Catskill: Punching Above its Weight

It’s a crisp, sunny afternoon on the first day of November in Catskill. At the center of the modestly sized municipality—population 11,298 in the town at large, with 3,700 in its central village—there’s a party going on. The 400 block of Main Street has been closed off at both ends, and hip-hop plays at a comfortable volume over a portable PA system. Families frolic and mingle, local fixture Village Pizza has set up a covered stand to sell hot slices, and coffee shop/bookstore/gift emporium/art gallery Citiot has a steady stream of customers. Erected temporarily in the middle of the block is a small stage, upon which sits the guest of honor. Mike Tyson has come home.

Born in Brooklyn, the boxing icon landed in Catskill as a problematic 13-year-old in 1980. Here, he was coached by Cus D’Amato at the legendary trainer’s KO Boxing Gym at 422 Main (on the third floor of the police station) and went on to become heavyweight champion of the world. Today, 40 years after the death of D’Amato, who also trained champs Floyd Patterson and Jesse Torres, Tyson is here to host “Celebration of Cus,” an event commemorating the legacy of his late mentor and the town that nurtured them both.

Having such athletic royalty in the normally sedate Greene County village may feel like an outsized honor to unwitting visitors, but it tracks: Catskill seems poised to become the Hudson Valley’s Next Big Thing. And much like its favorite son Tyson, it’s taken a beating to get here.

On the Ropes

Like another famous figure associated with the area, folk character Rip Van Winkle—who’s immortalized by a statue at the top of Main Street as well as the eponymous bridge connecting Catskill to Columbia County—the once-slumbering town’s reawakening has been long in coming.

Settled in 1680 by Derrick Teunis van Vechten, it was formally established in 1788 and enjoyed a booming economy until the newly built Erie Canal began rerouting trade to other regions early the next century. From the 1850s through the late 19th century, tourism and local industry brought prosperity back, but with the Great Depression the town once again saw a downturn. Manufacturing during World War II revived it, but in the 1980s outsourcing prompted its industries to leave again, setting the stage for a dire situation that was compounded by the 1990s crack epidemic.

Yet the tough little town, whose core is bisected by the Catskill Creek, never threw in the towel. With nearby Hudson steadily turning glitzier and pricier since the 2010s, Catskill’s walkable Main Street retail corridor and charming—and measurably cheaper—older homes, only minutes from the Thruway and the Amtrak station across the river, have made it, arguably, the brightest spot between Kingston and Albany. During the Covid exodus New York transplants with simmer wallets looking for a new life and opportunities upstate, noticed Catskill’s affordable potential and began trickling in.

Artistic Streak

“It’s been a cool year,” says Liam Singer, the owner of music venue, bar, and homestyle Korean restaurant the Avalon Lounge, which opened in 2019. “The food service industry is very difficult right now due to the tariffs, but the club had a great summer and a steady fall season. There are always new people coming in, and a lot of great new businesses have opened in town.”

Among the hot live acts the Avalon hosted in 2025 were indie rock luminaries Yo La Tengo; this month promises the Ladybug Transistor (December 6) and others. Singer, who with his wife, Laura, moved to Catskill from New York in 2016, helped Catskill’s artistic community thrive by giving it a consistent gathering place with the opening of the Hi-Lo Cafe in 2017; the coffeehouse was eventually rechristened Cafe Joust by its current owners.

But the roots of Catskill’s once-dormant arts scene stretch much farther back. Overlooking the Hudson is the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, also known as Cedar Grove, a National Historic Landmark and the former home and studio of the movement-founding Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole. Built in 1816, the household was occupied by Cole from the mid-1830s until his death in 1848. Today it serves as a museum, open on Saturdays and Sundays, that enshrines Cole’s legacy and shows art by others as well (“On Trees: Georgia O’Keeffe and Thomas Cole” is on view through December 14). 

Opened in 2004 by artists Dina Bursztyn and Julie Chase on Main Street in a former fried chicken restaurant, Open Studio gallery and shop offers handmade art by emerging Hudson Valley artists, global crafts, jewelry, used books, and more. “Catskill was very depressed and empty when we started,” says Chase, whose partner died in 2023. “The first 10 years were lean for business and making friends. We saw a lot of turnover when the housing bubble burst, back around 2006. But now there’s a really nice mix of young creative types and new merchants here.” Lumberyard Center for Film and Performing Arts, the 33,500 square foot production campus on the banks of the Catskill Creek which had been in limbo since its 2023 closure is now in contract with an undisclosed party. Its Water Street neighbor, Foreland, an art studios/event center housed in a historic mill complex, continues to thrive.

