Well, for starters, I’m guessing all of us have pieced together that I’m talking about a town in New York State.

For reference, in this post, I’m primarily referring to the “village of Rhinebeck,” or Rhinebeck proper, as opposed to the town of Rhinebeck. From a census perspective, the “town of Rhinebeck” actually includes surrounding communities such as Rhinecliff, Württemberg and so forth. The village of Rhinebeck has around three thousand people, while the town has closer to ten. We’re not talking about big numbers either way, but I strive to show I care enough to do my research, so I wanted to make that distinction.

Rhinebeck, NY is located firmly in Dutchess County, a historic county established in 1683 that is a tourism hub for the state because of its plethora of historic sites, towns and cities worth visiting, and nature galore. It is located in the Hudson Valley in what people would identity as the “Mid-Hudson Region.”

Rhinebeck is a roughly two hour drive from New York City, which quickly puts it into the category of appealing weekend trips from NYC. New York City, as we all know, comes with a certain amount of chaos, and you could put forth the argument that Rhinebeck is an ideal antidote to said chaos. I wasn’t there with my wife, Bri, but it did also strike me as somewhere you could talk about as a romantic getaway near NYC as well.

Many people that I had the chance to interact with mentioned the ease of taking the 1 hour and 40 minute train ride from Penn station to Rhinecliff (a short drive away from Rhinebeck). With that service, it’s awfully easy to imagine leaving after work on Friday, and exchanging horns and bright lights, for a soft breeze and the pleasant hum of the main street of an historic village.

I actually drove from Toronto, and didn’t find it all that bad. It took me about seven hours, but as a younger man than I am now, I took road trips that were a lot longer and more arduous than that. I actually love driving and listening to podcasts, and just being “off the clock.” If you want some podcast recommendations, by the way, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. You can also check out my podcast, Rick Steves Over Brunch.

Why Rhinebeck?