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Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce

Embracing Growth & Community in Pleasantville

February 24, 2022 by Stacey Pfeffer

Board Members of the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce. BACK ROW (L-R): Karen Cammann, Ed Elliott, Maria Amato, Allen Wallace and Lynda Lederer-Natale. FRONT ROW (L-R): Evelyn Tierney, Bill Flooks, and W. Paul Alvarez
PHOTO BY DONNA MUELLER

Full disclosure: When I moved to Northern Westchester about a decade ago, I fell in love with Pleasantville. Although I live in a neighboring town, I found myself spending a great deal of time in this charming village. It all started with a much beloved independent business, the toy store, Try & Buy. As a newcomer to the ‘burbs with kids of nursery school age, it seemed that every Friday I was scouring the aisles for presents for the upcoming weekend which would be chock full of birthday parties. 

But my love affair with this village didn’t stop at the now defunct toy store. With my stroller, I found that it was a remarkably walkable town which was key for someone accustomed to tallying up miles in the streets of Manhattan. Here, I could grab a cup of coffee, walk into the bookstore and bribe my kids to behave with sweets from the candy store.

Now that the deluge of birthday parties has ended and my kids are no longer toddlers, I still find myself drawn to Pleasantville. With the Jacob Burns Film Center and plentiful restaurants, I am here at least weekly. Turns out, I am not alone in my love affair with Pleasantville as the latest housing market data shows demand outstripping supply and the median sales price for single family homes steadily increasing from $665,000 (pre-pandemic in 2019) to record sales highs last year with a median of $739,000. It seems that the magic of Pleasantville is attracting buyers from the city and lower Westchester looking for more space, a place to raise a family with a great school district plus a pedestrian-friendly layout to access shops and restaurants easily. Buyers frequently cite the convenience and walkability of the village as key factors influencing their home purchasing decisions.

Linking the community and commerce has been at the forefront of Bill Flooks mind since he joined the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce in 2004. Fast forward a few years and he is now the President of the Chamber for more than a dozen years. As the owner of local business, Beecher Flooks Funeral Home on Bedford Road,  he is distinctly aware of the many challenges that small independent businesses face to ensure that Pleasantville remains a vibrant village for both businesses and residents alike.

Flooks describes his Chamber position as “fun.” He enjoys meeting the business owners and residents and “helping the community get to where it wants to be.” Currently with almost 150 members in the Chamber, Flooks and his team help the businesses gain exposure so that people in town know about the many local services and retail spots available to them right outside their front doors. The Chamber also organizes fun-filled events that attract Westchester residents to visit the village and hopefully patronize its many businesses.

Chamber’s Website Relaunch

Chamber members run the gamut from accountants, lawyers and non-profits to several restaurants as the 10570 is quickly becoming a foodie destination in Northern Westchester (more on that later) and beyond. The Chamber recently relaunched their website at pleasantvillechamber.com with a user-friendly member directory plus parking information including rules and regulations including meter payment through the Pango app. Flooks and the Chamber members wanted the revamped website to be as user and mobile-friendly as possible for shoppers and businesses. 

Businesses can also now apply or renew their Chamber membership online. So far, the relaunched website with a new look and enhanced navigation seems to be a hit and the Chamber is already ahead of membership renewals in Q1 2022 versus previous years. 

Keeping Chamber members and residents informed of construction in the village is a top priority for Flooks. With the ongoing construction on Manville Road and by Memorial Plaza, Flooks wants local businesses to know when key segments of projects are completed and how that will impact parking for customers. The website includes information about various infrastructure projects and e-newsletters are sent to Chamber members detailing the various construction phases.

Chamber Events Enhance Pleasantville’s Appeal

“Linking community and commerce” has been the Chamber’s tagline for more than a decade and Flooks lists a number of key events and initiatives that help accomplish this goal. From ribbon cutting ceremonies for new businesses in town captured on film by Pleasantville Community TV to the Chamber’s well attended Business Person of the Year event, the Chamber is always looking for ways to help members achieve exposure and grow their business.

