Poughkeepsie

By plane

• Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St, New Windsor, +1 845 564-2100. The closest major airport, but at present offers few direct flights to major destinations.
• Westchester County Airport, 240 Airport Road, White Plains, +1 914 995-4860 (airlines). Two counties away, but an alternative to the congestion of the 3 major international airports around New York City. Rental cars available.
• Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport: Livery cars offer service to and from 3 major international airports. It is possible in a convoluted sort of way to get to and from JFK via Metro-North Railroad and New York City Transit.

By car

• US Route 9 passes through Poughkeepsie in the north-south direction, so you can get there on it by heading north from New York City or south from Albany (or beyond in the Adirondacks), though people usually use expressways for at least part of those trips rather than taking Route 9 all the way.
• US Route 44 and New York State Route 55 pass concurrently through the city of Poughkeepsie in an east-west direction (forming the East-West Arterial, with the westbound and eastbound lanes on separate streets several blocks apart). East of the city, the two routes split, with US-44 heading northeast and NY-55 southeast, both in the direction of Connecticut. To the west, they cross the Hudson River (on the Mid-Hudson Bridge, a toll bridge) and head towards the Catskills.
• Interstate 84 goes through Fishkill, south of Poughkeepsie, where you can take it west from Connecticut or east from Pennsylvania, then get off at exit 13 and take Route 9 north to Poughkeepsie.
• The New York Thruway (Interstate 87) is west of the Hudson River, where you can get from it to Poughkeepsie by getting off at New Paltz (exit 18) or Newburgh (exit 17) and crossing the river to the east. It runs between New York City and Buffalo by way of Albany.

By train

The city is well served by both commuter and long-distance rail. Poughkeepsie is the last stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line commuter train out of New York City. Express service between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central Terminal is about 1 hour and 40 minutes; late-night local service (after about 10 pm) takes considerably longer. A one-way ticket to or from Grand Central costs $19.25 off-peak and $25.75 peak. Local service is also available to other Metro-North commuter stations. Full weekday and weekend schedules are available online. On-board train fares are subject to a stiff surcharge, so buy your tickets at the vending machines located on the platform or from a ticket agent. On trains departing from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, get a seat on the left side of the train, while on trains departing from Poughkeepsie, sit on the right side. Opposite Yonkers and Hastings-on-Hudson, you will be treated to great views of the sheer cliffs of the Palisades, and between Cold Spring and Beacon, you will get a glimpse of Bannerman Castle on an island offshore, in addition to the beautiful Hudson River Valley.
Additionally, almost all Amtrak services between New York City and destinations north call here, including the once-daily Adirondack to Montreal, Ethan Allen Express to Rutland, the overnight Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, and Maple Leaf to Toronto. Most Empire Service trains to Buffalo and Niagara Falls stop here too.

• is located at 41 Main St, near the Hudson shore. There are ample parking spaces, as well as connecting local buses.

• Within the City of Poughkeepsie, streets with a "North" or "South" prefix are usually north or south of Main Street, which runs east-west from the riverfront to the outskirts of town. Formerly part of Main Street was closed to traffic as the pedestrian Main Mall, but this has been converted back to a driveable street.
• Within the City of Poughkeepsie, Route 9 is an expressway, but outside the city it becomes South Road and North Road, commercial thoroughfares lined with strip malls and the like.
• There were formerly separate bus systems serving the City of Poughkeepsie and the rest of Dutchess County, but they have been combined into one county-wide Dutchess County Public Transit bus system centering on Main and Market Streets in the City of Poughkeepsie.

• Locust Grove

  phone: +1 845 454-4500
  address: 2683 South Rd
  The former estate of Samuel F. B. Morse, whose patent of the electromagnetic telegraph revolutionized human communication. Set on 150 acres, the Italianate villa was designed by architect Alexander Jackson Davis.

• Vassar College

  phone: +1 845 437-7000
  address: 124 Raymond Ave
  Founded in 1861, Vassar College is a highly selective, residential, coeducational liberal arts college. Consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, Vassar is renowned for pioneering achievements in education, for its long history of curricular innovation, and for the beauty of its campus. Especially noteworthy is the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, which has ancient, medieval, Asian, European and American art and objects, well worth a visit. The Center is free to visit; open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM-5 PM, Thursdays open until 9 PM; Sundays, 1 PM to 5 PM. Closed Mondays. The grounds of the college are quite lovely (in good weather); the campus is maintained as an arboretum, with more than 200 varieties of trees on 1,000 acres.

