Why ‘Grimebeck’ is actually the best town on Earth

Though playfully referred to as Crimebeck, or Grimebeck, by me and my friends, Rhinebeck is actually a very quaint and lovable town about an hour and a half north of New York City. Situated a mile from the Hudson River, it has become a common tourist destination for New Yorkers trying to get out of the blistering heat for the weekend.

Every Sunday, from May until November, Rhinebeck holds a Farmers Market, or as we say, the Fahmahs Mahket (not exactly sure the reason for this exact inflection, but if you go you will see that it is more aptly named as such). Though heavily populated by tourists walking ridiculously slowly through the quaint little stands, you can find some of the most delicious food possible here.

It is also home to the holy grail of hangover cures, Aba’s Falafel. I used to work at Aba’s in high school, and to this day it was the best job I ever had.

Pure love

I’m not kidding when I say I got paid to eat falafel for four hours. Digression aside, what you must know about Aba’s is that it is the best falafel in the entire world, and it is entirely vegan. I know for non-vegans the word vegan can often be equated with gross, but Cathy and her husband, who run the stand, are both Israeli and have been perfecting their recipe for years. I am craving one now just writing about it. If you ever go to Rhinebeck you must try one, but make sure to get there well before closing time at 2, because they always run out early.  

Aside from Aba’s, if you go to Rhinebeck, you absolutely must get a Bustah B breakfast sandwich from the Bagel Shoppe. Though delicious, the flavor can sometimes be soured by running into someone you really did not want to see from High School. A difficult opportunity cost to weigh, but almost always worth it to go.

Another spot that cannot be missed is Samuel’s of Rhinebeck, the local candy store that I used to work at and is now owned by Paul Rudd – who it seems that all of my friends have run into except for me. I’m still waiting on that one. There is almost every type of candy you can think of at Samuels, and many more that you haven’t even thought of.

Once you’ve gotten your food – hit the road. I feel that a text I sent to my friend about a month ago pretty much sums up growing up in Rhinebeck: “Is there a road we haven’t driven down in a while?” Driving around certainly counts as an activity in Rhinebeck, and luckily we have manyscenic roads along the Hudson River to cruise along, or as my friends might have done in high school, floor it.

My friend Will and I, about to go for a scenic drive

The most common destination of these scenic drives is the dock along the Hudson River, or as we call it, ‘the river’ or ‘the cove’, and though you may have to narrowly avoid a grungy looking high schooler or two downing some beers or smoking a joint, you can find some breathtaking views of the Hudson, especially at sunset. This view is only rivaled by the view from the top of Burger Hill, which if you climb it to the top, will seem a lot more like Burger Mountain. My friends and I often call it quits about 3/4 of the way up, where there is still a beautiful bench under an pine tree to enjoy the view from. 

My best friend, Maddie, and me, under the 3/4 of the way mark tree at Burger Hill

*I have also used these names in a series of freestyle raps in which me, a white girl from upstate New York, attempts to sound tough

Last, but not least, this is a picture of a very important resident of  Rhinebeck, New York. He is my dog, Baxter Ettinger.