2021 'Saratoga Living' Design Issue by saratogalivingmagazine

SPECIAL DELIVERY:

OUR FIRST-EVER SARATOGA POSTCARD CONTEST

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TH E CIT Y. THE CU LT U R E. THE LIFE.

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Free

FLIP Edition!

DES IGN THE

SARATOGA’S HISTORIC, QUIRKY AND INTRICATE HIDDEN TREASURES

plus

UPH CELEBRATES the BIG 1-5-0!

ISSUE

How Saratoga retains its historical charm (hint: it’s very much By Design)

by natalie moore

saratogaliving.com | @saratogaliving

Graze craze: heaping plates of Cheesy charcuterie The Amsterdam/ Derby Connection “I hope people feel a story in my (Petal People) designs, feel the memories associated with the flowers.” –MARTHA STARKE, ‘Hand Crafted,’ p. 48

Preserve Preservethe thefoods foods you youlove loveup uptoto3x 3xlonger.* longer.*

FarmFresh FarmFreshSystem System™ ™

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byby Bosch Bosch

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An An industry industry first, first, VitaFreshPro™ VitaFreshPro™ automatically automatically balances balances both both temperature temperature andand humidity—taking humidity—taking thethe guesswork guesswork outout of food of food storage. storage.

Shoppers Shoppers World World 15 15 Park Park AveAve Clifton Clifton Park, Park, NYNY 12065 12065 518.952.7700 518.952.7700

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FreshProtect™ FreshProtect™ absorbs absorbs naturally naturally occurring occurring ethylene ethylene gases gases to to slow slow ripening. ripening.

www.marcellasappliance.com www.marcellasappliance.com

Mon-Fri Mon-Fri 10a-6p 10a-6p | Sat | Sat 10a-5p 10a-5p | Sun | Sun Closed Closed

560 560 Broadway Broadway Schenectady, Schenectady, NYNY 12305 12305 518.381.1957 518.381.1957 Mon-Fri Mon-Fri 9a-6p 9a-6p | Sat | Sat 9a-5p 9a-5p | Sun | Sun 12p-4p 12p-4p

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F E ATURES

BY NATALIE MOORE

31 SA R ATOGA R AC E COUR S E BY B R I EN B OUY E A

36 SA R ATOGA P ER FOR MI N G AR TS C EN T ER BY B R I EN B OUY E A 37 SA R ATOGA ’ S A EST H ET I C GAT EK EEP ER S BY W I L L L EVI T H p h o t o g r a p h y by F R A N C ES CO D’ A M I CO

40 IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS BY NATALIE MOORE p h o t o g r a p h y by D OR I F I TZ PAT R I CK

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32 S K I D MOR E COL L EG E BY W I L L L EVI T H

38 O P EN S PAC E BY N ATA L I E MOOR E

sl i s s ue

46 HOME GYM HOME RUN

YOUR FIRST HOME WILL BE HERE. YOUR MORTGAGE SHOULD BE, TOO.

BY WILL LEVITH

48 HAND CRAFTED

BY ABBY TEGNELIA, NATALIE MOORE and WILL LEVITH

54 AMSTERDAM’S KENTUCKY DERBY DOUBLE SHOT BY BRIEN BOUYEA

58 ZIPPY CHIPPY’S BIG BIRTHDAY

BY NATALIE MOORE p h o t o g r a p h y by CON N I E BU SH

GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION/SARATOGA SPRINGS HISTORY MUSEUM

28 SARATOGA: DESIGN MASTERPIECE

We’ve been helping our friends and neighbors buy their ﬁrst homes for well over a century. We will help educate you on all your options, including special loan terms for ﬁrst-time homebuyers, and personally guide you through the process. You can also save time with our easy online application. Since we manage all of our mortgage loans right here, we’re available when you need us. 473 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 584-5844 NMLS #645688

* Credit approval is required.

AdirondackTrust.com

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Stem Cell Therapy

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The Body’s Secret Weapon

Non-Surgical Treatments offered: • Exosome Therapy • Joint Nerve Ablation • Amniotic Protein Treatments • Viscosupplementation (Joint Gel Lubricants) 58

• Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

26 Competition The Ultimate Saratoga Postcard Design Contest

8 From the Editor 10 From the CEO

First turn

Home stretch Fashion: Staci Snider Hunger: Let’s Get Saucy Thirst: Gin and Bear It Design: GSL Landscaping What to Do: Spring Break Returns!

T her ap

(58) CONNIE BUSH; (20, 84) KATIE DOBIES

77 Horseplay Crossword: It’s a (De)sign Overheard

Photo Finish

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Performed He re

74 Off Track The Taste of Upstate

78 Saratogian of the Month: Judy Joy Wyle

61 62 66 69 72

17 Panel: What’s For Dinner, Saratoga? 18 #TBT: The Spirit of Life 19 The Other Saratoga: Saratoga, California 19 Made in Saratoga: The Bowling Ball 20 Power Player: Shelby Schneider 20 By the Numbers: Saratoga County 21 Hot Date: New Beer’s Eve 22 Anniversary: UPH at 150 22 FYI: Saratoga’s MLBers 23 Government: The Mayor 24 Trend: Charcuterie Takeover

Learn why professional athletes are taking advantage of this exciting breakthrough Lorem in medicine to heal rapidly. Loremipsum ipsum 3 Care Lane #302 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Lorem ipsum

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Abby Tegnelia CEO

Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MANAGING EDITOR

SENIOR DESIGNER

SPORTS EDITOR

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

EDITOR AT LARGE

EDITORIAL INTERN

Kathleen Gates Natalie Moore Linda Gates Brien Bouyea Francesco D’Amico Katie Dobies Dori Fitzpatrick Susan Gates Max Weissman

WRITERS

Karen Bjornland, Tony Case, Field Horne, Katie Navarra, Daniel Nester Tom Pedulla, Corinne Sausville

ON THE COVER

An 1876 illustration of Saratoga Springs by Frederick Gleason from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, featuring pressed flower art by Martha Starke of Petal People Press.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kyle Adams, Terri-Lynn Pellegri Susie Raisher

Annette Quarrier PUBLISHER

saratoga living is published six times a year by Empire Media Network, Inc. subscriptions: $35 per year (Nonrefundable).

