Fun in Saratoga

Comedy Works moves to the Starting Gate Bar and Grill

I was driving past the Starting Gate Bar and Grill (12 Ballston Avenue in front of the Hi Roc/Strike Zone Bowling Alleys) two days ago and I noticed a sign for The Comedy Works out front.  I drove by too quickly to confirm whether the sign was for the Starting Gate, Hi Roc, or whatever, and and I didn't think much more about it.  I guess I should have had my blogging hat on because I just noticed this article in The Albany Business Review confirming that The Comedy Works did indeed move to the Starting Gate, formerly known as the Olde Gaslight Tavern.  My original thought after reading the article was that The Starting Gate was too small for live comedy, but then I realized that the small and crowded venues are very intimate and often even more fun for live acts, whether it is music, comedy, or something else, so I will remain open minded about that and I hope to check it out soon. 

 

I've lived in many parts of New York State and let me say we are fortunate here in Saratoga Springs to have so many options for entertainment, dining, and other enjoyable events.  I've lived in areas where there's so little going on, or what was going on was simply so unappealing that it seemed that many of the locals just sat in dreary bars and drank.  Here it's a different story.  Whether it's a sports event, great dining, something at SPAC, or a music or comedy act downtown, we have great choices year round.  We shouldn't take any of this for granted, and we should do our best to patronize these venues, both for our own enjoyment and to ensure the success of these entities so they will continue to help make Saratoga Springs such a great place to live.  If you would like more information about The Comedy Works, call (877) JOKE-TIX or go to www.thecomedyworks.com

Saratoga was Las Vegas

I just got back from Las Vegas, which explains the lapse in entries in the past week.  As I was there looking at all the extravagance, including the gigantic hotel/casinos such as Caesar's Palace and The Venetian, it occurred to me that Saratoga Springs during the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the Las Vegas of its day.  Both cities were/are places to go to unwind with gambling and other forms of debauchery, and both had enormous hotels built that were/are some of the largest in the world.  Finally, both cities are more than just locations, they were and are both a state of mind.  I guess the comparison is obvious, but it really hit me as I was in Vegas.  Food for thought.

 

Above:  The Grand Union Hotel, which was razed in the early 1950s.  Below: Caesar's Palace on the Las Vegas strip. 

 

Downtown Borders offering free wi-fi

Finally catching up to many of their locally based competitors, Borders Book Stores is offering free wifi to customers in "virtually all" of their 500 locations this month.  I called the local Borders on Broadway and asked them if they were offering the Wifi yet, and the answer was that the Saratoga location does now have it. 

I am usually very comfortable at Uncommon Grounds, which has offered free Wifi for at least a couple of years, although it can get crowded there at times.  Perhaps the Borders offering will lighten up the crowds at our favorite bagel and coffee place, or at least give us an alternative should Uncommon Grounds get annoyingly crowded.  FYI Saratoga Coffee Traders also offers  
free wifi, and of course library cardholders can use the computers there and also bring their laptops to use the library's free wifi. I assume there are other downtown establishments where you can get on the internet with your laptop, but I am just not sure where.  It would be nice if the entire downtown area had free internet service - maybe that day will come.  One place we know doesn't have free wifi is of course Virgil's House, which disallows laptops, cell phones, and similar technology. OK, next time you see someone typing away at one of the downtown establishments, it just might be me posting an entry.  Enjoy the rest of your week.

Numerous properties for sale along Union Avenue

I noticed last week that 73 Union Avenue, the beautiful pink house on the north side of the street about 3 buildings east of Court Street, is for sale. 

  

According to my "Hoofing It" book, a walking tour guide of Saratoga Springs published by the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, 73 Union is a "High Victorian Gothic" which was built in 1883 for John M. Jones.  It's a unique, beautiful, and historic home, but with an asking price of $2.4 million, I would like to remind the owners that the economy is recovering from a recession and they aren't likely to get anywhere near that figure.  I don't know if they can get half of that.   

This listing got me realizing that there are 3 large homes/apartment buildings on Union Avenue for sale on Union Avenue and two condominiums also for sale.  All five properties are within site of each other along a short stretch of Union, as listed below:   

• 73 Union Avenue, discussed above.
• 72 Union, a large multi unit (pictured below) at the corner of Clark Street that I previously wrote about here.

