Travel Journal
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Meandering Beyond Manhattan
(Untermyer Gardens, Cold Spring and Greenport)
December 2021
By Sandra Bertrand
Webster’s Dictionary defines meandering as “wandering aimlessly or casually without urgent destination.” And whenever I decide to meander outside my city turf, I may have a destination in mind, but that’s the extent of it. What I have discovered is that the real surprises surface when you get out of the way and just let what will happen happen.
Untermyer Gardens (Yonkers, New York)
Untermyer Gardens (Yonkers, New York)
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One beautiful fall morning in October, my partner, Joanne, and I hopped on the Metro North Rail Line that snakes along the Hudson River to disembark two stops beyond Yonkers at Greystone. This stop, just 17 miles north of Manhattan, is named for the granite estate that industrialist John T. Waring built on the steep slopes lining the tracks. Huffing and puffing our way uphill, we reached the rear entrance to what was once called “the finest garden in the world.”
Amidst a green overgrowth almost lost to time, I soon forgot the rigors of our hike. Arriving at the formal entrance, a friendly staff member broke away from his botanical society club and provided us with self-guided tour pamphlets, pointing us toward the Walled Garden – “the finest Persian garden in the Western Hemisphere.” Once inside, we were greeted by a series of crisscrossing canals, bordered by clusters of hydrangea, Japanese maples and weeping beeches. A pair of two sphinxes set on marble columns flanked the amphitheater. How did this come to be? |
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It’s a fascinating history to unravel. In 1879, Samuel J. Tilden (the 25th governor of New York) bought Greystone, adding greenhouses to the property for his rare and exotic plants. In 1899, Samuel Untermyer acquired the property, extending it to over 150 acres. Then, in 1916, Beaux-Arts architect William Welles Bosworth, creator of the Rockefeller gardens at nearby Kykuit, began his designs.
A word or two about the Untermyers is in order. A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, after moving to New York City and graduating from Columbia University’s law school, Samuel quickly became one of the country’s most successful lawyers. In fierce opposition to Nazism, he was called “Hitler’s Bitterest Foe.” His wife Minnie was a patron of the arts, bringing Gustav Mahler to the New York Philharmonic and staging dance performances with the likes of Isadora Duncan on their estate.
A word or two about the Untermyers is in order. A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, after moving to New York City and graduating from Columbia University’s law school, Samuel quickly became one of the country’s most successful lawyers. In fierce opposition to Nazism, he was called “Hitler’s Bitterest Foe.” His wife Minnie was a patron of the arts, bringing Gustav Mahler to the New York Philharmonic and staging dance performances with the likes of Isadora Duncan on their estate.
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Our next adventure was the Vista, a staircase seemingly stretching to the river, the Palisades, and the infinity of blue skies beyond. Mounds of Japanese forest grass lined the steps, leading to two monolithic Roman columns. A perfect picture-taking opportunity! Winding our way down the mile-long Carriage Trail nearby, we could glimpse the retaining walls that once supported the Greystone mansion, demolished in 1948.
The Temple of Love followed. With such a designation, who could resist? The centerpiece sits within a series of exquisite rock gardens with waterfalls cascading to the pool below. The Temple itself is a cantilevered aerie with a narrow staircase providing access to the top of the structure. We glimpsed a middle-aged couple cavorting from rock to rock, taking turns snapping away with their cellphones to immortalize the moment. Untermyer believed in sharing his paradise, and in 1939, it was reported that 30,000 visitors came on a single day. A costly enterprise, the property was given to the City of Yonkers as a city park. The conservancy was founded in 2011, with ongoing efforts to restore it to its original splendor. |
Aesthetics notwithstanding, we’d built up a considerable appetite. Picking up an Uber car at the North Broadway entrance, we headed for The Dolphin, a riverside restaurant with littleneck clams, truffle fries and crab nachos with enough chipotle aioli to spice up any far-flung afternoon. For train-trekkers like ourselves, the Yonkers train station was a very short walk from the site, making this dining spot the perfect windup for the day.
Cold Spring, New York
Just 50 miles north of New York City, the historic Village of Cold Spring was incorporated in 1846 and today exists as a small community of approximately 2,000. With the seductive banks of the Hudson River as a backdrop, the hamlet itself is reason enough to wile away an afternoon.
