Shopping local: A few of my favorite things

Forget raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens— it’s time to shop—and what better place to spend our hard earned dollars—than here at home, in the Hudson Valley.

Since I spend a great deal of my time on the road, I am fortunate enough to discover great shopping opportunities along the way and am loathe to pass up an opportunity to browse. Herewith are a few of my favorite destinations which are (in my humble opinion) well worth a visit, especially at this time of year.

Bridgewater Mercantile ( bridgewatermercantile.com , 4917 Main Street, Jeffersonville, NY 845/482-4044). Shopkeeper extraordinaire Jaime Stankevivius is always pleased to show visitors around his beautiful showroom, filled with custom crafted furniture made from recycled wood, handmade cookware from South America and his “Salon d’arts” gallery featuring local artists. I have yet to visit without making a purchase.

The Old Lumberyard Antiques ( oldlumberyardantiques.com , 115 7th Street, Milford, PA, 570/296-2086). With over 10,000 square feet encompassing two buildings, the Lumberyard is a veritable treasure trove of goodies. Featuring vintage toys, clothing, furniture and knick-knacks galore, one can spend hours scouring the place for just the right thing for that “hard to buy” giftee on your list. Have I purchased there? Time and time again.

Speaking of antiques, the Country Bum’kin ( thecountrybumkin.com , 1040 Route 17B, Bethel, NY, 845/583-7937) is still fairly new to the area. A unique shop featuring an abundance of antiques, furniture, vintage items, art and collectibles, the place is filled from floor to ceiling and one can visit after a hearty breakfast at one of my favorite local haunts, Blanche’s Diner (Route 17B, Mangaup Valley, NY 845/583-4279), located right next door. Blanche and Bud offer a great inexpensive menu, so you can save your shekels for the shopping.

Town and Country Antiques ( townandcountryantiques.org , 1 North Main Street, Liberty, NY 845/292-1363) is housed in the historic Town and Country building in the heart of downtown Liberty. The shop offers a diverse inventory of antiques, collectibles and decorator items presented by several seasoned buyers who are dedicated to bringing the buying public interesting pieces at comparative prices. Have I purchased there? What do you think?

For something completely different, the Forestburgh Playhouse ( fbplayhouse.com , 55 Forestburgh Road, Forestburgh, NY 845/794-2005) is offering some great pre-holiday specials for their upcoming 2010 season. “A Chorus Line,” “Avenue Q” and “Fiddler On The Roof” are but a few of the shows they are preparing, and gift certificates make a great gift that “keeps on giving” throughout the summer season. Naturally, I plan on being at every single show.

Narrowsburg, NY should be on everybody’s shopping tour and would not be complete without stopping in at the Alliance Gallery ( artsalliancesite.org , 37 Main St., Narrowsburg, NY 845/252-7576). The Signature Gifts Shop housed in the gallery always has cool gifts handcrafted by local artists and their annual holiday sale is in full swing. Over 60 local artists working in dozens of mediums are displaying (and selling) their wares for the holidays. I’ve already made some of my Hanukkah purchases there.

Directly across the street at 8 Main Street is the River Gallery ( rivergalleryny.com, 845/252-3288). Known as “The Art Of Living” the gorgeous store features fine art, furnishings, accessories and gifts at a wide variety of price points, so shopping there is always fun and I never, ever leave empty handed. (Hmm—maybe I need a holiday raise in pay.)

I would be remiss in not mentioning the incredible holiday sale ongoing at the Crystals and Well Being Center ( thecrystalscenter.com , 116 Sullivan Street, Wurtsboro, NY 845/888-2547). Currently offering fantastic deals (many under $10), the stunning place is loaded with unique, one-of-a-kind items difficult to find anywhere else in the region.

For additional choices, I also recommend gorgeous hand-made pottery by Ellany Gable of Honey Hill Pottery ( honeyhillpottery.com , Callicoon,NY, 845/482-528) and the Barryville Antiques Emporium. Filled with great finds, the “filled to the brim” emporium is located at 3424 Route 97, Barryville, NY.

I wish I had enough room here to include every single one of the local stores (many of which can be found in the pages of The River Reporter) that can be discovered throughout the region—all filled with glorious items just waiting to be placed beneath the trees and menorah’s in our homes this year. What better time to venture out and explore the possibilities that lie in wait ‘round every corner? Why wait? Go shopping!

Visit workingwithoutanet.blogspot.com or email jonathanfox@riverreporter.com.