Welcome to Kinderhook NYF!
Kinderhook will receive $2.25 million in funding as one of the Capital Region's winner of NY Forward funding!
New York State's NY Forward (NYF) grant program is the cornerstone of the State's economic development program. The NYF program is transforming downtown neighborhoods into vibrant centers that offer a high quality of life and are magnets for redevelopment, business, job creation, and economic and housing diversity. These compact, walkable downtowns are a key ingredient to helping New York State rebuild its economy from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to achieving the State’s bold climate goals by promoting the use of public transit and reducing dependence on private vehicles.
About Kinderhook
The Village of Kinderhook is one of the most historically significant places in the Hudson Valley. The word “Kinderhoek,” meaning “children’s corner” or “children’s point,” appears on a map dating about 1614, making it one of the oldest Dutch-derived place names, if not the oldest, still in use in New York State.
​
The Village is located on the east side of the Hudson River, approximately 130 miles north of New York City and 20 miles south of Albany. In the 1820s and 1830s, Kinderhook saw the flourishing of stores, artisan shops, hotels, banks, and newspapers. The Village was incorporated in 1838. Buildings constructed during that earlier time of growth continue to provide the charm, space, and infrastructure driving today’s resurgence of investment in dining, retail, professional, and arts-related businesses.
The Village’s early development was inextricably linked to the road called the King’s Highway, also called the Albany Post Road, which linked up to the present-day Albany Avenue. Being
a stop for passengers and mail delivery on the route connecting Albany with New York City set the stage for Kinderhook’s emergence as a hub of entrepreneurship, light manufacturing, banking, and professional services.
Today, Albany Avenue continues to play a central role in Kinderhook’s economic development as the corridor linking the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail and the ever-increasing numbers of bicycle tourists discovering Kinderhook’s central business district. The historic connection between Kinderhook, New York City, and the Capital Region persists today, with a steadily increasing stream of visitors discovering Kinderhook’s history and historic assets, visiting exhibitions at the Village’s four world-class art galleries and the Columbia County Historical Society, learning about healthy food at the award-winning Kinderhook Farmers’ Market, attending special events, taking advantage of the resources of the Kinderhook Memorial Library, and shopping and enjoying food and drink at an array of retail and food establishments.
The NYF Boundary
Vision:
​
"The Village of Kinderhook’s downtown will build on its natural beauty and significant historic, cultural, and recreational assets to attract residents and visitors from across the region. The vibrant Village Green will be the center of our unique and diverse community.”
Goals:
​
Enhance the vibrancy of the historic downtown​​
-
Return vacant historic structures and empty lots to productive use through renovation, redevelopment, and infill.​
-
Support opportunities to expand business hours throughout the week.​
​​
Make our streets more comfortable and inviting for pedestrians and bicyclists​​​
-
Implement complete-streets measures that calm traffic and create space for bicyclists and pedestrians.​
-
Provide for adequate sidewalk lighting.
​
Provide community gathering and recreation spaces for all ages and backgrounds​
-
Improve the beauty and functionality of the flagship urban spaces: Rothermel Park and the Village Green.​
-
Support development of public-facing programs at local institutions.
​
Expand our role as a rural tourism destination ​​
-
Improve the connection between the AHET / EST and downtown.​
-
Build on the success of the farmer’s market, existing restaurants, and Samascott Orchards to establish Kinderhook as the primary locus of farm-to-table in the region.​
-
Support the continued development of cutting-edge arts and culture alongside historical sites.
​