• 84 Union Ave - a beautiful brick home (pictured below) which has a "For Sale" sign out front but is not listed in any MLS computer searches.  I don't know if there is an error or if it is perhaps not presently listed for some reason (perhaps the listing has expired?). I highly doubt that it sold, considering the high price they were asking and the current dearth of buyers at that price level.

 
 

• A condominium at 56 Union - another beautiful brick building pictured below right.
• An office condominium at 48 Union, the stately white building with bold pillars in the front (picture below).

I believe all of the homes listed were once Skidmore College buildings before they moved to their present North Broadway location. There are also some properties for sale to the east of this cluster of properties, including the large home that is apparently a Bed and Breakfast at 203 Union Avenue, and a couple of small condos at 125 Union Avenue and 115 Union Avenue.  Well I hope the owners get some interest in these properties, all which are special in their own ways. 

Foundation laid and framework is started on new south side recreation center

I was wondering how the new south side recreation center was coming along, so I stopped over at the construction site at the old park off Vanderbilt Avenue yesterday.  Apparently some people at the Saratogian were wondering the same thing, because this article was in this morning's paper. 

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Like it or not, the project is moving along.  The place was a beehive of activity with all types of construction equipment including a crane, a number of cement trucks, a bulldozer, a lift, a backhoe, a high-lift, and probably a few other pieces of equipment I can't remember.  The cement foundation is clearly visible and the steel framework of the building is being put into place.  I posted a number of pictures below to give you an idea as to how it's coming along but obviously it's better to get a firsthand look and the building will be taking more of a shape every day, so perhaps you want to take a drive by. 

The images below were taken from Worth Street

 
 
 
 

The pictures below were taken from Vanderbilt Avenue

 
       
    
   
The pictures below were taken from the playground at the end of Tremont Street
 

  

 

  
 
 
 

 

Saratoga Springs - balloons, pizza, coffee, and more

More thoughts and follow-up from the past several days:

• I went to the Adirondack Balloon Festival up near Glens Falls on Saturday.  I had never went before and was really excited to go, but unfortunately the winds and then rain caused the cancellation of the Saturday evening and Sunday events.  The most I got to see was a few balloons that were stood up and filled with air - and even that was difficult for the few crews that tried it.  I sure wish I would have seen all 90 go up as scheduled but Mother Nature had different ideas.  The Glens Falls Post Star has the story and a great picture here plus I added a few pictures below from the time I was there.

• I once commented on here how the pizza slices at Inferno Pizza seemed dried out when I went there.  I am happy to report that I had a very good pizza from there Saturday night - I guess there's a big difference when you order a whole pie and it's fresh, as opposed to slices which could have been cooked hours ago.  I still think Marino's is the best in the Spa City but they inexplicably close at 9PM on Saturdays, so I went with Inferno which turned out to be pretty damn good.
• I was on Broadway a while back and I found out that the Ever After store at 372 Broadway was closing.   The boutique offered clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, hand bags, plus gift ware. I guess seeing some of our downtown stores close is not unexpected - but you hate to see it anyway.  No word on whether any new business will go in that space right away.

• It seems like Uncommon Grounds is the place to be for coffee, light food, and free wi-fi.  Occasionally I like to experience a change of pace and go to Saratoga Coffee Traders across and down the street near Bruegger's Bagels.  

Saratoga Coffee Traders is not as spacious as Uncommon Grounds, but their coffee is good and they offer some nice options including wraps and salads.

• Remember the Epiphany Theater?  It was a Theater Company based, at least for a time, on a big old building on Regent Street between Union Avenue and Spring Street.  I was going past the building the other day and I noticed it was for rent.  Then, on the subject of unique and old buildings for rent, I noticed a church annex building on Washington Street near Universal Preservation Hall that was also available. Interesting if nothing else.

 

• Speaking of Universal Preservation Hall, the organization refurbishing that beautiful building on Washington Street is holding a unique fundraiser this coming weekend when they will host the Phinney Design Group Tour of Homes. From the UPH web site: "The tour will feature five beautiful homes in the Saratoga area, all designed by PDG. This event will take place on Saturday October 3rd and Sunday October 4th from noon - 5pm.  On Sunday, there will be a reception at UPH from 5:30 to 8pm."  Tickets are just $35.00 - which is very inexpensive considering the usual price of Saratoga Springs fundraisers - and the tour sounds great and Universal Preservation Hall is of course a great cause.  I unfortunately will likely be out of town.  To find out more, click here. 
• Credit below goes to the Putnam Wine Shop on Broadway for some clever marketing, as evidenced below.

