After a long wait, Legoland New York Resort finally opened to the public for a full day of fun and entertainment.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other officials marked the occasion by pulling a lever to officially open the park. And for businesses in downtown Goshen, this means a potential boost in foot traffic.
Aimee Smith-Bywater, owner of Elsie’s Luncheonette, says, “Hopefully, people will be stopping in to get a little breakfast on their way to Legoland.”
The Goshen breakfast crowd was sunny-side up on Friday about their new neighbor.
Bill Santalucia from Orange County Bagels says having the theme park in the area has been a big plus for their business.
The Village of Goshen and its surrounding neighbors are optimistic about an influx of dollars after being locked down in a pandemic for more than a year.
Orange County resident Thomas Littner hopes now, with the park officially opening, it will help get people back to work, even with the challenging economic times the country has been facing.
While there is a lot of enthusiasm about the latest attraction in the Hudson Valley, some are hoping its impact will not have an effect on the community’s way of life.
Littner says that's a conversation residents are having with one another, wondering if traffic in the area will become congested on major highways and roadways, especially during the summer.
Goshen and the surrounding region has been gearing up for the arrival of Legoland since the park was first announced.
It is estimated that the park will bring in an annual $8 million in sales tax revenue a year, 800 full-time and part-time jobs and 500 seasonal positions.
With the economic benefit front and center, neighbors say they are ready to build a brighter and more developed future, brick by brick.
“There’s a lot of people just traveling and looking. Goshen’s a great little town. There's a lot of things to see other than Legoland here,” says Smith-Bywater.
Coupled with last month’s announcement that Goshen made Smithsonian Magazine’s list of best small towns to visit this summer, the village is definitely turning out to be an Orange County hot spot this year.