New European-Style Gathering Space Debuts in Hudson Valley

Instead of traveling abroad, you can now enjoy a little slice of European culture right here in the Hudson Valley.

European cities are filled with open-air gathering spaces where people sit with coffee, listen to music, shop at nearby markets and just spend time together. They’re called piazzas, and while they’re common in places like Italy, they’ve never really been part of the Hudson Valley landscape.

That is, until now.

Eastdale Village in Poughkeepsie has officially unveiled what appears to be the Hudson Valley’s first true piazza, a European-style public square designed to become the social center of the growing community on the south side of the development.

The new Piazza was introduced this week ahead of Eastdale’s busy summer season and will serve as the centerpiece for many of the community’s free public events.

If you’ve been to Eastdale before, you already know the entire development was designed to feel a little different from the typical Hudson Valley shopping plaza. The Town of Poughkeepsie destination mixes apartments, restaurants, retail shops, offices and green space into a walkable neighborhood setting. The Piazza was designed to become the village's gathering place, tying everything together.

“The Piazza is intended to serve as a unique, active venue in the Hudson Valley,” said Kirchhoff President John Hettinger during the announcement.

Starting this month and continuing through September, Eastdale plans to host a lineup of free public events centered around the Piazza. Those include Movies on Main, an outdoor movie series under the stars, a recurring farmers market featuring Hudson Valley vendors and a new acoustic music series called Eastdale Unplugged that will showcase local musicians.

More events are expected to be added throughout the summer.

Eastdale architect Giovanni Palladino described the Piazza as the “social heart” of the community and said the goal was to create a place where people would want to slow down, gather and spend time together.