One such event was the 1st Annual Oktoberfest Street Fair held this fall when COVID was on a downward trajectory featuring live music and ping pong plus a variety of foods from local Chamber members on Wheeler Avenue which was closed off to vehicular traffic. Commenting on the inaugural event, Flooks noted that “people were looking to get out [then] and do social stuff. We will definitely do it again, expanded hopefully, with some children-friendly events. It showed we are back and willing to help the businesses and the community.” Echoing Flook’s enthusiasm for the event, Chamber Administrator Evelyn Tierney said, “It didn’t hurt that people were able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage and eat in the open air and move around to see and talk to friends. Businesses on Washington Ave had spillover from Wheeler Ave – so it was good for their businesses too.” The event was well-promoted with flyers on Facebook and Instagram plus the 10570 Facebook group shared Chamber posts about it with their 5,000 subscribers. The Chamber is also hoping to help support the Pleasantville Music Festival which is currently scheduled for July 9, 2022. “The festival is a great event that brings thousands to the village and historically we’ve always had good weather,” Flooks commented.

Pleasantville isn’t just beloved by local residents. People from neighboring communities and Southern Westchester are also drawn to the village. County Executive George Latimer notes that “Pleasantville’s critical location in the Saw Mill River Valley draws people from all around it. The Jacob Burns Film Center is a key asset offering entertainment that you can’t find elsewhere.” Latimer, a Rye resident, often frequents it as well as the bustling restaurant scene. “Pleasantville has terrific restaurants and the farmers market adds to the town’s appeal. The farmers market was one of the first in the county to go year round and people are willing to travel to it because it is so unique and well organized. It brings a distinct energy level to the village. There is a certain vibe of Americana that you feel in Pleasantville. People say hello to each other on the street. Plus the school system is great and you have a non-partisan local government truly looking after the best interests of the village.” 

While many beloved local independent businesses have been mainstays in the community for years like Glass Onion Originals, Black Cow and the Village Bookstore, there are several national chains such as convenience and coffee shops that are also part of the village. The majority of these chains are not Chamber members but Flooks doesn’t view that as a serious problem to contend with. “We go back to them and ask them to join but many of them have to go through corporate and they just view us as another town to do business in. Maybe you grab a coffee [from a chain] and then pick up a sandwich from Sundance Deli or Frank & Joe’s. The great thing about America is you have choices,” he adds.

It is clear that the Chamber members do not just view Pleasantville as a place to do business in. They support many local charitable initiatives from PTA events to the Tina Shaina Gambino Memorial Foundation 5K, an event which raises money for organ donation named in honor of a local Pleasantville High School senior who passed away suddenly in 2004. Several Chamber members donate thousands of dollars a year to hyperlocal causes or by providing services or food pro-bono.

10570: A Foodie Destination

On the topic of food, Pleasantville is one of the top foodie destinations in the county. With specialty shops such as Second Mouse Cheese Shop and Flour & Sun Bakery plus the all new Root2Rise, a 100% plant-based café, recently relocated suburbanites and foodies with a sophisticated palate have plentiful options. Restaurants such as Southern Table have even received Michelin recognition. “In the evening parking eases up in the village, so if you can’t get into one restaurant, you might discover another that’s also really good,” explains Flooks. “Once you park your car, the restaurants are all within easy walking distance of each other.”

Many of these restaurants on Wheeler Avenue set up outdoor seating during warmer weather and have had to pivot to expanded take-out options and curbside delivery during the pandemic.

Pleasantville truly is a walking village and the people who are moving here to a house or apartment may only need one car or none at all as many now work from home. “People can walk to whatever they need here to buy, eat, drink or see a movie. The way the village is set up with business and residential so close to each other is a homerun,” exclaims Flooks.

“I think with the recent housing explosion a lot of the businesses are happy. You are going to have more shoppers, more eaters, more drinkers and more visitors coming to the village.” The future of the village seems poised for success and continuous growth. “This will only make Pleasantville more vibrant and [ultimately] more profitable for business,” sums up Flooks.

Note: This article is based on excerpts from an interview with Bill Flooks that aired on Pleasantville Community TV. To access the full interview, visit www.pctv76.org.


Photos Courtesy of the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce

Filed Under: Cover Stories, Pleasantville Cover Stories Tagged With: community, growth, Oktoberfest, Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce, Pleasantville Community Television

Imagining the Possibilities

February 24, 2022 by Grace Bennett

Hello everyone!  Welcome to our first 2022 editions, including Inside Pleasantville & Briarcliff Manor (Inside P&BM). We gratefully brought a third title back after a Covid pause. I chose a theme called ‘Spring’s Possibilities’ as we set out to produce three editions.

To that end, you’ll find our press enthusiastically supporting local commerce as in the Inside P&BM  cover story written by Stacey Pfeffer and photographed by Donna Mueller. It hopefully conveys our focus and was even generously taped by Pleasantville Community Television. Stacey’s entire interview with Bill Flooks, president of the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce, is available for viewing at https://www.pctv76.org/video/2907/.

