Oneonta’s Main Street Offers a Variety of Shopping Options

By EMILY HILBERT
ONEONTA

Oneonta: the City of the Hills, and the city with a bustling main street. Much like our article on Cooperstown’s business district a few weeks ago, we once again ventured out of the newsroom to check in with some local business owners. What’s their business like? Anything in the shop they really enjoy? Any deals or events readers should be anticipating? All this and more will be revealed as we take a trip to downtown O-Town.

Craving a sweet treat? Recently opening in the center of activity, at 179 Main Street, Freestyle Confections is run by Vincent and Rebekah Hopkins. A husband-and-wife duo ready to bake the city by storm, the pair run a home bakery for now, as they work on securing a commercial kitchen. Vincent does the baking while Rebekah runs the business and gift shop side of the bakery. The pair enjoy everything about the store, but the baking is where the passion really is. Currently, Vincent is enjoying testing out different bread recipes. Want to stop by? Freestyle Confections is open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Can’t make it to the physical location? Don’t worry, they deliver. Rebekah remarked that they make deliveries to SUNY Oneonta campus almost daily and are very grateful for the support of the school. Subscription deliveries can also be arranged.

If one bakery isn’t enough, try this one out. The Sugar Beat, at 281 on upper Main Street, specializes in French and Italian pastries. Owner Allison King, a pastry chef from the Arts Institute in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, said they do it all as long as they have enough lead time. Cakes, customs, parties—just let her know what you want, and she’ll do what she can. The business is currently only set up for physical pick-up, and they are working on creating a website. King is also busy creating a customer rewards program. She says she really enjoys savory scones with a coffee, but customers especially like her brownies and stuffed cookies. Something patrons also really enjoy are Saturdays at the bakery, because that is when King serves Caribbean-style food. The Sugar Beat (formerly Kings Kakery) is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (hours subject to change as the season warms up).

After sampling some of the local treats, head on over to The Artisan’s Guild to find a gift for that someone special. A staple in the community for almost 30 years, the shop is a not-for-profit cooperative that features the work of about 40 different local artists, including pottery, blown-glass, textiles, wooden crafts and jewelry. Artists donate their time working in the shop for about four to six hours a month, running the register and interacting with customers. All sales in the store are split 85/15, with the artist getting 85 percent of the money and the store itself retaining the remaining 15. This percentage, along with monthly contributions from the artists, is how the shop pays for rent and utilities. New artists usually join through word-of-mouth. Currently, The Artisan’s Guild has four openings. Want to sell your wares? Stop by 148 Main Street for an information sheet.

Right across the street from The Artisan’s Guild is an Oneonta classic: Island Premium Printing. Or, as they are better known, Stoneonta Clothing. Tyler Walsh, owner of the store, explained that they do custom screen printing, embroidery, and direct-to-garment clothing for businesses. Stoneonta is their in-house brand, which can be purchased by anyone. Walsh said he really enjoys doing collaborations with local businesses. In the past they have partnered with Maxwell’s, Wise Guys Sammy’s, and Wakeman Coffee. Located at 153 Main Street, they are open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Now sporting some cool, new clothing, one can cross the street to Serenity Hobbies for all sorts of games and entertainment. Nick Toborg, manager of the store, said they pride themselves on carrying everything game-related: board, role, and video, etc. He says the store understands that being local, they are competing with big box stores (like Walmart, which is a five-minute drive away), and try to cater to niches such as retro gaming. Toborg remarked on how Magic the Gathering is his game of choice. He enjoys when customers come in looking to complete their decks or to work on a strategy, and he is able to take his 15 years of game knowledge and help others trade and build. Thanks to the extra space in the store, at 152-154 Main Street, they host different game nights on different days of the week. For more information and their calendar of events, check them out on Facebook or via their website.

No day on Main Street in Oneonta would be complete without a trip to local hotspot, The Green Toad. Owned and operated by Jim Havener, what started 16 years ago has turned into a community staple, and Havener prides himself on bringing new stories to people. While the store does have many of the standard best sellers, they also try to carry books with different viewpoints, to bring in a variety of what the publishing world has to offer. “Books, gifts, and home” is their motto, as the store sells not only books, but things to go along with your books as well, so there’s something for everyone. Havener said, “One of the joys of being a bookseller is every day is like Christmas.” He prepares for major holidays and rushes at least one to two seasons in advance, so he will get a surprise in each box of books he ordered months ago. The Green Toad is conveniently located next to Latté Lounge and the stores share an open wall space, which workers and customers enjoy, because, according to Havener, “You get to smell great coffee in here and great books in there.” The Green Toad, 198 Main Street, is open daily and encourages people to “stop by and explore the world of books with us.”

Heading to Oneonta soon? Make sure to take a stroll down Main Street for your next shopping adventure.