Recently, 24/7 Wall St. determined Newburgh was the worst city to live in New  York. Newburgh's violent crime rate was triple the violent crime rate in New York State and over 31% of Newburgh, residents live below the poverty line, which is more than double the poverty rate in New York, according to 24/7 Wall St.

We know Newburgh is in our news often for some bad reasons, but we also know Newburgh offers so many great things.

To be honest, I personally write a lot of stories about Newburgh that shows Newburgh in a negative light. It's my job to report the news and sometimes the news in Newburgh isn't pleasant. But, I'm also a proud Newburgh resident who graduated from Newburgh Free Academy.

So I polled our readers to help me come up with a list of reasons that prove why Newburgh isn't the worst city in the Empire State. In no particular order here are a number of reasons why we can be proud to live in or near Newburgh.

Washington's Headquarters

Laura Kathryn McGinley
Laura Kathryn McGinley
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From April 1782 to August 1783, General George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, made Newburgh his headquarters during the Revolutionary War.

Newburgh Waterfront 

One of the greatest attractions in Newburgh is the waterfront area. People from all over the Hudson Valley and the state come to the waterfront to dine at a number of top-notch restaurants, drink at a host of great bars, or enjoy the scenic views.


Scenic Views 

B Welber
B Welber
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Speaking of scenic views, Newburgh is full of them. One reader recently told me, we really take for granted the beauty of this area. Which is true. Many great views can be seen near the Hudson River in Newburgh, but also on Broadway, Washington Headquarters and many more places. Fun Fact: Mount Saint Mary College, Billy Joe's Ribworks and the Newburgh Brewery are among the 51 "Most-Instagrammed Places in the Hudson Valley." 


Architecture 

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Continuing with the amazing views seen in Newburgh is the city's block after block of historic architecture. According to the City of Newburgh's Government website, there are over 4,000 building of historical interest which helps Newburgh "provide a virtual encyclopedia of 19th-century eclectic styles: Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Carpenter Gothic, Queen Anne, High Victorian, Second Empire, Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, Picturesque, and Shingle Style are all represented!" 


Pete's Hot Dogs

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Pete's Hot Dogs has been family owned an operated for over 86 years. Many people I know who move out of Newburgh make it a point to grab a hot dog from Pete's every time they come back to visit. Pete's won Best Hot Dog  in the 2018 WPDH Boris & Robyn Battle of the Best contest.


Tony's Newburgh Lunch

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Another mainstay eatery in Newburgh is Tony's Newburgh Lunch. The eatery on Broadway was established in 1969 and is known for its signature meat sauce.


Diverse Restaurants 

Because Newburgh is such a diverse area we luck out with some amazing places to eat. Newburgh is full of great restaurants which show off Newburgh's rich diversity, offering pretty much any type of food your stomach desires.


Newburgh Brewing Company

Chuck Merrihew for Townsquare Media
Chuck Merrihew for Townsquare Media
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The Newburgh Brewing Company launched in 2012, right behind Washington's Headquarter. On tap daily is beer made in Newburgh. Wine enthusiasts can order local New York wine and the food menu is all locally sourced. Since opening in 2012, the Newburgh Brewing Company has brewed over 50 styles of beer. Plus, many nights you can listen to get local artists perform. And about once a month, WRRV hosts WRRV Sessions where some of the biggest acts in the music industry come to Newburgh and perform a free live show.


 

Orange County Choppers 

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Auction.com
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The Teutul family became internationally famous thanks to their amazing custom choppers and the hit show American Chopper. 


Motorcyclepedia

Bobby Welber
Bobby Welber
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In 2011, a father and son opened up Motorcyclepedia in Newburgh. The museum features over 500 bikes dating back to the 1890s. The 85,000-square-foot gallery includes bikes from the Hudson Valley, Hollywood, World War 2, Choppers from the '60s, a police Harley that was part of JFK’s motorcade on the day the President was killed and much more!


Play For Your Freedom

B. Welber
B. Welber
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Play for Your Freedom is the brainchild of David Lionheart. His not-for-profit vision is to better the lives of veterans in the Hudson Valley.  The local charity brings together hospitalized veterans and former NFL players, Super Bowl champions, for a day of fun, fitness, comradery and, of course, football. Play for Your Freedom hosts Wellness Workshops which gets local veterans out of the hospital and uses physical fitness mixed with positive support to create a healthy and memorable experience.

Many of the Wellness Workshops are held at the indoor turf field at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.

Jeff Moseman
Jeff Moseman
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Delano-Hitch Stadium

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Delano-Hitch Stadium which is named after President FDR's aunt has been home to a number of professional baseball teams. A host of Major League Baseball Hall of Famers including Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Lou Gehrig once played there. Legend has it Gehrig once hit a home run that rolled all the way to New Windsor!


 

Newburgh Skateboard Park

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Eric Borman
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After many delays, a skateboard park opened in Newburgh in May 2018 near Delano-Hitch Stadium.


Stronger U

Michael Doehla
Michael Doehla
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NFA graduate Mike Doehla started a fitness business in his Newburgh home which has morphed into a multi-million dollar nutrition business helping people in the Hudson Valley and around the globe achieve their fitness goals.


 

Newburgh Illuminated Festival

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B Welb
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Saturday, June 1 will mark the seventh Newburgh Illuminated Festival. The event celebrates Newburgh's diversity with an entire day of food, music, art, dance, poetry and more. The event showcases all the great things Newburgh has to offer and brings the community together to celebrate Newburgh.  In 2018, over 22,000 people attended the festival.


 

Liberty Street Cookout

Finally, one story that really shows the Newburgh spirit happened in May of 2018. A violent tornado touched down, which caused many Newburgh residents to lose power. The day after the tornado, restaurants on Liberty Street held a cookout for people in the are without power.

"THAT is Newburgh. Still moves me," Kerry Butrick Dowling told Hudson Valley Post.

There are so many more reasons why Newburgh isn't the worst place to live in New York. Far from it really. Feel free to add more reasons in the comment section below or on Facebook.

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