What You May Not Know About Croton Falls

Writing by Justin Negard

Photography by Tomoko Rahenkamp and Justin Negard

Mention Croton Falls to someone, and you’ll likely hear one word: charming. It may be due to the quaint storefronts, the romantic sounds of the train, or the Victorian homes lining the surrounding streets. Whatever the reason, Croton Falls is indeed charming, but there is much more to this North Salem hamlet than flower boxes and pretty buildings.

Part of Sayan Ray’s “America Part 1” series, which is on display now at Lift Trucks Art.

Things are changing here. New businesses are moving in to complement the older local favorites. People are bringing different ideas to this neighborhood, creating a place that is both familiar and fresh.

Allison Newell, owner of June Farm, a flower farm in North Salem that collaborates with businesses in Croton Falls, was originally from southern California and has lived in Westchester since 2013, starting in New Rochelle. She remembers seeing Croton Falls for the first time. “I was living in Bedford and never went past Purdy’s,” says Newell. “I’d go to Farmer and the Fish or The Blazer and find everything and everyone so charming. I felt at home before I even knew we would live in North Salem.”

Then, one day, she did. “I took a ride and came upon Croton Falls,” recalls Newell. “It was adorable. It had all the charm you would expect from a small train stop. We didn’t have anything like this in California. Something so accessible and untouched. I went home and immediately told my husband that I needed to have a shop there.”

Folkways Wines.

Natalie Gehrels, co-founder of Folkways Wines, remembers the accidental circumstances that brought her and her husband, Jonas Andersen, the other co-founder, to Croton Falls. “I was working on ceramics out of the Railyard Arts space,” remembers Gehrels. “At that time, we were looking into opening a wine store in Pound Ridge, but then it all fell apart. It was actually a godsend because I was already falling in love with this area.”

Stories like these are not exclusive. Many new businesses have opened in Croton Falls, bringing art, food and culture to a hamlet that had previously relied on commuters and the lunch crowd exclusively. “The downtown area used to be packed,” recalls Cynthia Curtis, past president and now treasurer of the North Salem Historical Society. “You could not find a parking space. All the local businesspeople, the electricians, the plumbers, the landscapers—they all came here for their lunch. After COVID, it changed. People adopted new routines and found different places to go.”

Croton Falls changed too. Today, lunch is still being served, but with much more to see and do. There are pottery wheels, antique couches, art openings and wine tastings. The older residents of the community are now working alongside the newbies, often collaborating to create a new Croton Falls that respects its charming heritage while bringing new excitement to the community. So if you haven’t been to Croton Falls in a while, here’s what you may not know.

Things to do

Let’s start first by stating the obvious. Croton Falls is the place to go every fall. Come September, orchard season causes locals to readjust their routes, avoiding the traffic jams on Hardscrabble Road and the influx of apple groupies from New York City.

Kirk Rundhaug of Lift Trucks Art.

From the cinnamon-laced smells of Salinger’s farm market to the newly expanded Harvest Moon and their Hardscrabble Cider, many of these local farms draw crowds of visitors throughout the autumn season, longing for classics like apple picking, pumpkin patches and hayrides. “There are four or five thousand people a day that come up here on the train,” says Kirk Rundhaug, director of Lift Trucks Art. “It’s insanity, but it helps bring attention to everything else around Croton Falls that people might not yet know about.”

One of those things could be the North Salem Farmers Market, which takes place on the second Saturday of each month from May to October. Founded and co-directed by Gehrels, the market features over thirty vendors, art, food and live music (curated by Ian Hendrickson Smith, the saxophone player for The Roots). This includes local names such as DIG Farm, Salingers, LMNOP, Lobster Hill and many more. “Previously, the town had a craft fair,” says Gehrels. “Someone asked me if I wanted to help organize it. At that time, there were a lot of artists involved, but I felt that really the heart of this area is agriculture. Why are we not talking more about all of the food and farming culture that’s here? So, with that, we created an art and food festival.”

This market, says Rundhaug, has transformed the community. “It’s changed the attitude of some of the people who live around here, whether it’s Mahopac, Bedford, Danbury, Brewser or elsewhere,” he says. “Now, they come to the market, which is kind of cool because there’s a little bit of everything for them to experience.”

For those looking to get their hands a little messier, Railyard Arts Studio provides daily classes for kids and adults right in the middle of town. Situated next to Metro North, it’s an easy commute for anyone looking to improve their pottery, painting, photography and much more.

Owner Jill Leary founded Railyard Arts in 2019 as a means of nurturing art for beginners and established artists across many mediums. Today, there are workshops and classes on topics such as watercolors, wheel throwing, hand building, sketching, stained glass and jewelry. Memberships are also available for artists who want to work any time of day, although be warned: studio space sells out quickly.

Railyard Arts Studio.