• The YMCA of Saratoga is adding some much needed parking to the Saratoga Springs (West Avenue) branch.  This is a good move, because there have been times when I've gone there at maybe 5 or 6pm and there was virtually no available parking.  By my very rough estimate it appears that there may be about 60 new spaces available when the construction is completed.  I love the Saratoga Y!

 

• Sushi Thai Garden is so consistently good.  My girlfriend and I ate there Friday night and we really enjoyed our meals - they always deliver great food and great service.
• I see 38 High Rock Condos has a sales office at 425 Broadway.  I'd hate to see any empty places on Broadway so it's good to see them filling a location, although I noticed the upper floors of that old building sure look like they've been empty for a long time. 

• I went to the Saratoga Farmers Market on Saturday.  It seems like my weekends are missing something if I don't get to the market - it's such an upbeat experience.  Apples, apple cider, pumpkins, and many other autumn treats were in abundance.  I mentioned to one of the workers how extra lively it was there on Saturday and she pointed to the band and said "they're very good and they just lift the whole place up".  I never thought to get the band's name, but they were playing a Johnny Cash song at the time so they instantly got a thumbs up from me. 
• It's always good to see building owners taking care of the beautiful old buildings in Saratoga.  I took this picture of a worker repairing the exterior of Saratoga Arms Hotel on Broadway. 

• I'll end this by telling you to go to the Bread Basket Bakery on Spring Street and get one of their shortbread cookies.  They sucked me in with a free sample and I had to buy one for myself then bought another one for my girlfriend.  So good!  Maybe that great taste is from what seems like the entire stick of butter in each cookie - and I of course say that with admiration.  Have a great week.

September Saratoga thoughts

Here we go with some more random thoughts on the Spa City and its environs:

• I thought that this was the last week for the outdoor version of the Saratoga Springs Farmers Market, but according to its web site, the summer version is through October.  Is that a change from previous years?  It seems like they went indoors to their Salvation Army location on Woodlawn Avenue (map below) in October.  Whether that is new or old, I'm glad.  We seem to still get some nice autumn weather in October and I'm usually not ready to head indoors just yet, and I bet you aren't either.  I wish the market could make gametime decisions in April as to when to go outdoors because there are inevitably some very warm April days when your just dying to get outside after a long cold winter, but the market is still indoors.  Maybe that is something they can adjust - I'd love to see it and you'll know what I mean next spring when it's sunny and 65 degrees on April 24th. 

