Meet The Team Who Is Making A Little Beacon Blog

Hello!

As part of our new redesign, we spiffied up the About page so that you can get a glimpse of and learn more about how A Little Beacon Blog gets made. Right now we have me (Katie), Eli and Ali running the day to day with article production, story research, photo making, social posting, logo designing, and that sort of thing.

Over the years, I've written all of the articles, but now we are bringing more voices to the blog, starting with Brian PJ Cronin, who you've read in the Chronogram, Philipstown.info, and more local publications. The lovely Kristen Cronin is on photography for their family-friendly hiking series, and many of you may have already spotted her amazing photos in her Instagram feed. She is also a partner in the delicious For Goodness Bake that is about to happen this weekend. And finally meet Dylan Price who you may have bought home brew supplies from in Beacon Homebrew, but who is really a writer and filmmaker of a YouTube channel called Uncomfortable Couch. He is also writing a hiking series, but from a historical point of view as he researches this region and what took place on the ground you are hiking through.

Writing and designing is what we do here, so we are supported by our awesome advertisers! Be they in the Guides, as a Featured Business in the side column, or in a sponsored article. Thank you for supporting the businesses who support us! As always, you can pitch your story ideas to editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com.

Sound Shack Moves to Newburgh Vintage Emporium Thanks to Rent Hike

Sound Shack owners sit outside of their store as they clear out,
gaining new wind to set up at Newburgh Vintage Emporium.

Just after finishing lunch at Beacon Bread Company, I crossed the street to pick up some dog food at Beacon Barkery and saw these two sitting outside of the Sound Shack in what seemed to be a reflective mood. Normally, when one sees the store owners sitting outside in front of their store, it is because they are getting fresh air after being behind the counter.

In this case, I had just learned via the Beacon Buy Sell Group on Facebook that Sound Shack was closing. Sandy had posted their sales counter for sale. And when you post a sales counter for sale, that's usually not a good sign.

The first response of those who are familiar with the turnover rate of storefronts on Main Street may have the typical response of: "Oh darn. Not enough foot traffic." But such was not the case. The rent for the entire building, apartment rentals included, went up by 30%. That's sort of a lot, and we have not reached out to the New Jersey based landlord to ask why, and are hoping it's because he hadn't been raising the rent over the years of city tax increases or insurance rate hikes, but it's almost reassuring that the Sound Shack was moving and grooving, but they'd rather not sustain a bump of that margin.

Fear not record collecting junkies!! Sound Shack is moving to Newburgh Vintage Emporium which seems like a great spot for them and surrounds them with vintagy goodness. Follow Sound Shack on their social media channels at Facebook and Instagram to learn how to buy they new vinyl, since new can't be sold at Newburgh Emporium, but all of their old stuff will, and possibly any equipment they are selling, like record players or speakers. Because now that we know that records are "a thing", as I learned on Record Store Day, which was heavily promoted by Sound Shack, we all need record players, and stat.

Announcement! A New Design For A Little Beacon Blog

There's a new design in town...

You may have noticed it a few weeks ago as we fiddled with the best size and colors for our Facebook page. There was a barrage of new cover photos going up as we tried to make everything look just right on mobile phones and desktop computers here at the blog and on our social streams. The itch grew so strong to have a new design, that we waved the magic wand to make it go "poof!" on the live site, even though we were tinkering with a few details before officially telling you about it. So here's the backstory:

ORIGINALLY...
A Little Beacon Blog was started in 2011 when publisher Katie moved to Beacon from W. 104th St. and Columbus Ave. in NYC. After being blessed with a little baby girl, Katie wanted to keep things very simple with the blog, and decided to use Blogger as the base, as it's the easiest blogging platform around. She literally started it on her iPhone while riding shotgun in the family car on the way to Baby's R Us. The following Saturday, she designed the original logo seen here, pulling inspiration from the art blocks at the train station that represented different emotions and personalities of Beacon.

STICKERS!
In 2015, we officially "opened for business" here at the blog, and created opportunities for advertisers. We also wanted to be involved in the community in a physical way in addition to digitally, so we started making stickers, banners and ads as we sponsored different events like Beacon Open Studios and Beacon Riverfest. But the original logo wasn't working very well to turn into a cute circle sticker that could go in windows. It just wasn't shrinky-dinking down. It wasn't malleable. In our new Twitter and Instagram accounts, you couldn't immediately tell that the little circle logo representing us was A Little Beacon Blog. Plus, we started releasing Guides which each have their own really cute logos, and we needed to an overall look to contain everything.

