BY AVTAR MOTA
New Paltztown falls in Ulster County of New York state .Surrounded by Ulster County’s Shawangunk Mountains, New Paltz is a charming village within New York’s Hudson Valley. It has always been a haven for creative and adventurous people who seek to escape the urban sprawl of New York City. It is about 90 miles from Jersey city and also about same distance away from Manhattan. We visited the town on 10th June ,2022 and stayed there for two nights in an accommodation booked through Airbnb. We travelled by car driving in northern direction( towards Canada) leaving New Jersey State midway and entering New York state . The greenery , forest like areas, maple trees, apple trees,vineyards and huge farms could be clearly seen at many places along the drive . Train is another option to reach New Paltz. Readily accessible by Amtrak, NewPaltz is a mere 11 miles from the Poughkeepsie train station — an easy cab ride or public transport will take one to the town.
At Hackensack , a place about 45 minutes car drive from Jersey city, a Sardar Ji from Punjab attended to us as we filled petrol.He is employed by the pump owner. To us, he was warm, helpful and spoke in chaste Punjabi of Doaba style. In New Jersey State, petrol pumps have an attendent and helper . One is guided and helped. However, in New York State, none attends to you . You fill fuel in your vehicle. Everything is computerised and based on self help.Congress passed a statue in 1949 known as the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act that banned self-serve gas, citing safety concerns like fire hazards. New Jersey is currently the only state that maintains the law and requires a gas station employee to pump. Petrol is sold at variable rates ranging from 4.90 to 5.25 dollars per gallon. Diesel is costly and sold at 5.99 to 6.25 dollars per gallon. Nothing is subsidized.
At New Paltz, the day temperature was 21 degrees celsius.At night , the temperature dropped to 12 degrees celcius. I am told that we are sure to see a bear during our stay as these creatures come down from nearby forests and dig out leftover food from trash bins kept on the roads.A deer and a rabbit crossed our path as we were driving from New Paltz to our place of stay on the outskirts of the town.
New Paltz was founded more than 300 years ago by French-speaking Huguenot refugees. History comes alive on Historic Huguenot Street, a National Historic Landmark area featuring seven unique stone houses dating to the early 1700s, a burial ground and a reconstructed 1717 stone church, all in their original setting. This area of New Paltz is frequented by visitors and tourists. I was told that the name New Paltz comes from French Huguenot settlers who named the area after the Palatinate region of Germany (known as the Pfalz, in German) where they previously took refuge. The town’s settlers used a dialect form of Pfalz without “f,” pronouncing it “Paltz.”
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail runs through Huguenot Street and connects to the towns of Gardiner and Rosendale, ending in Uptown Kingston. The trail welcomes hikers, joggers, bikers, horseback riders, dog walkers as well as snowshoers and cross-country skiers in the winter.
There is a great choice for places to eat in New Paltz market. You can have variety in your breakfast,lunch and dinner
You can relish hearty and delicious Chinese cuisine, Mexican food, Thai food ,sandwiches, smoothies, Pizzas, chicken preparations, cookies, breads, burgers, Indian vegetarian dishes , etc. We had our lunch at an Indian Restaurant. This ‘ Krishna Restaurant ‘ had delicious Indian vegetarian food . The khichdi , Paneer, Gobi, rice ,kheer that we ate was delicious. The restaurant is run by three Young persons. One amongst these three happens to be an Indian. All the three are members of ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ sect. The restaurant had some paintings and quotes from Bhagwat Gita displayed on walls. There are two old fashioned book stores near this restaurant. We purchased three books for dollar one each from one store.
The town has theatres ,art installations, old fashioned shops and tidy bazars. The market in Water Street is worth a visit. The Water Street Market is home to 20 award-winning shops selling antiques, i e creams, books, garments, paintings , curios and other items. One can also enter the Denizen’s Theatre over here.
There are many big farms and Vineyards around New Paltz . The farmers grow fruits, vegetables . We also visited a private farm that has apple orchards and Vineyards. It was strawberry season over there and accordingly we were told to pick farm fresh strawberries against payment in a box provided by a farm helper. The farm owner’s family lives inside the farm and runs a spacious restaurant for the visitors. One can come in late August and carry farm fresh apples. There are some animal farms as well in New Paltz.
New Paltz town has a well known Public University known as State University of New York. A visit to this Public University was a good experience. The families of the university staff had organised a protest march in the town against the spurt in gun violence in the US . The banners carried by the protestors made appeal to the government to end gun culture .The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art is located inside the university ‘s campus. The museum features a wide variety of mediums and styles, from contemporary art and photography to drawing and sculpture.
A visit to nearby Poughkeepsie town( 11 miles from New Paltz ) is a rewarding experience. Early in the 17th century the Wappinger lived along the east bank of the Hudson River from Manhattan Island to what is now Poughkeepsie and eastward to the lower Connecticut River valley.The town is a prominent place in the Hudson valley. and has many attractions in in the shape of old buildings. colleges, bars, restaurants, theatres, art galleries, Hudson Valley Rail Trail and Walkway over Hudson River. Locust Grove, the former home of Samuel F.B. Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, is nearby. Infact Hudson River traverses a distance of about 320 miles from north to south before merging into Atlantic Ocean near Manhattan, New York . The Hudson Valley Rail Trail is frequented by travellers and tourists who come to New Paltz. This 9-mile Empire State Trail section begins in the Town of Lloyd, at Walkway over the Hudson State Park, which is a spectacular park built on the historic railroad bridge high above the Hudson River.The park provides access to the Hudson River’s breathtaking landscape for pedestrians, hikers, joggers and bicyclists. The bridge deck stands 212 feet above the river’s surface and is 6,768 feet (1.28 miles) long, making it the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. The Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge was built in the late 19th century to link New York and New England to an extensive, nationwide railway network. For decades, it was a major rail corridor for both freight and passengers.The bridge was abandoned and sat for decades as an orphaned relic. The park was made possible due to the unwavering commitment of the community, who, through a non-profit organization called Walkway Over the Hudson, forged a public-private partnership involving the State of New York, the federal government, neighbouring municipalities, private corporations and other not for profit groups.
We also visited Minnewaska Park Reserve which is about 14 miles from New Paltz town across the Wallkill river. The forest Park is home to many species of wild animals including deers, beers and foxes. The Awosting water fall ,theMinnewaska Lake are located inside this reserve . One can go for hiking , boat ride and walk up the lake or down to the waterfall in this reserve Park. A parking fee of 10 dollars per car and an entry fee to the Park is also payayble . There is no restaurant or inside the Reserve Park.
The historicMohonk Preserve is also nearby. One can also visit Lake Mohonk for boating,fishing. canoeing and camping.
From the mobile phone camera photographs that i clicked ,one can understand how developed small towns and villages are in the US apart from getting an idea about the quality of life the residents ( about 10000 ) of New Paltzlead.The town is bustling with youthful energy that has brought a new wave of fun restaurants, boutiques, artisan shops, and events.From hiking and biking to wining and dining, New Paltz offers everything to you .
AutarMota is a noted writer and columnist.
