Closest to home is Vernon Valley, New Jersey with a 1,000 foot drop. The old Vernon Valley Brewery was located across the street but now the nearest is also one of the best. North east of the slope is Mountain Valley, gold medal winner for porter at the Great American Beer Festival. A new bottling line is installed so you should soon be seeing the beers throughout northern New Jersey. These offer vertical drops of near identical 1,600 feet and a variety of terrain to suit all ability areas.
Nightlife begins in the base lodge before moving out into clubs and bars of the surrounding area.
For beers there are the New York contract favorites such as New Amsterdam along with the ubiquitous Sam Adams products, and the line of Saranac from F.X. Matt. Also nearby is the Catamount area which spans two states. Located a few miles east of the Taconic, it's easily accessible and a popular family area. Get on the lift in New York and 1,200 vertical feet later you're in Massachusetts. You can even see Connecticut directly in front of the chair but don't try for a third state, it's quite a distance off.