Just 50 miles north of New York City, the historic Village of Cold Spring was incorporated in 1846 and today exists as a small community of approximately 2,000. With the seductive banks of the Hudson River as a backdrop, the hamlet itself is reason enough to wile away an afternoon.
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For a get-away hike, we’d set our sites on the West Point Foundry Preserve. Located in a tranquil ravine skirting the train tracks, the trail to the preserve was easy to find. But we were soon to discover this was no ordinary walk in the woods. Shuffling through the leafy undergrowth, we came to a clearing where the ruins of a great factory lay deserted. We stopped in our tracks. A bell tower rested silently atop the huge structure, and I half expected it to start ringing its workers back to their fiery kilns. Nearby, a short staircase led us to a full-scale representation of the boring mill’s 36-foot waterwheel. Easy to see why this 97-acre site was turned into an “outdoor museum.” We were standing in what was once considered by many to be the most significant industrial site in the country. Established in 1817, it quickly became the main source of cannon warfare during the Civil War, bringing the Union to its ultimate victory. |
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“Follow the path to the waterfall, girls. Just listen for it.” Our reveries were broken by a feisty, elderly woman who said she strolled these walks daily with her terrier. In no time, we encountered the cascading waters, spilling down into a nearby creek. Myth has it that George Washington drank from one of these local springs and declared it “refreshingly cold.”
Our next encounter was with a slim, talkative woman named Priscilla who pointed out a steep but navigable path back to town. She encouraged us to put the nearby Putnam Historical Museum on our agenda. Also essential was a peek on Upper Main into Wynono & Company, the local millinery shop. She insisted I could wear the featured hat in the front window. (See photo & description) The Putnam Museum was a real delight. The Foundry Preserve was given its own room, chockfull of cannons that could fire up to five miles, hitting the other side of the Hudson. “The Gun Foundry,” a gigantic painting by John Ferguson from 1866, is a prominent depiction of the brutal working conditions. Besides cannon, the foundry produced everything from trains to lighthouses. |
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An unexpected surprise was a display celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Right to Vote. Rare photographs of the original suffragettes lined the walls, as well as costumed mannequins in their proud white uniforms. A takeaway copy of the Declaration of Sentiments from Seneca Falls, NY in July of 1848 was an added treat.
Cold Spring’s popularity is a testament to its history. Boutiques, galleries and antique tuck-a-ways are everywhere to be found. But the best discovery was Catherine’s Tuscan Grill, a true Italian find with a charming hideaway garden. Memorable was the rigatoni with sausage in a brandied cream sauce and Joanne’s choice, a lamb and gnocchi ragu. Our last stop was the waterfront with a bandshell worthy of a John Susa performance. We had just enough time left after sampling the ice cream at Moo Moo’s Creamery to watch the clouds gather over the Hudson Highlands. A perfect finish to the day. |
Greenport, Long Island
Day tripping is all well and good, but the longing to smell sea air for a solid week is impossible to ignore. For a work-at-home writer like myself and two recent retirees – my partner, Joanne, and Meg, a favorite travel companion – leaving New York City the day after Labor Day was like the call of the wild.
It wasn’t my first visit to Greenport, but something about this former whaling village on the North Fork goes, like the old jazz refrain, “to my head.” A deep and protected harbor made it a major shipbuilding industry, and by the mid-1800s, it was providing employment for thousands in the local fisheries.
