Hudson Valley

2009-07-17T12:20:44Z

DocRuby: People living on the Hudson River don't deny they live in the Hudson River Valley

{{Refimprove|date=May 2008}}
[[Image:Wpdms ev26188 hudson valley.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Hudson Valley]]
:''For the [[magazine]], see [[Hudson Valley (magazine)]].

The '''Hudson Valley''' refers to the [[valley]] of the [[Hudson River]] and its adjacent communities in [[New York State]], generally from northern [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]] northward to the cities of [[Albany, New York|Albany]] and [[Troy, New York|Troy]]. Historically a cradle of European settlement in the northeastern United States and a strategic battleground in colonial wars, it now consists of suburbs of the metropolitan area of [[New York City]] at its southern end, shading into rural territory, including "[[Commuter town|exurbs]]," farther north.

Geographically, the Hudson Valley could refer to all areas along the Hudson River, including [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]], [[New Jersey]]. However, this definition is not commonly used and the [[Tappan Zee Bridge]] is often considered the southern limit of the area. Though Westchester County is often classified as part of the region, Westchester residents who live at the southern end of the county (and especially the parts closer to the [[Long Island Sound]] than the [[Hudson River]]) generally do not associate themselves with the region, unless their town includes Hudson River banks. Including all of Westchester County in the definition of the region would seem unusual to many and seems like something one might only read in a travel guide. In fact, there is a road sign on the [[New York State Thruway]] in [[Yonkers]] that suggests that the "Hudson Valley region" is located somewhere farther to the north and west along the Thruway.

==History==

At the time of the arrival of the first Europeans in the 17th century, the area of Hudson Valley was inhabited primarily by the [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian-speaking]] [[Mahican]] and [[Munsee]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] people, known collectively as River Indians.

The first [[Dutch Republic|Dutch]] settlement was in the 1610s with the establishment of [[Fort Nassau]], a trading post (''factorij'') south of modern-day Albany, with the purpose of exchanging European goods for [[American Beaver|beaver]] pelts. Fort Nassau was later replaced by [[Fort Orange]]. During the rest of the 1600s, the Hudson Valley formed the heart of the [[New Netherland]] colony operations, with the [[New Amsterdam]] settlement on [[Manhattan]] serving as a post for supplies and defense of the upriver operations.

During the [[French and Indian War]] in the 1750s, the northern end of the valley became the bulwark of the [[Great Britain|British]] defense against [[France|French]] invasion from [[Canada]] via [[Lake Champlain]].

The valley became one of the major regions of conflict during the [[American Revolution]]. Part of the early strategy of the [[Great Britain|British]] was to sever the colonies in two by maintaining control of the river.<ref>Glatthaar, Joseph T., and Martin, James Kirby (2007). ''Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution'', p. 39. Macmillan. ISBN 0809046008.</ref>

In the early 1800s, popularized by the stories of [[Washington Irving]], the Hudson Valley gained a reputation as a somewhat gothic region inhabited by the remnants of the early days of the Dutch colonization of New York (see, e.g., ''[[The Legend of Sleepy Hollow]]'').

Following the building of the [[Erie Canal]], the area became an important industrial center. The canal opened the Hudson Valley and [[New York City]] to commerce with the Midwest and [[Great Lakes]] regions.<ref>Stanne, Stephen P., et al. (1996). ''The Hudson: An Illustrated Guide to the Living River'', p. 120. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0813522714.</ref> However, in the mid 20th century, many of the industrial towns went into decline.<ref>Hirschl, Thomas A. and Heaton, Tim B. (1999). ''New York State in the 21st Century'', pp. 126-28. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 027596339X.</ref>
[[Image:Catskills beyond Hudson.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The Catskills seen from across the river.]]
The Hudson Valley also was the location of the estates of many wealthy New York industrialists, such as [[John D. Rockefeller]] and [[Frederick William Vanderbilt]], and of old-moneyed tycoons such as [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|Franklin Roosevelt]], who was a descendant of one the early Dutch families in the region.

The area is associated with the [[Hudson River School]], a group of American [[romanticism|Romantic]] painters who worked from about 1830 to 1870.

The natural beauty of the Hudson Valley has earned the Hudson River the nickname "America's Rhine," a comparison to the famous 40 mile (65 km) stretch of Germany's [[Rhine|Rhine River]] valley between the cities of [[Bingen am Rhein|Bingen]] and [[Koblenz]]. A similar 30-mile (48 km) [[Hudson River Historic District|stretch of the east bank in Dutchess and Columbia counties]] has been designated a [[National Historic Landmark]].

