Greene County Success Stories

Coxsackie Ice Cream Shop Enjoys Sweet Success — June 15, 2023

After 40 years in social work, Sharon Mahota decided it was time for a change. She decided what Coxsackie really needed was an ice cream parlor.

Whimsical Wedding Venue in Round Top Offers Fairytale Weddings — May 18, 2023

Django Houston and Heather Williams came back to the Catskills, where their love story began, and created a space where other love stories could begin.

Redefining Fashion Standards in Catskill, NY — April 26, 2023

There’s a new business breathing life into the old Central Hudson building at 391 Main Street Catskill. But Made X Hudson is not your traditional boutique – it’s a maker space.

From Mountain Ave. through the Fountain Fork, New Businesses Thrive in Cairo, NY — March 14, 2023

Like so many other small rural communities, Cairo (pronounced Care-Oh) lost most of its Main Street businesses during the 1970s & 80s. Buildings fell into disrepair, and street level storefronts were converted into housing rentals. Consumer buying shifted away from local shops to retail destinations in malls and big-box stores over the next few decades, and things looked bleak for quite a while. Then, a dedicated group of community-minded business people, residents, and legislators joined forces to revitalize their Main Street, and new, vibrant businesses are attracting more and more patrons every year.

Stars Are Aligning at Constellation in Catskill, NY — February 1, 2023

Derek James Smith and Rosannah von Moritz met back in grade school in Ghent. Some twenty years later, after varied careers across the country and around the world, they reconnected in the Hudson Valley, married, and relocated to Earlton in the town of Coxsackie. One month before the March 2020 lockdown, they signed their lease on the Catskill Main Street storefront that would become Constellation – an Astro Gallery that offers Puppet Divination, Astrology, Tarot, and In-House Art!

Holiday Street Festivals Draw Shoppers and Families to River Town Businesses in Greene County, NY — December 27, 2022

Last month three street festivals drew hundreds of revelers to main street businesses in towns along the Hudson River. Coxsackie’s Historic Reed Street was transformed into it’s annual Christmas by the River. The Village of Athens hosted it’s Victorian Stroll, and the longest night of the year was celebrated at the Winter Solstice in Catskill. Each event proved to be a boon for local businesses that joined in the fun with special deals and activities for the whole family.

Fostering Forests is a Family Focus at B&B Forest Products in Cairo, NY — December 7, 2022

Jennifer DeFrancesco is a true advocate for sustainable forestry in our local communities. Her father, Bill Fabian started B&B Forest Products in Greene County over 35 years ago. Their business employs 38 people and serves as a marketing conduit for small, independent loggers to get their harvested logs to buyers across the country and around the world.

Perseverance, Persistence, and Passion Drive Business in Prattsville, NY — November 16, 2022

Eleven years after a flood caused by Hurricane Irene devastated homes, businesses, and infrastructure across the town of Prattsville, NY, stable businesses have rebuilt better, and new businesses abound. With a post-pandemic influx of new residents and second homeowners relocating to this Catskill Mountain community that serves as a rural retail hub for the surrounding area.

From the Franklin Street to the River, Second Street Abounds with Local Gems in Athens, NY — October 13, 2022

The historic Hudson River village of Athens dates back to one of the earliest European settlers in Upstate New York. Now, some 337 years after Jan Van Loon purchased his land in 1685, the village is teeming with great places to meet, eat, and shop as you stroll along Second Street with a great view of the river. Residents and visitors alike enjoy uniquely approachable amenities and one-of-a-kind offerings you simply can’t find anywhere else.

Pandemic Pivot turns Weekender to Retailer in Coxsackie, NY — September 23, 2022

As Editor in Chief of NYC-based SAVEUR Magazine, Sarah Gray started visiting friends in Greene County in the early 2000s. She soon bought and renovated a great old house in Athens, where she spent her weekends for the next 15 years. Then, a perfect storm of COVID restrictions, rising rural real estate values, and the end of SAVEUR in print, came together to empower Sarah to sell her weekend home at a premium, move upstate full-time, and open UnQuiet as part of the Historic Reed Street Area renaissance by the Hudson River in the Village of Coxsackie.