[singlepic id=16 w=320 h=240 float=right]Kingston, N.Y. has a big inventory of cool things, such as a WWII PT boat, a farmers market and a model train club. But it also has a proximity problem — it’s too close to too many cool things.

For starters Kingston, the first capital of New York, is just 90 miles from New York City. There’s buses and trains nearby that make daily round trips to NYC. Kingston is also smack on the shoreline of the Hudson River with the Esopus and Rondout creeks coursing nearby, which offers kyackers and canoeists, and other water recreation types lots of opportunity for fun.

Like to hike? Or ride a downhill mountain bike? Kingston is two miles from the border of the Catskill Forest Preserve, which is loaded with trails. Skiing and snowboarding is 30 minutes away. And the famed Gunks are just 20 minutes down the road, offering mountain climbers inexhaustible thrills. Don’t even get us started on the fly-fishing here….

Looking for an eats and arts experience after spending 10 hours working on your Mac? Kingston has a tapas bar (Elephant), a rustic, indy taco stand (Lucy’s Taco), and a microbrewery (Keegan Ales — ask for the Mother’s Milk stout), and much more. There’s several art galleries, and a great thing called the Ulster Performing Arts Center, which of course headlines top performers. And recently, UPAC pulled down its silver screen and used an old technology called “film” to show flicks such as Ghostbusters and the Wizard of Oz. Admission was $5. How cool is that?

Stay tuned to these pages for profiles of other cool stuff, interviews with tech-heads who relocated to Kingston from NYC and elsewhere, and other news and such.