==Geology and physiography==
The Hudson Valley is a [[Physiographic regions of the world|physiographic section]] of the larger [[Ridge-and-valley Appalachians|Valley And Ridge]] province, which in turn is part of the larger [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachian]] physiographic division.<ref name="USGS-Water">{{cite web |title=Physiographic divisions of the conterminous U. S. |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |url=http://water.usgs.gov/GIS/metadata/usgswrd/XML/physio.xml |accessdate=2007-12-06 }}</ref>

==Pollution and urban sprawl==
Due to the decrease in [[industry]] within New York State over the past 40 to 50 years, parts of the Hudson Valley have seen [[economic recession|economic decline]] and [[unemployment]] to a greater degree than other areas in the state. Still seen in the Valley today are abandoned [[factories]] and old buildings that are remnants of a once thriving region that included upscale theaters, lavish homes, [[hotel|resort hotel]]s, and [[destination spa|health spas]]. The numerous factories that at one time lined the Hudson River poured [[Waste|garbage]] and [[industrial waste]] directly into the river. This pollution was not assessed in a comprehensive fashion until the 1970s. By that time, the largest company still operating factories in the area was [[General Electric]], which became primarily responsible for cleaning the Hudson River. As of 2008, after decades of litigation, GE was still in the process of complying with government cleanup directives. <ref>[http://www.epa.gov/hudson/ EPA.gov/Hudson]</ref> Though swimming was banned in parts of the river in the early 1960s, the pollution has been steadily declining and, as a result, some municipalities have begun to allow people to swim in it again.

The crowding and high [[cost of living]] associated with the [[New York metropolitan area]] and its adjacent [[suburbs]] has led increasing numbers of people to move from these densely populated areas to the Hudson Valley, including parts as far north as greater [[Poughkeepsie (NY)|Poughkeepsie]], and commute into [[New York City]] to work. This demand for housing has resulted in increased residential development, and a significant increase in housing costs in the lower- and mid-Hudson Valley regions. Along with this residential development has come commercial development such as [[shopping mall]]s, and other landmarks of [[suburb]]ia and [[urban sprawl]]. Many long-time residents have reacted to this by forming [[Natural environment|environmental]] and preservationist groups dedicated to stopping further development.

While parts of the Valley today struggle with [[crime]] and [[poverty]], other parts contain some of the wealthiest and safest communities in the nation (see, ''e.g.'', communities discussed in articles on [[Westchester, New York|Westchester]] and [[Putnam County, New York|Putnam]] Counties). The overall effect of decreased industrialization and increased residential development has been a transformation of the region, especially in the lower- and mid-Hudson Valley, to an exurb struggling to balance the competing demands of maintaining the area's rural character with the conveniences and services of suburban living.

== Sports ==
The [[Hudson Valley Renegades]] are a minor league baseball team affiliated with the [[Tampa Bay Rays]]. The team is a member of the [[New York - Penn League]], and play at [[Dutchess Stadium]] in [[Fishkill, New York|Fishkill]].

The [[Hudson Valley Hawks]] is a team in the newly formed [[National Professional Basketball League (2007-)|National Professional Basketball League]]. The team's home court is at Beacon High School, in [[Beacon, New York|Beacon]]. Lastly, the [[Hudson Valley Highlanders]] of the [[North American Football League]] play their home games at Dietz Stadium in [[Kingston, New York|Kingston]].

==Regions==

The Hudson Valley is divided into three regions: Lower, Middle and Upper. The following is a list of the counties within the Hudson Valley sorted by region.
{| width="100%" |
|-
| width="25%" |
'''Lower Hudson'''
*[[Westchester, New York|Westchester]]
*[[Rockland County, New York|Rockland]]
*[[Putnam County, New York|Putnam]]
*[[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]]
<br>
||| width="25%" |
'''Mid-Hudson'''
*[[Dutchess County, New York|Dutchess]]
*[[Orange County, New York|Orange]]
*[[Ulster County, New York|Ulster]]

||| width="25%" |
'''Upper Hudson'''
*[[Columbia County, New York|Columbia]]
*[[Greene County, New York|Greene]]
*[[Rensselaer County, New York|Rensselaer]]
*[[Albany County, New York|Albany]]
<br>
<br>
<br>
|}

