The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to Yonkers in Westchester County, bordering New York City.

Cold Spring is a village in the town of Philipstown in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 2,013 at the 2010 census. It borders the smaller village of Nelsonville and the hamlet of Garrison. The central area of the village is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Cold Spring Historic District due to its many well-preserved 19th-century buildings, constructed to accommodate workers at the nearby West Point Foundry (itself a Registered Historic Place today). The town is the birthplace of General Gouverneur K. Warren, who was an important figure in the Union Army during the Civil War. The village, located in the Hudson Highlands, sits at the deepest point of the Hudson River, directly across from West Point. Cold Spring serves as a weekend getaway for many residents of New York City. Commuter service to New York City is available via the Cold Spring train station, served by Metro-North Railroad. The train journey is about an hour and ten minutes to Grand Central Terminal.

Carmel (pronounced ) is a municipality in Putnam County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 34,305.The Town of Carmel is on the southern border of Putnam County, abutting Westchester County. There are no incorporated villages in the town, although the hamlets of Carmel and Mahopac each have populations sizable enough to be thought of as villages.

Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster.