What’s New Upstate – A Guide | August 2025
Posted by Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty on Wednesday, August 20th, 2025 at 1:58pm
As real estate agents in the Upstate NY region, we notice when the shape of the towns and villages of the Hudson Valley and Catskills changes around us. New galleries, new restaurants, new shops – sometimes we’re the first to hear about them from our clients who are making their entrepreneurial dreams happen (these are our favorites!), sometimes we hear about them through the lightning-fast grapevine that makes this community so incredible. If the fries are great, we know. If the pants are perfect, we’ve got them. If the art is worth attention, we have the house to match. Here’s a list of the new and notable businesses we've welcomed to our neighborhoods of late. If you love to make recommendations as much as we do, use this list as a research project!
New Paltz
Our Real Estate agents cover 10 counties, but almost every one of them has done business in New Paltz – it's a common ground for us. Our Marketing Team is also stationed in our New Paltz office - if there’s something new, they're on it like white on rice. Here are the new favorites:
Butterhead Salad Company
If you want friendly service, a light atmosphere, and a healthy lunch, go to Butterhead for the freshest salad. Their crafted salads are delicious, and you can request that they be chopped if you like. Their dressings are fresh, homemade, remarkably light, and delicious. As salad places go, we give this a 10 out of 10. The Green Goodness dressing is our FAVE! The owner, Sabena Branche, is frequently in the store and always a pleasure to chat with as she helps you make your day healthy!
Little Loaf Bake Shop
Vegans rejoice! Everyone else, you won’t notice that Little Loaf’s vegan baked goods are anything but delicious! We love this new bakery/café and the elevated reno that makes its new home on Main Street a standout in the village. The new space is open, inviting, filled with plants, and with the awesome smells of pastries and coffee.
Catskill
Ruthann Gallery
Ruthann Gallery opened in late winter on Main Street in Catskill. They present both local and regional contemporary artists who work in a wide range of media (hooray for variety!) An adjacent studio is offered for rent in support of artists and as a means to subsidize the gallery.
Windham
Clutch and Throttle Cookies
Clutch and Throttle have been around for almost a year now. Their super-comfy Windham shop is especially comfy for us. Set in our former Main Street location (we’re just down the street now), Clutch and Throttle offers treats, teas, milkshakes, and coffees. We suggest you start with a classic snickerdoodle and make your way through the rainbow M&Ms and the toffee pecans! Side note: they’re pup-friendly to the extreme!
Gem Mercantile Boutique
Housed by one of Main Street, Windham’s most distinctive buildings, this mercantile and site of the weekly Windham Farmers’ Market offers a little bit of everything! Clothing, accessories, home goods, books, “Catskill-opoly”, jewelry, and skincare. They, too, are pup-friendly! (Windham’s a great place to bring a dog!)
Jimmy O'Connor's Pub
We feel we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the tempting commercial opportunity that’s available in Windham. We have Jimmy O’Connor’s Pub listed! Every TV show about a small rural town, from Northern Exposure to Virigin River, has a bar just like this. Why? They're romantic! SOOO romantic! This iconic Windham Landmark is a chance to make someone’s dream of owning a picturesque little bar in the mountains a reality. A cherished local institution for nearly 50 years it's located in an A+ spot on South Street — directly across from the Windham Golf Course and Little League fields, and just a quarter-mile to Windham Mountain Club. Charming and idyllic, feel free to share with a friend who needs a business outlet or a life change.
Kingston
Good Eat'n
Stop what you're doing! Someone opened a soul food restaurant in Kingston and IT. IS. GOOD. Our broker stopped by Good Eat'n in mid-town and was blown away by both the food and the spirit of this unassuming new offering. Chef Joe McDole and his daughter Mercedes are on premises baking up mac and cheese, making ribs, fish, and fried chicken, and sharing smiles and community with everyone who stops in. They serve lunch, dinner, and breakfast (on Saturdays and Sundays) - all at affordable price points - and for dessert, there's sweet potato cheesecake! We heartily recommend you make this the first stop on your tour of everything new!
Assembly Kingston
Once a Catholic School, this historic building has been reimagined as an entertainment venue that’s just right for Upstate. Its 450-patron capacity makes it big enough for a real party, but intimate enough to feel connected to the performers and their performances. Concerts, dance parties, comedy shows, this venue has already made a huge contribution to the Upstate arts scene in the few months it’s been open. This weekend, the lineup includes a Beyoncé dance party, guitarist J.D. Simo, and Goldford. We love the variety and the combo of local and national acts.
