For a long time, Greene County existed in the popular imagination as a place you passed through on the way to somewhere else: the ski slopes, the hiking trails, the river towns farther south. That perception is getting harder to sustain.
This week, New York State announced that the Villages of Catskill and Athens will receive a combined $14.2 million in downtown revitalization funding through the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward programs—$9.7 million for Catskill and $4.5 million for Athens.
The money will support redevelopment projects, housing initiatives, business growth, waterfront improvements, and upgrades to public spaces. But beyond the line items, the announcement feels like official recognition of something residents, artists, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs have already sensed for several years: Greene County is in the middle of a serious cultural and economic upswing.
“This is a defining moment for Greene County,” says James Hannahs, director of economic development, tourism, and planning in Greene County. “These awards affirm what residents, businesses and investors already know—Greene County is becoming one of New York’s most dynamic destinations for economic growth, downtown revitalization and quality-of-life investment.”
In Catskill especially, the momentum has become difficult to ignore. Once known primarily as the hometown of painter Thomas Cole and as a stop along Route 9W, the village has evolved into one of the most interesting small-town cultural hubs in the Hudson Valley.
On any given weekend, Avalon Lounge hosts touring indie bands, experimental music acts, DJs, comedy, and film screenings in a former storefront transformed into an improbably cool performance venue. Nearby, Bridge Street Theatre has built a reputation for adventurous programming that punches well above the village’s size. Community radio station WGCX broadcasts free-form radio from Main Street with a low-power, deeply local ethos that feels increasingly rare in contemporary media.
Then there’s the food scene. Greek restaurant Phos and Loomie’s Luncheonette has become emblematic of a newer generation of Hudson Valley hospitality businesses: design-conscious without being slick, nostalgic without lapsing into kitsch. Around the corner, newcomers continue to fill long-empty storefronts with cafes, boutiques, galleries, bars, and specialty shops.
And perhaps most symbolically, the historic Community Theater—a 1920s movie palace that sat dormant for decades—is in the midst of a long-awaited revival. The restoration effort represents more than historic preservation. It’s a statement of confidence in the future of downtown Catskill itself.
The state funding announcement lands in the middle of all this activity, less as a starting gun than as an accelerant. “Our future is bright and beautifully planned,” says Village of Catskill Board President Natasha Law. “By combining increased recreation and services with a deep commitment to small business support, walkability, and housing, this DRI slate ensures Catskill remains a destination to live, work, and play.”
That emphasis on walkability and public space matters. Much of the recent energy in Catskill has stemmed from the fact that the village still feels like a real place rather than a fully optimized tourism product. People can walk between venues. Musicians end up at the same bars as painters, restaurant workers, and visitors from the city. There’s density—not urban density, but cultural density.
Athens, meanwhile, has been building its own quieter-but-no-less-significant resurgence just across the river. The village’s compact historic core, riverfront location, and strong architectural character have made it increasingly attractive to both visitors and new residents seeking a slower pace without isolation.
Mayor Amy Serrago says the NY Forward funding will help continue that trajectory. “I couldn’t be more thrilled about the projects selected for funding through our NY Forward award,” Serrago said. “The final slate will be truly transformative to the village and help to further the growth we’ve already seen in recent years.”
The awards also reflect a broader shift in how Greene County is perceived regionally. For years, the Hudson Valley conversation has tended to orbit around places like Hudson, Beacon, Kingston, or Woodstock. Increasingly, Greene County communities are entering that conversation not as alternatives, but as destinations in their own right.
Part of that shift is economic. Part is aesthetic. But a large part of it comes down to community-scale reinvestment—the cumulative effect of small businesses, arts organizations, historic preservation projects, live music venues, and civic infrastructure all reinforcing one another.
“These are the kinds of catalytic investments that create long-term economic opportunity,” says Greene County Legislature Chair Patrick Linger. “They strengthen our downtowns, support small businesses, attract private investment and help position Greene County as a place where people want to live, work and invest.”
That last phrase—live, work, and invest—captures the balancing act now facing places like Catskill and Athens. The challenge isn’t simply attracting attention. It’s managing growth in a way that preserves the weirdness, affordability, and local texture that made these places compelling in the first place.
Still, after decades in which many small river towns struggled simply to hold onto what they had, Greene County suddenly finds itself in a different position entirely: deciding what kind of future it wants to build.
