Photo: Jane Beiles
All it took was a visit to the Hudson Valley for Andrew Arrick (pictured near left with partner, Michael Hofemann) to be bit by the country bug. Before he knew it, he was working on a garden at his farmhouse in Tivoli. He acclimated to the rural life well, quickly finding all the best places to hike, pick up fresh fruit and meet people equally passionate about living in our region. These days, he's partial to hanging out at home and hosting dinner parties, but when he does go out, you can bet it's to one of his favorite restaurants conveniently located near his shop, FINCH, in Hudson. My partner Michael and I started coming to the Hudson Valley from the city about 15 years ago, visiting friends who live in Kinderhook and Catskill. We loved it so much that we started looking online at houses and literally bought the first one that we found, in Tivoli. It's this great farmhouse that was built in the late 1700s, with five outbuildings, and the land abuts Mead Orchards; imagine... fruit trees as far as the eye can see! It couldn't have been more different from our life in Brooklyn, and we were quickly looking for ways to spend more and more time up here with our dogs, Matilda and Gunnar. That was 8 years ago and we've been here full time for a little over a year now, since we opened FINCH. When we have friends come visit for the first time, we often never leave the house, opting for lazy days and walks through the orchard. We love to entertain, so it's not uncommon to throw together a dinner party for eight or 10 people at a moment's notice. Many of our friends love to cook, so we definitely take advantage of the area's fantastic farmstands. My favorite is Montgomery Place on 9G. I'm always telling Michael not to grow certain things in the garden because I like buying it from them -- it drives him crazy!
Before we opened FINCH, we loved to take friends shopping in Hudson and start off the day with brunch at Le Gamin Country. The food is great, so don't pass on the eggs Benedict or the French toast... both are amazing. If we hang out in Hudson after store hours, dinner at Food Studio is a must, or a burger and a show at Helsinki. If we decide to head south into Rhinebeck for dinner, one of our favorite places is Gigi and having a "skizza" at the bar. There's so much great energy there. There are quite a few amazing places in the area to enjoy being outdoors. One is Tivoli Bays, adjacent to Bard College. It's a great place to take the dogs and go for a hike. Another is Olana, the historic house and grounds of Frederic Church. It's an inspirational part of Hudson Valley's history. There are so many reasons why the Hudson Valley is a special place, but first and foremost, it's the people... whether they're antiques dealers, restaurant owners, artists or craftspeople, or someone running a non-profit or creating a small-batch whiskey, there's an amazing sense of community that's not easily found elsewhere. Opening the store has enabled us to meet so many of these people and be a part of what makes this area great. There is such a diversity of people, talent and businesses in Hudson, especially, with an amazing vibe that rivals any hip neighborhood in the city. It continues to evolve and that is very inspiring.
