Feb 27, 2025 MacKenzie (M) by Maria (MR)
MR: We’re in the hamlet of Bloomington. Hello, Mackenzie, what do you love about Rosendale?
M: I love everything about it. It’s a cute little town. I think it’s definitely one of those that most people don’t know about. I love the restaurants. I love the murals in town, what they’re doing with all of that. Super cute. There’s good hiking here. You know, there’s great people. It’s also like still quiet, you know, and you’ve got your own space. And yeah, I don’t know. It’s just a special little place.
MR: And do you live, work, or play in Rosendale these days?
M: Well, I split my time between here and the city still, but I do have a spot in Rosendale and I also Airbnb out here. And yeah, I try to be up here as much as possible.
MR: How long ago did you discover Rosendale? Or are you a native?
M: Oh, I’m not a native. No, I wish. I discovered probably four years ago, but I was finally able to buy a couple years ago. So I’ve been spending more time here.
MR: You were teaching in the city?
M: Yeah, I was at a middle school of English teacher first and then a system principal in East New York, Brooklyn.
MR: I love middle school. That was my only one and only teaching gig. It was middle school kids. I loved it.
M: It’s such a funny age because like they’re just figuring out who they are and
you have some kids who are super mature, next to some kids who are super immature.
MR: Yes, yes, exactly. Although sometimes the immature ones are more mature than them.
M: Yeah, yeah. And then the dynamic with the teachers too. That’s a whole ‘nother level. It’s like, sometimes I have kids between the kids and the teachers. I’m like, “wait a minute!”
MR: I was doing an after school club. So it was a little different, you know.
MR: What are your concerns for Rosendale? What do you think is important to take care of in Rosendale?
M: I mean, it’s kind of a double edged sword. One of my concerns is it becoming super popular, but at the same time, I do like when more people know about it, obviously I share with all my friends – have you checked out this town? I like that there’s more businesses opening up. But of course, more businesses open up to things get more expensive. You know, I would say in terms of concerns, just figuring out how to grow in a sustainable way that works for everyone.
You know, as much as possible. I know not everything works for everyone. But having those open dialogues, I’ve been to a few town hall meetings specifically around the Airbnb situation.
And it’s a complicated one. You know, it’s one where there’s a lot of tension in the town about it.
People usually fall on one side or the other. I don’t want to see a divide in this town, but I feel like sometimes it gets in that direction.
MR: Well, it seems like you really can see both sides.
M: I definitely understand the need for a local affordable housing. That’s one of the things that I strongly believe in, especially like working in public education and like being a … I’m a millennial. You know what I mean? So it has been hard to get on the property ladder. But at the same time, being able to buy a place up here and Airbnb it out part time. That has been my step into getting on the property ladder. And that probably, I know that wanted to have been available down in the city, you know. So it’s, it’s tough. But at the same time, I can’t be here full time yet because I still have to be able to afford it. You know, this is the way to offset the costs.
MR: So you’re not making a living up here yet.
M: Not, not through my Airbnb. No, I am a real estate agent, I do sales. And I do most of them up here in Ulster County. But I do do some down in the city. And I pretty much split my time back and forth. I’m kind of, kind of a nomad. Like, some days I’m up here two days a week. Some days I’m up here for the full week. Some days I’m up here only one day a week. You know, you just never know. It’s where the business calls you.
MR: In your experience of Rosendale in the last few years, have you any ideas for Rosendale?
Things that you’d love to see here or seem would be natural, would enhance the town.
M: Yeah. I think the town events, having more of those really is fun. Like the music festival. That’s a great time. And just doing more of that, you know, regularly sort of, I would like, because every time I go to that I meet people here that I don’t know. Part of being here part time is I don’t know a ton of people. I know some. I know my neighbors, you know what I mean? But I don’t have kind of the same pulse on the town as if I were to live here full time. So I think those sorts of things really bring people together and they’re just plain fun.
MR: We’re actually planning a series of music in the park this summer because people have been asking for it so much. So our group did a trial balloon last September. It was very popular. So it’d be smaller than the street fest. But it would be like, you know, bring a picnic to the park.
M: Totally. Yeah. And just all those things that like little small towns do. So I’m from out west. So we have a totally different vibe. Like here, you know, and in New England, like pumpkin festival or like stuff like that. We just didn’t do, you know, so those sorts of things.
MR: Yeah, they’re popular. Pickle festivals. Really nice. I like the pickle festivals. I’ve actually been a judge the last three years.
M: Oh have you? Look at you!
MR: Yeah. Really fun. Eating 50 different pickles.
M: That would be hard to keep track of.
MR: You have a whole chart. So you have to fill it out on each pickle.
So anyway, well, and any other thoughts, any specific thoughts?
M: I also think it would really help for like different generations. Some sort of opportunity to be creative for different generations to get together and talk about these things. Because I mean, I definitely feel kind of in the middle. You know what I mean? Like, I was born in 1984. So I’m just turned 40. So I’m not old, but I’m not young. And I think that a lot of times these issues do get lost in looking at it from a view of like, well, in my day or, you know, things have changed now.
And I think just more conversations across generation about these and looking for solutions could really be beneficial. How to go about that? I don’t know. I guess creating opportunities.
MR: Well, that’s one of the things we’re doing, actually, is talking to as many different kinds of people as we can, including kids.
M: Awesome. Yes. Definitely.
Oh, one more thing – more restaurants that are dog friendly – in the summertime outside. Yes.
MR: It’s really good to put that out there because the more people that ask for it, we’re sharing all of this information. It’s so interesting what has burbled up, there are confluences of ideas. There are ideas that are out of the blue, like, wow, that’s genius. So this has been a really fun project. Oh, I’ll give you a postcard.
