by Bill Batson
Small businesses in Nyack, like flowers, can be grouped in two categories. The hardy perennials that once planted are here to stay, and the annuals that have one beautiful blossom, and then wither. Several new businesses have taken root in Nyack in the last year. The list of freshly sown enterprises includes, 8 North Broadway, Colin Holmes-Homes, Gardens and Gifts and The Little Flower Shop of Nyack.
This week, Nyack Sketch Log admires three old-growth businesses that have endured, Hudson House, Koblin’s and Pickwick Book Shop. Here’s to hoping that the newest crop are all perennials.
Hudson House, August, 2012
May 2012 was a big month at the Hudson House, one of Nyack’s premier restaurants. The New York Times praised new chef Jeffrey Kaufman for his “dazzling dishes.” And owners Matt Hudson and Amy Lehman received an award for Historic Preservation from Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef. In both culinary standards and civic responsibility, the Hudson House is getting high marks, which is fitting when you are serving the public from a building that was once Village Hall.
Koblin’s Pharmacy, September, 2012
Jerry Koblin works his age. The owner of Koblin’s pharmacy turned 75 last month, and he works that number of hours every week. Since he took over the family business from his father in the late 1960’s, Jerry has been a driving force in the civic and commercial life of Nyack. And with the recent arrival of the national pharmacy chain Walgreens, Jerry has no plans to close shop or cut back on his hours.
Pickwick Book Shop, December, 2011
San Francisco has City Lights, New York City has the Strand and Nyack has the Pickwick Book Shop. The experience of shopping at Pickwick has changed little since it first opened in 1945. A seemingly infinite number of titles are crammed into a dense thicket of shelves. Books cover the floor and walls, arching as they approach the ceiling in ponderously tall stacks, in the way that trees canopy in a rain forest. At the center of this untamed landscape of literature is Pickwick’s owner, Jack Dunnigan.
Bill Batson is an activist, artist and writer who lives and sketches in Nyack, NY. Nyack Sketch Log: “Nyack Sketch Log: Small Business Cultivation“ © 2013 Bill Batson
The Nyack Sketch Log is sponsored by The Corner Frame Shop at 40 South Franklin Street in Nyack, NY.