Burdett is a small-but-growing village whose residents have long-established roots, deep friendships, and abiding commitment to their community and its quirky charm. The main road passing through has at least five names, but then, the village began as a collection of colorfully named settlements. These became Burdett with the establishment of a post office in 1819.

In the 1870s, Burdett boasted two hotels, two schoolhouses, three newspapers, plus a variety of mills and factories running on the water power of Cranberry Creek. Main Street had become a prosperous retail hub, made busier by the construction of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in the late nineteenth century.

“In the 1921 Burdett High School yearbook, students said they thought Burdett was mostly old people who retired off the farms and moved into town,” says Burdett historian Martha Evans. “Now it’s opening up [again] to young businesses and young people who are moving in and developing things.”

It is where businesses are passion projects, like the seasonal berries, honey, and baked goods at Mangus Farm, 3710 Main Street. Cathy and Robert Mangus began by expanding their home raspberry plantings to help their son Mathew, now a teacher, with college expenses. The business grew from a roadside stand to a renovated barn with picnic tables outside, and forks offered to customers who can’t wait to sample the pies Cathy bakes from family recipes. Her crop-swap with farmers who grow tree fruits expanded the pie menu to span the seasons.

The Hungry Burd, 3815 Main Street, is part of that farm to table trend. Owned by Brianna and Joe Colunio, this eatery began when Brianna, now the chef, and who’d worked here in its previous incarnation as a barbecue restaurant called Smokin’ Bones, couldn’t bear to see her village without a place for people to eat and gather.

“I never in a million years expected to open a restaurant,” says Brianna, who also owns a cleaning service called Breezy Clean. “If you ask my husband, he’d say my hobbies are working.” Hungry Burd is open year-round, with expanded hours beginning in April. The menu (see it at Hungry Burd’s FB page) features hearty comfort food, including vegan versions of several popular menu items.

Owned by Sarah and Colin Davis, the 1800 House at 3821 Main Street (1800houseburdett.com) launched as an event space last year, with an upstairs apartment available for short-term rentals. “When we bought the space, people thought we were crazy,” Sarah says. “[But] this is a beautiful historic building with a lot of potential.” The intimate space holds about seventy-five. “We’ve hosted wedding receptions and welcome dinners. We’re also interested in hosting wine tastings [Colin’s family is part-owner of nearby Damiani Wine Cellars], rehearsal dinners, and conferences. People are really loving it, so we’ve stayed busy.”

A little further down, at 3825 Main Street, the Overlook Coffee Company (overlookcoffeeco.com) found a home in the Overlook Building, owned and renovated by Brittany and Adam Thorpe. Brittany’s coffee-loving brother Brandon Evans began experimenting with roasting coffee during the pandemic, applying the scientific methods he learned as an aerospace engineer to perfecting the precise temperature and roasting time to express the desired flavor profiles. He and his wife, Christina, have discovered coffee is subject to terroir like fine wines. Brandon roasts coffee at their Main Street home using high-tech equipment; whole beans are also sold online. Before Overlook opened, “I was nervous—is it going to be successful opening a niche coffee shop in a small town?” Christina wondered. Now she knows most of the regulars by name. “There’s a definite feeling of community here,” she says.

Dr. Kevin Field, who grew up in Burdett and attended the (now-closed) Burdett School, opened an office next door to the coffee shop eighteen months ago after watching Adam’s renovations. Adam also carved out an outdoor space where Kevin, a psychologist, can work with young clients in the warm months. “People respond well to the relaxed atmosphere,” Kevin says. He shares space with Molly Schamel, another mental health practitioner.

On the other side of the street, Johnathan Wasson and his wife, Lindsey, run the Burdett Exchange Meat and Mercantile (theburdettexchange.com). Johnathan, a third-generation Burdett farmer, sells his farm-raised meat there, as well as a variety of other locally-grown products, providing a central sales outlet for many other farmers and a few crafters. When the Burdett Fire Company built larger quarters and a village office at the east end of town, much thought went into the choice of who would be allowed to buy the company’s former home. They chose Johnathan because he and his business were a welcome asset. Other business owners credit Johnathan for contributing to Main Street’s renaissance. In a recent chowder cook-off slated to become an annual event, the Burdett Exchange and several businesses combined talents to present their entry. They’ve also collaborated on a mini chamber of commerce for Southeast Seneca. Cooperation has become the guiding ethic of Main Street.

Perhaps the oldest business is the H&E Bar, owned by Cody Gregory, who purchased it from his long-time friend Adam about eighteen months ago. “It’s been around for decades, and the bar was something we felt should stay alive,” Cody says. On a recent Saturday afternoon, it was where Cody’s mom, Linda, and a large group of friends planned a benefit event for a customer with large medical expenses.

Strictly speaking, Mindful Inspirations (mindfulinspirationsny.com) is on Lake Street, the other name for NYS-79, in the length between the village limits and that turn in the road where it becomes Main Street. Lisa Rahilly opened her business in 2014 as a bakery, then felt pulled to change directions, offering metaphysical instruction and practice including Reiki, tarot, psychic readings, and meditation. Her storefront is a gift shop offering crystals and other neat items, and attracts customers from around the region. A sign available for sale also serves as a description: “I’m a sage-burning, crystal collecting, tarot reading, moon admiring kind of girl.”

Only a few miles from the south end of Seneca Lake, Burdett is one of the gateways to winery explorations. It’s almost equidistant to Ithaca and Elmira, and nearly as close to Corning. “It’s just the right location,” Lisa says.

Sarah Davis sums up the spirit of the locale. “There’s a flood of new energy, a bunch of young couples who’ve invested in the downtown area. It’s going to keep growing.”