Welcome to the City of Kingston, NY

Kingston, dating to the arrival of the Dutch in 1652, is a vibrant city with rich history and architecture, was the state's first capital, and a thriving arts community. City Hall is in the heart of the community at 420 Broadway, and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except July & August (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Come tour our historic City, with restaurants that are among the region's finest, and local shopping that promises unique finds.

Historic Churches

Kingston is home to many historic churches. The oldest church still standing is the First Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Kingston which was organized in 1659. Referred to as The Old Dutch Church, it is located in Uptown Kingston. Many of the city's historic churches populate Wurts street (6 in one block) among them Hudson Valley Wedding Chapel is a recently restored church built in 1867 and now a chapel hosting weddings. Another church in the Rondout is located at 72 Spring Street. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in 1849. The original church building at the corner of Hunter Street and Ravine Street burned to the ground in the late 1850s. The current church on Spring Street was built in 1874.

Kingston, NY

Kingston became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British on October 13, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga. In the 19th century, the city became an important transport hub after the discovery of natural cement in the region, and had both railroad and canal connections.

Kingston, NY

The town of Rondout, New York, now a part of the city of Kingston, became an important freight hub for the transportation of coal from Honesdale, Pennsylvania to New York City through the Delaware and Hudson Canal. This hub was later used to transport other goods, including bluestone. Kingston shaped and shipped most of the bluestone made to create the sidewalks of New York City.

Contact Us

City Hall Address:
420 Broadway
Kingston, New York
12401

Phone:
(845) 331-0080
Email:
[email protected]

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The Department of
Health and Wellness

The Department of Health and Wellness is charged with coordinating the Live Well Kingston Commission (LWK), managing the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) Grant Project, and supporting other projects that increase access to health in the City of Kingston. The department was created in 2017 with funding from a local foundation. In 2021, we received the CHSC grant, for 1.5 Million for 5 years.

Coordinating the Live Well Kingston Commission includes the support of its six subcommittees: Age Well, Eat Well, Grow Well, Heal Well, Travel Well, and Play Well. These “Focus Teams” build coalitions with community, host events, and support projects. Along with coordination, the department is tasked with communicating about health, community projects, and LWK initiatives.

In 2022 we wrapped up year one and began year two of the CHSC grant (fiscal year is June 1-May 31), which totals 1.5 million for five years. Physical activity and nutrition strategies are implemented in the Kingston City School District (KCSD), early care and education settings such as daycares, and in the community with food service guidelines and active transportation projects that connect everyday routes to destinations. We continued to partner with our subcontractors: Family of Woodstock focuses on early care, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County (CCEUC) works with KCSD.

Highlights of 2022 Accomplishments:

Creating Healthy Schools and Communities
- Launched a brand new, multi-faceted program from scratch, building organization, infrastructure, and aligning goals to complement and supplement existing Health and Wellness work
- Launched nutrition policies at People’s Place, The YMCA of Kingston and Ulster, and the Midtown Neighborhood Center which included installing water fill stations at the YMCA and new shelving at People’s Place.
- Family of Woodstock is supporting 13 early care programs with physical activity and nutrition education.
- CCEUC facilitated a Health & Wellness policy update for the Kingston City School District and is working directly with three elementary schools to implement health & wellness committees.
- Hired and managed a contractor who is developing a landscape plan for the Broadway & Prince greenspaces.
- Installed a bicycle shelter at Kingston Point Beach
Managed Grant Projects
- Started managing the Mobile Mental Health grant project that will divert 911 calls to mental health responders
- Managed the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
- Supported the Community Preservation Plan

Supported City Projects
- Coordinated the Be A Road Hero Transportation Education Campaign which mailed a flyer to every resident, created an educational webpage, placed 50 yard signs, created social media that had the most comments ever on the City’s Facebook page (772 comments, 144 shares), designed seven bus ads, produced three professional videos, a radio PSA, and a “citation” flyer for the Kingston Police Department to distribute.
- Supported the Complete Streets Advisory Council
- Supported the Parks & Recreation Earth Fair, piloting food vendor Food & Nutrition Guidelines that reflected the values of the event

Facilitated the LWK Commission and Supported Focus Team Projects
- Age Well
  - Met nine times and expanded participation
- Eat Well
  - Hosted seven meetings with presentations
  - Supported the Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative (KEFC), which currently (12/22) delivers 174 meals daily and groceries to 113 people weekly.
- Grow Well
  - Came together 20 times and had additional communications meetings
  - Coordinated the building of a tool shed with Ulster Youth Build at the Rondout Garden
  - Created a map of community gardens, a Facebook Group with 144 members, and posted resources on the LiveWellKingston.org website
  - Supported a NYS Community Gardens Grant application
- Heal Well
  - Met nine times
  - Facilitated a Mental Health Panel in response to Covid
  - Hosted a free sound healing during the O+ festival
- Play Well
  - Started a new cohort that met for the first time on December 2^nd
- Travel Well
  - Greenline System of Trails
    - Maintained pedestrian and bicycle counters at 4 locations
    - Did the annual Ped Bike Count at 4 intersections (3 counting sessions each)
  - Bike Friendly Kingston
    - Co-organized the Kingston Women’s Bicycle Festival and support the YMCA’s free bicycle repairs with funding from CHSC
2023 Goals:
Continue to manage the CHSC grant Project
Complete the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
Advance LWK Commission Focus Team Support
Implement a “Parks in Healthcare” project – Greenline maps and posters for health providers waiting rooms
Revitalize LWK communications
Support the Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative
Consider applying for an urban agriculture planning grant
Apply to the Hudson River Valley Greenway for funding for new trail counters
Manage an ARPA project: City of Kingston Emergency Food Plan
Bottom-line the Mobil Mental Health Project
Create a bicycle rack installation program
Initiate the Broadway Prince Landscape Plan Implementation