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

SALES DIRECTOR, CAPITAL REGION LIVING

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER

ART DIRECTOR, MARKETING SALES ASSISTANT

Tina Galante Tara Buffa Steve Teabout Tracy Momrow Alyssa Salerno Rachael Rieck

saratoga living 422 Broadway, Suite 203 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Volume 23, No.2 Spring 2021 Copyright © 2021 Empire Media Network, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Empire Media Network, Inc. All editorial queries should be directed to editorial@saratogaliving.com; or sent to 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. saratoga living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

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Anthony R. Ianniello CHAIR

Abby Tegnelia PRESIDENT/CEO

Tina Galante CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

This is the place for you. Imagine hundreds of exceptional bath, kitchen and lighting products from trusted brands, in settings that help you envision them in your own home. You’ll find classic styles alongside the newest trends. A friendly, accessible staff offers guidance and detailed coordination to ensure that your project goes smoothly. Find details and hours for more than 40 showrooms at frankwebb.com.

BALLSTON SPA 1 McCrea Hill Road ALBANY 17 Erie Boulevard

F R O M T H E e d i to r

Bookends

lost and hound Editorial Director Will Levith with his hound mix, Esopus, on one of the many hikes they took together over the long COVID winter; (below) the Honorable Mention award for our Saratoga Postcard contest goes to 11-year-old Maddie Reinoehl. “What inspired me to draw the postcard is that I have been going to Saratoga since I was a baby,” she says. “My family has owned several horses and spent time at the track. I guess I just pieced it together based on my memories.” (Flip to page 26 for more winners.)

t seems like a million years ago that I traveled, along with a small saratoga living contingent, to the estate of former Friends executive producer and director, Kevin Bright, and his wife, Claudia Wilsey Bright, for the 2020 Design issue cover shoot. It took place on March 18, two days before the state shut down and Saratoga Springs spiraled into one of its toughest stretches in history. In the many months that followed, we did everything in our power to make the most of the isolation, mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing— my wife and I spent a lot of time hiking with our dog—but it quickly became a waiting game. When would “normal” return? Though COVID is still very much a threat, it finally feels like things are looking up. There are now multiple vaccines available, and New York State is continuing to scale back on many of its strictest capacity restrictions. Many of my closest, most vulnerable family members have gotten their two jabs—and us Saratogians got the welcome news that Saratoga Race Course would reopen to a limited number of fans this summer. We’re also hoping that the Saratoga Performing Arts Center has the same good fortune. I think of this year’s Design issue as a quasi-bookend, a way to mark how far we’ve come during the pandemic. Throw in the fact that it’s spring again, and I think that adds up to a fresh start, the first in a string of issues in the soon-to-be-post-COVID era. To get started on the right foot, we’ve put together a sweeping editorial package, starting on page 28, focusing on what sets Saratoga’s design apart from the rest of the region— and the world, really. We brought back our popular “Downtown Details” (p. 40) and local artisans (p. 48) sections. And we threw in a delicious charcuterie board (p. 24) and three spring-y cocktail recipes (p. 66), for good measure. We’re also super excited to reveal some of the top entries in our first annual saratoga living graphic design contest, too. Check them out on page 26. I’ve never been a needles guy, but this is the first time in my life that I’m actually excited to get a shot (two, actually). And when I finally do, which I’m hoping is before this summer, I’ll put the two Design issues side by side and think about how lucky I am—we all are—to have survived.

An exclusive New Carriage Home Community from Belmonte Builders

Discover Lake Living in Saratoga Springs Walking distance to Fish Creek and Saratoga Lake, this new home community of 24 exclusive carriage homes from Belmonte Builders is the highly anticipated final phase of the popular Regatta View neighborhood. Unlike typical townhome communities, each carriage home is designed to mirror a large, single-family home with attractive Craftsman elevations including accents like porches with large columns, vertical siding, and cultured stone. The best part is that there are no interior units. Each carriage home is a premium end unit featuring windows on three sides and a two-car garage. Walking distance to Fish Creek & Saratoga Lake HOA includes access to walking trail, sidewalk & private beach Close to everything: 4 minutes to Saratoga National Golf Club;

2 minutes to Waterfront Park, & 5 minutes to Broadway Variety of floor plans (including master down & ranch) Maintenance Free lots Pricing starts in the $500’s

Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

@Mediawill

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@willlevith

LAURA KOZIEN

Honorable mention www.BelmonteBuilders.con

For more info, contact: Sharon Byrne 518-527-4914 | sharon@belmontebuilders.com

In neighborhoods with a Homeowner's Association, Homeowners will be subject to all HOA covenants and design guidelines and will be required to pay HOA dues. For complete details see your sales representative.

FROM THE CEO

How Time Flies

ime flies” is usually associated with “having fun,” but as I write this, exactly one year after New York went into lockdown, I can confidently say that the novelty of this year has changed my perception of time. I can’t believe it’s been 12 months since the Empire Media Network team moved to our hastily-put-together home offices, pulled off a cover shoot where all we talked about was this crazy new virus, and started wading into a newfangled sphere of “virtual events.” In our off hours, which were few, we watched memes of a quarantini-fueled Kermit the Frog dancing, rubbed our hands raw with hand sanitizer, and stressed out about catching COVID from touching a piece of mail or an Amazon package. It was too cold to meet up with friends outside, and “outdoor dining” was still months away. At saratoga living, we survived on adrenaline, navigating our new normal of 15-hour work days, an insatiable need for “out-of-the-box ideas” and “pivots,” and the responsibility of covering our community in crisis, which was our absolute honor. And here we are. The three-month-old snow has (finally) mostly melted away, and many Saratogians have gotten the COVID vaccine. Spring is here, and time really did, somehow, “fly.” Most pages of this Design issue have at least some mention of this crisis we’ve endured, but it’s clear that we’re the fabulous beekman girls CEO Abby nearing the other side. One silver lining Tegnelia (left) with friend and CAPITAL REGION LIVING travel writer Alexandra Baackes in Downtown Sharon to spending too much time at home is Springs after their trip to Beekman 1802. that we’re now enjoying somewhat of a “home sanctuary” renaissance. And all this extra home improvement activity has made our spring Design issue especially lively. Make sure to check out our Love Your Home ad section (starting on the opposite page) for ideas and resources from local businesses covering everything from real estate and hardware options, to décor shopping and pool upgrades. During the good times and bad of this pandemic, there was nowhere I would have rather been than Saratoga Springs. What a community! And now that spring has arrived, it brings the hope that I’ll soon be meeting up with many of you for cocktails, and that as life returns to normal, time will slow down enough for us all to enjoy it.

