Cold Spring, a not-so-hidden Hudson Valley gem

“Cold Spring, NY” depicts life in a notable Hudson River town with a rich history and much natural beauty.
Krista A. Briggs
“Cold Spring, NY” depicts life in a notable Hudson River town with a rich history and much natural beauty.
According to Alissa Malnati, co-creator of the new coffee table tome, “Cold Spring, NY”, after twenty-five years in the urban jungle, it was time to go in search of a cure for the angst which, for some, can come with metropolitan living. “My husband and I were soul sick,” explained Malnati of the couple’s move to Cold Spring, a Hudson River town located in leafy Putnam County. “We were seeking restoration and quiet, and to be in nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.”
The time was right for a move in 2021. The Malnatis relocated from busy Brooklyn to a tranquil mountaintop abode which allowed them to decompress without the intrusion of cell phones and ceaseless city noise. With the shift to the Hudson Valley, Alissa, a writer and fashion executive, and her husband, Will, a podcaster and television producer, found the peace they were searching for in Cold Spring, a semi-rural town known for its boutiques, antique shops, and world-class hiking trails.
While modern Cold Spring offers an array of unique independent retailers as well as specialty restaurants and coffeehouses, it is also a destination point for nature-lovers and an historical town.
Many of its current and decaying sites have been documented in “Cold Spring, NY”, coauthored and co-photographed by both Alissa and Will. It served as the home of the West Point Foundry – now enshrined as the West Point Foundry Preserve – which produced artillery for the U.S. government starting in 1818, and it also became known for its Parrott rifles during the Civil War. The town was once visited by Abraham Lincoln back in 1862. In 1970, as part of an effort to raise environmental awareness through the Clearwater Organization, Pete Seeger’s boat, the Clearwater, was once docked at Cold Spring during a music festival at which Seeger performed. Cold Spring remains actively committed to preserving its small-town character, its waters and historic sites. The Putnam History Museum is also located in Cold Spring.
“We never intended for it to be a book,” the couple explained of the process that came about very organically. “At first, it was just photographs that we framed, then photographs that became photo albums, and eventually we decided to print it into a coffee table book.”
Their collaboration proved to be a very positive one which brought them closer. “We loved working on this together and hope that we are able to do more as a duo,” Alissa said, noting that future shared projects along the same lines as “Cold Spring, NY” are already being explored by the couple.
“Cold Spring, NY”, which contains over one hundred pages of vivid black-and-white photography, highlights the town’s very active Main Street as well as its Hudson riverfront, local mountainous terrain, nearby woodland wonders, and sites of antiquated interest.
“There is much beauty in the town that no matter where we were, there was a photo to take.”
While the Malnatis captured as many historical and modern sites as possible for the book, there was an omission of a more recent occurrence. “There was one photo we didn’t take that haunts us to this day,” Alissa recounted. “There was a massive rainstorm in the summer of 2023 and the streets of Cold Spring were flooded. The stairs that take you underneath the railroad from Main St. were alsocompletely submerged in about ten feet of water that had accumulated below. It was like a scene from a movie, and, unfortunately, we were in such shock that we didn’t think to grab the photo.”
Among the photographs they were able to capture, Will Malnati’s preference is for the Bannerman Castle snaps on pages 23-24. Said Will, “The Bannerman Castle shots are a favorite – how much history it has and how beautiful it is up close. People don’t travel there very often or at all, so it was special to see it from the base of it. I also love the human portraits – so much character and love in each of them.” Alissa is most enthusiastic about the photo on page 31 titled “Optical Illusion”, saying, “You can flip the photo upside down and it would look the same, unless you are present with the photo and notice a small ripple in the water.“
The Cold Spring experience proved so refreshing for the Malnatis that while they eventually had to return to Brooklyn, they felt very strongly about leaving a parting gift for their adopted community in the form of the book. They’re also hoping they can eventually return to the community again someday on a more permanent basis. And while some Cold Spring residents prefer for the town to remain a hidden gem of the Hudson Valley, the Malnatis have a different take. Said Alissa, “Cold Spring is a special town and like anything special, it’s difficult for it to remain a secret for too long.”
On Saturday, Sept. 6, from 12 to 5 p.m., Rock Steady Farm in Millerton opens its fields once again for the third annual Farm Fall Block Party, a vibrant, heart-forward gathering of queer and BIPOC farmers, neighbors, families, artists, and allies from across the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Co-hosted with Catalyst Collaborative Farm, The Watershed Center, WILDSEED Community Farm & Healing Village, and Seasoned Delicious Foods, this year’s party promises its biggest celebration yet. Part harvest festival, part community reunion, the gathering is a reflection of the region’s rich agricultural and cultural ecosystem.
Rooted in justice and joy, the event will feature over 25 local vendors and organizations, live performances, healing workshops, family-friendly activities (yes, there’s a bouncy castle), and abundant local food. And while the festivities are certainly reason enough to show up, organizers remind us the purpose runs deeper.
