Doers and Dreamers – Scott Neild and Michael Cook
Retail shops are a critical component to every business district because they help to make it that area a destination to draw local residents and tourists and entice them to spend more time there. If you look closely, small retail businesses are opening up in each of Kingston’s three business districts (Uptown, Midtown, and the Rondout) with a diverse selection of goods.
Your name: Scott Neild and Michael Cook
Business or organization: Clove & Creek , 73 Broadway, Kingston, NY
Occupation: Home Goods, Gifting, and Coffee!
What is your approach to your business or occupation that makes you unique?
We wanted to create Clove & Creek because we felt that there were really great makers and artists who were creating beautiful and interesting things locally. We offer coffee service as well to help create a place for people and artists to gather and celebrate each other. It also allows us to have more of a dialogue with the people who visit our shop.
Where are you from originally?
Scott hails from a small town in Illinois and Michael grew up in a small town in Texas. We met in Chicago years ago, and then both lived in the city. Scott now resides full time in Bovina and Michael splits his time between the city and a cabin he and his partner have near Fleischmann’s.
What brought you to the Kingston area and keeps you in this area?
Our obsession with the Catskills meant that for a while Kingston was a pass through point for us both. When we began looking for a permanent home, we chatted with Kelli, who owns Hops Petunia next door, and she encouraged us to check out the Rondout neighborhood. We spent a weekend here getting to know the local business and hanging out in the neighborhood and immediately fell in love. We had such a wonderful time and felt that our business would really feel at home with the other business nearby. It’s such an exciting time here as the community continues to grow and new exciting things keep popping up!
What is your favorite hangout in this area and why?
We love to head down to Brunette wine bar after we lock the shop door. It’s the perfect way to unwind with the laid back but sophisticated setting, and they always have interesting new wine options to explore.
When you’re not in Kingston, what’s your idea of a wonderful city to visit, and why?
We both love to travel and try to as much as we can. The most wonderful travels are when you get to experience something new – a local culture or craft. Exploring parts of the world that are different and unique to expand what you currently know is the best part of travel and often what we look for in a destination.
Tell us something that we never would have guessed about you.
While we both lived in Chicago we were both working as actors and met doing a production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Alas, neither of us were brothers (and neither of us were brides) but a wonderful friendship was born, and now here we are (almost 10 years later!)
