HONESDALE -- Recently, as many as a half-dozen longtime businesses closed in downtown Honesdale, including a bakery, a gift shop and more.
But in that time, new businesses have been springing up.
Just this weekend, Day's Bakery on North Main Street closed up shop after more than 60 years in business. Country Dawn is closing soon. Several other businesses also shut their doors in the past year and a half in the borough.
But as fast as they close, new shops and restaurants have opened or expanded in that same amount of time. A bike shop is located where appliances used to be for sale and appliances where there was once a gift shop.
"Change is constant, got to accept it, got to look to the future," said Paul Ludick.
Ludick owns Maude Alley, home to several shops including a new Vietnamese cafe and a comic book shop.
Ludick said in order to keep up with the times, landlords have to meet the needs of businesses including Alley Whey Cheese Shoppe.
"A cheese shop doesn't need a thousands square foot space. 450 square foot is perfect for them," he said.
The corner of Main and 8th streets in Honesdale was one of the busiest areas when CVS Pharmacy was located there. Within the last two years, CVS moved to the southern end of Main Street, and the building place has sat mostly vacant, just another place for a potential new business to move into.
"The Cooperage is great. Dyberry Forks is great. I mean there's a lot of great stuff coming in here," said new area resident Susan Stringfellow.
The owners of Dyberry Forks, a new restaurant on Main Street, said it's time for a younger generation of business owners to start something new.
"We see new businesses coming in that and we are successful, that will continue as long as people are willing take the risk to open a new business," said Eric Kawka.
So when Country Dawn closes, the new owner has plans for a brew pub.
A few blocks away, Irving Cliff Brewery is getting ready to open by May, all part of a changing business landscape in Honesdale.
"There's a couple of these young kids with new ideas, brewery ideas, I like those ideas. I'm looking forward to new things happening in town," said longtime resident Mike Miller.
Also set to come back this year in Honesdale are train excursions which drew visitors to the downtown before the train stopped running in 2011.
