Greene County Success Stories

Chad Paliotta understands that while it’s great to have a day job to pay the bills, there still needs to be an outlet for creativity and passion. That’s as true in his life as it is in the lives of every other Greene County resident. Armed with years of experience in woodcarving, painting, sculpture, and pottery, Chad is bringing wonder and enchantment to life with his handcrafted knickknacks. At Storybrook Hollow on the road to East Durham, you can find a little bit of magic everywhere you look.

It’s been almost 3 years since the renovation and repurposing of the Black Bridge linking Water Street to West Main across the Catskill Creek. The creation of the Catskill Creek Walking-Loop coaxes pedestrians creekside and provides ample foot traffic for the growing number of businesses along its path. From Crossroads Brewing, to the Avalon Lounge, Church Street Bakery, Left Bank Cidery, Piccolo Italian Eatery, to the FORLAND Campus for Contemporary Art (Home to Willa’s Café) visitors and residents alike enjoy a wide range of food and drink options in the heart of this charming village.

Pim Veegers considers himself more of an outsider than the area is used to. He’s not only new as a full-time resident of Greene County, he’s still somewhat new to the States as well. But he hasn’t let either of those things stop him from embracing opportunities here and learning as much as he can in the process. His can-do mentality has made his transition from New York City to Catskill easy. At the newly opened Citiot at 404 Main Street in Catskill, he’s giving Greene County a little taste of everything.

Rachael Petach has always had an appreciation for the intersection between living life and enjoying food and drink. She is particularly interested in how people can bond over a bottle of wine or spirits and form lifelong memories because of it. It’s these twin passions that drive her latest enterprise, Current Cassis at 150 Water Street in Catskill. In her cozy production facility located over Left Bank Ciders, she’s whipping up a seriously sippable blackcurrant liqueur that’s best shared with friends and family alike.

Aaron Flach and his wife Rebecca have a deep appreciation for all the beautiful and storied buildings throughout Greene County. Though time has taken its toll on some locations, they know history is worth preserving. That’s what drives their latest passion project – developing a multi-acre Coxsackie riverfront site into an event center and hotel. The finished property will run from the end of Historic Reed Street, south along River Street to the site of a former wire factory. Aptly named The Wire Event Center, the location is expected to draw hundreds of new visitors each week, welcoming weddings, conferences, and community fundraisers.