Josh grew up in Ellenville. He currently owns the Nerdateria café and gaming hall on Center Street.

How did you come to live in Ellenville?

I was born in Kingston, but family moved here soon after. Lived all my life in Ellenville.

What do you like about Ellenville?

I love the fact that I look up at the mountain every day. I love to go up on the mountain and I’ve done that all my life. I go up the Smiley Road, the carriage trail.

I love that I could start a business here like Nerdateria. We’ve been going six months now, the gaming hall is slowly and steadily building and so is the restaurant. We have employees now! And our dishwasher taught me how to play Magic!

What would you change about Ellenville?

That’s a loaded question. I would like to see taxes decrease and the amount of tax-free properties reduced under ten percent of total. There are too many tax-free properties here. I would also like Ulster County in Kingston to stop sending people down here.

What do you see in Ellenville over next ten years?

I have major concerns about the national debt and what it might do to us. Also, I think the AI bubble is going to burst.

But looking local, I think the gentrification that began during COVID will continue. I have really seen the village improve a lot since I was in school back in the 1990s. There were many more empty storefronts then than there are now. So, the number one problem will be that the lower income people will not be able to afford housing. This is a systemic problem that goes far beyond Ellenville.