Kingston Hospital Is Broadway Central

August 20th, 2010

Midtown Kingston would be a much quieter place if it weren’t for three key anchors—Kingston High School, City Hall, and Kingston Hospital. The hospital, now consolidated with Benedictine into one organization called Health Alliance, has 1,033 employees, a big chunk of the 2,400 employees that work for Health Alliance, which is the largest employer in Kingston. It’s also a 24/7 organization, a beehive of activity at all hours of the day and night.

The hospital has been an anchor of Midtown for more than a century, opening its doors on Broadway in November of 1894 (Benedictine followed in 1901). After a devastating fire, the reconstructed hospital reopened in 1926, with numerous renovations and expansions occurring in the 1950s and 60s. It’s now a 150-bed acute-care hospital—Benedictine has an equal number of beds—and home of a new, expanded emergency center (the merger plan called for the EDs at the two hospitals to be consolidated at Kingston). Approximately 50,000 people a year will visit the ED, which is 16,000 square feet and has 35 beds. Kingston Hospital also houses a maternity unit, with a brand new facility on the third floor, and a chest pain center. (Oncology, mental health, detox, the sleep center, and orthopedics are located at Benedictine. Both hospitals house women’s centers, and the executive offices are split between the two facilities. )

While Kingston Hospital has its own cafeteria, many employees patronize neighboring restaurants, such as Top Nosh, Stone Soup, and, if they’re on the graveyard shift, the Broadway Lights Diner. The hospital is a nexus of activity, accessible to walk-ins and with a bus drop. “The impact on the surrounding businesses is quite great. It’s a very active spot on Broadway,” said Greg Howard, vice president of human resources at Health Alliance. Being right smack in the city is an advantage: “You can walk to many Broadway businesses for lunch or a snack, and the high school, fire department and city offices are all nearby. Although it is an old facility, it has kept up with the changing times, making it a place for which our community can be proud.”

Both Kingston Hospital and Benedictine have foundations whose fund-raising events are mainstays in the community, including two golf tournaments—Kingston’s is in August, Benedictine’s in June. Kingston also will host a fashion show and dinner in October, while Benedictine will hold a September bike-a-thon. The funds raised from the events help pay for facilities improvement, new equipment, and other costs not covered by Medicare. The Kingston Hospital Foundation also sponsors free walks around the city that are designed to get people to exercise more and build appreciation of the city’s historic streetscape.

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Tour Boats Abound in Kingston’s Waterfront

July 20th, 2010

There’s lots to do in Kingston, and many of the activities right now are centered along the waterfront. From early May to the end of October, Kingston has several tour boats that take people out on sightseeing cruises or can be chartered. The largest is the 300-passenger Rip Van Winkle, owned by Hudson River Cruises, followed by the 80-passenger Teal, owned by North River Cruises. Blue Dolphin Cruises’ 1962 Hatteras cruiser and Hudson Sailing’s trimaran sailboat are both available for private charters, for groups up to six.

The Rip Van Winkle goes out twice a day six days a week for three-hour narrated tours to the Vanderbilt estate, in Hyde Park, and back. When it isn’t being chartered, the Teal takes one-and-a-half hour tours of the Hudson during the weekend. Both boats do weekend evening music cruises, featuring a live band or DJ. The boats of all four companies are available for charter to celebrate a special birthday, anniversary or other event, or to impress a client or reward staff if you’re a business. Some of the companies also partner with local restaurants, which either rent out the boat or cater the food.

Sandy Henne, owner of Hudson River Cruises, has been in the Rondout for 30 years, before there was even a dock. “We tied up to a guard rail at the end of the parking lot,” she said. She purchased the 300-passenger Rip Van Winkle cruise boat in 1986. In July and August it goes out on scheduled tours twice a day six days a week, in addition to a Friday evening cruise with live bands. The company also schedules four murder mystery cruises over the summer, and the boat is available for private charters.

Last week the passengers included people from the Netherlands and Australia. On one music cruise, an Australian Aborigine—he was a friend of a band member—played his didgeridoo during intermission. Henne operates a second boat, the Lark, a launch that’s taking people Thursdays through Sundays to the Rondout Lighthouse for tours (a docent from the Hudson River Maritime Museum, which manages the lighthouse, is onboard). Although she hasn’t done much marketing, the tours are picking up.

Henne also hopes to be operating service on the Lark between Kingston and Rhinecliff soon. She’s waiting to get approval from Rhinecliff two officials. On August 6 there’s a big event with Obama for which she hopes to be transporting dignitaries across the river.

The cross-river service would be mostly geared to tourists. In general, she said the Rondout could use more focus, to maximize its potential. “The new walkway is helping a lot. If you build it, they’ll come,” she said. Parking, however, remains a problem. On a weekend, “between the Teal and our boat and everybody at the restaurants, there’s no place to park. We tell people to come early.”

Teal and Blue DolphinThe Teal, which is owned by Joe Thomas—he and partner John DeForest own parent company North River Charters –does mostly charters, for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, Sweet Sixteen parties, and the like. Businesses also charter the boat, although the economic downturn has led to a falloff in company picnics. The 80-passenger vessel also does sightseeing tours on weekends when it isn’t being chartered and evening music cruises; call 750-6024 for times. The boat has a full bar and serves snacks on the public cruises.

