Overlooking the bustle of New Paltz’s Main Street, this clock represents the history of the business that is no longer there. Ariel Booksellers (1971-2005) was once a cornerstone of the town, offering a wide selection of books for community members and college students alike. Now the clock pays tribute to the fallen establishment and evokes a sense of mystery to those who seek it.
Description:
The clock is apparently round and contained in a metal frame. I might estimate that it is about 2-3 feet in diameter, although I am not confident in that measure. The hands are black and rounded. In place of numbers there are letters and symbols as following: 12->”I”, 1->”E”, 2->”L”, 3->”♦”, 4->”S”, 5->”K”, 6->”O”, 7->”O”, 8->”B”, 9->”♦”, 10->”A”, 11->”R”. When looking at the time from afar, the clock reads “ARIEL BOOKS”. The time is never correct, and I believe it may be frozen at 7:34. The clock is located above the Starbucks at 1 Plattekill Avenue.
Provenance:
The clock first appeared on Main Street after Ariel Booksellers’ owners Dean and Susan Avery decided to add another addition to their store (where the current Starbucks is located) in 1999. It has been that spot ever since.
Date of Creation:
1999
Narrative:
In the heart of New Paltz lies a constant reminder of its timelessness: the Ariel Books clock.
Right at the corner of Plattekill Avenue and Main Street is arguably the busiest intersection in the town of New Paltz, acting as a bypass for those travelling through the town, yet riddled with crosswalks where pedestrians control the traffic. Here there is a sense of ebb and flow, of intuitiveness and trustingness, that makes this a rich community center. Appropriately, this is the location of the Ariel Books clock. When a person comes to the town for the first time, whether a tourist or college freshman, he or she may notice the clock and how it adds to the small town charm. However, if there is not too much glare from the sun and the visible situation is just right, someone can make out the letters around the face of the clock, paying homage to an “Ariel Books”. Although the book store is no longer around, it had been a community staple and a part of New Paltz’s history.
Dean and Susan Avery came from New York City and fell in love with the New Paltz charm. By 1971, they opened the bookstore, occupying half of the space which was once a gas station (while the other half was used as a shoe store.) The name “Ariel” came from a reference to poets Percy Shelley and Sylvia Plath. At the time, there was only one other bookstore nearby, so Ariel had no problem becoming a community staple.
As the years passed, the Avery’s added space to the store, widening their inventory and increasing their counter space. The addition in 1985 led to an increase in student supplies to cater to the nearby SUNY needs.However, it was the renovation in 1999 that was the most dramatic. The addition would increase the bookstore’s size by 525 square feet, while adding an additional 1,300-square-foot cafe space. In order to keep up with their large chain competitors like Barnes and Noble, the Avery’s planned to incorporate a cafe into their business.
Right after the renovation was completed, the soon-to-be Starbucks is shown here without the clock.
Herein lied the question of what cafe should occupy the space. Although the Avery’s had tried to bring in local businesses, they found no success in doing so. In their 28 years of being in New Paltz at that point they had seen the rise and fall of several failed cafes and did not want to repeat the pattern. So the Avery’s opened their space to Starbucks, but were met with major controversy from members of the Village planning board. Starbucks represented large chains and big business that were thought to detract from the small town, independent feel of New Paltz. However, Starbucks won out and opened their doors on November 6, 1999.
The Avery’s claim having the coffeeshop as tenants helped keep their business thriving for as long as it did. However with the decline in book sales, Ariel Booksellers, like many other independent bookshops, had to cut its losses and close in 2005.
Sometime before its closing and after Starbucks moved in is when this clock made its first appearance. Perhaps it was the Avery’s way of appeasing the town members who were concerned that big business would ruin the independent spirit of New Paltz. As if labeling the building as property of the bookstore, where a big-time chain would be reminded of its small-town landlords. Facing out on the bustling New Paltz Main Street, the Ariel Books clock tells time in more ways than one.
References:
“Ariel Booksellers plan expansion.” 31 Jan 1985. Print.
Fanelli, Diane. New Paltz News. 27 Oct 1994. Print.
Hoffman, Mala. “Literary Achievement.” The Huguenot Herald. 24 Aug 2000. Print.
Newman, Rich. “Starbucks to make a splash next door to Ariel Booksellers.” The Times Herald-Record. 30 Oct 1999. Print.
O’Corozine, Rich. “Ariel Booksellers celebrates 25 years in business.” The Huguenot Herald. 5 Dec 1996.
Quinn, Erin. “Bestsellers and beans”. The Huguenot Herald. 17 Sep 1998. Print.
Quinn, Erin. “Off the Shelf.” The Huguenot Herald. 30 Jul 1998. Print.
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
Got to love that last line, Sam. I really enjoyed reading your post. The clock does seem to be quite a reminder that the independent spirit of New Paltz does live on, and honestly, I never noticed that it said ARIEL BOOKS before!
This is really cool Sam! To be honest, I’ve never actually noticed that there is a clock there! I love your narrative. I also think it’s great that you have that picture from when starbucks was first put there. This is definitely a great object to choose for being significant to NP. I think in the description it would be better if you took out the part of your sentence when you say “although I am not confident in that measure”- I think it’s clear that you don’t really know how big it is because you’re estimating, and I don’t think you need to bring attention to the fact that you don’t know how big it is. You want to sound confident, even in your estimates- otherwise the reader will be tempted to doubt other things in your post.
This is so interesting, Sam! I never knew that the Starbucks used to be a bookstore, and I definitely never noticed that the clock had “Ariel Books” in place of numbers. This tells a unique story about New Paltz, and I especially liked the bit about how the community opposed the Starbucks. Maybe you could add a few photos from the bookstore before the addition? (If you can, that is.) Also, your caption was really well done. Awesome job!
Sam, this is such a great post on the history of New Paltz. There is so much to be said about Starbucks moving in. I know that a lot of students hate that Starbucks is in town and that we should have an independent business there instead. However, I do love that the clock is still up there. It’s a representation of this town’s history. I also love your description of the object. The letters representing of the times is so interesting. I would never be able to say that an I stands for 12. I always wondered why no one ever fixed that clock too. It was always off or stuck. Great job!