Press and Reviews
Press
“A love-at-first-sight wonderland of oddball collectibles, vintage clothing, and objets d’art.” - Country Living Magazine
The New York Times – Arts/Travel feature about the Mount Tremper Arts Festival and featured attractions,including the Mystery Spot.
Kingston Daily Freeman – “Everything But the Kitchen Sink: Phoenicia’s Mystery Spot Evokes Memories of the Collyer Brothers, in a Good Way.” (Front page/Life Section feature.)
“If hiking is out of the question, amble over to Homer and Langley’s Mystery Spot Antiques, a treasure trove of miscellany: homemade bric-a-brac, a decent selection of art books and even desiccated taxidermy.” - The New York Times
The New Yorker - Talk of the Town profile of proprietress Laura Levine and one of her many projects by Freakonomics’ Stephen Dubner
NY Observer – An amusing and wonderfully accurate article for the New York Observer by Sparrow.
“There are seven rooms filled with covetable “stuff” — several exclusively of vintage clothing, a room filled with records, another of curated antiquarian and collectors’ books, a rusticalia section and a plasticalia section. Don’t ask — you must see for yourself. It’s just great fun.” - Kingston Daily Freeman
Chronogram - Profile of the Village of Phoenicia.
Woodstock Times – Laura Cantrell at the Mystery Spot.
“A glance inside the Mystery Spot shows that one could spend hours searching for hidden treasures among the clutter of antiques, collectibles and oddities.” - Antique Week
Poughkeepsie Journal: “Welcome to Homer & Langley’s Mystery Spot, an antiques shop that bills itself as an “emporium and odditorium.” This time tunnel of treasures is only one reason to visit the hamlet of Phoenicia, an easily accessible, picturesque community nestled in the Catskill Mountains that offers everything from whitewater tubing to brick-oven pizza.”
Albany Times-Union – article on “Shrines to the Strange At Home in the Catskills“
“A unique and quirky cavern of collectibles…….one could easily spend an hour perusing the shelves of the “shrine to clutter” and still not see it all” – Albany Times-Union
Woodstock Times – Review of exhibition in Woodstock by Paul Smart.
A.M. New York - Nice shout-out in A.M. New York newspaper for “the most curious curiosity shop we know of – Homer & Langley’s Mystery Spot Antiques.”
“a browser’s delight” – The New York Times
Blog Articles
Watershed Post – “…the largest concentration of knicknacks and de-mothballed treasures in Phoenicia lies in wait.”
The Lass “…we introduced ourselves to Laura and entered what is easily one of the best thrift stores I have ever seen. And if you know me at all, you know I am A) Old and B) An inveterate thrifter so that statement should carry some weight. The store is newly relocated to an old hotel and is filled with room after room of exceptional items as well as Laura’s amazing photos and artwork. I’m not sure what else to say except get there. By any means necessary.”
“In the tradition of Barnum’s museum………a tourist-related spectacle that would make Phineas Taylor himself green with envy” – Catskill Mountain News
Field Guide 35 “One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE vintage stores. This place is jam packed with all kinds of gems. Clothes, records, books, housewares, collectibles, oddities(?)… pretty much anything and everything you’ve ever wanted. It’s all curated by proprietress Laura Levine who clearly has an eye for the amazing… and the… umm… unusual. But no description of mine is going to do this place justice. You have to go see it for yourself. And while you’re there give my regards to Petey the Piranha.”
The Anti-Tourist – ““We want you to know about this cool and pretty damn secret vintage shop accompanied by live music. We want you to know before it’s all over. So. Here you go. Do this!”
“The Mystery Spot is sure to provide a few of the weirdest sights you’ve ever seen – at least since your last visit to grandma’s attic.” - Albany Times-Union
The Vintager – “Whenever trekking up towards Woodstock for the day, we always make a point of stopping at Homer & Langley’s Mystery Spot, which is filled to the rafters with vintage finds of all kinds.It is a diggers treasure-trove of kitschy madness, from deadstock ’70s mini-dresses to ’50s Christmas decorations… from Art Deco jewelry to ’60s hippie pottery… from tacky velvet paintings to scandalous ’40s paperback crime novels… But our favorite area is the record room, where you can find everything from weirdo ’70s jazz to crappy disco rarities, and a whole lotta Prog and classic rock essentials.”
Brooklyn Vegan – coverage of the Mercury Rev + Dean & Britta Music for Front Porches free show.
