.jpg)
Hudson’s 14th Annual Winter Walk
Photographs by Peter Blandori
Just for a moment, let’s put aside all legitimate concerns and revel in some positive news. According to Hudson-watcher Ellen Thurston, thirty-four new businesses have opened on or near Warren Street since last year’s Winter Walk—six antiques stores, a couple of home furnishings emporiums, several art galleries, some restaurants, a first-rate nightclub, a photography studio, three vintage clothing stores.
Moreover, the entrepreneurial spirit that has transformed the blocks below Third on Warren is now creeping uphill to the heretofore neglected streets surrounding the town green. “The Seventh Street area is looking much livelier with the arrival of Park Falafel and Pizza,” Thurston reports in her .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Among the new businesses contributing energy to the streets adjacent to the park: the studio of the community radio station WGXC, the antiques dealers Diehl and Denis, the vintage clothing store Sideshow, and, new to the east side of the square, John Doe Records and Books. Moreover, Thurston spots a trend: “Three restorers’ studios on or near the park are turning this area into Restoration Row.”
And we have just three hours to take in all this and so much more on Saturday evening at the Hudson-Opera-House-produced 14th Annual Winter Walk. Back in the day when this city-wide holiday celebration was young, three hours probably was sufficient. Now? One would have to sprint. Just imagine the consequences of hopping too briskly from jam at TK Home & Garden (441 Warren), to cheese at Olde Hudson (421), to hors d’oeuvres at Tastefully Done catering (430), to a wine tasting at Hudson Wine Merchants (341 ½), to raw chocolate truffles at Bodhi (323), to Chris Hebert’s Mexican food at the Café in the Hudson Supermarket antiques center (310), to tasty sweet bites at the new bakery LOAF (253), to judging The Twelve Tastes of Eggnog contest at various venues below Third Street, all as a prelude to nipping around the corner to Club Helsinki at 4th and Columbia for a free tango lesson. Olé!
Oy vey. Sure, old friends, such as Santa & Mrs. Claus, Sax-o-Claus, the live reindeer, the mini horses (weather permitting), Roger the Jester, will keep us moving apace. At 8 p.m., when the fireworks go off, as always, on Promenade Hill at the foot of Warren, everyone along the full length of that street of dreams will stop to look. Then when the sky finally goes dark again, Winter Walk will be done.
As always, we will have had a splendid time. And for many, the festivity will continue in the restaurants or in private homes. But note from Self to Santa: Next year please don’t make us choose between above 7th and below 3rd. How about extending the hours?
The 14th Annual Winter Walk
Hudson
Saturday, December 4, 5 - 8 p.m.
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
Posted by Marilyn Bethany on 11/30/10 at 04:00 PM • Permalink