"I WANT TO GO SHOPPING!!!"
As we featured stories on new businesses here in Beacon, we scoured Facebook pages and new websites of many businesses and saw many of your awesome looks. The world is in a time of a design liberation, with new graphic design and platforms easily available at the tap of a finger. Katie started dreaming of what she might make if her blog had a different design too. One day, someone offered to tweak the original logo, and that was the moment that she "gave herself permission" to unleash the change that had been brewing.

PUT A BIRD ON IT
Katie kept the most important design elements from the original logo: chickens, plants, cursive, and two strong colors to help it pop (red and teal). The new elements now are a chalkboard and wood. Sidewalk signs are such a big deal for stores, and we wanted to have one too! You can write whatever you want on it, erase it, and draw something new tomorrow! And wood is just so cool, even if it is in every remodel of a store. Plus, a black silhouette of a chicken looks great against wood. Why the chicken? Because Beacon has so many residents raising chickens! And with all of the public gardens popping up everywhere, and the CSAs and hops farms and apple orchards we all visit every summer and fall, it's apparent that agriculture is a really big deal to us Beaconites.

BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
We went on a bit of an article freeze during the redesign, but a few articles had to come out because they were just so timely. But we are back now! And you are going to enjoy new series like our hiking series from a few different writers to see the perspective of hiking with kids, and hiking with a historical knowledge of the area. You are going to get to go inside of many stores you may not have stopped into yet in our new "Come In!" series. We are going to have a Bulletin Board page for flyers, as if we had a storefront. We have created new advertising packages to showcase the many businesses in Beacon and in surrounding areas that you will love and need in your life. And we have made ourselves more apparent on our About Us page, so you can meet the team to see how it all gets done!

THANK YOU!
A few people served as sounding boards for the new look, including Eli Barret, Editorial Assistant here at A Little Beacon Blog who is a touchstone to all things bloggy, and Allie Bopp who designs the Guide logos.  Ken Rabe at Rabe & Co contributed his special gift of balancing the fonts and positioning of the words to help make sure the simple yet big impact look was in effect, which probably helped Josh Boos at The Green Room give his "Guy With A Short Attention Span" stamp of approval.

Thank YOU for your reading A Little Beacon Blog for as long as you have - be it a day or four years, and we look forward to serving you with more inspiration, ideas and things to do in and around Beacon (because Beaconites like to go on day-trips and drive to specialty businesses too)!

Advertising Packages

Click to Download the full Advertising Kit

Since this blog started, it has doubled in readership every year, and is climbing! Over 3,000 pages are viewed each month. Articles are shared and spread on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram streams, seeing impressions of over 12,000 views per month. We know our readers and how they like to see and click on articles, and we take special care in our visuals and graphics to make a lasting impact on their day.

A Little Beacon Blog is read by Beaconites as well as people living in surrounding towns in the Hudson Valley. Day-trippers from all boroughs of New York also discover and subscribe to the blog as they plan their visit. This publication is an online destination for those looking for things to do, things to know, and aspects to celebrate and support in this community. It is through the support of sponsors and advertisers that we are able to bring fresh stories to the community and highlight the wonderful lifestyle that is available here. Our advertising programs are designed to deliver your message in a most authentic way to be a welcome eye-opener to new customers, or to reinforce your brand to your existing customer base.

Blogs are traditionally extensions of people's personalities, and A Little Beacon Blog is also that - an extension of Beacon's personality - one of many personalities that shape this town that is rich in diversity and culture. Get to know the team behind A Little Beacon Blog, and consider the advertising packages below to get in front of readers in a meaningful way! If you have any questions, please email katie@alittlebeaconblog.com.

READERSHIP - WHO ARE THE WONDERFUL READERS?

A Little Beacon Blog is honored to have captured the attention and loyalty of long-time Beacon residents of all ages, as well as new people moving here from all areas of New York and even the country. People who live all over the Hudson Valley read A Little Beacon Blog, including Beacon, Fishkill, Cold Spring, Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls, and other towns. People from all boroughs of New York including Manhattan and Brooklyn also read A Little Beacon Blog and find it while doing Google searches and Instagram hunts.

