For Rent, Opening Soon

It seems that after only 6 weeks, I've lost my well-earned street smarts. That, or I want to believe I no longer need them.

I took the 8:29 express train home last night after a day in the city. I most often ride in the front of the train and walk home via West Main Street, a steep hill that runs through an enclave of newer development homes and past the Police Station. This time I collapsed into a seat in one of the back cars, behind a pregnant Mennonite woman and her husband, and promptly fell asleep until Cold Spring.

I exited at the main hub of the Beacon train station this time, by the taxi stand and the underpass to the waterfront. I was also near the bus station, where a young African-American man was waiting for the Loop through town. I didn't know this was an option this late at night, so my usual solitary routine was sidetracked by a curiosity for new public transportation options. A conversation started and somehow didn't end until 45 minutes later.

Fox was up from Brownsville, visiting his mother here. He is a spoken-word artist and talked a lot about devotion. We debated about the benefits of living in the country and agreed on Newburgh's arm-pit status compared to Beacon. The conversation was lively but predominantly one-sided, so I took this delayed opportunity to assess my situation and my new friend. He was genial and well-spoken, yet his meandering, excessive chatting and disheveled clothes suggested drug abuse. I noticed the tiny tear-drop tattoos at the outer corners of his eyes, possibly the markings of hard time.

My parents taught me to never judge anyone by how they look or the color of their skin. They were absolutely right to do so, but they never lived in New York City. Sometimes it's difficult to ignore the signs and this often presents a conflict for me.

When the Loop never showed (it was now after 10 PM), I gave Fox the benefit of the doubt and permitted him to join me on my walk back to Main Street. He pulled together his duffel bag and tied his boots and, during the shuffle, dropped his crack pipe onto the sidewalk. I pretended not to notice and let the first wave of panic pass through me. I still wasn't jumping to conclusions.

West Main Street is well-lit. I was only slightly concerned for my safety, but definitely on-edge and very annoyed at myself. Fox's mother transferred her physical therapy practice from Kings County hospital to St. Luke's in Newburgh. We talked about emergency room nightmares and it was then that Fox told me the story of how his best friend was shot in the face and killed during a robbery. He was there too, and his friend took the bullet to save him. I didn't ask any questions but expressed my sympathy.

When we reached the intersection of Main and Route 9D, I issued a friendly yet assertive "good-bye" and headed toward the center of town. Fox stayed put to call a friend for a pick-up. I only looked over my shoulder once.

The population percentage of non-whites here is nearly 35% out of an estimated 13,808 people and that is from a 2000 census. Like many Hudson Valley villages, this one suffered a severe economic downturn in the 1970s--when the local ski areas closed--and it lasted for nearly 20 years. A slight revival was brought on by the opening of DIA in the late 1990s. A small measure of homelessness remains, along with the residual effects of white flight.

I have no complaints. I'm merely responding to the perception that I'm ensconced in a sort of pastoral wonderland of peace and tranquility. That's not entirely the case. With the TOD at the top of its list, this town is faced with many civic and economic challenges. But if the sheer volume of public opinion on The Beacon Citizen Network (an online forum I am now a member of and read everyday) is any indication, advocacy and opportunities are powerfully taking shape.

There are bright spots! Many of the Main Street businesses are minority-owned. Tomorrow is Second Saturday for October, an aggressively promoted monthly event that draws a higher concentration of tourists. Paper Presence is moving to a more central location on the strip and the new Clay, Wood & Cotton, established by two Brooklyn women, will be celebrating its grand opening. Across the street, Beacon Cycles will be celebrating its first anniversary. Artisan will be hosting one of its frequent wine tastings, and a new coffee house will be opening later this month in the former Muddy Cup.