Thomas, who’s owned the boat for five years and worked on it for eight—it’s been docked at the Rondout since 1993—said the walkway has brought a lot more foot traffic to the area (although on the downside, there have also been more incidences of vandalism). Local restaurants such as The Steelhouse and Ship to Shore also on occasion rent out the boat, catering all the food, selling tickets, and conveying customers from their establishment to the boat, benefiting both businesses. “I’d love for the businesses to know we’re down here,” said Thomas. “The restaurant trips are going very well.” One of the biggest challenges is the limited season. “It’s just a matter of bringing more people down there and maximizing those couple of months,” he said.

Scott Herrington, owner of Blue Dolphin Charters, takes up to six people out on the Hudson for private trips on his antique, 34-foot Hatteras Sports Cruiser. It has a small cabin with a galley and a head (toilet), and the boat has been chartered for a special birthday or anniversary celebration. It’s also popular with sightseeing tourists and even book authors. The longest trip was eight hours—down to New York City—though Herrington has taken the boat on his own as far as Montauk and Massachusetts. Sometime a family will bring along fishing rods, though Herrington doesn’t do official fishing trips anymore. Meals can be catered from a local restaurant.

Herrington also charters to businesses, for example an insurance company that’s rewarding a client or staff. “We do lots of trips with the Maple Ridge Bruderhof,” he said.

Herrington also owns the Kingston City Marina. “I believe very strongly in the waterfront,” he said. “We have tried to work with the city to build a park that’s for everyone. People are now coming in much greater numbers.” He’s made improvements to the marina and collectively advertises and markets the area with other businesses. “It’s a very cooperative business group.”

Dan Feldman, owner of Hudson Sailing, does charters on his racing 28-foot trimara, a three-hulled sailing boat that can accommodate up to six passengers. The standard trip is three hours, and clients often enjoy a swim and picnic on the cruise. Because the boat is so light, it can sail even in the slightest breeze. If the weather is bad, he’ll reschedule a trip.

Many of his customers are celebrating a special event, and many are people from the city up for the weekend. He’s listed in a couple of travel guides but many people find him simply by Googling “sailing on the Hudson.” A couple of times he’s picked up people from New York City arriving by train from the dock in Rhinecliff.

Word of mouth is helping spurring his business, which is growing, despite the fact Feldman does little advertising.  “Someone who leads a stressful life comes up from city, has a drink, eats, relaxes on the trampoline and goes to sleep. They’re in heaven,” he said. “People have told me it’s like a mini vacation. All you hear is the wind and waves. A family came out this season and e-mailed me to thank me. They said the kids said it was the best thing they did as a family.”

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Kingston Nuts and Bolts

July 5th, 2010

Looking for a computer part, wiring device, plumbing joint, low VOC paint, or pottery kiln? If you’re wiring, replumbing, or redecorating your house or business, you’ll find everything you need in Kingston. Artists can also find specialty supplies here, be it handmade paints–encaustic, oil, or oil stick—at R&F Handmade Paints or everything they need to set up a potter’s studio, from the wheel and electric kiln to ceramic supplies, at Bailey Pottery. Both companies, which are located next to each other on Ten Broeck Avenue, are nationally known.

Some of these nuts and bolts businesses have deep roots in the city’s history, harking back to the day when Kingston was a manufacturing center. Industrial supply company Fowler & Keith, located in a four-story building at 104 Smith Street, started out down in the Rondout in the early 1900s. Besides plumbing and power tools, the store, which is owned by real estate developer Steve Aaron, still stocks an array of historic hardware.

Ulster Electric Supply Co., located at 9-15 Cornell—it also has an Ulster Lighting showroom at 572 Broadway, plus a location in Poughkeepsie—also started out in the Rondout and has been in business over 50 years, according to president and owner Barry Gruberg. Gruberg’s grandfather was the first licensed electrician in Kingston, and the supply company was started by his son—Gruberg’s father–in the back of a pick up.

Ulster Electric wholesales anything you can think related of to lighting—pipe, wire, wiring devices, commercial lighting. “We have 25,000 electrical supply products,” said Gruberg. The company sells to municipalities, hospitals, schools and other large entities in the commercial market. It delivers up to a radius of 70 miles and also has customers in Manhattan.

Gruberg said its retail store on Broadway has developed a niche in high-end lighting, offering a free layout service. “We can send our lighting retail specialist to your home, do the layout for free, and collaborate with the builder or architect,” said Gruberg. He said the company has had to lay off workers due to the economic downturn. “We’re surviving. We’re profitable, and are hanging in there, hoping for some upturn,” he said.

Herzog’s True Value Home Center, located at Kingston Plaza, is a fourth generation company owned by brothers Bradley and Todd Jordan. It has 100 local employees, with annual sales more than $20 million. The store has successfully competed against the big box stores by expanding: it became affiliated with True Value Company, a member owned co-op that gives it more buying power, in 1995 and added a state-of-the-art Kitchen and Bath Design Center, with free design consultations, in 2006. It acquired a paint supply company in Albany and has locations in Poughkeepsie and Wappinger’s.

