Hudson is one of the most interesting towns along its namesake river. The town is part gentrified second-home-owner territory, part 19th-century boomtown now down on its luck. Handsome antique stores and weathered Victorian buildings, Manhattanites and proud descendants of African American whalers, struggling to make ends meet, all live side-by-side in Hudson.

Warren Street

The heart of downtown Hudson and the gentrification process is Warren Street, lined with one historic building after another. On the block closest to the river, there’s a Greek Revival mansion with a “widow’s walk” that once belonged to a whaling captain (No. 32). Along the 100 block alone are a Federal-style brick house with “eyebrow” windows (No. 102), a Queen Anne clapboard house with attractive trim (No. 114), and a rare Adam-style house with an ornamental marble frieze (No. 116).

The 1811 Robert Jenkins House (113 Warren St., 518/828-9764, 1–3 p.m. Sun.–Mon. July–Aug., or by appointment, adults $3, seniors $2, children under 12 free) houses a small local history museum. Exhibits include paintings by several lesser-known Hudson River School artists, the jawbone of a whale, General Grant’s “personal table,” and other curious odds and ends.

In recent years, Warren Street has become a mecca for antiques lovers; dozens of stores of varying quality are located here, most between 5th and 7th Streets. Among them are the Hudson Antiques Center (536 Warren St., 518/828-9920), housing about 20 dealers; Theron Ware (548 Warren St., 518/828-9744), specializing in classic Americana and ornate European antiques; and Ornamentum (506-½ Warren St., 518/671-6770), part jewelry store and part art gallery.

The two-story Carrie Haddad Gallery (622 Warren St., 518/822-9744) exhibits paintings, photographs, and sculpture by both established and up-and-coming artists.