Beacon Bits -- Out with the Old & In with the New

It has been two years since I moved to Beacon and just like the song, 'the times they are a-changing', I have borne witness to many changes along Main Street and have noted them with appreciation and pleasure in blog postings.  From my perspective, most of the changes have been very good in terms of economic development and environmental enhancement. So I thought I would end the year with a  small sense of closure and with great anticipation of some new beginnings by taking a brief look at a few of the recent transitions that are evident in our midst.

 

I'll start with the sad news that the art gallery Marion Royael closed.  Most businesses close when they are unsuccessful.  Rumor has it that Steve and Barbara (a true Beacon power couple) closed the gallery, which was prominently located across from the Howland Cultural Center and the The Beacon Theatre, because they were very successful and decided to pursue their dreams and riches in New York City.  While we wish them much luck in their venture, their presence and artistic flair and sensibility will be notably missed from Second Saturday openings and by the peripatetic residents and visitors who always stopped to take a long hard look at the traditional and avante garde artwork they exhibited.
 

 

Perhaps not so sad, but more ambiguous news, Dim Sum Vault has "temporarily" closed its doors. Whether the restaurateurs played it "safe" as a posting on BCN suggested, or read the cards and realized that their fare may not have been competitive with the established Asian cuisine in town (i.e., Isamu, Sukothai, and even the tiny and delicious upstart Korean Seoul Food), is unknown. But for those who may have become aficionados, it is not a good way to treat loyal customers who want to dine out in a favorite place and have the desire for new restaurants to succeed in town.  As for me, whether or not they re-open may be a moot point. I took an out-of-town guest to eat at Dim Sum in October. While I was not impressed with the variety or the flexibility  of the menu and wait staff (e.g., an equivocal response to my request for garlic string beans, which was not listed), I was very put off when I was chastised as I called to say that I was running late for my 6pm reservation and then noted empty tables upon arriving at 6:15pm. Common courtesy and responsiveness to customer requests are a hallmark of the food industry that sells more than the kitchen fare for repeat customers.

 

On the other hand, I eagerly anticipate getting a taste of the food and fare at Hop, which  I would award "Newcomer of the Year". Reports from friends and reviews that I have read are all glowing. I just haven't been lucky enough to stop by when it wasn't packed full house! So it is high on my list to visit and toast the new year with hopes of future fermentation of its congenial and tasteful presence on the East end of town.

High on my wish list when I moved to Beacon was a store, like Williams & Sonoma, to be in the center of town. I knew that the ordinance on the books precludes 'chain stores and franchises', but I felt that the upscale nature of a flagship business such as W&S would bring in business from other nearby locales (e.g., Cold Spring, Garrison) and match the interest of the foodies and the CIA grads who populate Beacon.  Homespun with its gourmet food offerings was a partial wish fulfilment. Now I can say there are two more "parts" to the wished for "whole": Scarborough Fare, an olive oil and vinegar tap room at 257 Main St.

 

and Utensil, a kitchenware supply store at 480 Main St. (Time to burn calories in between.)

 

Perhaps oil and vinegar sounds too specific and limiting for a new business to be hopeful as a newcomer to the streets of Beacon, but mother and daughter owners Corey and Donna Wirthman, who opened this outpost store as a branch of its successful New Paltz business, offer much more with gift baskets to order with Italian pasta, Harney & Sons tea, Italian meats, German meats, Caciocavallo cheese, natural dips and hummus and gluten free items. Stop in for a taste and remember that food gifts are always consumed with gusto.

 

Meanwhile, who doesn't like to peruse the aisles and shelves of a kitchenware store made easy with the expertise of Utensil's owner, Emily Burke, who opened in November and has the prescience to be open during Second Saturday hours. Just as Lowe's and Home Depot offer the chance to find items that you didn't know you needed, a good kitchenware store feels like heaven to anyone who chops, slices, mixes, stores and otherwise prepares good food with style and flair;  let's welcome Emily to our midst

 

So while I did not get my hoped for Williams & Sonoma, I now have multiple choices for gourmet food and cooking utensils without leaving Main Street in Beacon. Spices and herbs anyone?

 

Another wish that I feel I have received as the year comes to an end is a new facade on the Howland Public Library, with a uniform brick wall that has improved safety features with less

 

 

plate glass in the children's section and a parking lot at Key Food graced with tree plantings and enhanced signage for what was perceived as an eyesore by many in the center of

 

town.  This latter project fulfills the promise of the Main Street grant that Beacon received two years ago that allowed the town to work with store owners who wanted to improve the overall appearance of storefronts by returning them to architectural detailing reminiscent of an older era with uniform mill work and colorways that pull together a signature look for the street scape from West to East that bridges the unification of the two disparate towns, Fishkill Landing and Mattewan, that Beacon actually was 100 years ago. These improvements are welcome as we get ready for the Centennial Celebrations 1913-2013 that will begin  in January and last all year long. What a way to start the New Year!











