Snow Slows Downtowns While Sledders Hit the Hills

The first major snowfall of 2012 left businesses in Mount Kisco and New Castle dealing with slower foot traffic than usual on Saturday, although folks continue to get out and about.

Vincent Patierno, hourly manager at burger joint in Mount Kisco, said business was "pretty slow when it was coming down," referencing the snow.

Shoppers reported, anecdotally, that activity seemed slower. Shopper's Park in Mount Kisco seemed to have relatively smaller numbers of cars.

“We definitely have less customers than we usually do on a Saturday," said Debbie Camino, salesperson at .

Bridget Landy, a Mount Kisco resident, said it was "pretty quiet," although she noted that people were still hanging out at .

In downtown Chappaqua, activity was also limited. Some stores did not open for Saturday, while activity didn't pick up again until the afternoon.

“It’s a lot quieter," said Chappaqua resident Ross Cole, who was out shopping with his wife and two dogs.

Eve Spence, co-owner of , didn't open until 2 p.m. and initially thought about staying closed. Once open, Spence said that  “felt pretty typical" for a Saturday.

Susan Maher, owner of , said that it was slow at her store and noted the late start for shoppers.

“The world kind of woke up around 1:30 and started coming out and shopping," she said.

Retail may have been slow but sledders were busy. The hills at both in Mount Kisco and New Castle's included dozens of kids riding sleds and snowboard, with their parents watching.

 “It’s a great day to be out here," said Janine Popot, a Mount Kisco resident who came out with her husband, Darius Powell, and their kids.

“It’s very fun. It’s nice to have something to do on this snowy day," she Mount Kisco resident Alena Shifrin, who came with her husband and daughter.

“It’s a lot of fun," said New Castle resident Sean Hanlon of the trip to Gedney with his kids.