Yes, we still need a Dim Sum, Indian, or Thai restaurant. And it would be nice if we didn't have to drive to see a movie, but you have to admit, there's a lot more to do in Beacon than there was just a year ago. Below are some of the best of what our city has to offer, in alphabetical order, from readers of the "Dispatch" and my own experience. What did we miss? Let us know in the Comments area below the post, or by emailing me. Happy New Year!
Best Art Gallery Over 200,000 Sq. Ft.
Dia: Beacon
3 Beekman St.
845.440.0100
Winter Hours: Fri – Mon, 11am – 4pm
Ok , there’s not much competition here. But the Dia deserves a category of its own. I swear there’s something alive inside Richard Serra’s “Torque Ellipses.” Every time I get to the center of these sculptures I feel the air pressure change, like a remnant of the artist is still there. I’ve never felt anything like it, and I’ve never seen anything like the Dia: Beacon. It’s a truly mind-expanding experience.
Best Art Gallery Under 200,000 Sq. Ft.
Van Brunt Gallery
460 Main St.
Hours: Th – Mon, 11a – 6pm (or by appointment)
845.838.2995
I’m never disappointed when I walk into the Van Brunt. The talent may be lesser known (for now), but the variety and quality of the artwork is consistently good.
Best Auction
Cold Spring Galleries & Auction
324 Main St.
845.831.6800
I still haven’t done anything with the box of old slides, cameras, projector, and screen I bought at auction for $50. But the fun was in the bidding, right? People come to the Cold Spring Auction from all over the Hudson Valley and beyond to find bargains on furniture, oriental carpets, and other bric-a-brac. One of my favorite pieces was a box of personal letters and photographs from an old widow’s estate. You simply never know what you’ll find. Auctions are held every other Sunday.
Best Bar
Miro Bar & Restaurant
Pool table, cheap drinks, Engelbert Humperdink on the jukebox, and good bar conversation. Overheard one Saturday night: “In the 50’s I used to dance topless with Goldie Hawn down in Boca.” Priceless.
Best Book Store
World’s End Books & Music
532 Main St.
845.831.1760
Hours: Wed - Mon, 11-6 (closed Tuesdays)
There’s nowhere else you’ll find such a choice selection of used fiction, essays, poetry, LP’s, and CD’s. If I didn’t live in Beacon, this shop alone would make it a destination for me.
Best Breakfast
Yankee Clipper
397 Main St.
845.440.0021
Every town needs a local diner, and in 2003, Beacon finally got one of its own in the Yankee Clipper. If you want a breakfast that sticks to your ribs – we’re talkin’ ham & eggs, pancakes, omelets, French toast, the works – this is the place to go. It’s clean, the food is good, and the service is always friendly. Grab a booth, sip your bottomless cup of coffee, and try and spot the tourists.
Best Cafe / Coffee Shop
cTHONIC CLASH
418 Main St.
845.831.0359
http://www.cthonicclash.com
Hours: M-Th, 6am – 10pm; Fri 6am – 12am; Sat 8am – 12am; Sun 8am – 6pm
You can get coffee at any number of places in town. But the Cthonic Clash is the only one with a name I can’t spell or pronounce. That’s ballsy. It’s also one of the most comfortable places to relax and have a coffee I’ve ever been to. They host an open mic on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, and local musicians play most Fridays. You can sign up for email updates on their Web site.
Best City Council Member
Lee Kyriacou
City Council meeting are held every Monday night at 7:30 at City Hall
Anyone who reads the “Beacon Free Press” on a regular basis knows Councilman Kyriacou from his letters to the editor. There he’s waged a one-man battle against financial mismanagement at the Beacon Police Department. He’s also a regular at the Howard Dean Meetups. Word has it he gave up his commute to work full-time in the Beacon area. Can anyone say, “Kyriacou for Mayor” in 2007?