“This isn’t just a party. It’s a place to build the kind of relationships that keep our food system alive,” said Maggie Cheney, Rock Steady’s co-founder and worker-owner. “We’re creating space where farmers, growers, families, and community organizers can connect, celebrate, and support one another.”
Proceeds from the event support Rock Steady’s POLLINATE program for queer and trans BIPOC beginning farmers, as well as Catalyst Collaborative Farm’s food justice initiatives. With sliding-scale tickets from $5 to $250, the organizers aim to make the event accessible to all, including free entry for children under 12 and volunteer options for those who want to pitch in.
For those who’ve attended before, it’s a welcome return. For newcomers, it may just feel like coming home.
More info and tickets: rocksteadyfarm.com/farm-block-party
Waterlily (8”x12”) made by Marilyn Hock
It takes a lot of courage to share your art for the first time and Marilyn Hock is taking that leap with her debut exhibition at Sharon Town Hall on Sept. 12. A realist painter with a deep love for wildlife, florals, and landscapes, Hock has spent the past few years immersed in watercolor, teaching herself, failing forward, and returning again and again to the page. This 18-piece collection is a testament to courage, practice and a genuine love for the craft.
“I always start with the eyes,” said Hock of her animal portraits. “That’s where the soul lives.” This attentiveness runs through her work, each piece rendered with care, clarity, and a respect for the subtle variations of color and light in the natural world.
After painting in oils earlier in life, Hock returned to art when she retired from working as a paralegal with a goal: to learn watercolor. It wasn’t easy.
“Oils and watercolor are opposites,” she explained. “With oils, you build your darks first. In watercolor, if you do that, you’re in trouble.” She studied online, finding instructors whose approach clicked, and adapted to the delicacy of the medium.
“When I’m working, everything else falls away,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on in life. While I’m painting, time disappears.”
Her studio, formerly a home office, is now her sanctuary and the pieces in this exhibition are the result of three years of that devoted studio work. While this is her first full public show, Hock previously tested the waters at a small fundraiser at Noble Horizons, where one of her pieces sold. That experience — and the consistent encouragement from her family, especially her husband — pushed her to pursue a full exhibition. With gentle encouragement from her husband and family, Hock reached out to the Town Hall’s curator, Zelina Blagden. “My husband kept saying, ‘You’re as good as all those other people out there, why not show your work?’” And so, here it is.
All paintings in the show are for sale, though Hock admits a few are priced high — not because of their size or complexity — but because she’s not quite ready to let them go. “There are a couple I’ve priced high because I’m not sure I want to part with them. But we’ll see,” she laughed. “It would be nice to support the habit a little bit.”
As for aspiring artists or anyone hesitating to begin something creative, Hock’s advice is simple: “Go for it. If it fails, toss it in the basket and start over.”
The exhibit will be on view at Sharon Town Hall through Oct. 31 with an opening reception on Sept. 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
Carissa Unite, general manager of Oblong Books in Millerton.
Carissa Unite of Millerton, began working at Oblong Books 16 years ago as a high schooler. She recently celebrated her eight-year anniversary as the general manager.
Unite’s journey at Oblong began even before she applied for her first position.An avid reader from a young age, she was a frequent customer at the store. During those years, Unite bonded with a former employee who encouraged her to apply for a position after connecting over their shared love of reading.
As a teenager, Unite enjoyed reading Ellen Hopkins, John Green and Ann Brashares. With the busyness of adulthood, she now favors the convenience of audio books. In the past year, however, she has made it a point to read more physical books.
With a preference for contemporary fiction, she raved about “Atmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The story, set in the 1980s, follows two women who become astronauts at a time when women were not widely accepted in the field. A beautiful love story emerges between the two characters. Unite described the writing as sensational and commended Reid’s ability to tackle complex themes without them being muddied.
Unite has developed a deep appreciated for classic literature. Her two favorites are “Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde. She was amazed by the philosophical nature of both words and the way their dialogue challenged her perspective.
In an effort to read beyond her preferred genre, she recommends the following:
“Some Desperate Glory,” by Emily Tesh, “Midnight Rooms,” by Donyae Coles and “Clear” by Carys Davies.
For Unite, the beauty of reading lies in its power to develop perspective, empathy, and compassion. Through books, readers learn that everyone is fighting different battles and no two stories are the same. She encourages people to choose kindness because you never know what someone else is facing.
Above all, reading brings Unite peace. If offers transcendence to another world, a pause from outside noise, and for Unite, it is where she feels most at home.
For anyone hesitant to being reading, Unite suggests: just do it! Read 10 pages a day and find the book that speaks to you. Any Oblong staff member would be happy to offer recommendations.
Oblong is located at 26 Main St., in Millerton and 6422 Montgomery St. in Rhinebeck.