Page 13 - BusinessWest July 24, 2023

Great Barrington
Continued from page 11
>>
“COVID forced them to look at other avenues of doing business. Before, they were kind of content and didn’t bother to really look at what they doing, why, and how. COVID forced them to think outside the box, which, for some locations, really helped — a lot.”
growth in population witnessed by the town and surrounding communities such as Egremont, Mount Washington, Otis, and others.
“The area just keeps on growing — it grew a lot during COVID, as a lot of places where people had second homes did,” he noted. “People moved up here and got out of the city, and that’s a trend that has made our winters much better.
“Berkshire County is really a destination for summer unless you ski — it’s a summer- time destination with Tanglewood and all the outdoor theaters and playhouses,” he went on. “But it’s grown quite a bit in the winter, too; all our business used to happen in the summer, but now it’s more of a year- round business.”
Andrus agreed, noting that, beyond this COVID-generated population growth and its accompanying benefits, the pandemic even- tually helped businesses by forcing them to dig deep, pivot in some cases, and find new ways to carry on.
“COVID forced them to look at other avenues of doing business,” she explained. “Before, they were kind of content and didn’t bother to really look at what they doing, why, and how. COVID forced them to think outside the box, which, for some loca- tions, really helped — a lot.”
Overall, Great Barrington continues to
thrive because of its full menu of offerings, enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, she went on.
“There’s really unique shops with things you can’t get in the box stores. And there’s food; I’ve traveled all over the country, and I always get to places and think, ‘I’ve got to get home because the food is not good — I’ve got to get back to the Berkshires.”
This is an ever-changing community, Andrus said, noting that, while many estab- lishments have been doing business for years and even decades, there are always new businesses opening, making each visit to the city different and fresh.
She noted that, coincidentally, some of the longer-tenured stores in the community — such as Out of Hand; Evergreen, a crafts store; and Byzantium Clothing — have closed due to retirements or will close soon. But storefronts are rarely vacant for long, she added. “Sometimes is looks there’s an empty spot, but it’s not.”
While the town is more of a year-round destination now, summer is still the busi- est and most vibrant time of year — and the outdoor dining and accompanying entertain- ment on Railroad Street have made it even more so, she said.
“There’s entertainment of all different sorts throughout the evening each night that the road is closed,” she explained, noting
that Berkshire Busk! provides everything from musicians to acrobats to balloon-char- acter makers. Visitors come for the enter- tainment and then often stay for dinner at one of the restaurants.
Amid these good times, there are chal- lenges, especially with the regionwide prob- lem of finding and retaining adequate levels of talent. Indeed, many restaurants have been forced to reduce the number of days and hours they are open, Andrus said, add- ing quickly that most are coping and mak- ing the most of a difficult situation.
Right Place, Tight Time
Masiero can’t remember where, but he read somewhere that Great Barrington was listed among the top 10 places to move to during COVID (Hudson, N.Y. was the num- ber-one destination, he recalled).
That ranking speaks volumes not only about how the pandemic that initially bruised this small town has gone on to help it, but also about all that this colorful com- munity has to offer.
As Andrus said, it does have something for everyone, and now there are seemingly more people to enjoy it all.
The scene on Railroad Street on week- end nights tells the story — in all kinds of ways. BW
When you think EVs, think
You’ll do better at Balise®
Whether it’s a hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), or pure EV, Balise has you covered. Cars, trucks, and EUVs—no matter the size—you’ll find what you’re looking for, at Balise.
BusinessWest
<< COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT >>
JULY 24, 2023 13