Best Fast Food
Planet Wings
294 Main St.
845.838.2000
It ain’t much for ambience, but the wings are damn good. And who doesn’t have a weak spot for a basket of wings? And, yes, they deliver.
Best Grocery Store
Key Foods
This is a tough one, but I’m going to stick to my guns. You can complain all you want about the lack of selection, or questionable hygiene, but there’s only one place to go for groceries here in Beacon, and that’s Key Foods. The store just opened a deli counter, so who knows what the future holds? (I’m a glass half full kinda’ guy.) Of course, if you want to drive across the river, there’s always Adam’s in Newburgh. Now that’s what Beacon really needs – a good selection of quality fruits and vegetables.
Best Hardware Store
Nichol’s Hardware
396 Main St.
845.838.9741
Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-3; Closed Sunday
The weekend hours are lousy, but the service couldn’t be friendlier. If you’re like me, and you get agoraphobic when you walk into a Lowe’s or Home Depot, Nichol’s is the perfect alternative. They have everything you need for basic home improvements, and Bruce will help answer any question you have, no matter how silly. Though it’s a bit more expensive than the mega-store competition, you don’t have to fight traffic on Route 9 for a few screws. Nuf’ said.
Best Health Food Joint
Juicy
This one comes highly recommended. I have to admit I’ve never been, but it’s the first place I’ll go for a little wheat grass, when I figure out what that is.
Best Local Journalist
Tyese Levers
When I first moved to Beacon in summer of 2002, I would pick up the “Beacon Free Press” just to see the latest article by Tyese Levers. Her style was unique, often waiting until the 4th of 5th paragraph to share the point of the story. But this was local reporting at its best. Lately it seems her writing has benefited from an editor's eye, and she’s started to break real stories, like public concern over the plans for apartment development at Main & E.Main, and the re-introduction of the local cable news channel. Keep it up Tyese, this town needs more citizen journalists like you.
Best Mechanic
Pine’s Service Station
133 Verplanck Ave.
845.831.9225
If you need an oil change or tune-up, take your car to Pine’s. They can do more if you need it, but that’s the mark of an honest mechanic – if you don’t need the work, they won’t say you do.
Fishkill Tire
This one’s not in Beacon, but I have to recommend it anyway. To make a long story short, I got a $1500 quote from Healey Brother for some work on my ’91 Jeep Cherokee. Fishkill Tire did it for less than $400. I liked them so much I got a new set of tires too. Honest, dependable, and fast. You just can’t get any better than that.
Best Park / Playground
Riverfront Park
Next to the Metro North train station
Former city councilman Steve Gold recently recommended in a letter to the “Beacon Free Press” that Riverfront Park be re-named “Friends of Pete Seeger Park.” Considering this was once a landfill that was set on fire every Saturday to dispose of Beacon’s garbage, it’s a crime not to name this beautiful park after the man responsible for making it happen. The views are wonderful, the breeze coming off the river is bracing, and the playgrounds are great for kids.
Best Sit Down Restaurant
The Piggy Bank
448 Main St.
845.838.0028
Let’s hope that next year, this isn’t such an obvious choice. When friends or family are in town, the Piggy Bank is a good place to show them they haven’t left civilization altogether. Frankly, I’ve found the ribs to be inconsistent, and the prices are more like Manhattan, but the southern style barbeque is generally pretty tasty. And the ambience is one of a kind. How many other restaurants do you know that use an old bank vault as a wine closet?
Best Wine / Liquor / Beer Store
Beacon Wine Shoppe & Liquor
335 Main Street
845.831.1020
Hours: M - S, 9-7
Another pleasant surprise here in Beacon is the wine selection at Beacon Wine Shoppe & Liquor. Whether you’re looking for a red wine from Australia, Spain, or France, chances are they’ll have what you need. The service is also great – how can I say otherwise when I owe Skip $2.38 from my last purchase? I came up short when buying wine for my mother-in-law, and he spotted me the difference on the spot. Class act.
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