This afternoon I went to the Bank Square Coffee Shop to hang out, read, and do a little work for a class I am taking online. I was really excited to overhear the conversation that was taking place next to me. There were two men, both in their 20s and 30s, discussing how positive the changes were in Beacon. The older of the two men (who were both guitarists) noted that, “its [Beacon’s] transformation is profound enough to be wrote about one day.”  As someone who is constantly excited to walk down Main Street and see what’s new, and go to places like The Hop, Max’s, and Bank Square, I was really happy to know it wasn’t just me that lived in this bubble of excitement about Beacon.

The gentlemens’ conversation then veered in the direction of discussing Newburgh. For those of you that are not familiar with the Hudson Valley, Newburgh is (was) the murder capital of New York. While there are a number of great up and coming places in Newburgh, the poverty level in the city, as well as the lack of industry in the area, lead to a large crime rate and other typical urban dilemmas. However, as it is located just across the river from Beacon, some of the new business, traffic flow, and investment coming into the area will hopefully makes its way to the much needed community projects and business ventures just across the river.

Some fun Newburgh businesses to check out:

* The Wherehouse – Great bar/pub

* Downing Film Center – Small private film screen with smaller and larger production films

* Caffe Macchiato – Coffee shop just across from Washington Park

Though I haven’t been to any of the restaurants on Front Street yet, many of them have great reviews. During the summer, there are some great bars located right on the water. It’s a fun atmosphere and view, if nothing else! Before I venture there though, I definitely want to try Manchu Picchu, the Peruvian restaurant right on Broadway (my boyfriend, and friends have been and love it…I just haven’t made it yet!)

In general, hearing so much about city revitalization made me feel really happy today. I get excited about growth and positive development anywhere really, so to have it happening in my own backyard is definitely something that makes me smile.

What other places do you see going through this type of change? What other places in Newburgh should I try?? Please share your suggestions!