==Cities and towns==
{| width="100%" |
|-
| width="25%" |
*[[Airmont, New York|Airmont]]
*[[Albany, New York|Albany]]
*[[Annandale-on-Hudson, New York|Annandale-on-Hudson]]
*[[Beacon, New York|Beacon]]
*[[Brewster, New York|Brewster]]
*[[Carmel, New York|Carmel]]
*[[Catskill, New York|Catskill]]
*[[Chester (village), New York|Chester]]
*[[Chestnut Ridge, New York|Chestnut Ridge]]
*[[Cohoes, New York|Cohoes]]
*[[Cold Spring, New York|Cold Spring]]
*[[Congers, New York|Congers]]
*[[Cornwall, New York|Cornwall]]
*[[Cortlandt Manor, New York|Cortlant Manor]]
*[[Croton-on-Hudson, New York|Croton-on-Hudson]]
*[[East Fishkill, New York|East Fishkill]]
*[[Fishkill, New York|Fishkill]]
*[[Fort Montgomery, New York|Fort Montgomery]]
*[[Goshen (village), New York|Goshen]]
||| width="25%" |
*[[Grand View-on-Hudson, New York|Grand View-On-Hudson]]
*[[Hastings-on-Hudson, New York|Hastings-on-Hudson]]
*[[Haverstraw, New York|Haverstraw]]
*[[Highland, New York|Highland]]
*[[Highland Falls, New York|Highland Falls]]
*[[Highland Mills, New York|Highland Mills]]
*[[Hillburn, New York|Hillburn]]
*[[Hillcrest, Rockland County, New York|Hillcrest of Rockland]]
*[[Hudson, New York|Hudson]]
*[[Hyde Park, New York|Hyde Park]]
*[[Kingston, New York|Kingston]]
*[[Mahopac, New York|Mahopac]]
*[[Monsey, New York|Monsey]]
*[[Marlboro, New York|Marlboro]]
*[[Milton, New York|Milton]]
*[[Middletown, Orange County, New York|Middletown]]
*[[Monroe (town), New York|Monroe]]
*[[Mount Ivy, New York|Mount Ivy]]
*[[Nanuet, New York|Nanuet]]
*[[Newburgh, New York|Newburgh]]
||| width="25%" |
*[[New City, New York|New City]]
*[[New Paltz (town), New York|New Paltz]]
*[[New Windsor, New York|New Windsor]]
*[[Nyack, New York|Nyack]]
*[[Ossining, New York|Ossining]]
*[[Palisades, New York|Palisades]]
*[[Patterson, New York|Patterson]]
*[[Pawling, New York |Pawling]]
*[[Pearl River, New York|Pearl River]]
*[[Peekskill, New York|Peekskill]]
*[[Piermont, New York|Piermont]]
*[[Pleasant Valley (town), New York|Pleasant Valley]]
*[[Pomona, New York|Pomona]]
*[[Port Jervis, New York|Port Jervis]]
*[[Poughkeepsie (city), New York|Poughkeepsie]]
*[[Putnam Valley, New York|Putnam Valley]]
*[[Red Hook, New York|Red Hook]]
*[[Rhinebeck, New York|Rhinebeck]]
*[[Saugerties, New York|Saugerties]]
*[[Sleepy Hollow, New York|Sleepy Hollow]]
||| width="25%" |
*[[Sloatsburg, New York|Sloatsburg]]
*[[South Nyack, New York|South Nyack]]
*[[Sparkill, New York|Sparkill]]
*[[Spring Valley, New York|Spring Valley]]
*[[Stony Point, New York|Stony Point]]
*[[Suffern, New York|Suffern]]
*[[Tivoli, New York|Tivoli]]
*[[Troy, New York|Troy]]
*[[Upper Nyack, New York|Upper Nyack]]
*[[Valhalla, New York|Valhalla]]
*[[Valley Cottage, New York|Valley Cottage]]
*[[Wappinger, New York|Wappinger]]
*[[Warwick, New York|Warwick]]
*[[Washingtonville, New York|Washingtonville]]
*[[West Haverstraw, New York|West Haverstraw]]
*[[West Nyack, New York|West Nyack]]
*[[West Point, New York|West Point]]
*[[Yonkers, New York|Yonkers]]
*[[Yorktown, New York|Yorktown]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
{{Hvportal}}

* [http://www.hudsonvalleydirectory.com/ Hudson Valley Directory]
* [http://www.hudsonrivervalley.com/ Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area]
* [http://www.hudsongreenway.state.ny.us/ Hudson River Valley Greenway]
* [http://www.hvsocial.com/ Connect to people in Hudson Valley]
* [http://www.hrvh.org/ Hudson River Valley Heritage]: digital collection of historical materials

{{Geography topics}}
{{Physical geography topics}}
{{New York}}
{{Coord missing|New York}}

[[Category:Hudson River| ]]
[[Category:Hudson Valley| ]]
[[Category:Physiographic sections]]
[[Category:River valleys]]

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Hudson Valley