It’s Showtime

The biggest news to hit the Catskill commercial landscape this year was September’s reopening of the gloriously renovated Community Theatre movie house. The restored, 800-seat, bilevel theater, which dates to 1888 (it was rebuilt in 1920 after a fire), screens first-run mainstream movies as well as art-house and classic repertory films, hosts live events, and features a concessions counter and bar. Recently opened within its lobby is Sleepover Trading Co., a collector-run shop specializing in VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray sales and rentals, comics, vintage toys, and more fantastic fare. Also on Main Street are Kirwan’s Game Store, vinyl mecca Spike’s Record Rack, antique emporium Sister Salvage, Magpie bookstore, Kaaterskill Market gift and decor outlet, sustainability-driven boutique Made X Hudson, and other retailers.

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More interested in pedaling than peddlers? Head to Catskill Bicycle Supply Co., at 347 Main. “Our customer base is primarily Greene County residents and second-home owners,” says Lee Herchenroder, who grew up in nearby Round Top and opened the shop in 2023 with his brother Mountain Laurel. “We do a solid rental and retail business for folks who are visiting the area. Being from the area and involved in the cycling scene for as long as we have helps a lot. Folks know who we are, what we’re about, and that their bike is in good hands when they bring it in for service.”

Biking and browsing will work up an appetite, and Catskill is a fine place to dine. Its popular eateries include Hemlock (cozy cocktail bar serving smash burgers and snacks), Piccolo Trattoria (classic Italian family menu), Catskill Chocolate Co. (fresh pastries and coffee), Creekside (American classics and bar with a patio and creek views), and Phos (newly opened Greek American bistro).

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Grants and Growth

In 2022 and 2023 Catskill applied for Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funding from the state—and was denied both times. But last March came the supremely welcome news that the governor had selected the village to receive a $10 million DRI grant, whose monies will be allocated to address the local affordability crisis by creating new homes at a range of price points and improving existing homes; investing in the assets of the downtown area, its businesses, and Catskill Creek; expanding and improving accessible, affordable community spaces; and beautifying streetscapes while improving wayfinding and accessible pedestrian infrastructure.

“Catskill is a village, but we are mighty and more like a small city being the county seat,” says Natasha Law, Catskill village board president and owner of The Juice Branch juice bar. “We have close to 25,000 people driving through, coming to shop, work, eat, and go to school daily. Affordable housing is lacking across the village. We have had boardrooms packed with residents looking for help. The village of Catskill adopted Good Cause Eviction [legislation] and became a pro-housing community to try to combat the affordable housing crisis head on. We adopted new zoning regulations to allow accessory dwelling units and created short-term rental regulations.”

The most cosmetically visible manifestation of the DRI award so far is the work that’s being done on downtown streets and sidewalks, and what lies beneath them. “The streetscape improvements align perfectly with the timeline for the completion of our waterline project,” says Law. “We broke ground in late spring on Main Street to replace the aging main waterlines and remove all lead connections. Our vision includes beautifully paved roads, which are long overdue, as well as new sidewalks featuring bump-outs designed to slow traffic and enhance safety.”

Fighting Spirit

But while housing and infrastructure are receiving monetary aid, many in the community are struggling with hunger and inadequate wages, especially in the face of the recent federal jeopardizing of SNAP and related programs. “Greene County in general is much poorer than its neighboring counties,” says Neva Wartell, executive director of the Catskill Food Pantry, one of five such organizations in the town. “There’s been a big uptick [in pantry clients] over the last few weeks, with so much continuing need. Our physical facility is a ‘client choice’ model, set up like a grocery store. We try hard to have more fresh and healthy food options, and we deliver to a lot of people who are in emergency housing in rural former motels or are isolated or infirm; some are paraplegics or quadriplegics. People ask about donating food or volunteering, which definitely helps. But financial donations are the most effective help.”

Despite their town’s challenges, though, Catskillians are up for the fight. “Catskill is my favorite place on Earth,” Law says. “It is where I graduated. Where I chose to raise my family. Where I chose to open my first business and where I chose to become a public servant and run for office. We are a community. We look out for each other. When something happens big or small we pull together. We are diverse. We are creative. And we are strong. I am always proud to say I am from Catskill. I look forward to being a part of the growth but keeping Catskill’s small-town charm and making sure it’s a place for everyone.” 

* An earlier version of this article stated that Lumberyard was still for sale. As of November 15, it was under contract to an undisclosed party.

This article appears in December 2025.