Greene County Success Stories

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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...

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...

Michael Moy, though not originally from Greene County, has long had an affinity for the region. He and his partner Joe Sniado spent over 10 years building their dream property in Durham – High Rock Lodge. After moving to the region fulltime in 2014, and opening the Joe’s Garage Event Venue shortly after, Mike and Joe wanted to bring their love of the area and its elements into an experience for...

As the hospitality industry continues to rebound from the pandemic downturn, more and more rural properties like the former Thompson House in Windham are getting serious consideration and investment from visionaries like John Flanagan – CEO and founder of Wylder Hotels. His company creates destinations for adventurers to escape the crowds, experience the outdoors, and enjoy all the modern...

Tom Illari, like many residents of Greene County, does not originally hail from the area. Though he grew up and worked downstate, he’s always loved the County’s unique charms. As an avid collector and researcher of all things Catskill/Greene County, he’s devoted himself to sharing that love of our communities’ rich history with visitors and residents alike. At the recently opened...