Coffee Ride to Black Cow Coffee Company - Croton-on-Hudson, NY
The Ride
Our destination today is closer to the Hudson River in Croton-on-Hudson. The best part about that is plenty of reservoirs to ride along. The direct compass distance from Beeline Moto was 15 miles. See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline.
Leaving our starting point in Cross River, I headed west on Route 35, following along the Cross River Reservoir. This road begins to descend as it approaches Route 22 as the dam holding the reservoir keeps it at elevation.
I pass over a section of the New Croton Reservoir at the intersection with Route 100 and make a left, heading roughly southwest along Route 100. Route 100 here hugs along the northern coast of the New Croton Reservoir before switching sides where the reservoir starts heading more due west.
At the intersection with 134, I make a right to get my compass pointing the right way. The works for a bit, but as 134 starts to head more southwest, the compass points further to the right until 134 ends at Route 9.
I head north on Route 9. Route 9 here is a divided highway, so I’m keen to get off it and turn off and onto Old Albany Post Road. This road heads north along the Croton River (which the New Croton Reservoir is an expansion of). I turn off onto Quaker Bridge Road as Old Albany Post Road has no outlet.
Quaker Bridge Road and Old Albany Post Road follow closely along the Old Croton Aquaduct Trail.
Quaker Bridge Road leads, as its name would suggest, to a bridge over the Croton River. It can also continue straight, with the name Quaker Bridge Road East, so turn left onto the bridge.
At this point, the compass is pointing a bit behind me and to the left, but fortunately, the road also starts to curve to the left, making more than a 90-degree turn where it ends at Route 129.
I turn right at Old Post Road South, and Black Cow Coffee Company is on the left. I spied a spot right in front, so I continued to Grand Street to turn around. At Grand Street, a traffic light was sitting on a pedestal in the center of the road. Most traffic lights are either on the side of the road or, if they are centered on the lane of traffic, they are hung on cables or masts with their supports on the sides of the road, but these “dummy lights” with the pedestal directly on the road surface can still sometimes be found where they were preserved for historical purposes. This traffic light in Croton-on-Hudson dates back to the 1920s. Sadly, due to safety concerns, many are being removed. Take a ride here so you can see it before it’s removed!
REVER is a mobile app designed to help you track, plan, or navigate your ride. With the app, you can easily plan your route, view maps and directions, and track your distance using GPS technology. The app is an excellent tool for anyone who loves to ride and wants to keep track of their progress and distance.
According to Rever, our route with the winding around the reservoirs ended up recording as about 22 miles. See the route below.
The Coffee Shop
I didn’t recognize the name when I chose to include this shop in our ride backlog, but I thought maybe it could be the same coffee shop we visited when we explored towns to move to. When we were looking to move out of NYC, our approach was to visit a coffee shop in the town to get a feel for the vibe, see what the locals were like, and see if we could live there. We were focused on finding a place in Westchester County, New York. I looked back through some old photos & sure enough, it was the same cafe we’d stopped at in August of 2014. That bodes well, as I remember liking it back then.
The coffee shop is in the upper village of Croton on Hudson. That could be an issue for motorcycles as it is full of hills. Fortunately, the street parking right in front is flat enough that parking a bike wasn’t an issue. I got a spot right in front of the entrance with the black awning with white lettering confirming you have reached The Black Cow Coffee Roasters. A second awning describes it as “a community gathering place.”
On entering, I first noticed the eclectic group of mismatched chairs, tables, and other furniture, possibly from thrift stores. It does create a lovely rustic feeling inside. The walls have art from local artists. They offer several hoodies, t-shirts, and hats branded with the Black Cow logo in a display near the entrance. There is plenty of space around the tables, so the atmosphere is relaxed rather than crowded.
The counter is in the back, and a chalkboard with the menu is on the wall behind. All the standard coffee drinks are represented: cafe au lait, americano, latte, cappuccino, mocha, espresso, macchiato & cortado. There is also a menu of cold coffee options plus tea. Additionally, they have some house specialty drinks with names like Black Cow, Lobel, Lobel 2 Banger, and Bannan. The Black Cow sounded the most interesting to me as it was espresso, steamed chocolate milk, and whipped cream. Several flavor shots were available as well as alternative milks like almond or soy. Many pastry options were also on display, along with bottled drinks like juices.
Not far from the counter is a roasting machine with several bags of beans surrounding it. There is also a small set of stairs leading to an opening that was closed with a curtain when I was there but is typically an area with plenty of books.
It’s a great place to unwind, sip coffee, and enjoy the scenery.
The Refreshments
I ordered with the friendly staff, and my americano was served in a plain paper cup. The space is conducive to hanging out, and I wish it were a ceramic cup to enhance the experience.
My Americano was served hotter than I preferred but retained some nice body and flavor. The body became richer and smoother as it cooled, so the heat didn’t destroy the flavor.
While it would have been better in a ceramic cup, I still enjoyed the coffee and was reminded of the positive experience of my prior visit nine years earlier. I won’t be waiting another nine years to visit again, nor should you.