Besides hardware, paint, lumber, plumbing and other supplies, Herzog’s has a garden center as well as a service center for power equipment. Its green products are particularly popular, according to Julie Jordan, marketing and advertising director. “Especially with the government rebates, there’s a lot of demand for green products in all departments,” she said. Herzog’s sells organic soils, fertilizers, and composters; Benjamin Moore eco-paints, which have low or no VOCs; energy efficient windows, doors, lighting, and insulation; and energy efficient a/c, heaters, humidifiers, and fans.

Herzog’s celebrated its centenary last year. Founder Matthew Herzog opened the first store on Wall Street, and his son Robert greatly expanded the company, developing a flourishing wholesale business in the 1940s. Robert developed the Kingston Plaza shopping center in the early 1960s, with Herzog’s relocating to the plaza in a new building in 1971.

Tim at P&T Surplus

P & T Surplus, located at 190 Abeel Street, started out in 1968, buying mainframe computers from IBM, each one delivered in fire tractor trailer loads, according to Tim Smythe, who has owned the business with his father since 1997. The company still breaks down machines, selling high-tech parts online to the semiconductor industry in Europe and Asia, as well as in the U.S., which Smythe said is about a quarter of its business.

At the other end of the spectrum, it sells surplus hardware and exotic metals, such as copper, brass, aluminum and stainless steel, locally, numbering among its clients many artists, including Judy Pfaff, whose large-scale assemblages gained her international fame. The art departments at Bard and SUNY-New Paltz regularly visit P & T with their students, said Smythe. For seven years straight, the company hosted an annual art show consisting of works crafted from its supplies, and Smythe said the store is planning another show this fall.

P& T is the place for that “hard to find metal angle or widget part, which is not standard,” said Smythe. The store also sells new items, including hardware, gloves, rope, hand tools, and tarps. It has three employees and a truck on hand to pick up business surplus, which has become harder to find: “It’s become more competitive,” said Smythe. “Scrap metal has caught on a lot, and now businesses sell their excess inventory on line.”

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Uptown’s Restaurant Renaissance

June 29th, 2010

The restaurant scene in Uptown is hopping, with two new places opening in the past month: Boitson’s, an American bistro, at 47 North Front St., and the Stockade Tavern, at 313 Fair Street, which specializes in artfully crafted cocktails. The area is definitely having a resurgence, notes Barbara Burns, who has run Stella’s Italian Restaurant, across the street from Boitson’s, with her husband Edward for 36 years. “It’s on an upswing.” The cluster of fine eateries, which serve a variety of cuisines and vary in ambience from friendly family places to elegant French bistro, benefit from a sizable lunch crowd as well as patronage by locals and tourists in the evening.

Boitson’s, whose casually elegant, dark blue and gray décor was the work of Kingston interior designer Brian Early, opened June 4. “It’s been great, really busy,” said owner Maria Philippis. She named the eatery after her Brooklyn landlord, who had always encouraged her to open her own place. Boitson’s has a raw bar, and it’s open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Monday. Burgers, fried chicken, steak, trout, and a beet risotto are served every night, along with five or six specials cooked up by chef Fred Duffus. The prices range from $10 for a burger to $25 for a New York strip steak. Bread pudding, chocolate pot de crème, and lemon tart are among the delectable desserts. There’s a full bar.

Be sure to check out the frescos in the bathrooms, which were inspired by sailor’s tattoos and are the work of New York artist Impala. There’s also a deck in back, with a view of the Catskills. Philippis said she is drawing customers not just from the neighborhood but also Rhinebeck, Stone Ridge, and High Falls—and that’s without advertising.

Giovanna Vis and her husband, Paul Maloney, describe the Stockade Tavern as a traditional American drinking establishment. The federal mantel behind the bar, built- in seating beneath the Tudor windows and vintage frosted glass lights certainly are the perfect setting for a classic cocktail, with a fresh squeeze of lime. Prohibition killed the art of the cocktail, and Vis and Maloney are restoring that tradition. They serve 13 cocktails, ranging in price from $7 to $10, plus have four beers on tap, 20 beers in the bottle, and nine wines. Their Citron Presse—sparkling lemonade—can be served straight or spiked and is a delectable antidote to the summer heat.

The Stockade also has a selection of 15 comestibles to accompany the drinks, including a pickle platter and tin of sardines. Located in the former Singer Sewing Machine retail store—the “S” logo still graces the door—the Stockade opened on Memorial Day weekend. “We’ve had a few big nights,” said Vis. She said the couple love “being on a back street in the heart of Uptown.” The Stockade opens at 4 pm Thursday through Sunday.

Jean-Jacques Carquillat made Kingston a destination for authentic French cuisine when he opened his traditional bistro, Le Canard-Enchaine, at 276 Fair in 1996. The restaurant is open seven days a week, and its prix fixe lunch–$14.95 for an appetizer and entrée—is one of the best values around. Le Canard also added a prix fixe dinner, which is $25 for a three-course meal ($30 with a glass of the house red or white). Specials are available every day. Le Canard is open Sunday through Thursday.