Fantzye Bagels
This place is literally the talk of the town. When we polled our agents for what to include in this installment of “What’s New Upstate,” we had to tell them to send us their second favorite after Fantzye Bagels. If you’re looking for a different kind of bagel (sourdough) and deliciously fresh accompaniments, make a point to go to Fantzye. Transplanted from Martha’s Vineyard where the palate is demanding and the competition fierce, Fantzye’s sandwiches like “The Other” (your choice of bagel with garlicky mushrooms, green garlic schmear, and greens) and “Whitefish, Finally!” (you pick a bagel, they add whitefish spread—yum—double tomato, an herb salad, and lemon) are as close to perfect as a sandwich can get. Follow their Instagram for their pop-up dinners, which are usually on Tuesday nights.
The Cornell
Ole Savannah, a Kingston Rondout staple, has been going through a fairly unique transition. Over the past months, while remaining open, it has rebranded and transformed into The Cornell. The updated menu and space include a raw bar, new American/global fusion concoctions, and hand-crafted pastas. Sit by the water and enjoy an old favorite with new dishes.
Road to Nowhere
Located right next to our office on Fair Street in Kingston, Road to Nowhere offers menswear, womenswear, and unisex pieces built from natural fabrics only. Their super-soft denim pieces are a favorite at their Kingston shop as well as their two shops in the Hamptons (Sag Harbor and Montauk). Walking by their display windows every day is an exercise in delight – when we stop in to buy one of their beautiful pieces, or restraint – when we’ve already done that too many times! Uptown visitors, Wall Street is great, but don’t sleep on Fair Street!
Spiral Mirror
Focused on in-person connection (we love this! community!) Spiral Mirror is a metaphysical used bookstore and community space. “Whether you're beginning your spiritual exploration or ready for deeper dives, Spiral Mirror offers a haven where your personal evolution can unfold in community, each of us traveling our own spirals while recognizing the beautiful reflections that connect us all.” Their next event, an afternoon of New Moon Divination, seeks to connect participants to the earth’s rhythms.
Roundabouts Now Gallery
Cleverly named Roundabouts Now Gallery is just off the roundabout in Kingston. Founded by Craig Monteith and Alta Buden, it’s an artist-run gallery that’s dedicated to being a platform for artists, poets, and musicians. Their current show, “Angry Water, Pretty Funny,” closes soon, so catch it.
Woodstock
Gemela
Gemela is just down the hill from our Woodstock Office. Their garden is a wonderful place to sit and spend time either with one of their perky bar specials (hello, passionfruit rum punch), an espresso, or anything off their delightfully light menu of sandwiches, plates, salads, and breakfasts. Because it's so close to where we work, we don't go there often enough to just sit and enjoy a meal. This is our sign!
Ellenville
Vintage Modern
Vintage Modern, yes, the one that used to be on Tinker Street in Woodstock, is now open in a sweet shop on Canal Street in Ellenville. After an unfortunate flood when they first opened, they are back in action with mid-century furniture and home goods, both curious and classic. We’re glad they’re back!
Rosendale
Bistro Le Chat Barbu
For those of us who have been around a while it was impossible to imagine something replacing The Rosendale Cafe. We had a surprising, curmudgeonly impulse not to like whatever new thing usurped the old favorite. But it has happened, and the delectable French Cuisine (sometimes with a fusion twist) of chef Devin Delgado has opened our minds to a new word of dinner in Rosendale. While we were encouraged to give Bistro Le Chat Barbu a chance by a raving friend who called it "the new french fry place", and while the fries are absolute perfection, this is the sort of restaurant you want when you dine Upstate, with meals devised of fresh, local ingredients, comprising creatively prepared dishes grounded in tradition and talent and served in a relaxed atmosphere in one of the cutest towns ever.
Gardiner
Gardiner Bakehouse
Everything about the Gardiner Bakehouse is great (the goods are delicious). But here's what we like best... they offer a subscription service to bread. They are a "community-supported bakehouse". Much like a CSA, you commit to purchasing bread from them weekly so that they can have the security of consistent orders and you can have the security of a consistent supply of great toast! You can order a subscription to their signature country sourdough or to their rotating bread-of-the-week. They offer the shares seasonally. The fall share begins September 16th so sign up soon.
If we missed your new favorite, let us know! We’ll check it out and add it to the list!
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