Opposite: George Salter, co-owner of the Juice Branch makes their signature juices for customers. Above: Catskill Merchant Coalition members meet at Crossroads Brewery and Taproom on Water Street. (Left to right: Chrisie Cordrey of Corduroy Shop, Rodney Greenblat of The Rodney Shop, Kristi Gibson of Magpie Bookshop, Jill Lamanec of the Frisbee Agency, Michael Moy of Joe’s Garage, and Rob Sager of Crossroads behind the bar.)
several weeks before the popular cafe/bar/gallery opened. Her impression was that Catskill was similar to Brooklyn in 1986, “a sleepy town with affordable studio and retail space where artists were living and working.” Since then, Sager has held 35 ACE mixers all over the Capital Region and witnessed a lot of change in the area. She attributes the rolling migration of artists and makers from larger metropolitan areas to Catskill specifically to more than simply lower real estate prices, lower stress, and higher quality of life. It’s also about the distinctive character of the town, which includes a balance of local flavor, arts, community, lush natural beauty and resources, and an emergence of industrial trades, crafts, and home goods. Just in the past year, Catskill’s three main thoroughfares—Main, West Bridge, and Water streets—have seen at least a dozen new stores open, both by newcomers and people who grew up in the area. These include on Main Street: Solo Vino, an organic wine shop; Bittersweet, an ice cream parlor that serves Jane’s ice cream with homemade toppings plus vegan, gluten-free, and keto options; Circle W, the second outpost of the popular Palenville sandwich shop; Sister Salvage, a consignment and antique store that used to be located in Coxsackie; Village Common, which sells 100-percent plant-based products made on-site
and infused with pure essential oils; Spike’s Record Rack; and Subversive Beer Cafe, which serves its own beer, brewed exclusively with ingredients sourced in New York. On West Bridge Street, there is the Juice Branch, which serves juices, smoothies, and soups; Winkles Bakery; From Nature to You, a CBD shop; two vintage shops: Acquired Tastes, and Upstate Gypsy; and Subversive’s brewery, relocated from Livingston. Water Street has Lumberyard Center for Film and Performing Arts, a nonprofit performing arts center and events venue, which significantly increased its audience sizes this past summer during its second season and saw more film production rentals in its off-season, including the David Simon/HBO miniseries “The Plot Against America,” and actress Tonya Pinkins’s directorial debut feature film, Red Pill. Also new on Water street is Radici, an Italian bistro, and Crossroads Brewery and Taproom, which hosts live music and food trucks creekside in the former Daily Mail printing facility. More Music! Perhaps the biggest buzz in Catskill this year was the opening of the Avalon Lounge by Laura and Liam Singer (who also manage HiLo), and the purchase of four Main Street properties by Ben Fain, a real estate developer and artist. The Avalon Lounge is an outgrowth of the music 12/19 CHRONOGRAM COMMUNITY PAGES 55