New Paltz punches well above its weight for a town of 7,000. The Shawangunk Ridge right on its doorstep offers some of the best crack climbing in the northeastern United States, and Mohonk Preserve draws hikers and cyclists year-round. Inside town, Huguenot Street preserves a row of 17th- and 18th-century stone houses that rank among the oldest surviving structures in North America. The SUNY campus keeps the village lively with art openings, concerts, and the steady hum of student life.