ABBY TEGNELIA CEO @abbytegnelia

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Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, our homes have become our sanctuaries, places in which we can feel safe as the world around us often seems to be spinning out of control. And with that has come a surge of home improvement projects, perhaps some we’ve been putting off for a long time, all with the goal of making our homes more…homey. Yes, with so many hours clocked in at home, we all now know with absolute certainty what things we like and don’t like about our abodes. This spring, with the promise of warmer weather and the end of the pandemic knocking at our door (speaking of which, is it time to upgrade your tired entryway?), is the perfect time to go all in on the projects and upgrades we’ve added to our wish list. The pages that follow feature 14 local solutions for all things “home.” Flip the page to find local resources for everything from home décor, storage solutions and pest control, to garage doors, landscaping and pool installation. There are even a few realtors included, in case it’s time to move on from your COVID haven, as well as builders, who are standing by to help you construct your dream house. After the year we’ve been through, it’s time to do whatever it takes to truly

Love Your Home.

S P ECIAL P R OMOTIONAL S ECTION

GNH Lumber

898 New Loudon Rd., Latham • 518.313.1229 • gnhlumber.com

GNH Lumber’s expert kitchen and bath team, led by the esteemed Jacqueline Newell, is ready to make your dream home vision a reality. Take advantage of Newell’s 20 years of rich experience helping clients visualize each layer of their kitchen and bath design, from floor plan to finish. A true visionary with an acute sense of space, she brings in the perfect surfaces, textures, color and lighting to deliver a beautiful and functional kitchen or bath design, and help a home reach its optimum value. For ideas and inspiration, you are invited to come by the GNH Lumber showroom, or call today to schedule a free virtual consult.

S PE C I A L PR OM OT I ONA L S E C T I O N

Bonacio Construction

18 Division St., Suite 401, Saratoga Springs • 518.584.9007 • bonacio.com

Client satisfaction is the driving factor behind everything that Bonacio Construction’s tight-knit Residential team does. Regardless of price point, from contract to closing, Bonacio’s in-house design coordinators work with the clients every step of the way. No two Bonacio homes are exactly alike because clients are given the tools and flexibility to create a home that is truly an expression of them. Inside every structure that this stellar team builds, you’ll discover the hallmarks of the Bonacio Construction approach—value, integrity, high-quality materials, attention to detail, superior craftsmanship, cutting-edge style and exceptional architectural design. For a free initial consultation, call Monday through Friday 8am-5pm or email info@bonacio.com.

Saratoga Signature Interiors 82 Church St. Saratoga Springs 518.581.0023 saratogasignature.com

Saratoga Quality Hardware 110 Excelsior Ave., Saratoga Springs • 518.584.9180 • saratogaqualityhardware.com The team at the locally owned Saratoga Quality Hardware consists of the most knowledgeable paint people in the area. Come by any time during business hours (no appointment necessary!) for expert advice on product, paint prep and to be walked through the entire experience, if needed. In the market for touchups but can’t remember which paint you’ve used? SQH keeps a handy database for its customers. Plus, the store’s outdoor living showcase boasts Broil King grills, Ooni pizza ovens and a whole lot of patio lighting and accessories, all with a home sanctuary’s sense of tranquility and belonging in mind. Stay tuned: more building materials and a brand-new Design Center coming later this spring.

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As we approach the Spring of 2021 we all imagine Saratoga Springs waking from a long nap and a return to the joy of warmer weather and sunshine. Days by the pool, barbecue on the grill, and al fresco dinners with friends…if these are part of your plans for the coming months, start now! Custom outdoor furniture orders should be placed as soon as possible. Many companies have quick ship items available—call for details. Now is the time to check out the great selection available at Saratoga Signature Interiors. Like you, they are ready for brighter days. They hope to see you soon.

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S P ECIAL P R OMOTIONAL S ECTION

S PE C I A L PR OM OT I ONA L S E C T I O N

Frank Webb

1 McCrea Hill Rd., Ballston Spa • 518.490.7550 17 Erie Blvd., Albany • 518.455.8833 • frankwebb.com

Roohan Realty

519 Broadway, Saratoga Springs • 518.587.4500 • roohanrealty.com

Put your property or home listing in the capable hands of Roohan Realty, family owned since 1969 and located in the heart of Saratoga Springs. Roohan’s more than 40 full-time, experienced agents preview all of their listings and work collectively to ensure the very best service. Your home will look fantastic online thanks to an expert full-time marketing team, FAA certified/insured drone pilot, and professional photographer/videographer. Plus, when it’s time to move, Roohan offers the use of its courtesy moving truck and complimentary boxes and supplies. With homegrown, hometown community values, Roohan is always there for you, seven days a week, via phone, email or live chat.

From simple faucet replacements to a complete remodel of your kitchen and every bathroom in the house, Frank Webb is your go-to spot. Elaborate showrooms boast working displays and commission-free salespeople who proudly have your best interests at heart. Shop for all your bath, lighting and kitchen needs, including green technology options, hands-free appliances, and the techiest bidets and faucets. Walk-ins are welcome, or call ahead to achieve a more targeted, timeeffective shopping experience.

Concord Pools

136 S Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.587.4949 • concordpools.com The in-ground pool professionals at Concord Pools are here to make your backyard dreams come true. Create your own retreat for family and friends via feature-packed in-ground pools (both fiberglass and vinyl), master-crafted spas by the award-winning and technologically advanced Master Spas, and comfy and durable pool furniture by Ashley. Every project is customized with Concord’s personal touch. Don’t wait for warmer weather to get started—call today for your free consultation.

Witt Construction 563 N Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.587.4113 wittconstruction.com

From exquisite cottages to sprawling mansions, Witt Construction’s award-winning team designs and builds unique, specialized homes, always focused on the lifestyle of the individual client. Current standouts include an energy-efficient, net zero home featuring the newest in sustainable technology, which will be in the upcoming Showcase of Homes, and a new project on Saratoga Lake that is centered around a working farm. Down to the landscaping, Witt designs with the customer in mind, whether it’s a growing family that needs a flexible design that could be added onto, or empty-nesters looking for a clean, custom design to fit their lifestyle needs. Call Marci at the Witt office to schedule your free consultation.

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Redbud Development, Inc.

2 Commerce Park Dr., Wilton 518.691.0428 • redbuddevelopment.com

California Closets

Redbud Development, Inc. is a landscape construction company specializing in the custom design and quality installation of residential improvement and development projects. With a creative and collaborative approach, Redbud helps clients imagine and build exterior environments that connect seamlessly with the interior to reflect their personality and lifestyle. Some examples of additions include: customdesigned pools, outdoor kitchens, stone patios and wooden structures for entertaining friends or simply enjoying nature. Call today to schedule your no-cost initial consultation.

