Hudson Valley, NY.
About 70 miles north of New York City and Long Island Sound is where this series of photos is set. The water of the wide Hudson remains murky brown from it's generations of silt and factories. But this doesn't mind the people along the shore, enjoying the cooling offerings of living alongside such a mighty stream, especially in the high heats of the summer.
Upstate you meet the old traditionalists of New York. The one's who were always around, able to tell you every piece of history of every square inch of country in New York. They live a simple life, enjoying life as it comes by. While on the opposite side, the towns upstate such as Beacon have found a new rebirth of New Yorkers moving upstate, bringing a hint of the fast paced world with them. This may seem to be a negative at first, it also does bring quite a rebirth of the old factory towns and abandoned decay which lines upstate.
The difference between replacing and reusing is clear in the Hudson Valley. The new life breathed into the area isn't one which destroys history but honors it. This is ever so clear in towns such as New Paltz, which stands right at the base of the Catskills.
The Hudson Valley is a unique experience that seems like a looking glass into the inter-workings of our past, and how we can seek to honor and build off it. As Pete Seeger said in his song My Dirty Stream, "The Hudson River will once again run clear."
