The proprietors of the Herwood Inn seem to have thought of everything. Bed platforms flush with the floor, so nothing can roll underneath, including dust. A curated vinyl collection and record player in each of the four bedrooms. Readily available yoga mats and blocks. The Herwood, which opened this September in Woodstock, has been designed and equipped with meticulous attention to detail.
Work will begin in a few months to change what most planners regarded as one of the ugliest buildings on Main Street into a McDonald’s that the company’s architect has said will be unlike any in the northeastern United States.
The interior of Crust & Magic at 19 North Front Street in New Paltz is as exuberant as its proprietor, Alexa Floresta, who talks fast and laughs easily; her enthusiasm for what she’s doing with her shop is contagious. “I want the space to feel like it’s a celebration,” she says. “It’s about the energy and the vibe that the brand exudes, this raw sort of slimy, crusty realness matched with the magic part: the glitter, the glam, the decadence. This is a place to be yourself, to have fun and embrace who you are.”
In recent decades, Gardiner has become a hotbed for herds of grass-fed beef cattle — including Brookside, Brykill, Four Winds, Full Moon and Kiernan Farms — supplying the region’s restaurants with prime chemical-free meats. A few farms also raise pigs or goats organically. But sheep raised that way for milk and meat, rather than for wool, are a rarer find.
“Surround yourself with smart people, remove obstacles, and get out of the way,” says Christopher Short. The new executive director of the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce is describing his own hands-off type of leadership style, but his concept applies just as well to local entrepreneurs seeking guidance from the Chamber on how to build their businesses.
Sad news for Gardinerites: The era of “Lobster All Day, Every Day” in the hamlet is done.
For fashion lovers who want to honor that human beings are behind the clothes we wear and wear clothes that deserve respect, Caroline Brevetti of New Paltz has opened up Conscious Co. Boutique on North Front Street in Kingston. Her goal — establish an ethical and sustainable marketplace for everyone.
The owner’s vision is “a neighborhood French bistro,” the type of place to meet friends for lunch or go solo for coffee and croissant but equally suitable for a romantic dinner.
After 39 years in the Grandia family, the beloved Rt. 28 bakery/diner will change hands.
Entrepreneurial ventures can take a while to get off the ground. But when Melissa and Andy Peck launched Peck’s Pickled Peppers at last month’s Gardiner Day, they sold a case of their product before the event even began.