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There’s a timelessness to the place, resistant to the encroaching number of restaurants and trendy gift shops intent on gaining a foothold. The marine supply shop and a diner I remembered from thirty years ago are still standing; and though a newly installed carousel takes a prominent place on Front Street, rows of flags honoring the town’s veterans still fill the surrounding square. After a relatively painless two hour and 46-minute train ride from Penn Station – conversation and Kindles at the ready – we arrived. The Harborfront Inn is a short enough stroll from the train depot to satisfy any sixty-plus visitor with sturdy walking shoes. Of course, convenience comes with a price tag as Greenport has never been known to offer anything “on the cheap.” Along the pathway, we passed the northside ferries loading cars and delivery trucks headed for Shelter Island. Weathered beach chairs lining the sand would prove the ideal spot for viewing with our morning coffee. |
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Once unpacked, we were ready to explore the radius of residential blocks stretching out from the town’s center. From simple New England style clapboards to fussy purple Victorians, there’s an improvised air to the whole affair. Each house brings its distinct personality out in the noon day sun, and empty rockers seem to sway in greeting with each passing pedestrian. One house appeared downright haunted. Its dusty lace curtains, crumbling porticos and chipped paint screamed “go-away,” a single gnarled and giant tree filling the small front yard. Another party of out-of-towners also felt the resident chill. This could surely be Boo Radley’s place. To Kill a Mockingbird’s eccentric loner couldn’t have found a more apt home. Local history can be found at the East End Seaport Museum, but our well-beaten path led us to a boarded-up jailhouse and a tiny one-room schoolhouse only blocks from our hotel. |
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For diners with a penchant for seafood, Greenport is hard to beat. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the restaurants were spot-on perfect. As for that one percent, suffice it to say that the newest and flashiest game in town may not be the wisest choice. Port, with outdoor seating on a wide waterfront lawn with a creamy Asian-inspired shrimp offering, was first-rate. Lucharito’s, its posters celebrating masked Mexican wrestling teams, sports picnic table dining for the tequila and taco crowd. For lunch, porch-side dining at First and South for blackened fish sandwiches and craft beers, perhaps followed by a dip in the hotel pool after the youngest guests have departed, is highly recommended.
Lobsters anyone? The most reliable if pricy choice is Claudio’s, an open-air bar and restaurant with a breathtaking view of Peconic Bay. Three pound plus beauties with white wine from North Fork’s wine growers set our wallets back enough to seek an alternate source. Tucked away from the commercial hubbub, we found a tiny fish market for lobster rolls the following day – a true find at just under twenty dollars apiece. |
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Entrance to Demarchelier (Greenport)
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In case we were in any danger of developing a tinge of homesickness (we were not), we were happy to discover Demarchelier, a French bistro that closed at the beginning of the pandemic on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It’s now becoming a Greenport favorite on Main Street. As a nod to local seafood fare, Joanne enjoyed a striped bass in a plantain wrapper, Meg smartly ordered Osso Buco, a standby on the menu, and I feasted on lamb shank with creamy mashed potatoes. A good night’s sleep followed, with the lights from the Shelter Island ferry winking through our hotel window. After a string of sunny September days, a rainy day could hardly put a damper on our prevailing good mood. Finding the local Goodwill shut its doors at 3 p.m. sharp, I made a more rewarding discovery. Nova Constellatio Gallery’s walls were lined with a gorgeous array of seascapes. Finding myself the lone customer, I met Isabella Haran-Leonardo, the artist owner. Commandeering the space as an open studio, her interest in biology has paid off as several of her colorful marine life watercolors were on display. |
As for fine wines, the region has become world-famous. Kontokosta Winery is the closest to town, and we intend to return for a proper tour. Gazing out the train window at the sprawling vineyards, I remembered the potato fields I had once bicycled by. If change is a constant, Greenport has aged well.
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PLACES OF INTEREST Untermyer Gardens Untermyer Park and Gardens 945 North Broadway Yonkers, NY 10701 914-613-4502 Dolphin Restaurant 1 Van Der Donck Street Yonkers, NY 10701 Metro-North Railroad Text Metro North: |
PLACES OF INTEREST Cold Spring West Point Foundry Preserve Putnam County Tourist Bureau Putnam History Museum 63 Chestnut Street 845-265-4010 Wynono & Company 845-809-5118 Catherine’s Tuscan Grill 845-473-4440 Moo Moo’s Creamery 845-204-9230 |
PLACES OF INTEREST Greenport The Harborfront Inn 631-477-0707 East End Seaport Museum 631-477-2100 Port Waterfront Bar & Grill 631-333-2501 Claudio’s Waterfront 631-477-0027 First and South 631-333-2200 Demarchelier 631-593-1650 |
PLACES OF INTEREST Greenport Lucharitos 631-477-6666 Nova Constellatio Gallery 419 Main Street 516-443-0242 Kontokosta Winery 825 North road 631-477-6977 North Fork Wine Tours (In Townsend Manor Inn) 631-723-0505 Long Island Railroad Metropolitan Transit Authority |
Sandra Bertrand is an award-winning playwright and painter. She is Chief Art Critic for Highbrow Magazine and a contributing writer for GALO Magazine. Prior to working for Sanctuary as our "Travel Journal" columnist, Sandra was a Featured Artist in May 2019.