As one reader says, who researched moving to Beacon from Boston:

Adri Cowan
Social Media Manager,
Marvel Comics

"Through all my searching about what to do and where to go in Beacon, A Little Beacon Blog was everywhere I looked - and was the most informative, helpful and colorful source for how best to enjoy this wonderful city. Beacon has really needed a one-stop-shop for all its goodness, and ALBB has done it. I learned about some amazing new businesses through the blog, and even discovered my new favorite restaurant!"




A LITTLE BEACON BLOG IN REAL LIFE

A Little Beacon Blog is a proud sponsor of a growing number of events, including Windows on Main, Beacon Open Studios and Beacon Riverfest, as well as walks like the 3rd Annual Sickle Cell Awareness Walk for Hope and Heroes. You may see us in parades and out and about collecting pictures for our Instagram friends.

BEACON IS HOT (and not just in the summer)

Have you seen these articles about Beacon? It's exciting. Those of us who live in Beacon know it's not all Brooklyn that makes Beacon what it is, as Beacon has a deep history of change-makers, and everyone helps!

Beacon, New York City Guide (Travel) - Design Sponge 

Beacon Housing in High Demand After Ex-Beaconites Transform Beacon - Poughkeepsie Journal

Brooklyn to Beacon Transfers Share Their Stories - Poughkeepsie Journal

Beacon, N.Y.: Quaint City Rediscovered - New York Times 

A Midwinter Playground In The Hudson Valley - New York Times 

Earl’s Chimney: Family-Friendly Hike in Garrison

Please welcome our contributors: Brian PJ Cronin, editor of Hudson Valley Parent magazine and local writer extraordinaire, shares his writing talents in focusing on family-friendly hikes for our new Hiking Series. The beautiful photography is by Kristen Cronin, local do-gooder and co-founder of For Goodness Bake. Enjoy!

  

Hi! My name is Brian PJ Cronin and I’m honored that Katie has invited us to share some of our favorite family-friendly hikes in the Hudson Valley with the readers of A Little Beacon Blog.

For our purposes, we’re defining “family-friendly” as “any hike that our 3.5 year old son Cooper can walk all by himself with a manageable amount of complaining.” Although we also always tell him that if he can make it through the entire hike without being carried, he can have ice cream. Your mileage may vary.

For our first hike, we’ve chosen Earl’s Chimney in Garrison. This out-and-back hike is just over two and a half miles long (round-trip) and features a scenic overlook at the site of an old camp cabin. Only the stone chimney remains at the site, hence the name. In case you’re wondering who Earl was, or when the cabin was built, or when it was destroyed, here’s your answer: I don’t know. I even checked with the Putnam History Museum, the Putnam County historian, and the Garrison Fish & Game Club and they don’t know either. But your kids are going to ask, so better make something up. My suggestion? Ninjas.

This hike starts at the Moneyhole Mountain Access trailhead, located just across from the Garrison Fish & Game Club.

1. Begin by taking the green trail north, as it rises and falls through pine forests and next to the bubbling Phillips Brook. There are a few opportunities to go off trail and head down to the creek if you wish, but the creek will be coming to you soon enough. We always hear woodpeckers during this first section of the trail, so keep those ears open!
2. Soon you’ll hit the first intersection as the green trail ends and meets up with the yellow Catfish Loop. Turn right.
3. Now the pines thin out and are replaced by scores of mountain laurels. The trail flattens out and crosses over the brook a few times, as well as a few swampy patches. Now would be a good time to mention that you should make sure you’re wearing waterproof boots. This middle section of the trail is short, but offers plenty of opportunities for puddle-splashing and creek-dipping, so you might want to factor that into your time management. One of the creek crossings also features a small hole in the rocks that you walk over, so that you can look down and see the water rushing beneath you. I am pretty sure that Cooper would live at this part of the trail if we let him.
4. Eventually things dry out and the white trail begins to the right. The pine trees return, and during one point the trail even passes under a broken tree that fell against another tree, creating a sort of “tree arch.” As you take the white trail, you’ll finally begin to notice that you’re starting to ascend. Actually, you’ve been climbing this whole time, but so gradually that you (and your little ones) probably didn’t even notice.
5. Soon you’ll top out at Earl’s Chimney itself, 216 feet above the trailhead. Your view is directly facing the Highland Gap across the river, which holds West Point inside of it. Look down and you’ll see parts of the Garrison County Club spread out before you.
   (Note that around the summit are several blueberry bushes, but also several buckthorn bushes as well. Buckthorn berries are similar to blueberries except they’re slightly darker, lack the distinctive “crown” that blueberries have near the base, and can cause severe cramping and diarrhea. So make sure you pack enough snacks so that hungry little hands don’t get grabby.)
6. Backtrack from here to return to the trailhead. Just remember to turn left at both intersections now instead of right. Then, family reward time!