At the Hoffman House, located at 94 North Front in a landmark, 330-year-old stone building, you experience Kingston’s history while feasting on a delicious lunch or continental inspired dinner. “We have a wide variety of appetizers, salads and full course dinners,” said Pat Bradley, who opened the restaurant 33 years ago with his wife, Virginia. “Everything’s fresh, and the menu changes daily.” Dinner entrees are around $22, while lunch is $12.50. Hoffman House is pleasantly intimate, with four dining rooms plus an outside patio and bar.

Pat said the restaurant has a loyal business lunch and city clientele that it’s built up over the past three decades. It also attracts tourists, and word of mouth accounts for many new customers.  Hoffman House is open Monday through Saturday.

Stella’s Italian Restaurant, at 44 North Front, is a family owned and run business, with Barbara and Edward Burns’ five grown children all helping out. They started with Artie’s, the bar next door, eventually expanding to the restaurant, which was named after Barbara’s mother, who was a chef. Sitting down to a meal on its checked tablecloths is like being in the kitchen of an Italian grandmother. “It’s home cooking,” said Barbara. Perennial favorites are the chicken dishes—served sorrentino, marsala or francaise style—lasagna, and eggplant parmesan. Dinner entrees are priced from $11 up. Stella’s is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday.

Ugly Gus Café and Bar, located at 11 Main St., across from the County Office Building, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this week, according to owner Chris Seche. The spacious eatery is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday through Saturday. It specializes in American cuisine, serving homemade soup and specialty sandwiches for lunch and steaks, pasta, fish and chicken for dinner, with specials every night. Particularly popular are the Big Ugly burgers, said Seche.

On Saturday night, Ugly Gus serves prime rib. Tuesdays in the summer it features a lobster bake, and Wednesday is frozen margarita night. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday to midnight (1 pm on weekends). Seche said before opening Ugly Gus he owned another restaurant in Uptown and loves the area. “There’s a lot of business,” he said. “A lot of people who come for lunch are within walking distance.”

Stefan Sanzi opened Maxwell’s @ Community Gourmet at 32 North Front three years ago. The restaurant is offering outdoor seating on the site of the former parking garage, turning a former eyesore into a wonderful al fresco dining experience. It serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, with a great selection of salads, sandwiches, appetizers, and pizzas. Four kinds of pasta are served, and a roasted half chicken, pan seared scallops, and herb roasted salmon are among the regular entrees, which are priced from $15 to $21.

Restaurants Uptown:

Ashley’s Cafe 243 Fair Street 845-331-2043

Gabriels Cafe 50 John Street 845-338-7161

Dallas Hot Wieners 51 N Front Street 845-338-6094

Deising’s Bakery & Restaurant 111 N Front Street 845-338-7505

Dietz Stadium Diner 127 N Front Street 845-331-5321

Dominick’s Café at Dream Weavers 34 North Front Street 845-338-4552

Ecce Terra 288 Fair Street 845-338-8734

Elena’s Diner 51 Schwenk Drive 845-331-2767

Elephant 310 Wall Street 845-339-9310

Gabriels Cafe 50 John Street 845-338-7161

Hoffman House 94 Front Street 845-338-2626

Hudson Coffee Traders Inc. 288 Wall Street 845-338-1300

Kingston Indian Restaurant & Grill 298 Wall St 845-331-3611 & 331-2661

Kyoto Sushi 37 Washington Avenue 845-339-1128

Le Canard-Enchaine 276 Fair Street 845-339-2003

Lucy’s Taco 38 John Street 845-338-2816

Market Basket Deli 308 Wall Street   845-338-2755

Maxwell’s Pizza 31 N Front Street 845-340-1004

Portobella 39 John Street 845-338-3000

Stellas N Front Street 845-331-2210

Ugly Gus 11 Main Street 845-331-5100

Wing Shui Chinese 53 N Front Street 845-339-3397

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In Kingston, the Music Never Stops

May 4th, 2010

On any given night, but especially on the weekends, Kingston resounds with music.  Strolling down the street past that open restaurant or tavern door, one hears the sultry strains of a jazz singer drifting on the air,  the twanging notes of a rockabilly band, or perhaps the throttle of an electric guitar, which sounds darn good. Whatever your taste, you’ll hear something that catches your fancy, making that evening out especially memorable.

Several of Kingston’s restaurants feature live music on weekends, such as The Steel House Restaurant.  Frank Guido’s Little Italy often enlivens its happy hour with a combo. Savona’s features jazz singer Nancy Tierney, newly arrived from northern California, once a month. Mint has showcased well-known jazz singer Rebecca Martin and singer-songwriter Mark Brown. Other businesses are also getting into the act. Half Moon Books, for example, features musicians during the First Saturday gallery openings. Artie’s, the bar on North Front Street, also entertains its patrons from time to time with noteworthy local acts. 

Keegans At Keegan Ales and The Basement, however, music takes center stage. The microbrewery, located at 20 St. James, features music five nights a week. According to Tommy Keegan, who opened the brewery in 2003 (the pub followed four years later), Wednesday is devoted to bluegrass and Americana, Thursday is the same, with a little rock ‘n roll mixed in, Friday and Saturday is “straight up rock and roll,” and Sunday is a mix: the first Sunday of the month is tango dancing, with lessons offered from 2 to 3 p.m., and the third Sunday is jazz, with a 15-piece band playing classic Big Band tunes as well as fusion compositions. There’s usually no cover–though the musicians are tops.

