Escape from New York: why now's the time to head to Hudson's The Wick
In New York a few weeks ago, the temperature tipped 96 degrees Fahrenheit (a whisker under 36C). The sun was brutal. The air was foul. The city’s cab drivers seemed to have taken the afternoon off and the subway was overcrowded, so there was no alternative but to walk between appointments. It’s not hard to see why New Yorkers feel the need to get out of town at weekends.
The Hamptons on Long Island are the city's most talked-about summer escape. I had spent the preceding weekend on Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts, a lovely island of deserted beaches, undulating wooded countryside, and silvery cedar-shingled or white clapboard houses, some of them dating back to the 18th century.
Surrounded by verandas and white picket fences and shaded by elms, the Georgian and Victorian houses are idyllically pretty, and the blissful, unpolluted air is cooled by Atlantic breezes. It is a wonderful place in which to while away a few days away from the big city.
But neither the Vineyard nor the Hamptons are blessed with a huge choice of hotels or inns (I was staying with friends). And even if you manage to secure a weekend reservation at the elegant Harbor View (rates at this time of year from $547.40/￡420, including taxes), which is arguably the grandest hotel in Martha’s Vineyard, facing Chappaquiddick across Nantucket Sound, there’s still the challenge of getting there.
Ferry bookings are scarcer even than beds on the island, especially those on the Seastreak, which makes the five-hour-15-minute crossing from New York on Friday afternoons, returning at 4pm on Sundays (from $240 return).
So it’s good to know about The Wick, which opened in May in Hudson, some 120 miles north of NYC. Laid back and increasingly fashionable, the historic little riverside town styles itself as ‘upstate’s downtown’ (in terms of vibe, Brooklyn might be nearer the mark) in the heart of New York State’s bosky Hudson Valley.
It comes as no surprise to learn that Hudson is the home of Modern Farmer magazine, a quarterly publication aimed at jaded urbanites who dream of raising chickens, keeping bees and growing squash, as well as farmers, chefs and cooks with an appreciation of fine typography and design.
In any case, Hudson is a great base from which to explore the sublime edenic landscapes that first inspired the Hudson River School, the group of 19th-century American Romantic artists led by Lancashire-born Thomas Cole, whose home and studio in Catskill is a 20-minute drive away and whose paintings are also the subject of an exhibition running at the National Gallery in London until October 8.
A member of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, - the brand of franchised hotels that give every impression of retaining their independence - The Wick been converted from a candle factory (hence its name) to create 48 rooms and seven suites, as well as a restaurant, bar and impressively equipped fitness centre.
There’s even a row of electric car plugs for your ‘Tesla or other vehicles’, though the greener way to get there is by train from Grand Central Terminal to Hudson’s Amtrak station. It is just three blocks away and there’s a free shuttle.
This summer, Weekend Special rates at The Wick start at $437/￡335 (inc taxes), though there are bargains to be had midweek.
Sign up for the Telegraph Luxury newsletter for your weekly dose of exquisite taste and expert opinion.