really is a great community. We’re definitely here to stay.” Hitchcock points to other happenings at the HITS location that are designed to introduce new audiences to its events, such September 12’s Pfizer Animal Health $1 Million Grand Prix, which also features a concert by rock legend John Fogerty.
No doubt all of the horse play was the inspiration for the yearly Hors’n Around Saugerties public art show. The affair sees ceramic horses decorated by local artists and installed along the village’s sidewalks, where they remain on view from July through early September and are auctioned off to benefit local charities.
Plans and Projects
Recently residents united to successfully beat back the proposed building of a casino complex on the town’s Winston Farm plot in 2007. In June ground was broken for what’s being called the Partition Street Project, a 30-room boutique hotel with a 400-seat catering hall, a 100-seat restaurant, and 215 parking spaces on the 7.8 acres where the Cantine Mill once stood. While most saw the proposed casino as a potential magnet for vice and criminals, for many business owners, at least, the Partition Street Project is encouraging news. “I’m for it,” says Inquiring Mind’s Brian Donoghue. “Anything that brings the right kind of business into the village is good, I think.”
And these days Saugerties holds some great finds for homebuyers, according to Fish Creek Real Estate agent and longstanding resident Pamela Pentony. “There are a lot of great deals now, so buyers should look around a lot,” she explains. “It’s definitely possible to avoid the headaches of buying a foreclosure property to save cash but still get a decent deal.”
“Saugerties is a fantastic place to be,” says Town Supervisor Greg Helsmoortel. “It’s rich in history, the arts, antiques, and fine restaurants. I believe economic development is a positive thing but that it needs to be done right, with a green approach.”
On the side of one of its storied brick buildings is a large mural depicting the town and bearing the legend “Let Saugerties grow gracefully…It’s up to you and me!” It’s a motto the town seems to have very much taken to heart. How cool is that?
RESOURCES
11 Cross Street Gallery www.11crossgallery.com
Arm-of-the-Sea Mask and Puppet Theater www.armofthesea.org
Cafe Tamayo www.cafetamayo.com
Central Hotel Antiques Center (914) 388-4445
Dave’s Coffee House & Tobacco Outfitters (845) 246-8424
Dig www.digtheshop.com
Dutch Ale House www.dutchalehouse.com
Fez (845) 247-7198
Fish Creek Real Estate www.fish-creek.com
Green (845) 418-3270
Half Moon Studio (845) 246-9114
HITS-on-the-Hudson www.hitsshows.com
Hudson Valley Dessert Company (845) 246-1545
Hudson Valley Garlic Festival www.hvgf.org
Image Factory (845) 802-6109
Inquiring Mind Bookstore and Cafe www.inquiringmindbookstore.webs.com
John Street Jam www.johnstreetjam.net
Krause’s Chocolates www.krauseschocolates.com
Love Bites (845) 246-1795
Lucky Chocolates www.luckychocolates.com
Main Street Bar and Grille (845) 246-6222
Miss Lucy’s Kitchen www.misslucyskitchen.com
Montano’s Shoe Store www.montanosshoestore.com
New World Home Cooking www.ricorlando.com
Opus 40 www.opus40.org
Orpheum Theatre (845) 246-6561
P. Fox Gallery (845) 247-0054
The Pig Bar & Grill (845) 246-6904
Pistol Whip www.myspace.com/pistolwhipboutique
Red Onion www.redonionrestaurant.com
Saugerties Antique Center www.auctionsac.com
Saugerties Antiques Gallery (845) 246-2323
Saugerties Artists Studio Tour www.saugertiesarttour.com
Saugerties Farmers Market www.saugertiesfarmersmarket.com
Saugerties Historical Society www.saugertieshistoricalsociety.com
Saugerties Lighthouse www.saugertieslighthouse.com
Stella’s Station (845) 246-5998
Town of Saugerties www.saugerties.ny.us
Village of Saugerties www.village.saugerties.ny.us
Welcome to Saugerties www.welcometosaugerties.com
Ya-Ya’s Emporium (845) 246-5110
Ze’ev Willy Neumann www.zwneumann.com
This article appears in September 2010.