Keegan’s has three beers on tap: Old Capital, Mother’s Milk, and Hurricane Kitty (named after Keegan’s grandmother, who got the nickname from the cops). The brewery also makes seasonable beers—one, Joe Mamma’s Milk, has become so popular it’s being made year round (it’s infused with coffee and brown sugar, to increase the alcohol content and won Best Beer in New York State from the TAP New York festival competition.) Keegan’s also serves food—burgers, salads, nachos. It opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays, 11:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The Basement, a mysterious storefront at 744 Broadway, just before the turn off to Albany Avenue, cooks on weekends. Last Saturday, Pearl, featuring famous 1980s singer Meatloaf (Pearl is Meatloaf’s daughter), took the stage. Guitar player Scott Ian hails from the famous heavy metal band Anthrax. Another nationally known band that recently played The Basement is The SuperSuckers, who play rockabilly.

It never hurts to solicit a famous band, said Kevin Rowe, who does the booking and marketing. “We send an e-mail to the band or tour manager, and if we get a reply, we work with them,” said Rowe. The Basement rents out office space across the street at Seven21 Media Center, where Rowe does the bookings. Bands also rent out rehearsal space at the center. (Rowe has long-term plans to establish a recording studio at Seven21.)    

Sometimes the headliner is featured on a Tuesday or Wednesday. “A lot of times we’ll get a touring band coming through the middle of the week,” Rowe said. Most nights feature both a touring band and a local act. Admission ranges from zero to $12, with $5 the standard. The Basement serves wine and beer and “top shelf liquor,” according to Rowe. Most shows start at 9 p.m.

Rowe said the March 19 show for Murphy’s Law, an old punk band, sold out. But local bands can also hold their own. Nightmares for a Week, for example, is an up-and-coming band that “just got into the alternative press as one of the top 100 bands of the year,” according to Rowe.

Owner Robert Stango opened The Basement three years ago. Rowe, a native of Cleveland who was living in Georgia, spent three days in Kingston while traveling with a band from Detroit. He liked Kingston and asked Stango if he had a job. Stango hired him, and the 25-year-old Rowe has been loving his life in Kingston ever since. “Everyone I’ve met has been the kindest, nicest people ever,” said Rowe. “There’s a lot of history in this town, and I want to see it do well.”

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Brick and Mortar, For Real

April 13th, 2010

When we say we support brick-and-mortar businesses, we thought we’d be literal. Here is a small sampling of masonry and construction companies located within the boundaries of Kingston, all helping keep the infrastructure of Main Street in sound shape:

 Windsor Masonry, located at 5 Sharon Lane in Uptown Kingston, has a unique niche: renovation of old buildings using a traditional lime mortar that’s very similar to the original, locally made lime used two hundreds ago. Imported from France, the hydraulic lime, as it is called, is a “self-healing” material, meaning that when it develops a crack, the crack automatically fills up, according to Keith Boyd, who founded the company ten years ago. “Before 1870 people built with lime,” he said. “A lot of masons today use cement mortar to repair these buildings, which doesn’t hold up; they have to be repointed with lime. We’re one of the few upstate companies that do this.” One example of a local building with deteriorating mortar due to cement repointing is the Senate House, he said. 

Boyd learned his trade in his native England, where he bought and renovated houses before immigrating to the states a decade ago, after meeting and marrying his American wife. He restored an old brick coach house on St. James Street, although Boyd’s business normally takes him far afield from Kingston: projects include a church in Catskill, a farm in Hyde Park, and several buildings in Westchester County. “The challenge Kingston faces is it doesn’t have enough employment,” he said. Finding employees for this specialized trade is also difficult, which requires “a four-year apprenticeship. It’s physically demanding and you’ve got to have an artistic flair.” Boyd currently has one worker.

Re-creating and restoring a historic building using authentic materials is also expensive. Hydraulic lime costs roughly five times the price of Portland cement.  “Very few local people who own houses can afford the renovation cost,” he said. “It’s why I go all over the Northeast.”

LaTorre Construction Company, located near the railroad trestle over the Rondout Creek at 7 Dewitt St., has been in business 38 years, building custom homes as well as high-end and historical renovation work, along with some commercial construction. The company has a large brick warehouse and shop at 117 Broadway, in the Rondout. Owner John LaTorre said its clients are within a 50-mile radius of Kingston, with a lot of work across the river, where many people live in older homes and “want to keep their house historically correct.” He said high-end customer renovation “has been keeping us going” during the economic downturn.

“We enjoy being in Kingston and enjoy the people,” LaTorre said. “I wish we had a little more industry around here,” such as existed 100 years ago. Now, with none of that manufacturing left, “you’ve got to be a history buff” to live in the area.  (phone number: 845-338-4982)

Also based in the Rondout is Kizer Stonework, which specializes in dry-laid bluestone sidewalks, patios, walls, walkways and steps, according to Kizerowner Gary Kizer. located in Kingston for last 9 years. We’re primarily bluestone specialists, we have expertise dry-laid bluestones, sidewalks, patios, walls, walkways and steps. “Some people are interested in maintaining a local heritage,” he said. “A lot of clients want us to design unique spaces using stone, in keeping with that tradition.”

