The biggest draw by far among shopaholics is Woodbury Common, said to be the world's largest discount complex, about an hour north of New York City. It's in Central Valley, just south of Newburgh (498 Red Apple Court; tel. 845/928-4000; Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 10am-8pm). There are more than 220 purveyors of clothing, home furnishings, jewelry, luggage, leather, and gift items, including Barneys New York, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Max Mara, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Gap Outlet, Nike Factory Store, Saks Fifth Avenue, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Versace, and Williams-Sonoma. By car, take exit 16 off the New York State Thruway, or I-87. You can also hop a Gray Line bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue in New York City. The bus leaves daily beginning at 8:30am and the last departs at 2:45pm ($37 adults, $19 children 5-11 round-trip). Cold Spring is the best antiques center in the Lower Hudson Valley. Main Street is lined with more than a dozen small antiques dealers and cute home-furnishings shops. Taca-Tiques Antiques, 109 Main St. (tel. 845/265-2655), specializes in Victorian and estate sterling silver and beveled mirrors. Nyack is another town with a number of antiquing possibilities. Elsewhere, Boscobel Restoration in Garrison has one of the best gift shops attached to a historic site.
Though it's a bit removed from the Hudson Valley per se, lots of folks make the trip west to the Sugar Loaf Art & Craft Village, a hamlet in Orange County (north of Warwick, off Rte. 17) that features more than 50 shops and galleries dealing in jewelry, stained glass, and metalsmithing, among others. Sugar Loaf is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm; call tel. 914/469-9181 for events and more information.
