Get the Goods: Greatest New York
The goods, clockwise from top left: a wrap bracelet made in Syracuse (photo courtesy of Lombardi Leather); the Esopus Creek in Phoenicia (photo courtesy of The Graham & Co.); Worker's Soap from the Adirondacks (photo courtesy of Hudson Made); a bonfire at Phoenicia's Graham & Co. hotel (photo courtesy of The Graham & Co.).
Hop on MetroNorth! Rent a car! Swim up the Hudson River! There's seriously good shopping in Greater New York.
NEW YORK – Don't get me wrong — when it comes to shopping, I heart NY. But right now it's just too damn hot to traipse around the city. I'm heading north for the new crop of leathersmiths, jewelers, chocolatiers, and other makers.
1. Have a Drink
Pour yourself a glass Defiant rye, the Catskill Distilling Company's award-winning whiskey. If wine is more your thing, fill your glass with Fox Run Vineyards' pinot noir poured from Blue Hill Farm's wine decanter. The Pocantico Hills farm collaborated with Hudson Valley glassblower Deborah Ehrlich on the beautiful handmade pieces. While you're at it, nibble on a maple dark chocolate bar from Fruition Chocolate in the Catskills.
2. Get That Just-Went-Hiking Smell (Minus the Sweat)
Hudson Made mills their Worker's Soap deep in the Adirondacks. It smells the way I imagine a strapping, rugged lumberjack would smell — like tobacco, cedar, and patchouli. Materia Designs, a super talented and experimental Hudson Valley creative team, partnered with The Graham & Co., one of our favorite Catskills hotels, to create a cedar fragrance. Top notes of cardamom and bitter orange balance out the woodsiness.
3. Listen Like a Local
The Last Names, a Kingston-based duo, released an album called Wilderness. I'd buy it just for the limited-edition case by Field Guide Design, another Kingston treasure. Talk about local pride.
4. Pick Up Jewelry (and Other Gifty Things)
Given its rich industrial history, it's exciting to see a new crop of creators in Syracuse. Grab a leather wrap bracelet from Lombardi Leather for a friend. For the girl who likes daintier jewels, Rebecca Peacock makes delicate pieces — like the Harlequin necklace — in her Catskills studio. Hudson Valley designer Andrew Molleur's colorblock vases would be a much-appreciated housewarming gift.
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