1. Hudson Valley Locals Have A Rocky Relationship With NYC
The Hudson Valley area is occasionally treated like a pretty, pretty weekend playground by Manhattanites, so, you could understand why Hudson Valley folks aren’t always ecstatic to see a massive northward migration of city-types over long weekends.
On the other hand, city visitors pump big bucks into their economy. Essentially, Hudson Valley folks have come to view the occasional downstate invasion as something of a necessary evil.
2. People From Hudson Valley Are Farm Fresh Food Snobs
Can you blame them? The Hudson Valley is a fertile, farm-loaded area. This means super fresh fruits and veggies, farmers’ market artisanal goodies, and farm-to-table dinners out are never too far away.
Not to mention, Poughkeepsie’s Culinary Institute of America churns out dozens of expert chefs ready to make the ingredients even more delicious every year. So if a Hudson Valley native turns down your offer for dinner at Applebees, try not to take it too personally.
3. Hudson Valley Locals Are Tighter-Knit Than Your Grandma’s Favorite Sweater
When communities are relatively small, separated by rivers and mountains, and frequently made up of people who have lived there for generations, it’s no surprise everybody knows everything about everybody.
Although Hudson Valley folks tend to be less about small town gossip and way more about being lend-you-some-sugar type neighbors: they’ll readily help you with a home project, and if they see you on the street, you better believe they’re hitting you with an exuberant hello.
4. They’re A Bunch Of Folk Music Freaks
There’s something about a story mixed with the sounds of a stringed wooden instruments Hudson Valley folks just can’t get over.
The Catskill area in particular is famous for its folk scene, having been home to a considerable stable of top-tier folk talent over the years: everyone from the legendary Pete Seeger to modern folk rockers the Felice Brothers, who famously got their start recording in a chicken coup.
Take a walk down any Hudson Valley main street on a weeknight, and there’s a huge chance you’ll find a local baring their soul over acoustic guitar strums at an open mic night.
5. Hudson Valley Folks Are Either Hippies Or Are Totally Cool With Hippies
The Hudson Valley is full of hippies. No, not the I-roll-my-own-cigarettes-and-wear-birkenstocks-at-a-prestigious-college kind. The kind that protested the Vietnam War, never saw a drum circle they didn’t like and maybe tried one illicit substance too many.
In particular, Woodstock, Beacon, Nyack, and Cold Spring all have huge hippie contingents that the non-hippie community completely embraces.
6. People From The Hudson Valley Are Total Winos
Don’t think New York and wine go hand in hand? Must have never been to the Hudson Valley. Wineries have been a big part of local culture for generations, and are a favorite warm weather spot for Hudson Valley folks to decompress.
Recently, wine bars have exploded on main streets across the region in places like Beacon and Fishkill, giving locals yet another way to take in their favorite alcoholic elixir.
7. On The Weekend, You’ll Find Them Gallery Hopping
In the Hudson Valley, hitting galleries isn’t just the business of artists and collectors.
Since so much of the local social scene revolves around open gallery nights (and the parties that accompany them), even the least art-inclined folks are known to make their way out for some chatting, painting peeking and street strolling.
Plus, free wine and snacks!
8. People From The Hudson Valley Are Total Smarty Pants
Increasing numbers of Hudson Valley residents are NYC professionals who have gotten over city life and decided they’d rather live in a nice house than a 10 x 10 box. In other words, some supremely well-educated folks have headed north.
But that doesn’t mean you should count out the smarts of people who’ve been in the Valley for longer stretches. The area is home to a crazy amount of top-tier liberal arts schools, like Vassar, Bard, and Marist, that have been amping up local brainpower for years.
9. If It’s Old And Covered In Rust, They Probably Love It
Hudson Valley folks have a certain level of adoration for things old and rustic. From the turn-of-the-twentieth-century mansions, to the old school layouts of the cities, to the small farms scattered throughout the area, classical Americana holds a special place in the heart of locals.
For proof, look no further than Hudson’s Warren St., with its smorgasbord of antique shops.
10. People From The Hudson Valley Are Artsier Than Picasso, Monet, And Van Gogh Combined
So, what happens when you have a populous that prides itself on its creative culture? You create a community that not only churns out the art galleries and music mentioned above, but extends the same creative attitude to everyday life.
Hand-blown glass shops? Community murals? A non-stop festival season? Artisanal everything? Yep, Hudson Valley folks have it, love it and don’t take any of it for granted for one second.
What do you think about the Hudson Valley? Tell us in the comments below! 
