By Tresca Weinstein Mix Williamsburg hip with Williamstown charm, add a generous seasoning of down-to-earth heart, and you get Chatham, New York — living proof that good things come in small villages.
1. Breakfast: It’s the most important meal of the day, and in Chatham, you can get it any way you want it — from gluten free to over easy to half-caff with soy milk. Grab a classic bagel at the Bagel Café or a wheatless one at the Gluten Free Bakery; sip a mug of tea paired with a slice of frittata at the elegant BenGable Savories [shown right]; feast on griddled breakfast bread with cinnamon butter at Our Daily Bread Deli; or wake up with a really good cup of joe at Ralph’s Pretty Good Café.2. The Chatham Fair: Officially, it’s the Columbia County Fair, but nobody calls it that. Since 1852, when the Fair netted $12.90 in its first year in Chatham, it’s been the stuff of kids’ wintertime dreams and grown-ups’ sugar-dusted nostalgia. From calves and cupcake contests to fireworks to fried dough, this Labor Day weekend fair is a hot, greasy, muddy, wonderful way to say goodbye to summer.
3. The Crandell Theatre: Built in 1926, the 534-seat, Spanish Renaissance-style theater was owned by the Quirino family for 50 years, until it was purchased by the Chatham Film Club in 2010 — with generous support from the community. Now the Crandell is home not only to the cheapest first-run movies you can find just about anywhere ($5 for adults, $4 for kids), but also to the club’s monthly Sunday-afternoon independent film screenings and to FilmColumbia, an international film festival that celebrates its 15th anniversary in October. 4. Getting fit: There are almost as many places in Chatham to work off your breakfast as there are to eat it, including Chatham Body Works,Govinda Yoga Studio, Ida Drake’s Zumba classes at the Morris Memorial, and The Firm, where proprietor Jennifer Lawrence makes step aerobics a blast.
5. Dance and Theater: From classic musicals performed in the round at the Mac-Haydn and world-class dance under the tent at PS21 [shown right], to community theater at the Ghent Playhouse just down Route 66, Chatham holds its own under the spotlights. 6. The Pub Scene: Okay, so there’s really only one pub in Chatham, the Peint O Grwr on Main Street, whose unpronounceable name just makes it that much cooler. But oh, what a pub it is, with a large selection of ales on tap, great snacks, open mic nights and local bands. Stretch the definition of “pub" a bit and you can include the Blue Plate restaurant and bar just around the corner, where you might find pianist Lincoln Mayorga tickling the keys on a weeknight.
7. Nature: Thanks to the Columbia Land Conservancy, which works with the community to preserve the county’s farmland, forests, wildlife habitat and rural character, there are some gorgeous and well-maintained hiking areas within the village or a short drive outside of it. Borden’s Pond is now just a wetland, but the area still offers forest and streamside hikes with seasonal views of the Catskills. The three miles of trails at Ooms Conservation Area [shown left] wind around Sutherland Pond, traveling through woods, over streams, and up sun-drenched hilltops. 8. The Chatham Public Library: Sure, lots of libraries have preschool story hours. But how many (in towns this small) have Mah Jongg Mondays? Or contemporary art discussion groups? Or great performers like The Storycrafters and local actor/director Kate Gulliver? Plus, they don’t charge overdue fines.
9. Local Produce: Chatham knows good veggies. You’ll find them all summer at Chatham Real Food Market’s Friday-afternoon farmers’ market, where area farms like Little Seed Gardens bring their wares. But the coming of winter doesn’t stop Joe Gilbert at the Berry Farm [shown right] from growing some of the most beautiful Swiss chard you’ve ever seen (organic, of course). While you’re in grocery-shopping mode, stop by the Main Street Grainery, offering natural foods and specialty items. 10. Everybody knows your name: Every town has its own ineffable personality; in Chatham, that’s defined by the sense of community. Step into any of the places mentioned above, and you’ll meet someone you’ve known for years but haven’t seen for months, or someone who went to high school with your kid, or someone you went to high school with, or a new arrival who doesn’t feel new, or your best friend. There are people who would find this claustrophobic. But for most of us, it’s the main reason we’re here.