Round-trip distance: 2.7 miles

Where to park: By the Moneyhole Mountain Access trailhead, across from the Garrison Fish and Game Club, 183 South Highland Road. There’s a parking turnout down the street a bit, across from the lake.

What to pack for the kids:
    • Waterproof shoes or boots
    • Snacks and water
    • First aid kit
    • Binoculars (We always forget to bring these and always regret it.)
    • Sunscreen and hat (most of the trail is shaded, but the terminus is open and sunny)
    • Bug spray (just in case)
    • A map (See the “East Hudson Trails” map #103 of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Series, which is sold at Mountain Tops. On this map, Earl’s Chimney is referred to as “Chimney Top.”)

Several Beacon Businesses Celebrate Long Time Anniversaries

Starting a business is easy. If you can make it past your dream stage. Sustaining and growing a business is no joke and takes a serious amount of motivation, stamina, deftness to change with the direction of the wind, and passion for what you do. In the past week, at least three businesses in Beacon are celebrating milestone anniversaries. Sometimes a local business that you walk or drive by becomes a fixture on the street. You may never have walked in it before, but it's always there. These businesses are like that, and over the years have earned their place as a reliable fixture in Beacon's streets. Here are their stories:

Beacon Dental on Wolcott celebrates 10 years in business.

Did you know that Dr. Hongli Wang opened Beacon Dental when her son was five? While her son was even younger, she was learning English and earning her second dental degree at NYU, after moving here from Beijing, China and leaving her first dental career behind. I attended their 10th Year Anniversary party with my own 5 year old on my hip who insisted on being carried. Any parent of a young child knows how stretched you are as a parent, not to mention as a young business owner. Beacon Dental opened in Loomis Plaza on Wolcott back when it was a rough area. Thanks to Dr. Wang's gutting her office space to build it as she envisioned it, she contributed to the ongoing improvements of that area along with other businesses who have renovated the shop spaces. Loomis Plaza is a nice extension to quick and easy access to services you need in Beacon.

Beacon D'Lites celebrates 10 years on Main Street.

Beacon D'Lights started as a home-based business in founder Donna Trappe's home where she hand poured soy candles. After three years, she outgrew the space and opened up the shop on Main Street we all know today. She attributes her early success to the support of her friends and social base. Add to that the recent tourism boom to Beacon, and the candle store is doing very well.

Blackbird Attic celebrates 5 years and counting in Beacon.

Speaking of social, Michelle Caves opened Blackbird Attic five years ago at a time when there was a shift in how many antique shops and quiet vintage stores were surviving in Beacon. Today there are several antique and vintage shops that have since closed or moved, but there are also several new vintage boutiques, plus flea markets, to compete for our fashion delights. Great for us shoppers! But it requires Blackbird Attic to stay sharp on her game. She is an early bird getting worms and always has fresh ideas about how to feature the shop in social media (her Instagram feed is how I learned of the celebration), and the styles she sells.

Congrats to these three businesses, and the rest of you who are making it happen too! And I know I speak for all businesses when I say thanks for shopping nearby, because buying local improves quality of life for us all.

Beacon's City Wide Yard Sale - List Pictures In Our Instagram and Twitter!

Getting ready for Beacon's City Wide Yard Sale in a few weeks? List it in our Instagram via our newly to be coming Classifieds section! Details coming soon! Hashtags we will be using include: 

#beaconny #hudsonvalley #northofnyc #yardsale #shedsale #beaconcitywideyardsale #alittlebeaconblogclassifieds