View Larger Map

• I just recently made an entry on the Hungry spot Cafe next to City Hall.  I did not know until today that they had a web site.  They are actually using blog software to maintain their web site - normally I would dislike someone using blogging software for a business web site but because they are updating their specials every day their use of the free Wordpress software makes some sense and it seems to work.  Good for them. 
• I get a laugh every time I read on the All Over Albany blog a reference to I-Saratoga as "His Crankiness". Funny.
• Saratoga Springs School District property owners: Don't forget that your school taxes are due on October 5th this year to avoid late fees.  Don't blame me I'm just the messenger.
• I had a couple of unsatisfactory  experiences in the bar and courtyard area of the Adelphi Hotel this past summer.  You can't argue with the beauty and great ambience of the building and courtyard, but I had a God awful dessert there one night and on another night a friend of mine was in such a great mood for a glass of red wine and when he received it and took a sip I could tell from the look on his face something was wrong.  he said it was stale tasting - in other words the bottle was likely open for too long. I told him to exchange it but for some reason he was being stubborn and wouldn't - it was such a shame because he was talking about how much he would enjoy a glass of wine for an hour before we got there.   
• I got a couple of slices of pizza from Pizza on Broadway recently and they just weren't good - just kind of dried out and old.  They had several different styles of slices there and they all looked old.  Perhaps they should stagger the cooking times which will mean fewer pizzas to choose from but therefore quicker sales, and each pizza will be more fresh.  Next time I'll go to D'Andrea's which has pizzas which are a little too sweet but at least are fresh.
• I received quite a few spirited comments on my entry on the Times Union's web site regarding broken windows, abandoned buildings, and graffiti at various places in Saratoga Springs.  I also got a few comments on my entry on this blog regarding what I will call the somewhat abandonment of the former Skidmore College dorm Moore Hall (AKA "The Pink Palace").  If you haven't caught the entries or all the comments you may wish to do so. 
• I wrote recently that The Saratogian appears to not have written any, and I mean any, editorials in the past several weeks and perhaps months.  Maybe I missed one or two but I don't remember any Saratogian editorials since well before track season.  I read today's issue and thought they finally broke the pattern, but as I read the editorial about President Obama's visit to Troy, I noticed it mentioned Troy but lacked any reference to Saratoga Springs or Global Foundries, Inc. planned new factory to be built in nearby Malta.  Sure enough I checked and discovered that what appeared as a Saratogian editorial was just a copy of a Troy Record editorial.  I have no problem with the Saratogian supplementing editorials from sister Journal Register Company newspapers, but supplementing means the Saratogian would actually be writing a few editorials of their own and lately they just aren't writing any.  I don't think it's too much to ask for our local daily newspaper to write editorials a few times a week - or hell even just a few a month would be an improvement. 
• I just read the above bullet points and realized I'm one more Andy Rooney style complaint away from getting my own cranky label from All Over Albany.  Hey I'm just writing about my thoughts here.
• Well if the colder weather is a lemon, then enjoying the beautiful foliage in this part of the country is the lemonade we should make.  Along those lines I am hoping to go with others to take a train ride along the Upper Hudson Rail Road in the next few weeks to enjoy what promises to be great views of the autumn colors of the Southern Adirondacks.  The train leaves out of North Creek and if you want to go you probably want to make reservations via the railroad's web site or by calling 518-251-5334.

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• Well that's about it for now.  Thanks for reading!

Route 471 Bus to end its seasonal run on Saturday September 26th

The Route 471 CDTA bus, going from Union Avenue to the train station, will end service for the season on Saturday September 26th, presumably resuming service next spring.  It wasn't easy getting (essentially prying) information out of CDTA on this - what should have been a simple process was anything but. 

First of all, 471 bus service was supposed to end on Labor Day, but that following week I saw that bus was still running so I called CDTA hoping they would tell me it was now a year round bus.  I am a fan of bus service and the 471 bus goes by my house right over to the Saratoga branch of the YMCA so it was convenient for me.  The bus is also a good way to avoid pollution, congestion, and wasting our limited supply of fossil fuels, so I want to take the bus when I can. So I asked the person who answered about the bus and she told me it ended on Labor Day, when I told her it was still running, she apparently checked her computer and realized that yes indeed, it was still running.  She then took my phone number and told me she would call me back with the answer.

Well, she never called back, so I called again the next day and nobody answered the phone.  I was shocked at this but tried again and still no answer.  Ohhhhhhkay.  I called another day and got a different person. This person told me that, rather than a Labor Day conclusion to the service period, the service would "likely" end when the drivers changed that bid period - the period when they can bid for certain, and presumably more desirable, bus routes.   I guess that makes sense from an operational standpoint, but nonetheless CDTA never announced any of this, despite previously announcing a Labor Day ending.  A CDTA driver told me he also thought it would end upon the new bid period, but he wasn't sure either. 

I would go on about CDTA's lack of professionalism, communications, and efficiency, and I've commented before on my disappointment with that authority, but the experience did improve from there. I was frustrated at the lack of community outreach and concrete answers, so I called again today but asked to speak to someone at the executive level. I was transferred to a voice mail and left a brief message with my phone number.  A short while later, I received a call from Carm Basile, the interim Executive Director of the CDTA, and he was a breath of fresh air.  When I explained my story, he seemed a bit shocked and embarrassed, apologized, and stated that these are things CDTA can not do and I had every right to be dissatisfied.  He pledged to improve the communications, then he said he'd call me back with the correct answer.  He called me back shortly and advised me that yes, the Route 471 Bus will end next Saturday and he would post that on the CDTA web site.  We had an interesting discussion about bus service, and I wished him well in obtaining the position permanently.  This guy gets it, at least from a customer service standpoint, so I hope he is appointed to the Executive Director's job permanently.  He has some work ahead of him, because the organization seems a bit ass backwards, at least when it comes to communications.  Here's hoping we have continued and even expanded bus service here in Saratoga Springs. 

