by Joel Heumann
Back in 1956, vehicles traveling down Route 202 were few and far between. The area near the Taconic State Parkway intersection was still sparsely populated, with a few houses among the farms. There was Moretti's Boat Yard, a bowling alley, several bars and other small businesses in the stretch between Stoney Street and Lexington Avenue.

Nonetheless, a Bronx paint store owner sensed opportunity. Charles Levine and his young family had been coming up from their apartment on Cypress Avenue and East 138th Street to the summer bungalows on Lake Peekskill since the mid 1940s. He had seen the gradual outward expansion of the suburbs north of the city. It didn't require a crystal ball to see what was happening-- all it took was the nerve to be ahead of the curve and take a chance on buying in an area before the real suburban boom came this way.

In 1956, Levine bought a 10-acre property with a house and out-buildings at the intersection of Stoney Street and Route 202. While commuting from the Bronx paint store on weekends, he eventually expanded the building near Route 202 and opened up Midway Hardware, so named because it was conveniently located just about midway between the two major population centers in the area: Yorktown and Peekskill.

At first, Midway Hardware was more of a general store, a virtual department store, as were most hardware stores of the period. Mr. Levine sold everything from hardware to toys, and television vacuum tubes to candy bars.

Over time, Levine's son, Howard and daughter-in-law, Iris, along with his daughter, Judy, and her husband, Charlie, took over the day-to-day duties of running the store. Things continued to go well over the years. Soon there were houses going up across the street. Then White's Department Store opened, giving the Levines' their first taste of competition.

In response, Midway expanded to its current 6,000-square-foot business and evolved into one of the few remaining genuine full service hardware stores remaining in the area.

It was around that time that Charlie and Judy left the hardware business, and bought a 110-acre hay farm up in Schoharie County. The charismatic "Howie" took the helm, and was soon being helped by his young son, Steven.

During the late 1970s and through the 1990s, the local population continued to boom. The Building Design Center, anchored by Best Plumbing, eventually replaced White's. Today, there are many other busy stores across the street from old Midway. Home Depot and many other big box competitors have arisen, and many of the small businesses have folded to the formidable inventory and pricing pressure that these giants offer consumers.

So how has Midway has managed to survive the changing times?

"Back in my day, I think that a lot of the store's success had to do with my personality. It was never about making the sale. It was always about the relationship, having a good time," said Howie in a call to his home in Scottsdale, where he and Iris retired in 1990. (People who remember those times with him behind the counter will know exactly what he meant, and smile).

Steven Levine, now the third generation to run the family business, has been behind the counter for more than 30 years, running it for the past 16 years since his parents' retirement.

"I think we've been fortunate to have a great location.The loyalty of long-time customers is certainly a very important factor. We've built up relationships and offer the kind of personalized service you just can't get in a big box store," Steven said. "Our staff will help people with advice on their projects, and even spontaneously help you to your car with heavier purchases, without being asked. It's nice to see."

Mike Walls has been working at Midway for 12 years, since he was 17 years old. He remembers getting the job in response to a PennySaver ad, and has been there ever since.

"First of all, I think it's the convenience factor. Customers can park, quickly and easily find what they need, and get back to the project at hand without wasting a lot of time in the process. A lot of homeowners, handymen and contractors find this invaluable," Walls said.

"Time is money, as they say. We also do a booming business with propane. There' aren't too many places that fill your tank on-the-spot. We have great prices on Weber grills, and offer assembly and delivery," he added. "There are always ways to make the store stand out.

Customer Romharsh Singh supervises the buildings and grounds maintenance for Phoenix House. He has been a regular for at least 10 years.

"For me, it's the convenience. They're right down the road. Also, they've always been very good about getting special orders for us. And they're very fair," Singh said.

Fifty years have gone by. Steve's grandfather started the store in 1956, and in 2006, Steve became a grandfather himself. Aiden Templeton was born January 31 to Steve's daughter, Candice, and her husband, Allan. That's how the cycle goes.