News from the Noteworthy

City of the Hills: Out With
the Old and in With the New

Welcome to Oneonta. Welcome new businesses and new members of our community.

We’ve been waiting for you, and we are so glad you’re here.

Welcome to the Apple Express, which finally fills the empty space that was Friendly’s.

The ice cream shop was an anchor for the neighborhood, and the Apple Express is a terrific candidate to fill that role for the future. Providing convenient, small grocery shopping to an area that doesn’t have it, is bound to make it popular. And as a high-traffic space it will play a role in bringing together neighbors, new and old.

Harry Singh, welcome. It’s so nice to have you.

And hello, Dazzo’s Kitchen!

What a gift it is to our community to have such a stellar dining experience suddenly join us. Respectfully reimagining the Foti’s Bakery building and adding to its quality of character, this restaurant has the potential to become as iconic as a Foti roll. There’s no doubt that it will add another layer of luster to the already impressive array of Oneonta dining options. And the bonus? Eric and Danielle, two new Oneonta residents!

Would everybody agree? NAGS Bar and Kitchen is a very pleasant sight in what was an embarrassment of an empty restaurant space. NAGS is evidence of the affection of a Canadian visitor who’s been smitten by our downtown. We love his confidence and believe that the community’s support, and the patronage of dozens of new residents in the Lofts on Dietz, will ensure the success of the business.

So, that’s another empty storefront filled. There are many others to follow, but this is progress.

On Water Street, there’s more. Asian Cuisine and Bar is a well-lit, sparkling clean, and inviting new dining option with a few geographic twists to their offerings. With entrances on Main and Water, it’s another nice addition to both streets.

New businesses and new neighbors are coming, and they are arriving in one’s and two’s and three’s.

It’s not the stream that we’ll begin to see soon, but it’s a good number for now; and just enough to allow us to get our ducks in a row. All of us, as a community.

There’s a shared consensus. We need new residents. Most everyone is agreed that an infusion of a thousand new people is exactly the shot in the arm we need.

So, it’s important that folks step up to lead an effort to welcome our new neighbors and jump-start their connection to the community. And… (more good news) they have!

As important as the embrace of new arrivals may be, it’s also vital to our recruitment efforts to know who’s joined us, and why they’ve chosen to live here.

Here’s a question: Have you just moved to Oneonta in the last year?

If that describes you or someone you know, our Welcome Wagon committee would love to meet you. It’s an easy connection to make, too. You can say “hello” at all4oneonta.com.

Speaking for all Oneontans, “We’re so happy you’re here!”

Mark Drnek is the mayor of the City of Oneonta.