Creativity key to making lower Main St. work

Part I

MILLERTON — When The Dig announced its intent to close at year’s end, the Millerton community was disappointed.

The loss of the not-quite 2-year-old business would mean the disappearance of the cheerful shop that sold everything from basic groceries to local art, fresh smoothies to daily and delicious crepes at its cheerful 3 Main St. space.

Instead, the once-occupied shop would revert back to an empty storefront — always an eyesore when greeting those entering the popular village from Route 22 and turning onto Main Street (Route 44).

That part of lower Main Street is already struggling, with the very tip of the intersection starting with the former Gilmor Glassworks, which closed in 2019.

In 2016, NYC photographer Svend Lindbaek said he had the idea to open Svendale Brewery in that space should it ever become available, which it did. But problems with the village’s septic seem to have put the brakes on the project and it has yet to get off the ground.

Now, years later, the aging and rather ragged looking building continues to welcome visitors to the village from Route 22. Surely most locals and merchants wish a more pleasant, vibrant and welcoming entrance to Main Street would greet those entering Millerton.

Across the street, the former Allee Architecture + Design (AA+D) provided a sleek and stylish look to the entrance of Main Street for many years, but alas, that design firm vacated its Main Street space a few years ago and now that, too, sits vacant.

Add a couple of old and battered apartments into the mix, in dire need of repair and paint, and the entrance to Millerton doesn’t look so grand these days.

But there are glimmers of hope. Rather than looking at The Dig’s closing through a mournful lens, its retail neighbor, yoga instructor and owner of Moonwake Millerton, Katie Shanley, said its popularity could show what is possible for Millerton's lower Main Street. Shanley said that part of the business district could be in for an eventual reawakening.

Moonwake Millerton, originally known as Buddhi Tribe, opened on the second floor of 5 Main St., located above the space formerly occupied by The Dig, in June 2017.

Shanley has been able to grow her business while contributing to the community’s wellness through offering classes for all levels; her collaboration with fellow merchants on community events; her selling wellness products from her studio’s apothecary; and her keeping mindful of the community’s needs.

Shanley remembered the former art gallery PLACE was downstairs at 3 Main St. when she first opened for business.

After the gallery closed, she said nothing went on downstairs for about a year until the Millerton Mercantile opened in the summer of 2019. A year later, the Millerton Mercantile closed and The Dig rented the space, opening in August 2020.

Given the time she spent navigating the business of running a yoga studio in Millerton, Shanley was more than happy to help The Dig attract customers.

Between Shanley telling people about The Dig and the marketing talents of The Dig’s owner Katja Schultz and Schultz's mother, Natalie Pere, word spread and the shop gained a loyal following of customers. The Dig grew in popularity and even held free weekend concerts with local musicians.

A symbiotic relationship soon formed between The Dig and Moonwake Millerton, with Shanley collaborating with Schultz on  community events and selling her apothecary’s wares there.

This article will continue in next week's issue of The Millerton News.