Category Archives: Visit Catskills

Happy New Year!

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It felt like 2025 barreled like a runaway train, right out of the gate, headlong to its sudden and swift end, like it was shuddering on the rails, at speed, while we bounced around on the seats and clung to the handrails for dear life. Was it just me that felt that way?

For me, the holidays very much seemed like 2025 hit the buffers in the terminal with a crashing thump. I couldn’t write nor paint during the festive season, so I had to stop and think for a few weeks. I did a lot of winter hiking and the season seems to be getting colder and colder every year, but it sharpens the senses. I focused on the requests I’ve had in 2025: a few more chapters on Alfie. (The first three you can find here, here and here). He is coming up on his 13th birthday and his kidneys appear to be slowly winding down, a fact that overshadowed the year. There were also requests for more watercolor birds, which have been my most popular art so far, and it was rewarding to offer affordable original pieces to everyone.

Nobody wants the nudes, (one is currently on show at ArtUp Margaretville), which was disappointing because I’ve worked quite hard in figure drawing over the years and produced work that nobody wants. I’m told that it’s a good exercise to do good work, then rip it up and start again. I hope to start winter figure drawing soon.

And then there is the new space, a new studio on 818 Main Street in Margaretville that doesn’t feel quite right somehow. It feels lonely to be out on the street on one’s own instead of nestled in a studio with other artists all together. I’m already looking around for somewhere else to put Upstate Dispatch, but it has to have a kitchen, so I can make everyone tea and coffee. Next weekend, I will be opening the studio January 9th, 10th and 11th from 12pm-4pm for the final showing of the seasonal show “Spring in Winter” that includes my Catskills Mandalas.

The Catskills Mandala Project will encompass other artists this year and I am planning a show of that work in the summer. It’s going to be a colorful 2026.

© Jenny Neal – Usage prohibited without consent

Finally, The Delaware National Bank of Delhi on Route 28 in Margaretville has asked me to show my work there, so all my framed photographic work will be going up there when I can get to it in the next week or two.

Happy New Year! I wish everyone a peaceful and fulfilling 2026.

The Gallery on 818 Main Street, Margaretville, NY 12455. Opening hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 12pm-4pm.

Estro New York: A New Store in Andes

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There’s something for everyone in this beautiful little hamlet.

Last month, Estro New York opened in the former Wilson’s Bread premises on Main Street in Andes. This eclectic new design store with “furniture, art and objects”, mostly vintage, joins coffee shops, diners, a grocery store, book store, a working farm, art galleries, a hotel-restaurant-bar owned by one of the community’s most committed members, the tasting room of a local cider-maker, library, historical society, vintage clothing stores, record shop, wine store, a yoga studio, and finally, an art space, where weekly figure drawing classes are held during the summer by the cool, babbling brook that runs through the town. 

*Pauses to take a deep breath* Have I left anything out? 

All these businesses make this gorgeous little hamlet one of the Great Western Catskills’ most diverse small towns. 

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Catskills Weekend: 48 Hours in Fleischmanns

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For many years, the only nightlife on Fleischmanns’ Main Street was La Cabana Restaurant, which had village’s only bar until it was joined by Goatie White’s on Depot Street a few years ago, but over the summer the village got a taste of what residents would support. On a Sunday night over Memorial Day weekend, a backyard party hosting a variety show and music at the Arts Inn drew over a hundred people. The Inn’s summer party in August was similarly attended. The large, grassed area and back porch was packed with revelers, young and old.

The Arts Inn is owned and run by Randy Leer and Heidi Stonier, who purchased the property on Main Street just as the pandemic hit and began to redecorate. The inn is the newest addition to Main Street and its presence has enlivened the village.

In the last decade, especially the last five years, Main Street in this “four seasons village” – meaning that it welcomes visitors year-round, including skiers – has experienced steady growth, offering more food and culture options. Opening times are limited, but the customers are ready. Main Street now has a thriving new art gallery with some truly remarkable shows that run roughly monthly in addition to musical evenings and poetry readings, a farm store selling locally grown produce, two new restaurants in the last year and the aforementioned arts center and inn. Over the summer, the East Branch of the Delaware River Plein Air Painters took over the old bank shopfront on Main Street and hosted a gallery of the groups’ works. Soon, Main Street will have a wine bar in the old offices of the historic Purple Mountain Press called The Print Room. Residents are thrilled. Come visit!