Some food for thought:  New Year's always brings about the melancholic sense of loss for what did not occur in the preceding year and the eager anticipation of a fresh start for the coming year. Finding the balance between regrets and disappointments about the past and optimism and courage for the unknown and uncertain future is key in making the transition 'smooth' from one year to the next. May we all find the time to reflect in a meaningful way about what was and what might be while staying grounded in what is. May we all continue to find the strength for the changes we have endured and for those that are sure to come our way in the coming year.  Many blessings  to all for 2013!

 

Make a resolution to become a Friend of the Howland Library this year!

Beacon Bits--Hop to It!

Spring has officially arrived with the vernal equinox but it has been in the air for a couple of weeks. In the midst of all this balmy weather in Beacon, with the earliest arrival of daffodils, forsythia, magnolias and cherry blossoms that I've ever witnessed, there are several venues worthy of checking out: Hop, the new brew-oriented foodie hot spot across from the Howland Cultural Center and Gallery 508, where the featured artist, Christine Hartman, opened on 2nd Saturday in March. Both destinations are conveniently located on the East End of town with another new store, La Bella Rosa, in Russ Cusick's old gallery location. La Bella Rosa has the old feel of a traditional florist and knick-knack gift shop. Janette, the proprietor, is a friendly and knowledgeable, veteran florist who seems happy to have arrived in Beacon. The juxtaposition of La Bella Rosa amidst the row of funky and forward fashions found at Echo, Jacqueline,  and Lauren & Riley, the good eats at Beacon Falls Cafe and the Beacon Bagel, and the health-oriented Beacon Yoga, creates a time warp in the Beacon we all expect and love.

Hop -- aptly named since anyone trying to gain access at a pub crawl pace would be out-of-luck since it has had packed-to-capacity seating since its opening on March 1st. (Hop apparently will have an official opening on April 7th, so like spring, it seems to have arrived a month early!) Hop has a variety of local brews on tap, as well as bottled, international craft beers and food that can be eaten "in" (soups, cheese plates, beef jerky, pates) or items featuring Hemlock Hill Farm products and vinegars from a local monastery to be taken "out". The overall feel of the establishment is upbeat, casual and depending on when you arrive, a bit frenetic, even bordering on chaotic. It's definitely a meeting place for the younger (or young-at-heart) set in town.

For a more sedate excursion, be sure to stop by Gallery 508, owned by Jens Bille, who hails from Denmark and worked as a designer for Georg Jensen. The collection of his own artwork and  jewelry designs, as well as, antique collectibles, black-and-white photographs, and Japanese wood prints, is showcased with a featured artist who is local Beacon artist, Christine Hartman through the end of April. Hartman's still life oil paintings bring traditional and carefully placed household objects and even a cat or two on practically full-size canvases that make her art a tromp l'oeil of all that you stand before in the midst of in this well-appointed gallery. The color palate is soothing and inviting so you'll just have to pull up a chair (before it is sold) and gain your composure from all the activity that is ready to burst into being with upcoming spring and summer festivities in this soon-to-be Roundhouse section of town. Check out the progress of the Roundhouse, recently noted in Hudson Valley Magazine to be the second best thing for Beacon's development after the Dia's opening in 2003.

Some food for thought: For perspective, one has to acknowledge that Beacon has had many more seminal events in its recent history other than the conversion of two factories into a world-renowned art museum and a restaurant/conference center/loft space on either end of town respectively. It's all of Beacon's past, present and future that one finds along the full extent of Main Street -- from Bank Square to Hudson Beach Glass to Artisan Wine Shop to Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries to Seed to Fruit...and everything sandwiched in between. All of Beacon is getting ready to 'hop' to it as this glorious spring leads to summer surprises along the way. With the arrival of Hop, it is a reminder that 'imitation is the best form of flattery' since the food and gourmet local goodies-to-go will remind Beaconites of the popular Homespun and the fact that it became the forerunner of Frost & Justice, the local Kingston brewery that has been in partnership with the Beacon Theatre across the street. Good ideas are easily replicated. When a community can hold more than one venue featuring the same goods or services, it is a sign that demand is dictating supply; friendly competition never hurts anyone. It just offers more choices for the consumer who wants to buy and stay local.