Quaint Capital Region Town Named Most Charming In New York

While our Capital Region cities have so much to offer, there is something extra special about our small towns here in the area. One of those gems is getting recognition as the most charming town in the Empire State.

What are the ingredients that make up a charming small town? There are many finer qualities we could talk about here, but a few must-haves come to mind:

• A stunning downtown with an old-school feel.
• Lots of great shops in that downtown!
• Great restaurants and bars.
• A storied history...

When I think of those 4 elements, there are a couple Capital Region local towns that come to mind that did not receive this honor, but are certainly deserving.

Chatham!

For great shops, a quaint downtown, and awesome restaurants, Chatham is always a winner. Plus, the journey to get there through the beautiful rolling hills of Columbia County is breathtaking.

And then being a Clifton Park resident, there is my personal local favorite...

Ballston Spa!

Ballston Spa not only has an amazing walkable downtown, but you could make the argument that the town's collection of amazing restaurants makes up the best foodie scene in Upstate New York!

While both of these towns and maybe some you are thinking of are all deserving of the title of New York's "Most Charming," it's a riverside gem south of Albany that has received this high honor.

Hudson Is New York's Most Charming Small Town

Hudson possesses all the necessary elements of charm mentioned above and the travel website Trips to Discover agrees wholeheartedly! Here is what they had to say about this Capital Region gem on the Hudson River:

...Hudson offers picturesque views of the Hudson River and a charming downtown area with lots of antique stores, boutiques, and shops selling artisan goods. It also boasts a fantastic culinary scene with many farm-to-table eateries ...

The culinary scene in Hudson has become particularly robust in recent years, with one of the towns newest eateries recently being named one of nation's best by the New York Times.

This is not the first time either that the town of Hudson has been honored as an amazing desitnation. If you check out the Visit Hudson website, you'll see the town has received national honors from Conde Nast, Travel + Leisure, and more.

And one other beautiful thing about of visiting Hudson? You can make the drive down, or hop and Amtrak train to make the excursion south.