Beacon, NY has transformed over the years into a vibrant little city full of art, culture, nature, cafés and museums. I’ve grown up in Beacon my whole entire life, and over 26 years, I have witnessed a run-down little city turn into a “little Brooklyn,” as the hipsters now call it. Beacon is, without a doubt, the most trending little city around right now.
However, Beacon has taken a divide. There are local families that have all grown up in Beacon -- back when it was filled with factories and the oil plant, Texaco -- that are perhaps uncomfortable to the “newcomers” in town. What I mean by “newcomers” are the city folk that have currently overtaken Beacon and can be spotted everywhere on Main Street.
Walk down Main Street in Beacon and you will find little storefronts selling food, clothing, antiques, coffee, ice cream and more. There are many bars and local venues where bands perform nightly. Everything is within walking distance and there are many art galleries to stop into and have a look around.
In elementary school growing up, we were told not to go to certain parts of Main Street. The parts that were boarded up and vacant were known places where troublemakers would be. Ever since the largest contemporary art museum in North America, The Dia, opened in Beacon there have been massive flocks of diverse people coming to the city to experience the new vibe.
Rundown factory buildings are being created into million dollar penthouses. It’s getting more and more expensive to live in Beacon, and some of the local families are not too thrilled about that. There have been many grants awarded to connect local hiking trails around the river, and there will be a future walking trail from Beacon all the way to Coldspring along the river.
The crime rate and gang activity in Beacon over the years have gone down drastically and I feel it has become a somewhat safer place. There is crime wherever you go but the economy in Beacon is booming and new businesses are opening up left and right.
It is curious to see how Beacon will expand and if the divide between the “new-comer”” hipsters and the local families will grow as more development occurs in Beacon. I have grown to love this little city of mine and am happy to hear the Hudson Valley finally being noticed for the beauty we have here.
