RENSSELAERVILLE — Another small business is making its way to the sleepy Rensselaerville hamlet.

Resident Sarah Solomon — known to people in the area as Sid — had a special-use permit approved by the Rensselaerville Planning Board last month and now will spend the next six months or so “securing licenses, acquiring equipment and appliances, building out the space, and ordering inventory,” she told The Enterprise this week, adding that she might be underestimating how much time all that activity will take.

The store, which will occupy the former post office building, will bring about a career change for the former school teacher, who grew up downstate and taught in New York City before she moved to Rensselaerville permanently at the beginning of the year, having been a part-time resident since 2017.

And, it’ll bring to reality a dream — “a literal dream, in my sleep,” she said — Solomon had some years ago about owning a small business. Since then, she’s been interested in the idea, but didn’t know how it would ever become a reality. 

“I was living in Preston Hollow with my partner during the pandemic, when the building on Delaware Turnpike went on the market,” Solomon said. “I was a teacher in New York City for 11 years, and taught remotely last year. I had already been considering a career change and a permanent move upstate, and I knew that the hamlet desperately needed a general store, so I felt excited to make it happen. I knew that the building had formerly been the post office and a soda fountain, and I had heard stories of people in town going there as kids.”

Solomon said her inventory will include a “mix of basic necessities and specialty items,” going on to list staples like beans, pasta, olive oil and toilet paper, along with gifts, cards, and candles. “And of course coffee-to-go! A lot of people are excited to have a place to grab a cup of coffee.” 

“It’s a small space but I’m going to pack in as much as I can,” Solomon said.