Cortland ReUse operates out of 113 Port Watson Street in Cortland, New York, functioning as both a secondhand retail store and a hands-on social enterprise built around the idea that most things deserve a second chance before they reach a landfill. Rather than simply reselling whatever comes through the door, the organization repairs furniture, fixes small appliances, and refurbishes household goods so they can go back into circulation instead of ending up in the trash. That repair-first philosophy sits at the center of everything the shop does, and it shapes the kind of inventory shoppers find on the sales floor: gently used furniture, kitchenware, tools, books, clothing, and general household goods that have been sorted, cleaned, and in many cases fixed up by staff and volunteers before pricing.
Cortland ReUse is more than a retail counter. It positions itself as a community gathering space in downtown Cortland, hosting arts programming and educational classes alongside its day-to-day thrift operations, and it creates local employment through its repair and retail work. The organization frames its mission in plain terms: sell useful, well-priced goods, and fix things instead of throwing them away. That combination of affordability, environmental responsibility, and workforce development is what distinguishes it from a typical donation-based thrift store, since the repair work itself is a stated part of the business model rather than an occasional side project.
The store keeps generous public hours for a small-city operation. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., giving shoppers seven-day access to browse the floor. Donations are accepted on a separate schedule, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Sunday and Monday drop-offs available by advance email arrangement rather than walk-in. For larger items that are difficult to transport, Cortland ReUse also offers a pickup service, which is a practical convenience for anyone clearing out an estate, a garage, or a full household rather than a single box of donations. Shoppers who want to support the mission without browsing in person can also purchase gift cards, and the organization can be reached directly by phone at 607-543-4010 or by email at hey@cortlandreuse.org for donation scheduling or general questions.
Located in Cortland County in the Finger Lakes region of central New York, the shop serves a college town anchored by SUNY Cortland, giving it a steady mix of student, faculty, and longtime local shoppers looking for affordable furniture and household basics as well as treasure hunters browsing for one-of-a-kind secondhand finds. Because inventory turns over constantly with new donations arriving throughout the week, the sales floor changes shape often, rewarding repeat visits rather than a single trip. The store’s emphasis on repair also means shoppers are less likely to find items that simply do not work, since broken donations are triaged and mended before they are priced and shelved rather than sold as is.
For anyone in Cortland or the surrounding central New York area looking to furnish a home, find affordable clothing and household goods, or simply keep usable items out of the waste stream, Cortland ReUse is a nonprofit secondhand store on Port Watson Street that repairs what it can, sells it at accessible prices, and reinvests the proceeds into repair-based job creation and community programming for the city of Cortland.
