Stockade District awash in history, but few customers

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It”™s 40 degrees ”“ warm by Hudson Valley standards ”“ on a Saturday afternoon in mid-February in the Stockade District of Kingston. Comparable to Manhattan”™s Greenwich Village, its canopied sidewalks have an eclectic array of stores, restaurants and galleries loaded with charm underneath them. Sadly, that”™s where the similarity to Greenwich Village ends.

More than half the shops were “closed for business” at 3 o”™clock on this afternoon. One store, Full Circle, had a colorful array of unique umbrellas displayed on the sidewalk, but barely a soul was walking the historic district. Full Circle was one of the few stores that had its door open for business.

Linda Fusaro-Scevola, the shop”™s owner, said: “We have a real problem here, and it”™s not just the weather; we”™ve had plenty of snowstorms, but the city has cleaned up the streets and there”™s parking. I blame the broadcast media, which is constantly warning people how bad the economy is day and night. Our Uptown Business Association needs to get the message out we local businesses need to support one another. I shop right on this street to keep my fellow storekeepers in business and they do the same for me ”“ that”™s the way we can pull through this.”

Fusaro-Scevola”™s husband, Robert, is a real estate salesman, an industry that has “essentially shut down,” he said. “I”™ve been looking for a permanent position for two years…I”™ve been in sales all my life, but today, trying to get a sales job is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

These days, he helps his wife at the store, which she keeps open because “What else am I going to do? Sit at home and wait until business gets better?”

Double trouble

For the Scevolas, their home is also in jeopardy. Because of the subprime mortgage crisis, their mortgage has been sold to other financial institutions, and in the process, they have seen the payment go from $1,330 a month to more than $3,000. “We paid our taxes every year and were never late. Then the next company wanted the taxes in escrow. Then the next one wanted more in escrow, ”˜just in case.”™” Right now, the couple is trying to figure out a way not only to save their home but to bring business to what should be a bustling neighborhood to save their store.

“There really isn”™t much help here for the small business owner,” said Fusaro-Scevola, who says her gift shop is a “fun-tastic” place to shop.

“I have a little of everything and it”™s all unique and reasonably priced. I make my own jewelry. What do we have that big stores don”™t? Personal service. Carrying packages out to the customers”™ cars so they don”™t have to worry about finding a parking spot. We do our best … but with so many stores closed around us and the constant drumbeating of the economy in ruins, there”™s no incentive for people to come here. Even a purchase of $5 is a worry ”“ and when that happens, you know we have a problem.”

Looking for customers

Down the block, Dominic Vanacore just celebrated his first anniversary in business. Dominic”™s CafÃ©, on the corner of North Front Street, has several customers inside. His mother, Rita Vanacore, owns Dream Weaver Hair Salon upstairs from the new eatery, moving her 30-year-old business to the building the family bought when business was booming.

“The Stockade District is a wonderful place to shop, eat or just stroll around and look at the wealth of historic buildings still standing from the 1600s … but there”™s nobody here,” Rita Vanacore said. “The broadcast media has instilled such fear into buyers they are afraid to spend anything for fear they”™ll lose their jobs. Yes, things are bad, but I think the dailies and the television commentators are drilling this notion into the public”™s head 24/7 that we are about to fall off the planet.”

Like the Scevolas, the Vanacores belong to the Uptown Business Association, where business owners are brainstorming ways to bring business to a neighborhood full of history and food and retail shops.

Stimulus, what stimulus?

Both business owners voiced skepticism over the federal stimulus package.

“Sounds like big business and banks will get a bailout. Why not take a chunk of that money and distribute it to the small business population and to the working people in this country, so they can buy cars, pay their mortgages and get their lives back on track?” Vanacore asked. “It seems like the only businesses hanging on to a steady client base are bars and beauty salons … and even there, I see my customers trying to get an extra week or two out of a haircut or a color touch-up. I don”™t blame them. It”™s very scary what”™s happening. I believe, just like the rest of the members of the Uptown Business Association, that we should start patronizing each others”™ stores as much as possible, keep our business as local as possible. Nobody else is going to come to our rescue. We have to rescue ourselves.”

Historic past

“Kingston”™s got a remarkable past, present and future,” said Ed Ford, the city”™s historian.

“Although we were only the capital of New York state for three weeks ”“ the British burned it down during the revolution ”“ it was rebuilt, and many of the stone structures still remain that reflect our Dutch ancestry. The Stockade District is one of the oldest and most charming places to visit in the state. We need for the city to pull together and really market what we have to offer.”

After living through the Great Depression, Ford, now 90, says today”™s economy is much like that of the 1930s.

“Things were rough and there wasn”™t much money. Everything was so rosy two or three years ago ”“ now we”™re on the precipice of some serious economic hardships. But I believe that, just as in the Great Depression, American spirit and ingenuity will lift us out of it.” A little infusion of money wouldn”™t hurt either, he added. “Woodstock has done a great job of promoting itself,” Ford said. “We need the same enthusiasm and support here.”

At the other end of town at the Rondout, the city”™s waterfront, business seemed busy in comparison with the Stockade District. But even there, said one business owner who wanted to remain anonymous, “We are holding on just by the skin of our teeth. …There was a lot of waterfront development proposed to come here … so many anti-development groups made it so difficult to get anything done, the window of opportunity closed … now, it may be years before we see any real economic improvement here.”