Meanwhile, for all our editions, Christine Pasqueralle interviewed Mary Jo Ziesel, the new Jacob Burns Film Center director, for an always welcome update on ‘all things Burns.’ Christine also gathered a host of fun and rewarding activities ‘to do’ in Briarcliff Manor–amazing to consider in a small village. 

The debut of Orchestra 914 in Pleasantville, with new conductor Russell Ger, as reported by Jean Sheff, is reason alone to celebrate. At Arc Stages, too, I’ve discovered there are always so many creative offerings to engage the community. Rich Monetti shines a spotlight on a fascinating spring exhibit at Arc Stages, as just one example, that of photographer Chad David Kraus’s work.

A real special treat is a Pleasantville Puzzle, created by Will Shortz, who took time out from running his amazing Westchester Table Tennis Center to produce it. The idea for a puzzle came my way from the newest addition to our Inside Press team, John Fisher, a (very) long time Pleasantville resident and now Inside Press Director of Business Development. Lisa Samkoff, our long-time Art Director, designed all the beautiful pages for us.

In the interest of ‘Sharing the Heart of the Community’–our mission–we support Briarcliff Manor’s Irene Unger who describes living with Multiple Sclerosis and who spotlights the MS Walk on March 27th in Briarcliff. In Inside Armonk we share resident Jennifer Drubin Clark’s journey with breast surgery, and the poignant thoughts she courageously shares, surrounding her community of healing and support. 

There’s a big ‘sports’ component this go round too, as we celebrate an Armonk Girls Varsity Tennis Team’s path to victory–Girl Power!–and in Chappaqua, Nolan Thornton’s interview with Geoff Curtis, the district’s athletic director, gets to the heart of what sport team efforts are all about, too.

Enjoy the online stories, and please do consider the online subscription. As we inch toward 20 years of publication, print advertising can be a tough sell,  so reader support is deeply appreciated more than ever to help fund the editions and maintain a healthy online presence. 

We have an awesome team! We also have two more spring editions coming, one mailing April 8 and another mailing June 1, so keep an eye out! And this spring, as always, keep imagining the possibilities.

 — Grace

Grace Bennett with Bill Flooks (left) and Paul Alvarez Photo by Donna Mueller
Stacey Pfeffer with Bill Flooks.
Photo by Shane McGaffey, Pleasantville Community Television

A real special treat is a Pleasantville Puzzle, created by Will Shortz, who took time out from running his amazing Westchester Table Tennis Center to produce it. The idea for a puzzle came my way from the newest addition to our Inside Press team, John Fisher, a (very) long time Pleasantville resident and now Inside Press Director of Business Development. Lisa Samkoff, our long-time Art Director, designed all the beautiful pages for us.

In short, we have an awesome team! We also have two more spring editions coming, one mailing April 8 and another mailing June 1, so keep an eye out! And this spring, as always, keep imagining the possibilities.

Filed Under: Pleasantville Just Between Us Tagged With: Bill Flooks, Imagining, Just Between Us, Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce, Possibilities, Stacey Pfeffer

Current and reliable information regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

March 16, 2020 by The Inside Press

Courtesy of Fusion Medical Animation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce pulled together resources to make sure its members and community are receiving the most current and reliable information regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

  • As news is being updated frequently, look for facts from reputable sources such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
  • Post printable resources from the CDC to ensure that employees are aware of Coronavirus symptoms and prevention measures.
  • Increase the frequency of cleaning schedules, especially for common areas.

Information Resources:

  • Village of Pleasantville: www.pleasantville-ny.gov
  • Directory of contacts: https://www.pleasantville-ny.gov/contacts-directory
  • Centers for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
  • Guidance for Business: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
  • Small Business Administration: https://www.sba.gov/page/guidance-businesses-employers-plan-respond-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
  • New York State Health Department: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/
  • Westchester County Health Department: https://health.westchestergov.com/2019-novel-coronavirus
    Northwell Health (Phelps + Northern Westchester Hospitals): https://www.northwell.edu/coronavirus-covid-19
  • Facebook Business Resource Hub
  • CDC: Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease.
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Business Resilience Guidance
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Guidance for Employers
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Workplace Tips for Employees
  • U.S. Department of Labor: COVID-19 Guidance

We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated. If you have information that you’d like the Chamber to share on the special procedures and precautions that you have put in place email us here. 

