Newburgh, like so many places in the U.S., is a disappointment. It supposedly has the highest murder rate in the U.S. (though the population is so small that one or two murders can make the difference of it being average or the highest). This is a shame because it's in a great location and has an important place in U.S. history.
I stopped at the brewery, which is located across from George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War. This seemed appropriate, since it was 239 years ago today that the U.S. declared independence. The document is dated July 4th, but I'm not sure exactly why that is. John Adams originally predicted, July 2nd would be a day that would warrant celebration with fireworks and parades. 50 years later on July 4th, 1826, in one of history's great coincidences, both Adams and Thomas Jefferson (author of the Declaration of Independence) passed away.
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| The end of Broadway looking across the river towards Mt Beacon |
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| Breakneck, Bannerman's Island and Storm King |
Some day I'll have to go for a more extended walk. There are some really cool murals. There is a large immigrant population, so there appears to be some interesting, diverse local places to eat. And of course, I'll have to hit up Washington's headquarters followed by a nice cold brew.
Yes, Newburgh has a horrible reputation and is a disgusting place. It really reminds me of Poughkeepsie nearly thirty years ago when I moved up here from Yonkers with my family. Poughkeepsie has made great strides since then though. What's taking Newburgh so long??? But you're right-it has great Revolutionary War history. And I'm really heartbroken that I take classes at Mount Saint Mary and have to see the violence spill out from the streets and onto the campus. There are incidents all the time. So, like Hyde Park, Newburgh needs to decide whether it will preserve it's revolutionary heritage or fall to urban decay!!!
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