Kizer, who founded the company nine years ago and works out of his home, gets his material from various local stoneyards.  He has “one and a half employees.” Last year was “horrible” for business, but in 2010 “things are picking up quite nicely,” he said. Kiser said he learned his trade from his grandfather, a stone mason who hired him in the summers when he was growing up.  (phone number: 845-338-9180)

 

 James McGowan & Son Masonry Inc. located at 5 Railroad Ave., in Midtown, does large-scale masonry construction projects for municipalities, government agencies, hospitals, and commercial companies, including the Walgreens in Kingston Plaza, the medical facility building for Benedictine Hospital, and the Hudson Valley Federal Credit  Union. Founded in 1992, the company hires as many as 40 workers depending on the work load. Brick and stone veneer, concrete masonry, glass and clay brick, marble, limestone, granite and precast concrete are among the specialties listed on its website, www.mcgowanmasonry.com

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La Mexicana on Broadway Kingston

March 29th, 2010

La Mexicana, at 638 Broadway, is one of at least two Mexican-American grocers in the city. As such, it’s not really a one-of-a-kind retailer, but, as a representative of Midtown, it does sell numerous one-of-a-kind items. If you haven’t been to Oaxaca, no need to board a jet: just check out La Mexicana’s shelves, which include beautifully crafted straw bags, tortilla baskets, blankets, shawls and clay pots and a wide range of CDs playing salsa, banda and other south of the border musical styles.

The family business, which is owned by Aldegundo and Laura Juarez, sells queso Oaxaca, a large ball of white cheese similar to mozzarella. For a change of taste, check out the fruit sodas, aloe verde drinks, and coconut waters, some of which are relatively low calorie, when the weather gets warm. Raw cane sugar is sold in packets, large cans of hominy are excellent for soup, and Abuelita is chocolate in a can, that’s dissolved in milk in Mexico for the traditional breakfast drink. Small plastic bags of spices include flax seeds, $1.99 each, which are a healthy addition to fruit and yogurt, and cacao beans. On occasion, homemade goodies, such as coconut sweets and rice putting, are for sale.

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Forsyth Nature Center, a Kingston Jewel

March 22nd, 2010

Founded in 1936, Forsyth Nature Center is perhaps Kingston’s most beloved institution. The city-owned facility has undergone a transformation in the last eight years, doubling in size, with new fences and animal pens, a heated turtle house, picnic gazebo, and wheelchair-accessible boardwalk around the pond. These improvements wouldn’t have been possible without the support of local businesses, according to caretaker Mark DeDea.

Its interpretative center has more than a dozen animals and gardens and is an important environmental educational resource for school groups. The center also offers a robust program of guided nature walks in the region, as well as kayaking on the Hudson in season.

 In 2005, DeDea launched Friends of Forsyth Nature Center, initially as a way to raise money for the new fence, with silver ($250), gold ($500) and platinum ($1,000 or more) levels. The nature center now has more than 25 partners and sponsors, many of them Main Street businesses.  One is Barcone’s Music, which has donated financially. “My grandchildren, who live in Stone Ridge, love coming there. I think it’s very important for the children of Kingston to have a place to go,” said Janice Barcone. “Forsyth Park when I was a teenager was a pretty sad little place for animals, but now there’s been a total revamp. They’ve expanded a lot. ”

During the fall festival, Artcraft Camera & Digital, owned by the Fitzgerald family, contributes staff and equipment to take pictures of kids with the animals. “They just take out the cost of film, and in the last festival we raised several hundred dollars this way,” said DeDea. The Fitzgerald family’s membership in the Friends program extends to Blimpie’s, located in Kingston Plaza, whose owner donates and helps with the fall festival, as well as donating subs at the events, he said.

Another loyal supporter is Herzog’s True Value Hardware, which has provided the fencing material and other building supplies and products at very competitive prices. “They are a lot about the kids in this community and are our bread and butter,” said Fred Seeger, Herzog’s general manager. “I went there as a kid, and it’s a gem.”

In fact, the nature center has a broad base of support. The most generous donors are civic groups—the Junior League (which donated $20,000), Rotary Club (donated $10,000) and Heart Healthy Coalition (donated $5,000).  Hillside Manor donates their venue for formal fundraisers, while Hurley Avenue Veterinary provided a huge discount on the bill for treatment of a sick macaw. Lucas Avenue Pet Supply “funnels donations from specific local businesses,” said DeDea. Alcoa, the parent company of Huck International, donates volunteers and cash.

DeDea said the center currently has $25,000 of Friends’ donations in the bank, which should cover most of the remaining capital projects. While he hopes the money doesn’t have to go towards operational expenses, if the allocation from the city runs out before the end of the year, as it has in the past, it’s good to have a back up.

