Quote Of The Day

"Every old town that has known real history carries it in its stones — not as nostalgia, but as a living argument for what endures."

— Lewis Mumford

"Every old town that has known real history carries it in its stones — not as nostalgia, but as a living argument for what endures."

— Lewis Mumford

Interesting Facts

Kingston, New York is full of overlooked history and quirky distinctions that most visitors walk right past.

• First state capital — briefly: Kingston served as New York State's very first capital in 1777, but the British burned it to the ground just months later in October of that year, forcing government operations to relocate.
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• Buried street grid: The Stockade District's original 17th-century Dutch street layout is still intact beneath modern roads, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhoods in the United States with its original street plan preserved.
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• Cement birthplace: The natural cement industry in America effectively began along Kingston's waterfront in the 1820s, with Rosendale cement — quarried nearby — later used in the foundations of the Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument.
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• Two downtowns by design: Kingston has two distinct historic centers — the Uptown Stockade District and the Downtown Rondout waterfront — that developed separately for centuries and were only consolidated into one city in 1872.
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• Bob Dylan's retreat: After his 1966 motorcycle accident, Dylan recuperated in Woodstock just outside Kingston, and he recorded the influential Basement Tapes sessions in a nearby house nicknamed Big Pink, which still stands as a pilgrimage site for music fans.

Looking to add a furry friend to your home? A heartwarming lineup of cats and kittens is currently available for adoption near New Paltz, New York, with many transported from rescue organizations as far as Houston, Texas.

The group includes Almond, a gentle soul who once survived outdoors near a hotel; Josephine and Emma, an inseparable mother-daughter bonded pair; Jenga, a playful tabico who took a year to trust humans but now demands cuddles; Misha, a resilient survivor of serious health challenges; and Tom, a sweet black cat rescued from a hoarding situation alongside his brother Rambo.

All cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. Adoption fees also sponsor street cats in Houston for spay and neuter services, meaning every adoption ripples outward into the wider community.

Joke Of The Day

Someone asked me why Kingston, NY has so many antique shops, historic buildings, and vinyl record stores all crammed together.

Apparently the whole city is just refusing to be the Hudson Valley's first draft.