On a crisp sunny Saturday morning on the drive from the Upper West Side of New York City to Warwick, New York, fifty miles away, you start in a big bustling city with bumper to bumper traffic getting onto the George Washington Bridge, but once over the bridge and out of traffic, you are on a gorgeous highway that becomes increasingly agrarian with trees the color of pumpkins. The one hour and fifteen minute drive to the town of Warwick is filled with a quiet and remote highway with green, yellow, and bright orange trees; a very different feel than the loud and gray city. You wouldn’t believe that this small town is only 50 miles from the big city.
Main Street, an essential part of Warwick, is a cultural shift from Manhattan. At a crowded traffic light drivers politely let other drivers merge which isn’t what you’re used to in the city and wasn’t the experience on the bridge earlier in the day. The town consists of approximately one mile of stores, restaurants, and community needs placed along a small two way road. This street also contains a public library, a school with outdoor tennis and basketball courts, a local FedEx which is in a Cape Cod style home, and a historical society building. Many of the stores are family run and not a chain, other than CVS and a TD bank.
The town of Warwick celebrates their history and culture all the time. It’s part of their heritage and part of their cache. I spoke to Jennifer O’Conner, a volunteer at the Warwick Historical Society, about the history of the town. Jennifer grew up in Staten Island yet moved to Warwick twenty years ago with her husband. She was previously the editor of the Warwick Valley Dispatch, one of two daily newspapers in the town. Jennifer said, “We really care about our history and traditions here in Warwick.” She pointed out Warwick is in their 90th year of having a George Washington Day. George and Martha Washington spent a lot of their time in Warwick when Washington was a general and then a president. The Baird Tavern on Main Street is owned by the Historical Society and rented out as an active tavern where George Washington drank and Martha stayed many times. Warwick likes to remember the rich history their town has. The town and the countryside was a hub of Atlantic states breadbasket farming in the 18th century which got richer in the 19th century because of railroads and has maintained its vitality in 20th and 21st centuries with working farms and now vineyards and bucolic splendor so close to New York City.
Jean Murphy who works at Akins Pharmacy on Main Street states, “A lot of our customers are repeat customers and very loyal customers.” When you first look at this shop from the street it looks rustic and slightly old yet when in the store, it is newly renovated and very luxurious. Although there is a CVS not too far away, Jean says that many people are more inclined to go to the family owned businesses. This allows for the employees to know all of their customers quite well. In fact, when I was waiting in line to talk to her, she called the name of the gentleman in front of me saying his prescription was ready without him saying anything.
Drew Powers is a waitress at Fetch Bar and Grill on Main Street. She is 20 years old with jet balck hair and fully tattooed arms. She was highly enthusiastic with all her customers so I knew I chose the right person to talk to. She stated, “I really like that aspect of living here, it is small and everyone knows everyone.” The name of the restaurant came from the walls filled with images of dogs covering every inch. Drew has lived in Warwick for 6 years and has been working at Fetch since then because her dad is the owner. Interestingly, the restaurant started in New York City 20 years ago, yet the rent in the City skyrocketed forcing them to move. They found the current location in Warwick where the rent was more affordable and the waiters or waitresses know all of the locals. Powers states, “There is an interesting mix of people we see here. In the fall there are many people from the City who have come from apple picking mixed with the usual locals. At other times of the year there is a majority of locals.”
As you enter Markers Orchard, which is 256 acres of land and 150 acres occupying apples, you arrive on an old gravel road shaking your car every which way. There are rows upon rows of apple trees with red labels pointing you in the direction of certain kinds of apples. As you drive on the gravel road you see families camping out for the day with chairs, picnics, and blankets. When you follow the signs towards the “country store” you find a small village where every building is a barn. There is a pony ride for children, a haunted house, and a food truck. The country store is filled with jams, honey, butter, pancake mix, and more. Next to that is the snack barn filled with freshly made apple cider donuts which you can smell from hundreds of feet away. There is also cold and hot apple cider along with various snacks.
Maskers is one of six orchards in Warwick yet is the largest. During the seasons it is open to the public, September and October, the orchard greatly impacts the economy. As people come from all over the tristate area to go apple picking at Maskers, they stop to get gas or lunch at a restaurant on Main Street. The orchard draws in tourists to buy their apples and then guides them to the shops or restaurants in town. As George Verno, who has worked at Maskers for the past 46 years, states, “I would describe it as agritourism,” which means they are attracting the attention of tourists because of an agricultural activity but they are then sending more elsewhere. Verno gave insight on what it is like having his family be the owners of the orchard. His father has been the main owner for over seven decades. Verno says he has met a large number of people from all over the tristate area. He says that the overwhelming number of customers are friendly and he likes meeting them but, “that one bad apple will ruin a whole bushel.” Verno laughed out loud, realizing that was quite a good pun for someone that works at an apple orchard.