STAY

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Arts Inn, 923 Main Street, Fleischmanns, NY 12430 (pictured above). An inn, with three rooms, that hosts musical events and gatherings. Guests have access to the first floor amenities including game room, music room, library, dining room and outdoor spaces. Yoga classes and homemade dinners available for purchase.

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The Magnificent Opus 40 Sculpture Park

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In the shadow of Overlook Mountain in Upstate New York, you’ll find one of the most apt monuments of the Catskills, The Opus 40 Sculpture Park. It’s apt because it was built by hand using Catskills bluestone, and in the Catskills it’s no exaggeration to say we have vast quantities of rock and stone, which is emblematic of the strength of character necessary to create the life of a resilient, full-time mountain-dweller. Living in the Catskills year-round is to be like Sisyphus, to roll the proverbial rock up the hill and attempt to keep it there. Opus 40 is the quintessential symbol of the challenging task of making a living in these ancient hills. Here, as the saying goes, there are “two stones for every dirt” – more loose stone than soil – and one local transplant even spent four years removing all the stones from his land so that he could start a farm fit to be planted.

Assembled by hand over 37 years by local sculptor Harvey Fite, the park rises out of the pit of an abandoned quarry like it’s a relic that’s been delicately unearthed by the brush of a giant archeologist. What’s extraordinary is that there were no plans or drawings made before the work began. Fite literally just began and continued until his death 37 years later, and all his tools, winches and pulleys remain to this day in the Quarryman’s Museum in a red barn on the property. It’s named Opus 40 because he predicted that it would take 40 years to complete, but he met an untimely demise three years shy of his goal in an accidental fall in the park.

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March in the Catskills: Update & Links

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© J.N. Urbanski 1pm

Upstate Dispatch has been pretty quiet so far this month. It’s been like a reference library at HQ as we research future projects. There’s been a lot of reading going on and some fiction-writing.

As another superb ski season comes to a close, fly fishing season will be hard on its heels. April 1st is opening day across the Catskills. Esopus Creel is preparing to open a store next to Woodstock Brewery in Phoenicia. Stephen Sautner has published a new memoir about conservation, fly fishing and life in the Catskills titled A Cast in the Woods. I interviewed Stephen, a lifelong fisherman, for my radio show today, and will be posting a print interview with him online in the next few days. Trout Tales gears up for a couple of months of events, classes, and activities in rivers and streams flowing through these mountains.

While we work on content, specifically podcasts, we offer some interesting links to articles on the arts, food and the outdoors.

Have a great week.

J.N. Urbanski

Human-shaped mushrooms found in the UK, from This Is Insider.

From National Geographic, a man who only eats what he grows and forages.

Are you ready from Spring migration? The National Audubon Society’s birding app.

It would have been Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday this year on May 31st, 2019. John Burroughs Woodchuck Lodge is hosting a celebration that begins at Union Grove Distillery in Arkville on the evening of May 31st, 2019. Check the website for details.

Paper bird sculptures.

The Catskills Outdoor Expo on March 30th, 2019.

And finally, an example of how hoards of people descend on a natural wonder and ruin it, from the LA Times. Please adhere to Leave No Trace guidelines when enjoying nature: take only photographs and leave only footprints.

Electric Vehicle-Charging Stations in the Catskill Mountains

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Electric vehicle-charging stations are springing up all over the Catskills. Here’s a list within the Catskill Park Boundary and within the NYC watershed starting north at the Schoharie Reservoir on Route 30, and running south though the Catskills down to Roscoe on Route 17. Click on the links to Google Maps. Take a tour through the mountains in your electric vehicle, see the sights and charge up along the way. Also noted: nearby inns or restaurants.  Cell service is intermittent in the Catskills, especially between Andes and Delhi, and between Big Indian and Phoenicia, so physical maps are still essential for this area.

Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project, 397 Power Plant Access Rd, Gilboa, NY 12076. A pretty remote part of the Catskills by the Schoharie Reservoir. Close by: Heather Ridge Farm, Restaurant & Store, open year-round.

