Looking Back: Sam’s Swap Shop

 “Originally an Army/Navy supply store, the family-owned business used their unique buy/sell/trade model to see them through the Great Depression, World War II and a host of other historic moments, only to become a victim of the sudden and orchestrated beast that is the gentrification of Kingston..... Even just a few years ago, a building could still have been had for around $300,000. There was always a reason not to buy; it was hoped that one day the family might be able to purchase the space they had occupied for over half a century. Little did they ever guess that spot would soar to a price tag of well over $1 million virtually overnight, displacing other family business like the Kingston Clock Shop and Mark Ferraro’s Hair Salon — formerly his mother’s beauty parlor — to name a few. The new owner has quadrupled the rents, making it impossible for small mom-and-pop shops to survive.” -hudsonvalleyone.com / Alyssa

#deathofoldkingston #kingstonny #kingstongentrification #historickingston #stockadedistrict #kingstonstockade