Sincerely,

Bill Flooks
President, Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce

Executive Board
Bill Flooks, President
Paul Alvarez, Vice President
Elizabeth Calderone, Treasurer
Karen Cammann, Secretary
Ed Elliott, Executive Board Member
Jackie Martineau, Executive Board Member
Daniel Ortiz, Executive Board Member

Administrator, Evelyn Tierney

Filed Under: Pleasantville Community, Surviving COVID-19 Tagged With: Centers for Disease Control, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce

Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce: Linking Community to Businesses

August 24, 2019 by Madeline Rosenberg

Colorful awnings, decorative displays and windows adorned with local flyers: These are the storefronts that line downtown Pleasantville. Businesses spanning from gift shops to restaurants offer the village a variety of local options, many stores of which belong to the town’s business network, the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber supports and promotes its 154 members who comprise an estimated 70 percent of the village’s businesses, according to Chamber President Bill Flooks. Information on the chamber’s website and social media pages, as well as its annual events and award ceremonies, helps make community members aware of what Pleasantville offers.

“We try to link the community with the businesses,” Flooks said. “That’s our goal, because that’s what you need for a successful business.”

On October 23, the chamber will honor businesses and service groups for their contributions to the village at the annual Chamber Appreciation Awards. Members also gather each April for the Business Person of the Year Event, a ceremony that celebrates the person who “consistently demonstrates business excellence, vision, innovation, leadership and community spirit,” according to their website. In addition to these events, the chamber holds six member meetings a year, which serve as “meet and greet” opportunities for local business owners and a way to communicate updates on community projects.

As apartments materialize on Washington Avenue and Memorial Plaza, the people who populate them will further the chamber’s goal of supporting local businesses, Flooks explained. The more people in the area, the more foot traffic.

“We’re trying to make Pleasantville a destination for people to come,” he said. “As we continue to grow, with what’s going on in the village, we will approach more businesses. And, hopefully more businesses will get involved when they realize that we can help promote them.”

Filed Under: Pleasantville Cover Stories Tagged With: Business, community, Downtown Pleasantville, Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce

At the Heart of Community

August 24, 2019 by Grace Bennett

One thing I’ve heard consistently about Pleasantville lately is how fiercely proud residents are of their town and of Mount Pleasant at large. As I produced this edition over the summer, and learned about Break the Hold, via Sabra Staudenmaier’s cover story for us, it was not hard to see why.

I feel like I’m getting to know a community that yes, celebrates all its gifts and good fortune, but also enthusiastically embraces solutions to challenging problems via its open hearts and extended hands. To me, such sincere involvement feels central to understanding the heart of a caring community. This story pulled my heartstrings right away. We also have a proud history covering mental health issues, and specifically the topics of depression and suicide. The Inside Press was the recipient a few years back of a Media Award from the Mental Health Association of Westchester. We hope to continue to shine a spotlight on mental health in future issues as well.

In additional heart sharing coverage, I am also thrilled to publish Ronni Diamondstein’s story about Pleasantville’s Gordon Parks Foundation; if you’re like me, you might be one of many who has walked by and felt curious about the foundation’s window on Wheeler Avenue. Its mission is to preserve the powerful images of artist and photojournalist Gordon Parks whose work has done so much to help bring attention to racism. It accomplishes that and so much more.

If you need more reasons to love Mount Pleasant, there is no shortage in this edition. We asked a long time savvy area resident and Inside Press contributor Jennifer Sabin Poux to compile ten, and she does a fantastic job of that too.

Two summer interns, Charlotte Harter and Madeline Rosenberg, have also helped turn our attention to community, with stories about how the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce helps support local commerce, coverage of the town’s dedicated conservation efforts plus a look back at Pleasantville Community Day and the town’s firefighter parade.

We know fitness figures ‘big’ around here too, so please don’t miss the piece about area marathon runners either, which includes a Pleasantville resident!

Finally, we also keep hearing the music. In our debut edition, we offered a preview of the Pleasantville Music Festival (another mega successful day!), and in this issue, we give a nod to the area’s vibrant ‘music scene,’ as writer Miriam Longobardi spotlights a couple Rocker bands led by area moms!   

Enjoy the edition, and we hope to see you again in 2020. Our plans for now are for at least four a year, so stay tuned!  Follow Inside Press Magazines on Facebook or insidepress on Instagram, and soon enough, another surprise pub covering your town will be hiding in your mailbox!   

Filed Under: Just Between Us Tagged With: Bands, Break the Hold, Caring, community, fitness, Gordon Parks, heart, Inside Pleasantville, Inside Press Magazines, Just Between Us, Mental health, Mental Health Association of Westchester, Mount Pleasant, music, Pleasantville, Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce, Pleasantville Community Day, pleasantville music festival

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