• Marist CollegePrivate liberal arts college founded in 1905, with a 180-acre main campus overlooking the Hudson River.

• Walkway over the Hudson

  phone: +1 845 454-9649
  Dogs Allowed, Handicap Accessible. The Bridge connects Poughkeepsie to Highland and it has a long history; it was built in 1888 as a railroad bridge, and it caught fire in 1974 and was too expensive to tear down. Today it is the longest pedestrian footbridge in the world at 6,768 feet (1.28 miles) long. Being 212 feet over the Hudson River it gives you a great view of the sunset and the skyline of Poughkeepsie and Highland.

• Empire Cruise Lines

  address: 29 North Water St
  Sightseeing cruises on the Hudson River.

• Bardavon Opera House

  phone: +1 845 473-5288, +1 845 472-2072 (Box office)
  address: 35 Market St
  The Bardavon was established in 1869, and now takes part in many legendary musical performances. Closed for the summers, reopens in September, prices varied, accepts all major credit cards, personal checks, cash, and gift cards.

• Casperkill Golf Club

  phone: +1 845 463-0900
  address: 2320 South Rd./ Rt.9
  Formerly a country club for IBM employees, Casperkill Golf Club is an 18 hole championship golf course including lessons, putting green, driving range, and pro-golf shop.

• Mid-Hudson Children's Museum

  phone: +1 845 471-0589
  address: 75 North Water St
  The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum is an interactive, hands-on museum with a variety of different exhibits all focused on Hudson Valley heritage, technology, and science. For children up to age 12.

• Bananas Comedy Club

  phone: +1 845 462-3333
  address: Mercury Grand Hotel 2170 Rt. 9
  Bananas Comedy Club includes top comedians from television, movies, Atlantic City, and Las Vegas. Dinner and overnight packages available.

• Poughkeepsie Galleria

  phone: +1 845 297-7600
  address: 2001 South Rd
  A large shopping mall in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

• River Station Restaurant & Catering

  phone: +1 845 452-9207
  address: 1 North Water Street
  Seafood and American cuisine with a full service bar and outdoor dining on the waterfront of the Hudson River with some outstanding views. River Station offers full service catering.

• Shadows on the Hudson

  phone: +1 845 486-9500
  address: 176 Rinaldi Blvd
  Located on the riverfront, this modern restaurant is also a bar, outside seating, great views, great food, a little fancier than casual dress.

• Cosimos Trattoria

  phone: +1 845 485-7172
  address: 120 Delafield St
  Brick Oven Pizza, reservations for over seven, outdoor seating available, near the riverfront,underneath the Walkway on the Hudson. Easy access from Route 9.

• Mahoney's Irish Pub & Restaurant

  phone: +1 845-471-7026
  address: 35 Main St

• Noah's Ark

  phone: +1 845 486-9295
  address: 135 Mill St
  Popular with upperclass students and 20-something locals for its happy hour, half price drinks on Thursdays 6PM-7:30PM, half price drinks and buffet on Fridays 6PM-7:30PM. The buffet normally consists of buffalo chicken wings and pasta.

• Best Western Plus The Inn & Suites at the Falls

  phone: +1 845 462-5770
  address: 50 Red Oaks Mill Rd

• Holiday Inn Express Poughkeepsie

  phone: +1 845 473-1151
  address: 2750 South Rd
  Offers complimentary hot breakfast, pool, fitness center, and business center. Visit hotel website for current specials and packages.

• Hampton Inn & Suites Poughkeepsie

  phone: +1-845 463-7500
  address: 2361 South Rd
  Next to IBM Headquarters.

• Courtyard Poughkeepsie

  phone: +1 845 485-6336
  address: 2641 South Road

• Residence Inn Poughkeepsie

  phone: +1 845 463-4343
  address: 2525 South Rd

• Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel

  phone: +1 845 485-5300
  address: 40 Civic Center Plaza
  Downtown hotel, next to the civic center.

• Red Roof Plus Poughkeepsie

  phone: +1 937 328-1855
  address: 2349 South Rd
  Right next to Hampton Inn.

From Poughkeepsie you can explore the entire Hudson Valley, or head north for the Adirondacks, west for the Catskills, east for New England, or south for New York City.