California Closets creates storage solutions for any room in the house! In addition to closets of all shapes and sizes, they specialize in building mudrooms, pantries, garages and media centers. Plus, since working (and learning) from home is the new normal for so many, custom home offices are now in high demand. It all begins with a complimentary design consultation in the home, at the Latham design studio or virtually. Call, click or stop in today; the possibilities are endless.

952 Troy Schenectady Rd., Latham 518.785.5723 • californiaclosets.com

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S P ECIAL P R OMOTIONAL S ECTION

PANEL

ELIZABETH HAYNES

What’s for Dinner, Saratoga?

Silverwood Galleries

398 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.583.3600 • silverwoodgalleries.com Silverwood specializes in home décor, furniture, fine art, and accessories that celebrate classic Americana, a bit of English country, and a dash of Adirondack rustic. They also offer, of course, a strong selection of equestrian-styled items as well. Have a strong direction in mind? Browse the Downtown boutique to “feather your nest.” Totally lost and need more help? Mother-daughter duo Charlene Wood and Chelsea Silver can offer various levels of design guidance and expertise.

W E AS K ED T H REE LO CAL F O O D IES TO D IS H O N T HE I R C OVI D E AT I N G HAB I TS. asks me what meat he should corn [to sell] for St. Patrick’s Day. Last year, it was corned short ribs. I ended up smoking them for seven hours, and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever made.

Fortune Realty LLC

641 Grooms Rd, Clifton Park 518.858.2627 • Jennifer@fortunerealtygroup.com Fortune Realty Group, LLC is a progressive, forward-thinking boutique real estate company that meets the needs of all clients right where they are–whether it be buying, selling, building, renting or relocating. Fortune Realty Group feels a “house is a home“ when their client is 100% happy where they live, and the team works as hard as it takes to get them there. Email, call or text for your free consult, in-person or virtually.

Right now, it’s less about the restaurant and more about seeing all my friends and family in one place. 5

Jacqualin Ross QUALITY IMPROVEMENT COORDINATOR, NYS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Dan Graham FOUNDER AND CEO, SM2 DEV

OLeary Overhead Door Mohawk Valley Pest Control 3645 Guilderland Ave., Schenectady 518.580.1164 / 518.356.4226 • Mohawkvalleypest.net A family’s most valuable investment deserves the best care if a pest issue should arise. Mohawk Valley Pest Control has been serving the Capital District for more than 30 years. They have provided residential and commercial properties with high quality pest control. All pest services are guaranteed. Call today for a free estimate.

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1316 Saratoga Rd., Gansevoort 518.321.2736 • olearyoverheaddor.com OLeary Overhead Door’s top-level technicians provide professional and courteous installation, excelling in customer service. A new Clopay garage door not only adds insulation value to your home, it can update the entire look of its exterior! So visit the Cloplay imagination system at clopaydoor.com/ door-imagination-system today. Then call Dan or Dan Jr. for a free, no obligation estimate on a new garage door or entry door, and see why OLeary Overhead Door is becoming the area’s No.1 garage door supplier.

QUESTIONS Most memorable COVID takeout experience? Preferred method of acquiring food? (cooking, takeout, dine-in)

Best takeout cocktails you’ve had?

Best thing you’ve cooked?

Restaurant you can’t wait to go back to post COVID?

Doing virtual whiskey tastings with Saratoga Whiskey Club has been amazing. Recently, we had a takeout whiskey pairing with Hamlet & Ghost. 1

2 I did a little bit of everything. I felt safe in the majority of the restaurants I went to.

Early on in COVID, I was always stopping at Henry Street Taproom for a beer and then swinging next door to Flatbread Social for cocktails and pizza. 3

4 Every year, my butcher friend at Primal in Wilton

Jen Van Strander GRADUATE STUDENT 1 I waited almost four hours for Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo. Luckily, the weather was nice!

Takeout. I’ve found more restaurants are adding online ordering, which makes for an even smoother experience. 2

3 Make-your-own margaritas from Cantina, hands down.

Pumpkin snickerdoodles with white chocolate chips. 4

5 Cantina. My friends and I love its happy hour!

1 Definitely the Taquero Taco Box! It’s impressive, and all the ingredients are so beautiful and fresh.

I chose to dine out throughout the pandemic. I felt like most of the local restaurants did an excellent job making patrons feel safe and protected. 2

3 I pride myself on making excellent cocktails, so I took care of that part myself!

I cooked a lot of fresh seafood and made my first lobster rolls. 4

5 I’ll be very excited when 550 Waterfront opens back up. I love sitting at its outdoor bar—it has some amazing craft cocktails that I’ve been missing.

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Propensity for Density estate of mind Once a residential estate, Saratoga, CA’s Hakone Estate and Gardens is now one of the oldest Japanese gardens in the western hemisphere.

THE OTHER SARATOGA

5 Things to Know About Saratoga, California 1

Saratoga, CA is located 20 minutes southwest of San Jose, the southernmost city of the Bay Area’s Silicon Valley, and 45 minutes from the Pacific Coast.

#TBT

of Life wasn’t dedicated until 1915, urning to this page BY N ATA LI E M O O R E the same year the City of Saratoga probably just made Springs was incorporated. you do a double-take. The completion of the Spencer Trask Memorial was a Something is unequivocally missing from this joint effort between sculptor Daniel Chester French and stunning 1914 photograph of Congress Park from architect Henry Bacon, longtime friends who were also the George S. Bolster Collection. That something, of course, responsible for the design and execution of the Lincoln is The Spirit of Life, the iconic statue that today stands Memorial. At the time of this photograph, Bacon’s work— smack dab in the middle of the stone niche, its mirror image the niche, wing walls, reflecting pool and overlook—was reflected in the pool of water at its feet. already completed. All that was left was to add French’s Where exactly was the bronze woman, robed and holding winged lady and an inscription above her head that reads: a pine bough and bowl of water, symbols of Saratoga’s pine “To the memory of Spencer Trask, trees and healing springs, in 1914? it’s lit In 2018, The Spirit of Life was lit up his one object in life was to do She wasn’t quite finished yet. While at night for the first time, thanks to a donation right, and to serve his fellow men, Saratoga philanthropist and Yaddo made by Anthony Potter, whose mother had and gave himself abundantly to founder Katrina Trask commissioned always found inspiration in the statue and hasten the coming of a new the memorial to honor her late wished it was visible at night. and better day.” husband, Spencer, in 1913, The Spirit

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2 THE GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION, SARATOGA SPRINGS HISTORY MUSEUM

The Spirit of Saratoga

In 1865, the city got its name after residents discovered a mineral spring whose waters were similar to those of Congress Spring in our Saratoga Springs. Soon after, the California Saratoga’s Congress Springs resort hotel welcomed its first guests.

