Sep 22, 2009

Dressing up the stationBy Jordan ReardonPostStar.com

Off Broadway in Fort Edward lies a reborn train station.

For nearly 10 years, the station was all but abandoned — few train travelers wanted to make the trip from here, choosing to go to Saratoga Springs or areas farther north, depending on where they were going.

But with a few grant dollars and some motivation, the former eye-sore has been revitalized into a hub for travelers and a community space. The building is the home of Timeless Art, a gallery and gift shop run by Kathleen Presti.

The gallery and shop has been open for about four months, and Presti explained that there is more to it than meets the eye.

“I’m trying to make it a community center — culturally and in the arts,” Presti said.

The store also has a number of events, including lectures about train travel, weekly painting classes and Friday night music each week.

“My business partner, Denise Mayer, is a classically-trained violinist, and we both realize how important music is,” Presti said. “There is good train traffic on Friday nights, with everyone coming up from New York City. They all stop in and listen … there’s such vibrancy in the station that there just wasn’t before.”

In addition to the music on Fridays, there is a masseuse on hand every other Friday night as well, and travelers (and locals) are always welcome to stop by the cafe, which sells coffee and candy, as well as a selection of food from local diners.

“I’m a local business, and I want to help out other local businesses. It’s all about staying in the community,” Presti said.

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