EYESORE! The Pink Palace needs to be razed or at least maintained.

I wrote a previous entry a while back when "The Pink Palace", the former Skidmore College dorm on Union Avenue that was officially known as Moore Hall, was sold to Norstar,  a development company out of Buffalo.  Soon after that, I noticed that the grass was not being cut and there was a noticeable difference between the admirable way that Skidmore previously maintained the property and how Norstar seemed to be neglecting it.  Because I live within sight of that building, I was concerned about the lack of maintenance so I called both the company's Buffalo office as well as Mayor Scott Johnson's office and expressed my concerns.  A few days later the grass was cut and it continued to get cut for the rest of the summer.

That's the good news.  The bad news is that it appears that they aren't doing much more than cutting the grass. I will post some pictures below which show, among other things:  graffiti, piles of (flammable) debris , weeds and small scrub trees growing not only along the side of the building but also on the roof (!), and just too many other signs of an abandoned building.  The question I have is how long before we see broken windows, rodents, homeless people, partying teenagers, and other signs of urban decay on otherwise pristine Union Avenue? 

Where is the city on this?  They should be able to see the same things that I am seeing.  Also, I think it's fair to expect Skidmore College to respect the neighborhood that hosted this residence hall for nearly 50 years and ensure they sell their unused properties to companies that will respect the city and its neighborhoods by properly maintaining their property.  I will be contacting officials about this but since I called both the company and the mayor's office once already about this building I should not have to harp on them to do the right thing.  The initial lack of grass cutting should have been a red flag to city officials that this company may have to be monitored and prodded to properly maintain their property.  I would expect this if I lived in another city perhaps but not in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Unacceptable!

 

I wrote a related blog entry here on the Times Union's Saratoga Springs residents' blog. 

Track season is over. Bummer.

Track season is now officially over and with my less than brilliant betting, I singlehandedly brought NYRA back into profitability.  I posted a few very fun Youtube links from the Woodward (I also went back and posted them on a previous entry of mine, so that is why you may have seen these videos twice on here) and I added a few more thoughts:

Here is the Woodward Stakes with Tom Durkin's passionate call:

Sam the Bugler's Call to Post/Billy Joel's "She's Always a Woman"

• I appreciate MSG Plus dedicating at least an hour of each day to live Saratoga coverage.  It was nice to tape and see when I got home (let's face it the OTB feed without any commentary doesn't quite cut it).  I recently wrote about what a great job ESPN did on the Travers coverage, and while I can't expect the smaller MSG Plus to match that top quality production, they can still try to rise to the next level and improve it next year.  One specific suggestion:  Have the crowd noise overlay Tom Durkin's call when it's on TV - that alone can make the coverage that much more exciting.  I'm a big crowd noise fan now that I experienced the crowd's roar for Rachel Alexandra on Saturday.
• Going back to Sam the Bugler - Are there two Sam the Buglers?  Three?  That guy was everywhere this year!  I saw him at Gaffney's when he sat in (well stood, actually) with a band (I think it was Big Medicine)  for a few songs.  He was great - it is good to hear him play something other than the call to post - he's gotta be sick of that by now even though it's made him a living. Then I saw him with the Bud Light girls in another bar, then playing in the parking lot of the Community Court Motel  at about 8am (for reasons I don't know), then finally at at wedding at the Union Gables Bed and Breakfast on Labor Day weekend. 
• It was good to see NYRA do some special promoting for Rachel Alexandra's running in the Woodward.  They've improved this year but still have a ways to go.  I hope they scrap their current marketing plan and come up with something totally new next year. 
• My favorite Saratoga restaurants for track season, in no particular order, are: Springwater Inn, Maestro's, Siro's, Gaffney's, and PJ's Barbecue.  Springwater because it's right near my home and the food, service, and prices are all excellent, Maestro's because you get a really great meal that wows you, Siro's because it is even better than Maestro's and knocks your socks off, Gaffney's because you get a very good meal with the best atmosphere (Gaffney's backyard with a band) when you sit on the patio, and PJ's because both the food is excellent and the 1950s sights and sounds put you in a fun mood. 
• Have I complained enough about the wet, gloomy, and low turnout at the Travers? One more time: that really sucked.
• It was still a great season. Any season in Saratoga is great and I loved this track season.

OK, just 46 more weeks til track season 2010.  Have a great week!