An early 1600s Dutch settlement seated on the banks of the Hudson River, Poughkeepsie became New York’s second capital shortly after the American Revolution and has been dubbed “The Queen City of the Hudson.”


The vibrant city combines the excitement of urban life with the breathtaking beauty of the Hudson Valley. In fact, the area’s natural beauty and close proximity to New York City drew notable families such as the Astors, Rogers, and Vanderbilts to build palatial weekend homes nearby.

 
 
Poughkeepsie’s Main Street features a group of 1870s Renaissance Revival storefronts, called Main Mall Row, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city is surrounded by 22 parks, providing visitors and residents alike the opportunity to picnic, hike, bike, go horseback riding, golf, kayaking, archery and even skeet shooting.
 
 
This city is also home to two major bridges and one famous college. The first bridge is the scenic Walkway over the Hudson, a former railroad bridge that is now a public walkway, the second is the Mid-Hudson, a major thoroughfare built in 1930 that carries U.S. Route 44 over the Hudson RIver. Vassar College, which was founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, is renowned for pioneering achievements in education.
 
 
Nearby is the hometown of the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt.  The City of Hyde Park is definitely worth visiting, and his house, now the home of the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, as are the homes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Isaac Roosevelt, and Frederick William Vanderbilt. Hyde Park is also home to the notable Culinary Institute of America, guaranteeing the presence of fine dining throughout the area.