I wanted to share some thoughts about the public information meeting I attended on the future of Oneonta’s downtown. I call myself a recent “returnee” to this wonderful city. I left it in 1974, seeking a life with more opportunities than my 20-year-old self could imagine happening in Oneonta. Fast forward 50 years and newly widowed...…
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oneonta downtown renaissance
On Thursday, January 16, around 70 Otsego County residents, business owners, and community leaders met in the Morris Conference Center at SUNY Oneonta to listen to state, county, and town representatives give their annual “State of the County” addresses. The meeting opened with New York State Assemblyman Joe Angelino, Assembly District 101, discussing his goal to stabilize population loss in Upstate New York.…
After more than a year of construction, downtown Oneonta is beginning to showcase the fruits of its labor with the completion of the Water Street streetscape project. This revitalized area offers a fresh and inviting pathway to explore the diverse businesses that call Water Street home.…
So, consider shopping small this Small Business Saturday—and the entire holiday season. This Saturday, take a stroll down Main Street and check out some of the more than 60 locally-owned businesses in Oneonta’s downtown. While you’re popping into the Artisans Guild and Maxwell’s, Freestyle Confections and Stoneonta, you can also enjoy complimentary hot cocoa from FOR-DO in its new spaces next to Tino’s Pizza from 2-5 p.m. …
Downtown is the heartbeat of Oneonta. Every dollar spent at a local small business helps our community and is an investment in the future. While Market Street is getting its facelift, Main Street and the surrounding side streets still offer free parking.…
“Envisioning Downtown: Collaborative Solutions for the Future” is a free event featuring a panel discussion on shifting perspectives, strategies, and narratives about Oneonta’s downtown and an interactive audience feedback and sharing session.…
The work and disruption are not for naught. It is a temporary challenge for permanent improvement. Construction will make this corridor better than before, with updated sidewalks, street lamps, paving, and infrastructure such as drainage structures. It’s a sign of major investment from the state in our city to build a new transit hub.…
One of the benefits of living in a rural setting is the strength of our social bonds. We know our neighbors and generally support and help one another. Our social fabric is tightly interwoven and it’s more apparent how interconnected people are in a smaller community compared to an urban area.…
One of the Downtown Renaissance’s goals is to promote events like the City of the Hills Festival and other Main Street happenings, raising awareness of the many ways to enjoy Oneonta. Thanks to creative local businesses and engaging events, there’s a constant hum of activity downtown, and the renaissance aims to play a key role in highlighting these special aspects of our community.…
It’s especially exciting to see how the Downtown Renaissance has sparked a wave of community-driven initiatives, such as the Oneonta Storefront Project, which fills vacant storefronts with art, and downtown business owners collaborating on promotions like sidewalk sales. Organizers and artists already doing cool things like the second Saturday Nighttime Alley Market have been able to harness their efforts to something bigger with the Oneonta Downtown Renaissance, too.…