2018: Up and down in Salisbury and Lakeville

SALISBURY — Salisbury is a town with five villages, one of the most visited of which is Lakeville. In 2018, after several years of economic doldrums, the village center in Lakeville gained new vitality and vigor, thanks in part (and appropriately) to the arrival of two new fitness centers. Leslie Eckstein expanded her popular fitness center, moving from her former Main Street location to the former firehouse. 

In addition to Spinning classes, machines and other fitness gear, Studio Lakeville has a cafe. 

Moving into Eckstein’s former space was fitness trainer and physical therapist Bill Burke, who opened Elite fitness in the upstairs space. 

Burke offers extensive workout options including personal training, aerobics machines and non-machine fitness gear including TRX straps. 

Town residents continued to be concerned about the building that was home most recently to a Chinese restaurant, but which has fallen into disrepair. A new owner is investigating the possibility of taking over the property and perhaps renovating it with both retail space and residences.

The Salisbury village center experienced a bit of a downturn, with two restaurants closing at the end of the year. Below the Salt sold both hand-made ramen and a prix fixe menu on weekends in the Main Street building formerly occupied by Liz and Eric Macaire’s The Lock-up (and that was for many years home to a sporting goods shop). 

The Country Bistro on Academy Street also closed in December after the building’s owner evicted its longtime tenant. 

And work on the front steps at Town Hall gave the village a beleaguered appearance.

The other three villages in Salisbury, for those who would like to know, are Taconic, Amesville and Lime Rock.