If you want to find Chester”™s historic district, just ask where the village police station is.
A sign on Route 94 points the way to the street that once was the hub of Chester”™s downtown area. These days, busy Brookside Avenue (17M) has become Chester”™s main drag, with new hotels, new drugstores and a soon-to-be-built Lowe”™s coming to town, driving commercial rents through the roof for many small businesses.
That”™s why Bill Winn, owner of Winn Cards and Comics, moved his 14-year-old shop from Brookside Avenue to the village”™s historic district.
“Rents are a lot more reasonable down here,” said Winn, his store busy with tweens and adults playing a Japanese card game. Winn not only carries the popular anime cards, but also has a fine display of Topps baseball cards for sale. His comic book selection has a steady stream of customers and Winn has customers who receive their monthly issues through subscription.
Saturday, Winn”™s customers were concentrating heavily on a “Naruto” tournament he organized and holds every week. “It gives kids a place to go and mingle and gets them away from the TV screens,” said Winn.
Stacy Padilla owns Pixie Dust across the street from Winn”™s card and comic book shop. She”™s entering her second year in business, a milestone she hopes will see her new store turn a profit in 2008. “The first year was scary,” admits Padilla, “but we have gotten great word of mouth from customers who have managed to find us.” From pixies (all sorts), incense, cards and handcrafted items in her well-stocked shop, Padilla says local shopkeepers have not only helped boost each other”™s morale but also are recommending fellow business owners to their customers.
Advertising ”“ and joining the chamber of commerce ”“ are out of reach for many in this segment of the business population. “It”™s very expensive for us,” says Winn, who took an $800 ad in one local paper that produced just four results. “That may work for a large company but for someone like me, it just doesn”™t work. I have to rely on foot traffic that comes down to visit this section of town and on word-of-mouth advertising from customers.”
Downtown Chester has gone through a quasi-revival, thanks to restaurants like Boodles, Maggie”™s in the Alley and Clayton Delaney”™s. The Heritage Trail runs through the historic section, with an accompanying rest stop, and the village”™s former train depot has been restored and turned into a historical society for the community.
Business owners say they are pinning hopes on new Supervisor Steve Neuhaus and the village”™s new Mayor Phil Valastro, who were just sworn in Jan. 1. “They have said they”™ll work together to bring more business our way,” said Padilla.
ChesterӪs Route 94 could also use a little pedestrian-friendly signage. Jerry Thomas, who works at Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Center in Goshen, opened Sticky Fingers Caf̩ in May 2007 with his family. But business has been literally flying by them.
The speed limit may say 30 miles per hour, but trucks and cars whiz by Thomas”™ new eatery, which features Southern style cooking.
“People are just flying by here,” said Thomas. “We have been getting some local people coming in to eat, but if there were pedestrian crossings here, I think people would become more aware of the businesses that are at the intersection of Route 94 and Chester”™s old Main Street. At least they”™d slow down.” Sticky Fingers”™ owner says anything that will help his restaurant and fellow business owners “stick” out will be a boost for his fledgling establishment and his neighbors.
Like most business owners in Chester, whether on busy Brookside Avenue or on its side streets, all agree the closure of Camp LaGuardia has made Chester a pleasant destination. “We don”™t have hundreds of homeless men walking up and down drinking and bothering people in the town”™s shopping center anymore,” said one clerk in ShopRite. “People hated coming here because of the panhandling that went on outside the store. People were getting harassed by LaGuardia residents to help them with their groceries … so it”™s a real blessing that it was closed. We”™ve actually seen business all through the shopping center pick up. The bowling alley, movie theatre and little places to eat are all seeing more business as a result.”
While Camp LaGuardia”™s eventual fate has yet to be announced, County Executive Edward Diana pledged to put the 250-acre property back on the tax rolls.