Village of Hobart Public Parking, 11 Cornell Ave Hobart NY 13788. Nearby: Bull & Garland (closed until March 2019), The Sheep’s Nest. Hobart “Book Village”: a magical bibliophile’s paradise nestled in one of the most scenic areas of the Catskills. 

Delaware County Electric Co-op, 39 Elm Street, Delhi, NY 13653. Nearby: Brushland Eating House, Catskills Regional Harvest Farm Store, Goldenrod, Tay Tea, Catskills Momo Tibetan Restaurant. Spotty cell service in surrounding areas. Know before you go.

Town of Colchester EV Charging station at the Downsville Diner at 15185 State Highway 30, Downsville, New York 13755.

Winwood Inn, 5220 NY-23, Windham, NY 12496. Nearby ski mountain and Windham Country Store, which does a fantastic Mean Green Burger using jalapeño mayonnaise. 

Windham Mountain, 33 Clarence D Lane Road, Windham, NY, 12496. See above.

Village of Margaretville Public Parking, 48 Walnut Street, Margaretville, NY 12455. Nearby: Picnic, Trattoria Locale, The Cheese Barrel, The Binnekill Tavern, all on Main Street. Cell service here. State Trooper station about a mile west of here on Route 28/30.

Emerson Resort & Spa, 5340 Route 28, Mt Tremper, NY 12457. Nearby: Phoenicia Diner Route 28 (try the everything), Peekamoose on Route 28, The Pines on Route 212. Cell service drops for a while in surrounding areas. Know before you go.

Woodstock Community Center, 56 Rock City Rd, Woodstock, NY 12498. Nearby: Garden Cafe, Upstate Films, The Tea Shop of Woodstock. a good wine store and all the delights of Woodstock further out into the village.

Bread Alone Bakery, 3962 NY-28, Boiceville, NY 12412. Bread Alone does a nice Hudson River Breakfast. Nearby: Boiceville Supermarket, the Goods Luncheonette, try the fish and chips.

Frost Valley YMCA, 2000 Frost Valley Rd Claryville, NY 12725 No cell service in area. Take a map. There’s no eating around here, only hiking.

Roscoe Diner, 1908 Old Rt 17, Roscoe, New York 12776.

Roscoe Brewery, 145 Rockland Road, Roscoe, NY 12776.

Catskills Brewery, 672 Old Rte 17 Livingston Manor, NY 12758. 

All addresses provided by Plugshare: use the website or download the app to see more details or plan a trip.

Ski Season in the Catskills

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There are discounts still available on ski season passes for 2018-19 at Belleayre Mountain until November 26th. A mid-week pass for Monday to Friday ski-ing, including holidays, is still only $329. Season passes make good holiday gifts. A day pass for Monday to Friday is $60 and a holiday Monday day pass is $72, so you only have to use the pass five or six times to get your money’s worth. Click here and scroll down for more details. See you on the Slopes.

Catskills Weekend: July 22nd

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Saturday July 22nd

Phoenicia

You may just be able to register in time for Taste the World, at 1.30pm on Saturday – if it’s not sold out – at the Phoenicia Library. Sample a medley of traditional foods that The Recipe Hunters learned to make in the homes of locals from around the world. Hear about the stories of people behind these recipes. ADVANCED REGISTRATION required, please call the library 688-7811. 48 Main Street, Phoenicia, NY 12464.

Hobart

Hosted by Transition Catskills, Hobart Methodist Church is holding a Repair Cafe from 10am to 2pm. Take your broken household items, like lamps, vacuum cleaners, small appliances and clothing to be fixed. Hobart Methodist Church, 186 Maple Avenue, Hobart, NY 13788

Bovina

Gardens of Bovina Tour, hosted by Bovina Historical Society will take place from 10am to 4pm. 124 Bob Hall Road, Bovina Center, NY 13740. This is a rare chance to get an insider’s glimpse of one of the hippest areas in the Catskills. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch.

Arkville

If you are interested in becoming a member of the non-profit Catskill Center, they are holding a members-only event entitled The Hudson River School and the Ice Age with speakers and geologists Johanna and Robert Titus. The Catskills Mountains were once at the bottom of the sea where the Bahamas are now. Found out how they got here, Saturday 22nd, 7pm to 9pm. 43355 State Route 28, Arkville, NY 12406. Membership is $35 for individuals and $50 for families.