Originally settled as a center of industry—it was the site of a sawmill, tannery and paper mill in the 1850s— Saratoga went on to become a resort town, an agricultural hot spot and finally, a residential community.

H OW S C H ENEC TADY ’ S J O S EPH G ENT ILUO MO C HAN G E D B OW L ING F O REVER. n BY N ATALI E MOOR E

he next time you’re at the Saratoga Strike Zone, keep an eye on your ball as it’s heading for the pins. You’ll notice that it actually slides more than it rolls as it makes its way down the slippery, oiled lane. It does that because most of the weight is located in the center of the ball, giving it greater total kinetic energy to eventually knock down those pins. But it wasn’t always like that. Schenectady resident Joseph Gentiluomo, a World War II veteran who graduated from RPI and went on to work at General Electric, is the owner of 28 patents, including two modifications to the bowling ball. “I was inventing things in all kinds of sports,” Gentiluomo told bowlersmart.com in 2020. “I created a golf ball with less hooking and slicing. It had to do with the density of the ball. I figured I’d do the same thing with a bowling ball.” Today, Gentiluomo is considered the inventor of the modern bowling ball. Last summer, the 98-year-old even got to bowl the first ball at a grand reopening ceremony for Clifton Park’s Spare Time, which had been closed due to COVID. His first roll landed in the gutter, but his second connected with the pins, knocking down eight of them. His secret? Density.

In the 20th century, wealthy politicians and businessmen built huge residential estates in Saratoga. Today, some of them, including Hakone Estate and Gardens and Villa Montalvo (now known as Montalvo Arts Center), serve as centers of arts and culture.

Saratoga falls right on the edge of the Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area (AVA), a designated wine grape–growing area. Consequently, many fine wineries call Saratoga home.

super bowl Joseph Gentiluomo (fourth from left) at the reopening ceremony for Clifton Park’s Spare Time last summer; (inset) a diagram of one of Gentiluomo’s patented improvements to the bowling ball.

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new developments Before landing at SCPP in 2016, Shelby Schneider worked for the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation for 13 years and in national marketing for Shmaltz Brewing Company.

P OWER PL AYER

Biz Wiz

SHELBY SCHNEIDER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE SARATOGA COUNTY PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP, HAS BEEN BUSY SECURING THE SPA CITY’S ECONOMIC WELLBEING DURING COVID. BY NATALIE MOORE photography by KATIE DOBIES

by t h e n u m b e r s : s a r at o ga c o u n t y

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230,200 Total population

2.4

Average number of people per household

rowing up just outside of Amsterdam, Shelby Schneider saw firsthand the immediate and reallife consequences of a negative economic event. “A lot of people in our community worked for GE Power Systems,” she says. “When the company would downsize or shift business to different states, you’d see the impact on the local community.” It was that experience that got the Skidmore College graduate started on a career in economic development. Today, Schneider is the president and CEO of the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership (SCPP), a publicly funded organization whose mission is to secure jobs and capital investment in Saratoga County by attracting new businesses and helping the ones that are already here grow. “First and foremost, our job is business retention and expansion,” Schneider says. “It’s the same kind of concept that works with businesses: It takes you a lot less time, energy and money to keep the customers that you have than it takes to actually go through the process of attracting a new customer.” In practice, that involves making sure local businesses have the resources they need to operate—a job that kicked into high gear when COVID hit last March, just two and a half months into Schneider’s tenure as head of SCPP. Over the past year, SCPP has been making sure Saratoga County’s businesses, both small and large, know about the grants and programs they’re eligible for. SCPP has also been collecting data on the challenges the county’s businesses are facing and providing it to the policymakers in charge of creating said grants and programs. The second part of Schneider’s

42.8

Median age of residents

$83,800

Median household income

data courtesy of SCPP (2018-19)

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job is bringing in new business to the area. That involves making Saratoga County look like an attractive place to open a business in addition to actually making Saratoga County a good place to open one in. “In the business attraction game, it’s a lot easier to work with a community that can offer predictability, that has infrastructure in place and whose planning process is relatively predictable, because time is money for a business,” Schneider says. “We are working actively to prepare the environment and prepare the product, which is our communities in Saratoga County.” One example, which Schneider cites as a highlight of her career, was when semiconductor company AMD committed to building the Luther Forest Technology Campus (i.e. GlobalFoundries) after two-plus years of municipal meetings and marketing the location. Since it opened in 2010, that project alone has created more than 3,000 jobs and brought in $15 billion–plus in capital investment. Luckily for Schneider, the City of Saratoga’s rich history, location at the foothills of the beautiful Adirondacks and world-class brand (namely, those iconic blue Saratoga Spring Water bottles) make it an easy sell to businesses. But those assets aren’t necessarily enough: The city needs organizations like SCPP, the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, to make sure it stays the vibrant, economically wellrounded community it is today. “It’s wonderful to have a downtown that has businesses and shops, and that is thriving,” Schneider says. “It makes up the character and complexion of your place. But if you don’t take care of it, it will go away.” And it’s people like Schneider who are working behind the scenes to make sure it doesn’t.

53.17

Percent of residents with an associate’s degree or higher

119,200 People in the labor force

HOT DATE : APRIL 6

Happy Brew Year!

T H REE NEW SAR ATOGA C OU N T Y B E E R S TO T RY T HI S N E W B E E R’ S E VE.

ighty-eight years ago this April 6, American morale was high. The 18th amendment— a.k.a. Prohibition—was about to be repealed, meaning the following day, the drinking public would finally be able to imbibe their first legal drinks in 13 years. These days, April 6 is known as New Beer’s Eve, an unofficial holiday that, in our humble opinion, deserves the same hoopla associated with New Year’s Eve. Here are three new Saratoga County beers to cheers this April 6.

Pink Boots Society scholarship funds, which support women in the beer industry. Bound by Fate Brewing Company BEER: KEGASUS TYPE: Cream Ale ABV: 5.3% ABOUT: Back after KEGASUS a brief hiatus, KEGASUS is a distinctly American pre-Prohibition–style ale, one of the few to survive (more or less intact) into modernity. It has a satisfying body and a soft, dry finish. BREWERY:

BREWERY: Whitman Brewing BEER: Haze Queen TYPE: Hazy IPA ABV: 5.6% ABOUT: The women of Whitman

Brewing teamed up to brew Haze Queen using the Pink Boots Blend from Yakima Chief Hops for International Women’s Day. A portion of the proceeds benefit the

combination was carefully cultivated to create an explosion of fruit flavors that are both sweet and tart. The pink guava and mango fruit flavors are prominent while the banana adds a thick and creamy texture.

