New Homes in Dutchess County…Near Beacon, Rhinebeck, and Millbrook

BEACON
Located on the eastern shore of the Hudson River, Beacon is a thriving center of pop art, boutique retail, and TV production that’s earned a reputation as a “miniature Brooklyn.”  Named for the signal fires once lit to warn American revolutionaries about approaching British troops, Beacon has evolved into a delicious mix of oddball artists and sophisticated trend-setters. An hour’s train ride from Grand Central, this mini-city is close enough to NYC to be infused with metropolitan spice, but far enough away to have a fusion flavor all its own. Here are two of our favorite Beacon highlights:

DIA Beacon is one of the biggest contemporary art museums in the world, and a major tourist draw for the area. Built in 1929 as a box factory for Nabisco, the 300,000 foot industrial space is now home to the lion’s share of DIA’s impressive modern art collection, which ranges from 1960s pop masterpieces to up-to-the-minute cutting edge installations by the brightest lights in contemporary art. With the addition of a popular bookshop and cafe, visiting DIA can easily be an all-day proposition.

“Foodie Paradise” is the only way to describe the collection of cafes, food shops, and specialty restaurants on Beacon’s Main Street. Spanning the dozen blocks between Wolcott Avenue and Churchill Street, Main Street presents the hungry visitor with everything from takeaway gourmet nibbles like small-batch ice cream and artisanal donuts to hearty bar food and ethnic offerings at gastropubs and taquerias like Café Amarcord and Melzingah Tap House. In between meals, you can browse the pop-art gift shops and vintage stores for the “full Beacon experience.”

MILLBROOK
The picturesque village of Millbrook, first settled in the mid 1700’s by Quakers, is sometimes described as a “mellower version of the Hamptons.” With streets that glow with enough colonial charm to make it an idealized postcard image of Everytown USA, Millbrook is also chock full of unique and fascinating surprises for the cultured visitor with an eye for the finer things.

Antiques are both serious business and serious fun in Millbrook. With two multi-dealer “anchor stores,” the Antiques Center and the Antiques Mall, the village has long been a must-shop destination for lovers of all things old, kitschy, and vintage. Whether you’re a window shopper or a big-time buyer, Millbrook’s dozens of smaller vintage boutiques offer endless gifts and treasures that range from the quirky to the quaint.

Museum In The Streets is a self-guided walking tour of Millbrook heritage and history, in the form of permanent, outdoor historical panels featuring archival photos, stories, and documents that let you explore the village’s colorful past while walking the present-day sidewalks. The signs are in English and Italian, in honor of the many Italian families that came to live in the area in the early 1900’s.

Millbrook also draws locals from all over the area to the renowned “indie” Merritt Bookstore and great restaurants such as Canoe Hill.

RHINEBECK
A drive into northern Dutchess County brings you to historic Rhinebeck and its hundreds of Colonial, Victorian, and Greek Revival homes and buildings, Rhinebeck is as pretty as Hudson Valley villages come, and is packed with destinations and delights to fill any number of day-long outings and quickie trips alike..

Terrapin is a unique farm-to-table restaurant located in a breathtaking 1825 building that was formerly Rhinebeck’s First Baptist Church. With eclectic art and décor and world-class food, this dual dining room and bistro establishment has become one of the Hudson Valley’s most popular gastronomical destinations.Other highlights of Rhinebeck village include Oblong Books & Music, which hosts frequent literary events, and the art house cinema Upstate Films. Live theatre at the Center for Performing Arts can be found just a few minutes away.

In future posts, we’ll highlight other charming nearby locations such as Wappingers Falls and Fishkill.

Whether home buyers relocate to the area from the NYC area, just down the road, or much further afield, these places quickly become part of the reason why they love living in Dutchess County.