As I mentioned in my last post, I was walking around Ellenville, NY, at the suggestion of a friend who lives in nearby Wurtsboro. As I passed “Tony & Nick’s” Italian Restaurant on Canal Street, I noticed these photographic images of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s David, with David looking over at the “No Parking” sign as if he’s leading on parking enforcement duty. On a side note, I didn’t dine at Tony & Nick’s, but if I did, the “Coho Salmon” (which is pan roasted with pesto, and served with parsley potatoes and sautéed spinach) sure sounds good. If I were going the pizza route, I think I’d want to try the prosciutto and arugula pie for something different.
I’ve had occasional thoughts of considering the Catskills as a potential area to live, so on this day, I visited Ellenville, Mountaindale, and Wurtsboro. Coming from a city environment, the idea of moving to a small, rural or village environment would definitely involve some big changes, so part of my exploration was to try to get a feel for these types of places. I think Ellenville would appeal to me the most, as far as less shock-to-the-system, since the population there is around 4,000, while Wurtsboro is around 1,100, and Mountaindale only 260! Considering I’m in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, any of these places would be a drastic change. The jury is still out on whether this would be appealing enough to make the change.
Just to explain my selection of the pictures above: I like the sign for Top Shelf Jewelry as an art work, I like the painterly aspects of it. The Hosann Assembly of God building appeals to me for its stone exterior with a slightly mosaic feel to it; it also reminds me of William Christenberry’s pictures of small churches in the south.