I don’t know the name of this building, but it sits in one of the most prominent positions in town… overlooking the Village Green. The Green is the main gathering point of the hippie tribe and the tourist crowd on weekends during the summer. On major weekends, the hippie drum circle convenes there.
This building houses three businesses: FreeStyle Realty, the Garden Café and Sorella, a women’s clothing boutique.
One of the few ways to make a living in Woodstock is selling houses. Every realtor pledges to provide a unique hip experience. FreeStyle Realty is no different. The truth is that every real estate agency in town is selling the same houses. If you’ve got the money, now’s the time to buy. We’re probably at the bottom of the market. Housing prices have declined by a third in the past 18 months. If you look carefully at the picture of FreeStyle’s exterior, you’ll see a Buddha above the sign. Aspirations to Eastern mysticism, of course, are pure Woodstock hipsterism. The name also evokes the town’s perpetual obsession with freedom.
Vegetarian is the new emblem of hip. The Garden Café occupies a site that for a couple of decades was the home of Woodstock’s best pizza parlor. I took my daughters there for a pizza and a salad many times. Of course, the owners are hipsters, so they aren’t just selling food; they’re selling a lifestyle. This from the splash page of their website:
We are passionate about using fresh, organic and high quality ingredients at the Garden Café on the Green. Our menu is created from products that are as pure, organic and natural as possible. Using the simplest ingredients…whole grains, beans, soy foods, fruits and vegetables, we add inspiration and creativity. Our wish is to bring to the table food that will support our personal, community and global health as well as our local farmers and producers. To that end, we use no preservatives, chemicals, transfats or genetically engineered products. All of our food is carefully and conscientiously made from scratch to provide delicious, nourishing and balanced meals served in a warm and friendly way.
The menu, as is the style in such restaurants, lists the ingredients in each item. Rest assured, everything is pure as hell… that is, heaven.
Not so long ago, Sorella’s spot was occupied by an art gallery that cleverly adorned its storefront with Stalinist graphic emblems. Thank God, those morons went bankrupt quickly. The shop was empty for a few months. I’ve only looked in the window of Sorella’s. The new owners have picked a tough time to go into business. I counted six vacant shops in the business district as I drove through the other night. It’s tough to compete selling clothing in Woodstock. Why buy here when you can drive to Kingston in 25 minutes? The malls in Kingston offer much greater variety and better prices.
Who knows how long Sorella will last? According to Woodstock legend, our town was cursed by Indians angry at the land grabbing whites. The curse: So long as you live in Woodstock you will suffer failure in love, failing health and failing business. In general, this is true.



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