Andes

Wayside Cider are hosting a Wallabout Fire Roasted Beef Dinner at 6pm Wayside Cider, 55 Redden Lane, Andes, NY 13731. $60 cash at the door.

Monday 24th July

Pine Hill

The Zephyr in Pine Hill is hosting a trivia game night. from 7pm to 10pm. 302 Main Street, Pine Hill, NY 12465. $5 margaritas and some delicious local eats.

Catskills Weekend: July 1st

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Saturday July 1st

Celebrate

9.30 to 4pm in Roxbury, their Summer Festival on Main Street including a Pop-Up Art Sale in the Orphic Gallery, street art, pony rides, wine tastings, fly fishing demonstrations, food, antiques and much more.

Learn

10am at the Catskill Center in Arkville: Stone Pigment Workshop. Catskill mountain artist Laura Leigh Lanchantin will demonstrate her method of grinding Catskill sedimentary rock into oil and watercolor paint. No previous knowledge is required. $12 per person at Catskill Center, 4355 State Route 28, Arkville, New York 12406.

1pm at Woodchuck Lodge in Roxbury: Mairead Mulhern will give a talk on Wildlife Near Home. Mairead, an Environmental Educator from Mine Kill and Mac V. Shaul State Parks, will discuss local wildlife found in Upstate New York. Come take a look at various pelts, skulls, and feathers that are from local animals found in your county. This is a family friendly event. All ages welcome. Address: 1633 Burroughs Memorial Road, Roxbury, NY 12474.

Eat

9am to 4pm: Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Pop Up Shop, in the lot at Phoenicia Diner at 5681 Route 28, Phoenicia, NY 12464. July 1st to 4th. Live music by M. Lui and Keenan O’Meara on Saturday night.

Dance

It’s hard to resist a dance party when it comes along. Wayside Cider is having such a shindig on July 1st, 7pm to 11pm, at their brewery in Andes. 55 Redden Lane, Andes, NY 13731. DJ Jess will be spinning.

Catskills Food Guide 2017

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© J.N. Urbanski

I’m proud to have had the opportunity to contribute text and images to this year’s Catskills Food Guide published by the Watershed Post that hit the stands today. I’ve tried many of the region’s burgers and sandwiches for the WP. I’ve interviewed and photographed local producers and store-owners too, but the best assignment I’ve ever had was interviewing Ray Turner, an eclectic old-timer who traps eel on the Delaware River in a gigantic weir that he built with his own hands. The weir is truly to be seen to be believed – constructed with available stone and wood – and the man himself is a true Catskills character. He has a pet emu. We had some seriously eccentric exchanges. He only likes Black Labradors:

Him: “The only good dog is a lab, all the others are goats as far as I’m concerned.”
Me: “I LOVE goats!”
Him: “…”

I hadn’t been at his establishment an hour before he had me in a pair of thick rubber waders in a canoe out on the river.

Me: “None of this equipment likes water”.
Him: “No standing in the canoe”.

Pick up a copy of the Catskills Food Guide at any establishment in the Catskills. The guide includes a large pull-out, color map of the region detailing the places where you can eat, drink and shop locally.

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The Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center

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© J.N. Urbanski 7/1/15

© J.N. Urbanski 7/1/15

Today, the ribbon was cut on the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center, a new center for visitors to the Catskills off Route 28 in Mount Tremper. A partnership of the Catskill Center, the Friends of the Catskill Interpretive Center and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, it features state of the art technology. The CIC is a space for the interpretation of the natural and cultural resources of the Catskill region.

You’ll find it tucked away behind an array of sculptures and a large kiosk on 5096 Route 28 in Mount Tremper. Plan your next trip the Catskills here.

Autumn in New York

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2014-09-09 18.59.08

copyright J.N. Urbanski

The I love NY tourist website has a handy interactive guide to “leaf peeping” upstate. They issue “Fall Color Reports” every Wednesday.  We have myriad pockets of red here overlooking Belleayre Mountain in Ulster County, so the next few weeks will be optimum Autumnal leaf-viewing.