Besides donating money and providing discounts on needed materials and services, local businesses also help raise awareness. For example, Forsyth Nature Center sets up a table with a petting turtle at the annual yard sale fund-raiser held by Rondout Savings Bank, according to marketing administrator Gaelen Doughman. “We’ve supported them since 2005,” she said. “They understand the importance of protecting the environment and are one of the cornerstones of our community.”

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Hot Cross Buns and Other Goodies Entice People to Kingston

March 16th, 2010

Once upon a time, the scent of fresh-baked bread wafted over the city’s streets. On a corner of North Front Street, it still does: family-owned Deising’s Bakery & Restaurant has not only survived the many changes that caused the traditional neighborhood bakeries to fade away, but flourished. To the bakery’s many fans, Kingston just wouldn’t be the same without the morning ritual of ordering a pastry and a cup of coffee from the counter at Deising’s.

 

Actually, the city has a couple of other bakeries, both located in Midtown. Cynthia Bakery and Paisano’s Bakery are roughly located across the street from each other on Broadway. Like so many of Midtown’s newer businesses, the bakeries are a tribute to the city’s vibrant Hispanic community. And downtown, at the corner of Broadway and Spring, you can look into the windows of the Reher Bakery Building and still see the marble counter tops, bread shelves, and signage of a once venerable Rondout institution/ Late owner Hymie Reher deeded his former building and shop to the Jewish Federation of Ulster County, which plans to turn the building into the Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History. The project is an inspiring example of how a rarely preserved historic site can foster tourism and other new economic initiatives.

Deising's Uptown

Deising’s was founded in 1965 by two immigrants from Hamburg, Germany, and under the expert management of four of their children—Eric, Norman, Kirsten, and Wright—the European-style bakery has thrived. The company has two locations—the main store is on North Front Street, along with a satellite location at tk Broadway—and 80 employees. What’s the secret of the bakery’s bustling business? “Good service and quality food at a reasonable price is a good formula for success,” says Eric. “Plus, good loyal customers.”

The goodies displayed behind its capacious glass counters represent a variety of traditions: bienenstick and black forest cake from Germany, napoleons and eclairs from France, baklava from Greece. There’s also a selection of Deising’s original concoctions, available no place else on earth; a favorite are the toothsome cheese crowns—puffed pastry filled with baker’s cheese. But what’s “anchored this store” are the hard rolls, Eric says. “People who’ve moved south and travel here stop by to pick up the hard rolls,” he notes. “They get bags and bags of them,” Another reliable item is the danish.

Forty percent of the business is wholesale: Deising’s supplies numerous restaurants, delis, hotels, and schools. The uptown store includes two catering facilities, and the bakery also has a restaurant altar ego, serving breakfast and lunch. Omelettes, waffles, burgers, deli sandwiches, and freshly made soups are on the menu.

Deising's Midtown

While the Uptown business climate has improved over the years, Midtown has been more problematic, with the former population of blue-collar workers replaced by a welfare contingency. After years of disappointing sales, the company considered closing down the Midtown location, said Eric. However, it instead hired a new manager last April, and for the first time in five years, the store (which also serves breakfast and lunch) has been making a profit.

Deising’s has a website, www.deisings.com, and ships its rolls, breads, pound cakes and cookies. Store hours are 6 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Thursday, open til 6 pm on Friday, til 5 pm on Saturday, and to 3 pm on Sunday; Midtown location is open 6 am to 1 pm every day.

Cynthia's Bakery

If you’ve never tasted Mexican sweet bread, head over to Cynthia Bakery, at 579 Broadway. The brightly lit store, which is near the Indian restaurant in Midtown, opened two years ago and specializes in round, delicately sugared breakfast rolls, which sell for 80 cents to $1 each. Owner Raymando Ojeda and his sister are immigrants from Oaxaca who now live in Poughkeepsie, where they bake the bread and maintain another store. Ojeda said business is a little bit better than when he opened, but he’d like to get more customers; he’s eager for non-Hispanics to sample his bread. He also sells groceries. Cynthia Bakery is open 9:30 am to 9:30 pm, closed Sundays.

Another Mexican bakery, Paisano’s, located at 680 Broadway, opened a year and a half ago. Besides sweet bread, it serves a whole menu of traditional Mexican food. There’s also a pool table and festive music, so that a visit to the store is like taking a mini vacation to Mexico. Owner Hidalith Zapatita is from Newburgh and said she opened the shop in Kingston because she didn’t want to compete with other family businesses in her home city. Paisano’s is open Monday to Thursday from 7 am to 8 pm.

Reher Bakery Building

When Hymie Reher died in 2004, he deeded his family bakery, located at 101 Broadway. to the Jewish Federation of Ulster County. The non-profit organization has obtained grants for preservation of the property as well as for establishing the Reher Center of Immigrant Culture and History, which will function as a museum and research and education center related to the immigrant and mercantile history of the Rondout and surrounding area. The 1885 building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is graced with an Italianate cast-iron facade that is the last intact storefront to survive in the Historic Rondout District.

 The Jewish Federation has so far obtained more than $500,000 in grant money to restore the building, with the final phase of construction due to commence this spring or summer. It still needs to raise $25,000 in matching funds to qualify for some of the grant money; if you’d like to contribute, call the federation at 338-8131 or e-mail info@ucjf.org. The historic structure will help attract more visitors to Rondout, improve the street appeal, and hopefully spur business interest in the area, besides utilizing local contractors.