Haze Queen

3.5

Percent unemployment

She’s the Bomb BREWERY: Artisanal Brew Works BEER: She’s the Bomb TYPE: Fruited Sour Ale ABV: 6.75% ABOUT: She’s the Bomb’s fruit

$267,200 Median home value

$1,100 Median gross rent

24.1

Average commute time to work, in minutes

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the meg Currently in her second term, Mayor Meg Kelly has announced that she will not be seeking reelection this coming November.

Odd Men Out M E E T J O H N C O LE MAN A N D DO N P E P P E R, T H E O NLY SA R ATO GI A N S TO EVER R E AC H T H E M A J OR L EAG UES .

S o m e n ota b le Sa r ato ga m ayo r s i n c lu de : • Harry E. Pettee (1918-19), who embezzled $300,000 after his term ended • Clarence H. Knapp (1924-27), a humorist and contributor to The New Yorker • Sarto J. Smaldone (1970-73), owner of the Malta Drive-In • Almeda C. Dake (1990-95), mother of Stewart’s Shops president and CEO Gary Dake

BY WI LL LE V I T H

Fa st fac ts a b o u t t h e p os i t i o n :

UPH Stands Tall at 150

CELEBRATING THE BIRTHDAY OF THE HISTORIC PERFORMING ARTS VENUE WITH 150 WORDS FROM ITS DIRECTOR, TEDDY FOSTER

ince it was built in 1871, Universal Preservation Hall (UPH) has housed two congregations, welcomed speakers such as Frederick Douglass, and hosted performers such as Rosanne Cash. But in 150 years, UPH has also endured a lot, having survived two world wars, the Great Depression, a mid-century downturn in Saratoga’s economy, the 2008 recession, a fire, condemnation and, currently, a global pandemic. It’s no surprise to me that despite all that, UPH is alive, well and looking forward to a birthday celebration and Grand Opening 2.0 later this year. Why? Because people care about this historic building in the heart of Downtown Saratoga. They recognize the positive energy contained within its walls, and over the years, have helped ensure its survival, transforming UPH time and time again. A building on its own can’t be resilient, but the community that loves it can be. Thank you, Saratoga, and happy 150th, UPH! —Teddy Foster

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s it turns out, Saratogians haven’t had much luck in professional baseball. Saratoga native John Coleman, who played multiple positions from 1883-90, holds the dubious distinction of losing the most games in a single season as a pitcher: He went a ghastly 12-48 for the Philadelphia Quakers during his rookie campaign. Saratogian Don Pepper, a first baseman and pinch hitter, fared a little better—but only because he logged just four total games and three at bats for the Detroit Tigers in 1966. Not all is lost, though: Coleman’s primitive baseball card is part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And Pepper’s daughter, Dottie, ended up becoming a championship LPGA golfer. In other words, Saratoga always wins.

GOVERNMENT

The Mayor

UNPAC K ING T H E RO L E O F T H E ‘C EO O F T H E C IT Y.’ BY NATAL IE MO O RE

FRANCESCO D’AMICO

ANNIVERSARY

(UPH) RICHARD LOVRICH; (Coleman) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

reopen sesame A “Grand Opening 2.0” is in the works for UPH for later this year, says director Teddy Foster.

• The mayor is considered the “CEO of the City,” but doesn’t have any more power than the city’s four other commissioners.

short stops (from left) Saratogian Don Pepper (top row, far left) played just four games in a Tigers uniform in 1966; fellow Spa City native John Coleman went a ghastly 12-48 as a rookie pitcher in the 1880s.

n our last issue, which was published shortly after the City of Saratoga voted (once again) to keep its commission form of government intact, we looked at its origins, how rare it is and what it actually looks like in practice. In this issue and the four issues that follow, we’ll focus in on each of the five commissioner positions and what roles they play within the city’s governmental organization. First up: the mayor!

• The position is technically supposed to be part time—but in actuality, it’s very much a full-time role. • The mayor’s annual salary is just $14,500. “It’s ridiculous,” says current Mayor Meg Kelly. “You can put that quote in there. ‘The mayor says it’s ridiculous!’ But that’s why we can’t get people to run. It’s a real big problem.” • There’s no term limit. Addison Mallery (1936-59) was the longestserving Saratoga mayor, logging eight two-year terms.

Since it was incorp orated as a cit y in 1915, Saratoga Springs has had 21 mayors:

 7 DEMOCRATS | 6 REPUBLICANS | 8 NONPARTISANS OR POLITICIANS FROM UNKNOWN PARTIES

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Sweet 16, Cheese Edition March Madness just got a little more cultured.

Burrata Burrata

Romano Parmesan

Buffalo Mozzarella

Parmesan Burrata

Parmesan

Brie

Asiago Brie

Asiago

Camembert

Charcuterie Takeover

Chèvre Chèvre

Pattie Garrett, Saratoga-based nutritionist, registered dietitian and regional food blogger, guides you through building the ultimate charcuterie board. Start with your base: A wooden cheese board from Saratoga Hardwood or a glass platter, such as a flattened Saratoga Water bottle from

Gorgonzola Gorgonzola

Impressions of Saratoga, will do. Slate boards also provide a nice contrast to the cheese.

Stilton

Anchor your board with the cheese: Choose your favorite cheeses but try to use a variety of textures—soft, semi-soft and hard. Also think about including cheese from cows (Argyle Cheese Farmer), goats (Nettle Meadow Farm and Artisan Cheese) and sheep (Dancing Ewe Farm).

Or…Get Your Board Pre-built

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Boards by Kenzie

All-A-Board

(top) PATTIE GARRETT

Fill in the holes: Add locally produced condiments such as mustard, honey, jam and hummus, plus fresh fruit, veggies and cured meats.

Saratoga Grazing Co

CHEDDAR!

Dress it up: Garnish your board with fresh herbs, flowers or other signs of spring. Don’t forget to add a few utensils or toothpicks.

Gouda Gouda Gruyère

Cheddar

 Bracket created with results from survey of @saratogaliving’s 26.8k Instagram followers

Consider the pairings: If the cheeses are the stars of your board, skip the flavored crackers and use neutral ones. Place some Saratoga Crackers next to the hard cheeses and a baguette from Mrs. London’s next to the soft or creamy cheeses.

