Hey everyone I'm here in Hastings-on-Hudson. Located north of Yonkers. It's in the famed Hudson
River Valley region known for its beauty. You have hills on both sides of the Hudson River. Oh yeah!
This is one of the reasons why I started this Youtube channel. I've always wanted to come here.
I've heard nothing, but good things. Everyone tells me how beautiful it is. Supposedly there's
dozens of small towns dotted throughout this area. I really want to see them now. The Hudson Line
goes to many of them so it's really easy to get to from NYC. In fact, it only took 45 minutes
to get here from Grand Central Station. I mean look at this. I could be in Vermont right now.
This is incredible! Now most of the town's history dealt with stone quarrying, pavement. And then
nowadays everybody wants to live here because it's close to the city. You have the scenery, the water
so now it's a popular destination for many New Yorkers. I'm excited. Let's do this!
The area where the town is located today was once home to several Native American tribes
who came during the summer to fish and to collect oysters and clam shells to make necklaces.
They also planted corn and possibly tobacco. A wealthy Dutch merchant named Frederick Philipse
arrived in the 1680s and bought the area that is now Hastings-on-Hudson from the local tribes. The
British crown granted him a manner that included over 52,000 acres of land along the Hudson Valley.
In the late 1600s Philipse then leased the land to the Dutch, French Huguenots, and English settlers.
During the Revolutionary War the area where the town is today was declared neutral territory
by both the English and American forces. It became a no-man's land and was frequently raided by each.
When the war was over the land was confiscated and sold by the Americans because Philipse was loyal
to the king. In the 1840s a train line was built here that connected Hasting-on-Hudson to NYC.
From the 1860s to 1870s stone quarrying became the biggest industry in town. Westchester marble
was an important commodity at the time with many buildings in NYC such as Federal Hall,
Grace Church, Brooklyn Borough Hall, Washington Square Arch, and St. Patrick's Cathedral using the
stone. The marble was blasted from the quarries and then loaded onto ships bound for the city.
The town's population quickly grew with the influx of workers and was finally
incorporated in 1879. Pavement making then became the primary industry in the 1880s,
which was used primarily in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and Central Park in Manhattan.
The town produced over 10 million blocks of payment between 1895 and 1900 which was shipped
all over the country and all over the world. Starting the 1920s all the way to the 1970s,
copper mining was a dominant employer in town and bought up all the remaining factories.
When the mining operations closed its waterfront operations in 1975, the town shifted its economy
from heavy industry to tourism. All the industrial buildings have been cleared since then and there's
currently plans to redevelop this site with a combination of mixed-use buildings and parks.
This massive future development highlights the popularity of Hastings-on-Hudson today as many
people are choosing to move here for its scenery, easy access by train to NYC and cute downtown.
Hastings Farmers Market is a proper outdoor event that supports regional agriculture by
bringing farm fresh produce and goods from the Hudson Valley to the town. It's been a
local tradition for 24 years. The market is located in a parking lot near the waterfront
and takes place on Saturdays from June through November, 8:30am to 1pm.
There's also a free outdoor jazz concert series every Sunday
from 3 to 5:30 pm from June 6 through mid-September. The
concert takes place at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Plaza on Warburton Avenue.
The MacEachron Waterfront Park is located just north of the railroad station
and is a perfect place to relax and view the Palisades,
the steep cliffs on the western side of the Hudson River. The park has a playground, picnic areas,
and a small marina. During the summer a free concert series is hosted here as well.
The park also includes a restaurant called Harvest on Hudson.
It's an Italian restaurant that has a rustic upscale atmosphere
with a large outdoor patio with amazing views of the waterfront.
Other great restaurants in town include Maud's Tavern, a cozy saloon known for
its classic comfort food such as burgers and shepherd's pie. It has a small seating
area outside with nice views of the Palisades.
Saint George Bistro lies just north of there and offers French cuisine. It has outdoor street dining with similar views of the waterfront below.
And finally there's the Divino Cucina Italiana near the Main Street that has
a hip modern feel with an outdoor patio that hangs out over the ravine below.
Hope you guys enjoyed today's trip to Hastings-on-Hudson.
It exceeded my expectations.
Look at this! This is spectacular. You can actually see NYC in the distance.
This is great! The town was super cute. It's on top of the bluffs here.
I cannot wait to explore the other towns in this area. Oh this is going to be great!