Imagine sitting at the corner of Deanies Alley and Maple Lane in Woodstock on a comfortable summer evening as music swirled in the air, the sound of a hoedown mixed with the clinking of glasses and chirping of crickets.
That was the Woodstock of the 1940s and 1950s, when The Irvington was a nightlife hot spot, just one hangout on a typical night of revelry.
“People would go from Deanies to The Irvington to the Brass Rail,” said Janine L. Mower, Woodstock’s assistant town historian. “It was, regularly, a night of revelry and celebration.”
The Irvington later became the Woodstock Pub, then the Landau Grill and then once again the Woodstock Pub under different owners. Its location, at 17 Mill Hill Road, anchors the community, just paces away from where the thoroughfare crests at the Village Green.
Now, change is afoot.
The pub’s owners are seeking to pass the baton, allowing the location to evolve just like the town itself. Owners Chris Constant of West Hurley, his sister Jennifer Ahearn of Woodstock and their brother James Constant of Saugerties have it on the market for $1.8 million. It last sold in 2018 for $900,000, property records show.
The family has maintained a presence in Woodstock since 1973. Their trio’s father, Steven Constant, worked directly with the late music impresario Albert Grossman as comptroller and accountant for Bearsville Records.
Chris Constant said he loves owning a restaurant, engaging the community and providing his Ulster County neighbors with a spot for drinks and dining. Yet operating a restaurant is a demanding vocation that doesn’t respect vacations, family events or non-restaurant social obligations. He and his brother have moved on from day-to-day operations, leaving his sister to manage a going concern with a relentless pace.
“It’s a tough lifestyle,” said Chris Constant, who is married with an 11-year-old daughter. “Running a restaurant seven days a week, 365 days a year—I asked myself, ‘What kind of lifestyle do you want to have?’”
According to Halter Associates Realty, $1.8 million will get you:
- A fully-equipped restaurant with an occupancy load of 151
- Lodging that includes two efficiency apartments with transferable hotel permit
- Twenty-seat bar with adjacent dining room
- Lounge area
- Three restrooms.
- Four-season sidewalk patio structurally engineered to add a rooftop bar.
- Twelve parking spaces contiguous to municipal parking lot and free on-street parking.
- Restaurant equipment.
“I love the place and I always will,” Chris Constant said. “But times are changing.”
John W. Barry is a contributing writer for The Overlook. Reach him at reporting@theoverlooknews.com.