Saratoga Springs’ Saratoga Grazing Co, Cohoes’ Boards by Kenzie and Amsterdam’s All-A-Board make charcuterie boards easy…and cheesy.

Cheddar And the charcuterie champion is…

Chèvre

SA RATOGA GETS TH E PARTY STA RT E D WI T H T H I S DE LI C I O U S GR A ZE , E R , C R A Z E.

Build Your Own Board, Upstate New York–style

Burrata

Feta

TREND

ssorted cheeses, meats and more, artfully arranged on a board so that they look almost— almost—too gouda to dig into? We're talking charcuterie boards, the grazing craze that's taken over Instagram feeds everywhere. Does Saratoga love charcuterie as much as the rest of the foodie world? You’d feta believe it.

Manchego

Cheddar Cheddar Provolone

Going the Distance

Two Upstate New Yorkers dare to go where no charcuter-ist has gone before. This September, Capital Region residents Preston Moore (Albany) and Mike Cassella (Saratoga) will attempt the greatest feat of cheese board engineering the world has ever seen: A Guinness World Record for the longest charcuterie board. The pair are the co-founders of the Herkimer-centric Facebook group 315 Foodies (Moore and Cassella both grew up in Herkimer, and 315 is the village’s area code), so naturally, their record-attempting board will be 315 feet long, more than double the length of the current Guinness record holder. Here’s how Moore and Cassella plan to pull off this muenster undertaking: 150 1-foot sections (BUILT BY 315 FOODIES FACEBOOK GROUP MEMBERS) = 150 feet 50 3-foot sections (BUILT BY BUSINESSES AND EVENT SPONSORS) = 150 feet 1 15-foot section (BUILT BY MOORE AND CASSELLA) = 15 feet ------------------------ 315 feet!

–Pattie Garrett

mysaratogakitchentable.com

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The Ultimate Saratoga Postcard Design Contest

ALLI FERRARO MOST chalked by alli MODERN INSTAGRAM: @chalkedbyalli MEDIUM: Chalk pen on black cardstock INSPIRATION: “I am a photographer and chalkboard artist with a growing clientele in the restaurant business here in Saratoga Springs. I drew my inspiration using fonts from various chalkboards that I have created for local businesses over the past few years. I wanted to create a ‘ransom note’ feel, as if the sender were being held hostage by this beautiful and charming city…and might never actually want to come home! I also chose white on black to mimic the chalkboard look and reflect my typical medium.” NAME:

COMPANY:

In the fast-paced world of emails, texts and tweets, sending postcards seems a little outdated. But in Saratoga Springs, the past is part of our present—just look at our historic racetrack, homes and downtown. So saratoga living called on local graphic designers, artists and photographers to create the perfect Saratoga postcard, one that would make would-be tourists pull out a pen on the fly, scribble a handwritten note and run to the post office to send a message the old-fashioned way. Here are a handful of our favorite submissions.

MOST

DAVID KEENAN Historic COMPANY: David Keenan INSTAGRAM: @davidkeenan33 MEDIUM: Acrylic paint and gesso on canvas INSPIRATION: “I have been incorporating type into my artwork for a couple of years now. With my desire to show some history of Saratoga, I went with a vintage weathered and aged look to the postcard. Having an equine figure was a must as well.” NAME:

Best Depiction ALYSSA MENSHAUSEN Of COMPANY: Pine and Park Designs Saratoga INSTAGRAM: @pine.and.park MEDIUM: Graphic illustration INSPIRATION: “I’m a mixed media artist with backgrounds in graphic design as well as fine art (painting and drawing). Most of my drawings are done in ink, but recently, I’ve been exploring drawing digitally. This was my first swing at it; I just started doodling all that makes Saratoga a wonderful place to live and visit!”

NAME:

MOST MARK “SQUID” JEWELL COMPANY: Squid’s Lines CREATIVE INSTAGRAM: @squidslines MEDIUM: Hand drawn and then finished in Adobe Illustrator INSPIRATION: “I felt a postcard for Saratoga needed to embody the three H’s: health, history and horses.”

Best in Show

NAME:

CREDIT

spring water

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CREDIT

Saratoga

A G O T A R A S SPRINGS

BARBARA KAISER Far Flying Design INSTAGRAM: @FarFlyingDesign MEDIUM: Graphic illustration INSPIRATION: “During a time when connection is more meaningful than ever, thoughts of friendship and fun in Saratoga Springs inspired me to try to capture a ‘happy place’ vibe in a colorful vintage style. Incorporating some of the many reasons to love the city was another focus: horse racing, history, architecture, natural beauty and of course, the springs!” NAME:

COMPANY:

See more at saratogaliving.com Search: Postcard

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S A R AT O G A :

DESIGN

M A ST E R P I E C E BY N ATA L I E M O O R E

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(print) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; (aerial shot) JACOB VEITCH

H OW T H E S PA C I T Y ’ S L OV E O F B O T H H I S T O R Y A N D G R OW T H H A S C R E AT E D A U N I Q U E LY T H R I V I N G , M O D E R N DAY G E M T H AT T R E A S U R E S I TS H I STO R I C C H A R M .

past perfect While modern day Saratoga may not look exactly like it did in this depiction of Broadway from 1876, the city has been able to preserve many elements of its storied design through historic preservation.

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Thankfully, the City of Saratoga has indeed retained its magic and become nothing short of a design masterpiece.

issu e

arkening back to any town’s early days is, of course, going to require at least a little bit of a history overview. All Saratogians (we hope) know that the first Spa City settlements were formed around its mineral springs, High Rock Spring being the first. In the mid-to-late 1770s, this important spring about a mile north of what is now Congress Park was home to a small settlement that came to be known as the “Upper Village.” When Putnam arrived, he was dazzled by Saratoga’s natural resources, famously telling his wife: “This is a healthy place, the mineral waters are valuable, and the timber is good and in great abundance.” He began developing a “Lower Village” near Congress Spring, and the excitement began. In addition to building his tavern and boarding house (which would eventually become the Grand Union Hotel) in this new Lower Village, Putnam “laid out streets, donated land for a cemetery and offered land for a church building...in the growing community,” Jan Johnstone writes in her book Saratoga County Communities: An Historic Perspective. “He built a second hotel, Congress Hall, opposite his tavern, to house patrons of the springs.” Eventually, in 1819, Saratoga became a township and construction ensued, including the building of the massive United States Hotel. Shortly after, the Saratoga and Schenectady

land of the lost (clockwise, from top) The United States Hotel was located between Washington and Division streets; Union Avenue’s Mabee Estate was lost to a fire in 1937; City Hall was topped with a bell and clock tower until 1934.

