Neutral Ground '24

The railroad tracks that connect the hamlet of Katonah to Manhattan were laid in 1847. What began as a remote depot eventually grew into what is now Katonah, though the journey was far from linear. In the late 1800’s, to meet the burgeoning demands of New York City, the reservoir system was expanded, and Old Katonah became a submerged casualty of progress. In a bold move, between 1895 and 1897, residents carefully dismantled, transported, and reconstructed their buildings in their current location - including the original railroad station - preserving a thread of connection to what once was.

While we didn’t move any bricks, my family and I dismantled our lives in Brooklyn and resettled in this town by the depot. Later, we replicated and expanded Acme Bicycle Co. just a stone’s throw from that depot, completing a symmetry of existence between metropolitan life and small-town charm, maintaining a connection to the past. Connection is an important theme here.

Progressive ideas flourish in small-town Katonah because of our link to the big city 40 miles to the south. The train tracks move people, but they also move ideas and culture, a vital currency for this town.

On June 8th, 2024, those tracks carried a metropolitan peloton to the highlight of our year: a day of socializing, sweating, eating, and drinking around a shared passion for cycling. We call it Neutral Ground, and for us, it is a celebration of our cycling community and a connection that we are immensely proud of.

We love pedaling with you.

See you soon.

x ACME family