It was mid-May in 2018 when the bite of chainsaws first whined through the air surrounding the Smith House just south of Sloatsburg. The expansive property that now houses the Ramapo Woodmont Apartments complex has had many names and lives in its long history, from Sidman’s Tavern and the Smith House to the former longtime residence of the Pierson Mapes family. Continue Reading

If you’re looking for something to do in Sloatsburg, well, the folks at Seven Lakes Station have cooked up something special. It was only three years ago that the craft beer taproom opened in the center village, then just a one room beer bar. Continue Reading

The lawn at Valley Rock Inn is at the heart of the complex and is surrounded by the bar & grill, the pool, lodge, and guest houses.

If you stand on Valley Rock Inn’s big lawn and look west, you’ll see the Liberty Rock ridge in the western sky. Turn around and the Ramapo Mountains along the southern tip of Harriman State Park loom in the far northeast sky, across the Ramapo River. That Sloatsburg sweet spot is at the heart of the Mill Street neighborhood undergoing transformation in the village center. Continue Reading

The face of Sloatsburg’s old main drag along Route 17 doesn’t look much changed, but the village experienced important changes in 2018. The revitalization effort that took root in conversations and small projects several years back has grown in spirit and action throughout the village. Continue Reading

The Sloatsburg Chamber Chili Contest takes place during its Sunday, October 21 Annual Block Party. For a $5 tasting fee, you can taste test all the contestants and vote on the best chili of the day. The winner receives a $100 prize donated by Rococo’s Salon & Barbershop in Sloatsburg, NY.

Last year’s Sloatsburg Chamber Chili Contest saw a mix of recipes and a tight fight for the day’s top chili. Dean Colonan was the winner while Stephanie and Aidan Hand were runner’s up with a consensus tasty steak and mushroom chili. Continue Reading

Tim Garcia is busy behind the counter of the Village Blend, which opens in October in the Sloatsburg village center just off Route 17 at the Commuter Lot. The coffee cafe is part partnership between Barbara Berntsen, Nicole Scanlon and Cindy Garcia.

Note: The Village Blend will soft open through October while staff learns the restaurant ropes and product comes online. Patience, understanding and continued support are appreciated.

It takes time and taste testing to get the ingredients right. Sloatsburgers over the last few years have engaged in improving the Village, from supporting local businesses and events to getting involved on boards and committees. The idea of a walkable village center with bustling businesses is coming to life. Continue Reading

The HBO series “High Maintenance”, about the life and times of a personal pot delivery guy in NYC, shot a show for season three in Sloatsburg, NY.

The basic premise of the HBO series “High Maintenance” has the show’s main character riding through New York City on a bike, delivering weirdness, scraps of human compassion and wisdom and weed products. Continue Reading

The featured photo for the Village of Sloatsburg by Geoff Welch that is part of the Rockland County Tourism Explore Harriman poster. The campaign promotes western Rockland County as a trail town and outdoors destination. Posters are due to be installed on NJ Transit North Bergen County Line trains and select platforms this fall (including trains on the Sloatsburg line).

September is the traditional turning of the season for Sloatsburg and other Hudson Valley communities. It marks the return of school and the coming of October’s leaf peeping, when temperatures dip and the trees begin to light up with a bit of fall color. Continue Reading

Sloatsburger Randi Colton will be honored at the annual fundraiser on October 6 by the Rockland County non-profit Worldwide Community First Responder (WCFR) which selected Colton as the organization’s 2018 New York Hero Award for her tireless contributions to field of health and safety.

Sloatsburger Randi Colton has been hard at work the last few years spreading the word on personal fitness and how to save lives. A First Aid and CPR instructor, Colton offers a variety of custom classes in the community, including regularly at the Sloatsburg Public Library, where she regularly offers a Babysitting and CPR course (see your handy Library newsletter for information on the September 15 program). Continue Reading

As restoration and repurposing of buildings continues apace, the Valley Rock Inn campus in Sloatsburg, NY has come into focus. Interior view of the Valley Rock Inn, showing the lawn off the porch of the new restaurant cantina.

With its wall of landscaping along Route 17, Valley Rock Inn in Sloatsburg, NY, has quietly enclosed itself. But the restoration and repurposing of the Valley Rock campus continues apace as crews have been busily working on an assortment of outdoor projects, creating whole new landscaped spaces, including a large restaurant and porch, a stone and beam courtyard and new in-ground pool — just as revitalization in the wider Village has taken root. Continue Reading