53 Best Places to Shop in Hudson Valley, New York

Although it specializes in crafts and jewelry, Handmade and More also carries toys, clothing, and a selection of quirky cards.

Chocoholics beware: you could find yourself in serious trouble at Krause's Chocolates, a second-generation-run confectionery. Candy-cane-striped columns beckon you inside, where the aroma of Karl Krause's closely guarded recipes envelop you. Grab a basket to hold your wares; this chocolate is so fresh it's likely to melt in your hands. Krause's also has a shop in Rhinebeck that's located behind Montgomery Row.

More than 220 designer outlets fill the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, a sprawling shopping complex about a 20-minute drive north of Bear Mountain. Many of the top fashion retailers and designers are here, including Diane von Furstenberg, J. Crew, Elie Tahari, and Salvatore Ferragamo. Beyond clothing, the goods range from shoes and leather goods to housewares and jewelry, with outlets for Nike, Longchamp, and Williams-Sonoma. Deals can be found, but don't expect everything to be a bargain. One of the most popular destinations in the state, the center draws about 10 million visitors a year. The parking lots fill quickly and traffic can be a tangle on weekends (and certain holidays).

This eclectic gallery, set in an Art Deco former gas station in the center of town, is curated by well-known architect Michael Davis. The shop showcases mid-century and vintage furniture, lighting, textiles, jewelry, and other decorative items you didn't realize you needed until you saw them here.

Browse amid hanging lanterns, funky glassware, wall tiles, and garden torches at Archipelago, an out-of-the-ordinary gift shop that also sells home-furnishings, silk scarves, and Buddha statues.

Antiques fill the warren of rooms at the Barking Dog, in business since 1984. You won't find the ubiquitous here, and nearly everything dates from before the 1920s. The shop specializes in country pieces, such as pine tables and cupboards, and folk art, and also offers old prints and paintings.

More than 30 antiques dealers sell their wares at the Beekman Arms Antique Market, which occupies a large red barn behind the Beekman Arms. The antiques mix is eclectic, with Americana, Victorian, country, and primitive pieces represented.

Belkind-Bigi is one of the few shops specializing in mid-century modern furniture and accessories. Choose from designer pieces—Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chairs, George Nelson's platform bench—or those with idiosyncratic pedigrees that hold their own among such heavyweights.

More than 25 dealers in antiques, vintage clothes, jewelry, art, and collectibles hawk their wares in Bijou Galleries, a jam-packed emporium.

This place is a cool spot for the blues—the music, the look, the memorabilia—and for beautiful hats for guys and gals. It carries books, boxed sets, and posters of blues and jazz biggies.

This high-end kitchen boutique sells cookware, kitchen tools, glassware, cutlery, linens, coffee and espresso makers, tea pots, and kettles as well as a small selection of gourmet specialty foods, teas, and coffees. Blue Cashew has become a haven for cookbook authors' book signings accompanied by food, wine, and sometimes cocktails.

The tiny boutique Boondocks focuses on earth- and eco-friendly merchandise, like organic cottons and colorful artisan-made jewelery.

A whimsical mix of gift items for children of all ages, Bop to Tottom sells fun jewelry, throw pillows, vegan pocketbooks, scented soaps and candles, spinning tops and jack-in-the-boxes, funny signs, rice-paper lamp shades, and more.

Hedges and trees shield British Sporting Arms, but it's worth seeking out for its country-squire inventory: hand-carved walking sticks, flasks, bird sculptures, and all manner of shooting-related items, including antique and modern long guns. Upstairs are leather outerwear and European tweed pieces, including one sweet favorite—a tweedy bonnet with a large, flat bow in back.

You'll find designer clothing, upscale cookware, kitchen gadgets, and footwear at this store that's been selling to Katonah locals since 1924. The salesperson-to-customer ratio is high, so expect some old-fashioned service.

Beautiful and unique things found here include owner Chris Lehrecke's handcrafted furniture and lighting and nature-inspired jewelry by iconic jeweler Ted Muehling and Mueling's former student (and Lehrecke's wife) Gabriella Kiss. You'll also find candlesticks and cabinet hardware from E.R. Butler and mirrored objects by Maureen Fullam. Lehrecke's work, which is inspired by George Nakashima and Charles and Ray Eames, is otherwise available only to the trade. The store is only open on weekends, or by appointment.

Find souvenirs like organic almond butter, locally made chocolates, hip T-shirts, and trendy shopping bags at Cold Spring's modern take on a traditional general store.

The largest antiques center in the county, the 5,000-square-foot Downtown Gallery teems with furniture from Victorian through modern periods, vintage textiles and clothes, and collectible toys.

This center houses many antiques dealers under one roof. The goods—art-deco furnishings, old cameras and typewriters, Victrolas, jadeite—are just as varied and sell quickly.

Part florist and part gift boutique, the Green Cottage creates interesting bouquets and carries small gift items such as handcrafted and estate jewelry (one of the owners has a jewelry studio), ceramic vases, prettily packaged soaps, sculptural candles, children's books, and a few toys. It's the perfect place to pick up a hostess gift or a souvenir.

In addition to African, Mexican, and South American furnishings and housewares, Hacienda also has beautiful textiles.

The used and rare books at Half Moon Books, including a large collection of poetry and signed first editions, reflect the artistic nature of the Mid-Hudson Valley.

This appealing shop with exposed brick walls and a copper-colored tin ceiling focuses on new and exciting grapes from little-known producers. The result is a curated selection of high quality wines from (primarily) small-scale wineries.

One-of-a-kind creations by local and international artisans are artfully displayed at the exquisite Hummingbird Jewelers. An exceptional collection of designer wedding bands and engagement rings is showcased.

More than 20 varieties of apples, from Macoun and Red Delicious to Empire and Ida Red, as well as other produce, are sold at Jenkins-Lueken Orchards. You can pick pumpkins, and the apple cider, made on the premises, is fresh and good. Hard cider is also available for grown-ups.

This posh women's boutique stocks fine European lingerie—teddies, slips, silk chemises, and assorted unmentionables—as well as a curated selection of clothing, jewelry, handbags, and accessories.

Lili and Loo stocks an eclectic selection of pottery, furniture, housewares, rugs, and wearables (jewelry, watches, scarves, and women's clothing). Owner Melinda Slover's taste runs the gamut: from rustic to sleek, ancient to modern, minimalist to ornate. Slover offers something for everyone and prides herself on her store's affordable prices. Unlike many Hudson stores, Lili and Loo is open seven days a week.

This small shop sells a glorious array of Italian products from cheese, salami, and pasta to clothing, table linens, and cosmetics.

A modern rustic boutique with exposed brick walls, Living Eden sells beautiful clothing, housewares, jewelry, and cosmetics that are made in the United States, fair trade (no sweatshops), eco-friendly, or handcrafted. The owners are passionate animal lovers so the store also has visiting animals that are vaccinated and ready for adoption.

The owner of Merritt Bookstore, Scott Meyer, promises he can access any book in print, and he means it. He also sells Toys of Merritt, a curated selection of educational children's toys. Thanks to his enthusiasm and promotion of authors, Meyer has been called the Tasmanian devil of booksellers.