Sometimes the smaller towns of Franklin County may seem a bit too charming, a bit too “Mayberry.” But then, that’s what makes living here so satisfying, so good for the soul.
Even though we live in towns as small as Leyden, which just 300 families call home, we still live in the 21st-century world where most of us often are caught up in our own hectic jobs and family matters. Even in a small town, you might find yourself too distant from your neighbors and the simpler pleasures life in the country can afford.
But being the social animals we are, we manage to find pockets of sociability, whether it’s retirees meeting for politics over muffins at McDonald’s or early birds at Adams Donuts in Greenfield downing a cup of eye-opener on the way to work or regulars at Bakers Country Store in Conway sharing coffee and gossip.
So it was probably just a matter of time before the good residents of Leyden found a way to come together in a hamlet so tiny and out-of-the-way that it has no post office or general store or restaurant. But Leyden has community spirit, and that community has put together its own “Leyden Cafe” — a volunteer operation that opens its arms to townspeople every Sunday morning in the lower floor of the Town Hall.
The cafe provides local residents with a gathering place, and serves up scones, apple streusel, coffee cake, breads, cookies, hot chocolate, coffee and tea from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Leyden resident Karyn Brown does all the baking, and her blueberry scones are a crowd favorite, reliable sources tell us.
About 15 volunteers run the Leyden Cafe, which first opened three years ago under the direction of Leyden resident Robin Neipp, who wanted to rebuild the feeling of community in Leyden, where in the 1950s and ‘60s, residents used to socialize during square dances. But the tradition of dancing disappeared as time passed, habits changed and the population declined.
“There’s people I meet here that I never knew existed,” said Bob Ryan, who chairs the Leyden Broadband Committee.
So the cafe has become a great way for residents not only to socialize but also to stay informed on what’s happening in Leyden.
Leyden Cafe is so Franklin County, which can be the most warm-hearted, if not perfect, place that we could wish to live — a place that most people, especially those who have traveled the world, would be thrilled to call home. If it’s not Mayberry, then maybe it’s the next nicest kind of place to live.