Entrepreneurs are heading to Catskills small towns to find big success

For centuries, during the summer New Yorkers have been all about fleeing the city heat for cooler environs upstate, in the Catskills.

Today, those fabled peaks are having a veritable renaissance, and NYC dwellers are relocating there permanently to enjoy an upstate state of mind.

Here’s how they did it.

Camp Catskill, Tannersville

Ryan Penny founded Camp Catskill as a web-based hiking outfitter in 2021 before opening a brick-and-mortar store in Tannersville in 2022.

The gear shop sells camping and hiking essentials, clothing, shoes, backpacks and gifts.

Penny’s best piece of advice for those thinking of abandoning those crowded city streets?

“Location, location, location! For a business like ours, being in a village with high weekend foot traffic and located so close to so many outdoor recreation options has been ideal,” said Penny.

“We’ve also leaned into what makes our specific area unique by creating exclusive products like our T-shirts with local landmarks such as Kaaterskill Falls and the Devil’s Path,” he said.

Wakeman Coffee, Sidney

Opened in December 2021, this wholesale coffee roaster (you can order its delectable coffee online) occupies a historic firehouse in this quaint Delaware County village.

It drips (pun intended) with just that kind of small-town splendor urbanites dream of.

“We’ve witnessed new friendships made and existing friendships strengthened as well as connections within the local arts community,” said co-owner Sage McKinley. “The Catskills are a unique place in that there are locals who have been here for generations living alongside those who have migrated here from vastly diverse backgrounds.”

Sounds Good Music House, Andes

This labor of love between good friends is “a literal mom and pop” record shop, per co-founder Greg Evans, who runs it with his wife, Lindsay Nolin-Evans, and three friends.

Established in 2022, the store stocks new and used vinyl, turntables, original artwork and vintage furniture.

Evans highlights that they host in-store performances and “always keep a pot of coffee brewing.”

“My wife and I had been living in Ridgewood, Queens, for a few years, and we closed on a home in Andes in March 2020,” he shared. “My wife, is a painter and I own an architecture practice called Restless Works. I always thought it’d be cool to enter my studio through a record store, so when this building became available, we made it happen.”

The Boarding House at Seminary Hill, Callicoon

Founder and CEO Doug Doetsch opened his boutique hotel at this complex composed of a restaurant, event space and cider orchard (the world’s first energy-efficient Passive House-certified cidery) in 2021 as an homage to his ancestral roots.

“My family comes from Callicoon, and so I never considered opening a business anywhere else. My parents had to move away to find decent middle-class jobs, and one of my goals was to provide jobs for local residents,” said Doetsch.

Doetsch also appreciates the emphasis on caring for the land and people that permeates Seminary Hill.

“Sustainability is the core value of all the businesses at Seminary Hill; stewardship of the land and of the community that nurtured my family for five generations,” he said.

The Outside Institute, Callicoon

Founding naturalist Laura Chávez Silverman established this organization in 2017 to provide outdoor nature-based education, this year opening an outpost in Callicoon.

The year-round programming includes guided nature walks, sustainable foraging, wildcrafting workshops and botanical mixology, to name some highlights.

“By nurturing people’s powers of observation and innate affinity for the wild, we hope to inspire joyful awareness and an essential reciprocity between all beings,” said Chávez Silverman.

If you’re looking to move to a rural town, Chávez Silverman advises taking your time and observing what is needed.

“See where you can fit into the existing ecosystem and how you can be of service to the community,” she said.

Diamond Hollow Books and Healing, Andes

Miles Bellamy and his business partner and wife Susie opened their one-of-a-kind shop in October 2021.

Along with vending books, the space welcomes lecturers, offers holistic health sessions in the Wolf Room and houses art shows.

A New York City native, Miles worked at his father’s art gallery in Queens before opening a bookshop in Williamsburg that he happily resigned from in 2021.

“The Catskills are a magnet for searchers and many of them find their ways through our doors,” he said.

Susie, a Shamanic Reiki practitioner, focuses on the “healing” aspect of the store’s moniker.

Miles’ biggest takeaway for potential starter-uppers in these parts is to not start out underfunded.

“But once you get here and spend a little time among the vibrant community and the glories of our mountains, you won’t want to leave,” he warned.

Catskill Art Space, Livingston Manor 

Teleport yourself back to Brooklyn in this age-old mountain range at this contemporary art hub.

In addition to exhibits, Catskill Art Space (CAS) welcomes performances, classes, lectures and screenings for modern art enthusiasts of all varieties.

“CAS was founded by Charles F. Beck in 1971, out of his Cooks Falls home, as a space for artists to gather and share common interests,” said executive director Sally Wright and former Upper West Sider.

CAS incorporated as nonprofit Catskill Art Society in 1972 and moved to Hurleyville to cohabitate the Sullivan County Museum building with the Sullivan County Historical Society.

Fast-forward to 2007, and CAS renovated the Manor Theater in Livingston Manor, to create exhibition space and classrooms.

In 2020, CAS underwent another major renovation and expansion, and was reopened in 2022 as Catskill Art Space.

Wright personally relocated from New York City to Livingston Manor in 2017 to help shepherd in this most recent era of CAS’ reimagining.

“After a long tenure at Dia Art Foundation in the city, I was eager to stretch my legs and take on a project that could be transformative for the organization and our town alike,” she said.  

In seeking out a new town, Wright said it’s key to move somewhere that feels lively year-round.

“Should you be making it a part-time or full-time residence, look for cultural institutions that may enrich your life through art classes, exhibitions, screenings, performances and more,” said Wright. “A vibrant artist community is an indication the town is invested in civic and social engagement, economic renewal and childhood wellbeing.”

The Blue Fox Motel, Narrowsburg

This hamlet on the Delaware River may only have a population of some 370 residents, but manages to be the home of NYC-worthy wood-fired, sourdough pizzas at local restaurant The Laundrette.

It’s also where you’ll find the Blue Fox Motel, one of the coolest remodeled properties around, which opened in June 2020.

This summer, they unveiled evening pool parties where revelers splash, snack, swill and swing to the beats of live music; the fall will mark the start of a chefs’ supper club series at the motel’s restaurant.

Owners Meg Sullivan and Jorge Neves both previously resided in Manhattan.

After traveling to the Narrowsburg area for some time, Neves relocated to the area full time upon purchasing the restaurant in 2016, and Sullivan followed suit when the motel opened during the start of the pandemic.

“We could not have asked for a more inviting and supportive environment,” said Sullivan. “Everyone believes that our businesses are only successful if all of us are successful, so we go out of our way to help each other and collaborate.”

If you are thinking about launching a business in a small town, Sullivan suggests you “make sure you feel the vibe from the first day. That was our experience and we are forever grateful to our new friends and local community.”