Red Hook

Red Hook is the name of both a village and a township in Dutchess County, New York. The town encompasses the villages of Red Hook and Tivoli as well as the hamlets of Annandale-on-Hudson, Barrytown and Upper Red Hook.

Red Hook Area Chamber of Commerce provides tourist information.

Understand
This is a very pretty area of the Hudson Valley, characterized by countryside and small towns. Stores commonly close early, and in places like the tiny village of Tivoli, most stores and restaurants never open at all on Tuesdays.

The Village of Red Hook, though small, is the largest population center in the Township of Red Hook, and has a center that's more than the single (albeit nice) street and crossroads of Tivoli. Annandale-on-Hudson, on the other hand, has no center other than perhaps Bard Central Campus, which doesn't really function as a downtown, as the land is privately owned and it lacks the shops and restaurants of a typical downtown.

By car
Car is your best bet. The main north/south road in the area is Route 9, which bisects the village of Red Hook and connects it with Rhinebeck, to its immediate south. Its local offshoot is Route 9G, which is one lane each way, and enables you to get to Bard College and Tivoli.

By train
You can take Amtrak to Rhinecliff and then take a taxi. Taxis are expensive, however, so get a ride from someone if you can. You might get somewhat better prices by using Lyft or Uber, if you are willing to wait a bit longer.

By car
To get around this area, for the most part, you will need a car. Cycling and hiking are possible in decent weather.

By bus
Dutchess County does have a bus service, but it runs infrequently and its schedule is not regularly updated either in print or on their website. So you may find that you are waiting in a place no longer designated as a bus stop, and watch the last bus of the night whiz by you. If you choose to use the Dutchess County Loop Bus, consider calling their phone number,, to double check on current times and bus stops.

See
In addition to the following attractions, the villages of Red Hook and Tivoli contain some beautiful antique buildings, many of them private houses. Some are truly unique in shape. If you want to see them, you are best off walking the few streets of Red Hook's small downtown and on Montgomery St for some ways to the south of Broadway in Tivoli. Broadway almost singlehandedly constitutes the downtown area of Tivoli, approximately from just east of Montgomery St to St. Sylvia's Catholic Church. That stretch is quaint and well worth a walk, which is unlikely to take an able-bodied person more than 10 minutes even if done in a leisurely fashion.



Sleep
There are several inns in the Village of Red Hook and a couple of hotels in Tivoli.

Stay safe
If you are driving, watch out for deer on the road and cyclists or pedestrians on the side of the road. Deer cross very often, sometimes darting headlong into traffic without warning, and you really don't want one to go through your windshield if you can avoid it.

If you are cycling or walking on the side of 9G, be very mindful of motor vehicle traffic. This narrow road is a major thoroughfare in the area, it lacks any sidewalk, and many motorists speed. There have been some fatal accidents involving pedestrians.

If you are hiking, watch out for deer ticks that can spread lyme disease, as they are prevalent in the area. Poison ivy is also present in wild country like Tivoli Bays. And mosquitoes, though usually not spreading disease in the area, are a pain, as are chiggers, which can bite your feet without your even noticing them until the next day. Consider using an insect repellent.

Go next
To the south, Rhinebeck is a small town, but much bigger than Red Hook, full of lovely houses, and a good place for a stroll in good weather.

To the north, Hudson has a long strip of great buildings on Warren St.

To the west, across the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, are the city of Kingston, the first capital of New York and largest city in the area, with sizeable historic zones, and the Catskill Mountains, with great hiking.

To the east are the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts.