Visit Beacon NY

In the last couple of posts I’ve talked about a controversy in Beacon, NY, where I live. Notwithstanding some offensive pieces of art I discussed, I do recommend you visit Beacon. Beacon is one of the few cities that has successfully reinvented itself and is doing well. It was an industrial power in the 1800s and first half of the 20th century. It was second only to Danbury, Connecticut, in hat production. Many of the bricks used to construct buildings in NYC came from this area, including Dennings Point in Beacon.

As industries closed, Beacon faced a deteriorating economy and racial problems as well. Beacon was well on its way to where many cities find themselves today: no industry, few commercial enterprises, shrinking tax base, high crime, and white flight to the suburbs. But in the 1990s the city began to reinvent itself as a tourist attraction. Century old buildings along Main Street have been refurbished, and now there are shops, boutiques, art galleries, antique stores, and restaurants along the street. We now have the DIA art museum as well. People take the train up from NYC and spend the day walking up and down Main Street or visiting The DIA Museum. The Hudson Valley in general and Beacon in particular are great places to live and visit. So stop by and pay us a visit. If you are here on a Sunday, I can recommend a great church to attend Sunday worship.