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Kingston’s Art and Photo Supply Stores, From Soup to Nuts

March 1st, 2010

Catskill Art & Office Supply, located at 328 Wall Street, has been an anchor of the Uptown shopping district for 24 years and currently has eight employees. “We offer quality products and services at a good price,” said manager Nick Peluso. (Owner Paul Solis-Cohen also operates two stores in Woodstock and Poughkeepsie.)You can easily spend an hour browsing the fine art and graphic art materials, canvas (raw and pre-stretched, in a variety of sizes), gift cards, boxed notes, personal stationery, calendars, instructional art books, and studio furniture (including drawing tables, lamps, and easels). Framer Ginny Ballard, a 16-year veteran of the store, has won a following for her custom framing. There’s also a custom printing division, which includes banners, business cards and laminating, according to Peluso.

 Even compared with the chain office supply stores, “our prices are pretty reasonable,” said Peluso. Xeroxes are 10 cents for a single copy, four cents for 100 copies. “We’re competitive in all those areas. Our copy paper is cheaper and our inkjet cartridges are in some cases $1 more and $1 less” that those sold in the big box stores. Catskill Art also runs frequent specials, with a sale on canvas the next couple of weeks. In addition, it offers a 20 percent discount to art students and professional artists. You can get an additional 10 percent off if you sign up for the custom rewards program ($10 coupon with every $100 purchased).    

 What’s the advantage of shopping at Catskill Art over buying on-line? “Experiencing the product firsthand and being able to ask someone for advice,” according to Peluso. Open Monday through Friday from 9-5:30 and Saturday from 9-5.

 Artcraft Camera & Digital, located at 300 Plaza Road, in Kingston Plaza, has been in the same family since 1972, when it was purchased by owner Todd Fitzgerald’s father. It now has a sister store in Poughkeepsie, with a total of 18 employees. The store sells four lines of cameras, both digital and film, along with darkroom supplies and accessories including flashes, filters and bags. The store’s custom framing division does laminating as well as large-format printing (digital and other) and DVD and CD duplication services (it can also transfer 8 mm film to DVDs). Fitzgerald said Artcraft also has a custom framing division, which is presided over by Elaine Bragg, who has 26 years of experience. 

Todd Fitzgerald

 Fitzgerald said the store does a brisk trade in scanning slides, negatives, and photos digitally, with some people bringing in shoeboxes full of photos that are “scanned in a clip.” Artcraft also has an archiving service to organize all those photos. One growing line of business is creating a DVD, collage, special photo book or 23 x 54 framed image for “Celebration of Life” services when a person dies. The store also can produce registration books, with the photos positioned on the left hand side and a place for signatures on the right.

 Perhaps the fastest growing segment of the business is gifting, in which personal photos are transferred onto mugs, puzzles, T-shirts, and blankets. Most of the photo gifts cost under $40, with a mug starting at $8. Fitzgerald said the store will soon be expanding into printing on dozens of types of textiles, ranging from shower curtains to scarves, as well as glasswork, aluminum and tin. “You won’t buy art at Target, but have your history and family tree printed on the shower curtain, your linens, a pillow,” said Fitzgerald, noting that the store will also print personal photos on a stretched canvas. “Photo décor is where it’s going.”

Fitzgerald said one advantage of shopping at Artcraft is the employee’s expertise.  “You may find cheap cameras at Target, but you won’t find the service.” Plus, no one’s trying to rush customers who come in with a box of photos commemorating a loved one. “When you walk in here, you can sit in one of our chairs for two hours,” said Fitzgerald. “We have compassion for your memories. It’s not just about your photos.” Open Monday-Friday from 9 to 6, Saturday from 10 to 5, and Sunday from 11 to 4.

 R&F Handmade Paints, located at 84 Ten Broeck Avenue, is the industry leader for encaustics, the wax-based paints that were used by the Egyptians thousands of years ago and which founder Richard Frumess helped popularize as a viable medium for contemporary artists. Located in Kingston since the mid 1990s, the business also manufactures oil sticks, and—perhaps not widely known–has a store on the premises that sells a full line of materials for painters, including brushes, Williamsburg oil paint (which is manufactured in upstate New York), canvas, and palettes, in addition to its paints and oil sticks.  

R & F Handmade Paints

R&F also sells artists’ supplies on-line, but the prices in the store are 15 percent less, said director of operations Darin Sein. It sells items in bulk: while linseed oil, for example, is sold in expensive pints at most art supply stores, R&F sells it by the gallon. The store also carries a high-grade, sweet-smelling turpentine (“we spent a long time researching this to find it,” according to Sein). Of course, it also sells a full line of equipment for encaustic painters, including hand-assembled heated palettes and heat guns, torches and electrically heated tools.

The store features holiday and back-to-school sales, said Sein. Besides its three- and five-day workshops, it also offers one-day workshops that are popular with residents, including an encaustic class from noon to four every third Saturday (cost is $40). R&F also runs a gallery, which shows works by distinguished artists in both encaustic and oil. The store is open Monday through Friday from 9-5 and Saturday from 10-5.

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