Vignettes of Poughkeepsie: Poughkeepsie Train Station, Wednesday, February 1, 2:00pm

For thousands of curious minds every year, it’s the first image of Poughkeepsie they’ll see. Made from iron and brick, with the same designer as Grand Central Station, it’s classically built; but once you pass through Poughkeepsie’s gateway, you’re in a decidedly unique piece of America. Poughkeepsie and its neighbors live within their own Hudson Valley ecosystem. Urban centers, rural villages, they’re historically academic, historically Presidential: everyone who lives here has their own reason to hold Potown close.

The people here aren’t “New Yorkers” in the stereotypical sense. There are diverse opinions in diverse communities from diverse people — but many of those people will instantly be willing to show you why they find their community special. Not all of those people grew up here. But the chances are that once they moved here, they found that Poughkeepsie grew on them, and around them. If you ask around it’s unlikely that a person from somewhere else will know just how special our region is. For many that hail from the Hudson Valley, Poughkeepsie is a well-kept secret.

For so long, there were very few ways to unlock the secrets that Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park, or Arlington had to offer. The only way to find out was in person, for yourself, with your own eyes. And for everyone whose friends wouldn’t shut up about us, for everyone who wanted to see what made Potown special, there was only one way to go: through Poughkeepsie’s gateway.