Rhinebeck, New York: Background information when reading All Adults Here

Rhinebeck, New York

This article relates to All Adults Here

Clapham, the idyllic Hudson Valley town in which Emma Straub sets All Adults Here, is fictional, but the author places it in a very real geographical setting. Her characters mention real places, including Rhinebeck, "one town north" along the Hudson River, which bears some resemblance to Straub's description of Clapham.

Rhinebeck is a town of around 7500 year-round residents located about 100 miles north of New York City. Prior to European settlement, the area was home to the Sepasco tribe. The Dutch began settling there in the 1680s, and shortly thereafter it became the location of the Beekman Arms, now the oldest continually operating inn in the United States (and yes, George Washington stayed there). Henry Beekman, the inn's founder, had recognized the town's potential as a trading location along the Hudson, and he and other early residents prospered as a result.

Over the years, Rhinebeck has become known as a cultural center; it contains many historical landmarks and spaces, including several blocks of well-preserved homes, and an extensive and charming shopping district, making it a worthwhile picturesque destination for weekenders from New York City, Boston and even Cleveland.

Today, Rhinebeck is something of a foodie destination as well, with an active farm-to-table restaurant scene as well as access to numerous specialty producers, farms and orchards. In addition to its many galleries, concert halls and bookstores, Rhinebeck's cultural and social life revolves around the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, home of an annual agricultural fair dating back to the 1840s. Today, the fairgrounds host many beloved celebrations—not only the Dutchess Fair in August, but also an annual hot air balloon festival, the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest and the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival, one of the country's largest gatherings of fiber enthusiasts.

It might not be Stroud's Clapham, but Rhinebeck offers a similar blend of urban proximity and rural idyll that make it worth a visit.

Beekman Arms Inn in Rhinebeck, New York, by Adam Jones (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This "beyond the book article" relates to All Adults Here. It originally ran in June 2020 and has been updated for the April 2021 paperback edition. Go to magazine.