COM M U N N IT Y
NEWBURGH
Heating Up
O
Newburgh has nurtured lots of greatness: George Washington’s wartime strategies, Andrew Jackson Downing’s architecture, Lucille Ball’s stage debut. Today, Newburgh benefits from an ever-deeper bench of smart entrepreneurs and activists adding layers of charm to a solid foundation of good design. Newcomers say Newburgh reminds them of their favorite New York City neighborhood back in the day, when it had heart and grit. Mindful of history’s lessons, the drivers of Newburgh’s resurgence are determined to keep her soul intact while elevating her prospects. Newburgh attorney and city IDA chair Austin DuBois is keen on Wireworks, a mixeduse development partly helmed by ‘Wichcraft restaurateur Sisha Ortúzar, a recent transplant to the city. “The project, just around the block from me, has stayed on track and it’s open—an 1895 industrial classic renovated into a blend of retail, coworking and residential, with a mix of affordable and market-rate,” says DuBois. “It’s one of lots of exciting projects—we have a trio of historic gems on Grand Street being turned into an urban resort by a local developer who’s hiring locals. Our goal
nce busy with sloops and steamships, Newburgh’s waterfront has evolved from a swanky shopping district in the mid20th century to a promenade of restaurants and bars. Spreading up the hill are four square miles of urban center surrounded by 40 square miles of eponymous town. Within the city proper, the East End and Montgomery/Grand/Liberty Street historic districts are a tapestry of architectural wonders, from brick row houses with fanciful cornices to stately ship captain’s mansions. “People don’t have a clue that Newburgh is the seat of Hudson Valley architecture,” says Reggie Young, owner of architectural salvage shop Hudson Valley House Parts. “Newburgh has early Federalist homes in the historic district. The Andrew Jackson Davis Dutch Reforemd Church on Grand Street many consider to be the most important Greek Revival Building in America.” Downing Park, built by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, and named for landscape designer and native son Andrew Jackson Downing, is the city’s collective backyard, with ice skating in winter and yoga classes and a farmers’ market in the warmer weather on its 35 acres. 12
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By Anne Pyburn Craig Photos by John Garay
is development without displacement. We’re all for people coming here and enjoying the party, but there has to be respect and intelligent oversight. We’re keeping the bar high, welcoming newcomers while ensuring that the focus isn’t just on them.” THE SCENE Over the pandemic summer, DuBois says, the city stayed lively. The Liberty Street shopping and dining district, a neighborhood that responded to being hit by a hurricane with a massive block-party-cum-cleanup complete with free gourmet barbecue and live performance, welcomed two new restaurants and a juice bar/event space in November 2020. Existing local indies have found ways to thrive; Cream Vintage Boutique, for example, is flourishing online with curbside pickup, and the beloved Blacc Vanilla Cafe is expanding with a new roastery. “When I opened my practice last year, I did everything locally,” says Dubois. “Luc Pontifel at Thornwillow Press made me jaw-dropping stationery. Rag House did my business cards. I couldn’t have found better anywhere.”