The Schoolhouse Theater, led by Bram Lewis (producing director) and Owen Thompson (artistic director), has entertained the community for 40 years. Founded in 1983 by Lee Pope, this theater showcases visual artists and performing artists alike, bringing plays, musical acts and more to the northern Westchester community. This ‘little theater that could’ has even caught the eye of The New York Times and many other notable names in the entertainment industry, including Robert Klein, who has performed there. Their upcoming show, “Satchmo at the Waldorf,” runs May 23 through June 8. Later this year, you can also see “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” (Sept. 5–21) and “Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense” (Dec. 5–21).

Left, Frank’s Pizzeria. Right, The Creek.

What to eat

The dining options in Croton Falls offer something for everyone. For a quick bite, local staples such as Frank’s Pizza deliver consistently good pies. Newell of June Farm says it’s her go-to spot. “When I had a table at Lift Trucks, I’d order Frank’s at least twice a week,” she says. “They would deliver right to the studio even though we are five minutes away. We’ve seen other places come and go, but Frank’s is hands down my favorite.”

Meanwhile, Curtis at the historical society will swear by Who’s Cooking as her preferred lunchtime spot for sandwiches and platters. “Anything from their hot table is good,” she recommends. “I go for lunch and have used them for catering too.”

Just next door to Who’s Cooking is Milton’s at Hygrade Market, which serves a wide range of fast and tasty items from breakfast sandwiches to empanadas and yuca fries. Located across the street from the train station, Milton’s is an excellent option for commuters looking for a quick bite at the beginning or end of a long day in Manhattan.

For a fuller dining option, The Creek provides what they call an “upscale sports bar” experience, serving pints of beer along with steak sandwiches, burgers or salads. Their location in the center of town makes them a convenient option for weekend shoppers and local dinner reservations. Or head to Primavera for a fine dining experience, with seating available  in their formal dining room and at the bar. This long-standing establishment serves lobster tails and scallops along with traditional favorites such as milanese, francese and a large variety of pastas.

On the more unique side, Folkways Wines has quickly made a name for themselves in the area, offering wines from small-batch vineyards whose owners they describe as “diverse, conscientious winemakers.” When she’s not managing the North Salem Farmers Market, Gehrels and her husband work together to organize local wine tastings and food events for the region. “It was apparent that this community was very hungry for connection,” says Gehrels. “We wanted to create a space where people can come in and browse, like it was a record shop, and connect with the people who are working here. Then we did a lot of partnerships with other people in the food space who inspired us, like an oyster shucking class, a cheese pairing, a ceramics class, block printing and things like that. People were excited to be part of it.”

Shopping

Left, Emily Hyatt of Trove. Right, Allison Newell of June Farm

Enjoy floral designing, browse artwork and peruse an expansive showroom of antique furniture and decor — all in one place. The shared spaces of Trove Antiques and Design, June Farm and Lift Trucks Art have brought a new energy to Croton Falls.

Emily Hyatt, owner of Trove Antiques and Design, moved to North Salem seven years ago and instantly fell for Croton Falls. “The town is so historic,” says Hyatt. “It was very serendipitous how I found my space. I called the owner of the building, artist Tom Christopher (who owns and renovated several buildings in the hamlet), about some office space upstairs. He mentioned he might have another space that he was using for storage. As soon as I stepped inside, I was like, ‘this is it.’ The ceilings, the industrial nature of it—I was picturing the juxtaposition that my showroom could have.”

Her collaboration with Lift Trucks Art and June Farm has been a welcome surprise. Rundhaug, too, has loved the pairing. “We are creating a path of art and antiques, florals and food,” Rundhaug describes. “I think we accomplished that also with the help of Folkways Wines, Railyard Arts and Hygrade Market. It’s very special.”

Sharing a space with Milton’s at Hygrade Market, Old Meets New is a vintage shop selling stylish antique decor, artwork and small gifts that make fun, unique purchases. You can browse the eclectic showroom while enjoying your coffee from Milton’s next door.

With so much going on in Croton Falls, the question is, what’s next? Shop owners are working with town representatives to hopefully build more infrastructure that would create easier commercial access, more parking and more opportunities for businesses to open and expand. Plans have been submitted, and discussions are ongoing. “I think we’re going to eventually see coffee shops,” says Hyatt. “I think we’re going to see restaurants, and I think it’s going to be a destination in the years to come.”

Curtis says she’d love to see a bake shop in town, similar to Sweet Delites in Somers, and Newell says she hopes for a “great bookstore” or hardware store, something that is useful and meaningful for the community and reflects the energy and creativity in Croton Falls. Meanwhile, Gehrels wants to add an educational arm to the North Salem Farmers Market organization. “We love having people in our shop,” she says, “but the market is where we will be able to grow larger events.”

“The younger generation coming up here will want this to be a gathering space,” Rundhaug muses. “That means good coffee and good wine, along with shops like ours that offer great art and great furniture. Build it, and they shall come.”

Welcome sign for Croton Falls.

This article was published in the May/June 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.