(United States Hotel) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; (Mabee, City Hall) GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION/SARATOGA SPRINGS HISTORY MUSEUM; (racing) NYRA; (Grandstand) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

his is the story of how Saratoga Springs became the city you know and love today. Don’t stress—this isn’t a dense-as-UncommonGrounds-on-a-Saturdaymorning history lesson. Expect instead more of a trip down memory lane with none other than Spa City founding father Gideon Putnam himself, who arrived in Saratoga Springs, saw its potential and kickstarted a 200-plus-year quest to design a community, then township, then city, that would live up to the bountiful natural resources it had been blessed with. Delving into why Saratoga looks the way it does yields almost an embarrassment of riches to explore, from Putnam deciding his new home should have a “broad street” as its defining feature, to the city’s current-day design review process. Saratoga is more than a collection of buildings, streets and trees that have popped up at random since 1789; it’s actually a dynamic, everchanging chessboard in which architects, business owners, homeowners, government committees and nonprofit organizations all work together to preserve the character of the city, while ensuring it remains an attractive place to settle for future generations. Says Tamie Ehinger, the current chair of the Design Review Board (DRB), one of Saratoga’s aesthetic gatekeepers: “If we were to ever lose the magic that makes this Saratoga, it would be a travesty.”

des ign

THE TIMELESS CLASSIC Save for Fenway Park in Boston, Saratoga Race Course is just about as classic a sporting venue as you can find in the northeast. How has its charm been so carefully preserved? Location, location, location: Its of-a-differentera architectural style is owed greatly to its position inside a historic district protected by Saratoga Springs’ strict design review process. Opened amidst the Civil War in 1864, the track didn’t get its much-needed aesthetic shot in the arm until after founder John Morrissey died in 1878. William Collins Whitney took over and hired renowned architect Charles W. Leavitt, who’s to thank for the track’s late-Victorian style that has remained consistent throughout its modern history, despite a number of upgrades and additions. One of the most notable was the construction of the three-story, luxury 1863 Club, which opened in 2019 and features materials like copper and slate on its roof, to echo those of the original Grandstand and Clubhouse. Though the track was closed to spectators in 2020, a limited number will be able to return to the stands this summer. And that begs some design-related questions: Will fans be able to sit, socially distanced, in the historic Grandstand? Or stand, six feet apart, along the rail to watch the horses fly by? Or will it be a much more controlled environment? The lucky fans that do get through the turnstiles will be able to marvel at the track’s incomparable design once again—and maybe win a few bucks in the process, too. –BRIEN BOUYEA

staying on track (from top) Saratoga Race Course’s 1863 Club has a copper roof to echo the design aesthetic of the original Grandstand and Clubhouse; the track’s late-Victorian aesthetic has remained consistent throughout history.

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If you were one of the lucky young women who attended Skidmore College in the 1960s (it went co-ed in ’71), you wouldn’t have been able to tell the campus apart from the City of Saratoga Springs’ East Side, because the two were one and the same. Disparate parts of the “old campus,” as it is now known, were scattered among sections of Circular, Regent, Spring, Phila, Clark, White and Court Streets, as well as Union and Nelson Avenues. But during that same decade, major changes were afoot. In ’61, the board of trustees unanimously accepted trustee J. Erik Jonsson’s gift of 1,000 acres of land to the college, which would serve as the basis for the “new campus,” which took nearly a decade to complete. Designed by Texas architect O’Neil Ford, its signature feature is exposed red brick—a favorite in and around Saratoga—that can be found on buildings such as Starbuck Center, the Filene Music Building and Case Center. Over the last two decades, Skidmore has zhuzhed Ford’s rather austere design pallet up quite a bit, with additions of the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery in 2000 and the Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall in 2003, among other upgrades adding design punch to the “new” look. And according to a college rep, one of current Skidmore president Marc Conner’s major goals is to begin a collaborative Campus Master Planning process to help shape and define Skidmore’s campus for decades to come.

i s s ue

–WILL LEVITH

city college (from top) Skidmore Hall on the college’s old East Side campus; Skidmore began the move to its new location in the 1960s.

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vintage points (clockwise, from top) The stretch of Broadway between Spring and Phila streets in 1938; after serving as a private residence for a New York City steel manufacturer, 48 Union Avenue became Salisbury Hall, an all-female Skidmore dormitory; the Saratoga City Planning Board at work in 1947.

(Broadway, Salisbury, planning board) GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION/SARATOGA SPRINGS HISTORY MUSEUM

BRIDGING THE ‘OLD’ AND ‘NEW’

Railroad was constructed, giving tourists easy access to the Spa City and making it a destination for political, professional and religious conventions. And what does a city with a sudden influx of tourists and convention-goers need? Even more hotel rooms. This design-by-necessity characterized much of the development of Saratoga throughout the 19th century, from the post–Civil War boom that resulted in the construction of a town hall, firehouse and schools, as well as the improvement of the city’s sewer and water systems and the building of more homes to accommodate its ever-increasing population. The city’s great hotels—Congress Hall, the Columbian and the like—were part of that growth and bridged the gap between “need” and the architectural and design brilliance for which the Spa City has become known for today. Because we certainly don’t live in a town built solely on need. Saratoga Race Course and the expansive, extravagant mansions that line North Broadway and Union Avenue didn’t necessarily need to be that expansive or extravagant. Regardless of practicality (or lack thereof), it’s these grand Victorians and the Thoroughbred track that defined the design of Saratoga in the 1800s—and that still does to this day. Fast forward to the turn of the century, past the fires that destroyed hotel after hotel, the rebuilding of said hotels and the wealthy summer tourists who ventured to Saratoga for its racetrack, casinos and healing springs. Let’s also skip over

the crackdown on gambling and its economic impact on the city’s hotels, the founding of Skidmore College and the opening of Yaddo, plus World War I, and the Great Depression’s disastrous effect on businesses and homeownership. And finally, let’s fly past the creation of the Saratoga Spa as part of the New Deal, World War II (the final straw for the remaining grand hotels), and another wave of fires that left Saratoga the rolla-ball-down-Broadway-and-hitnobody wasteland that Marylou Whitney found when she arrived here in the late 1950s. That brings us to the midpoint of the 20th century, which some Saratogians of a certain age might still remember. This is when the development of the city we see today kicked into high gear, thanks to new government programs, involvement of the private sector and volunteer efforts.

ince the mid-1900s, Saratoga’s layout, skyline and overall design aesthetic have been dictated by several key boards, organizations and initiatives, which have done a lot of the important work that has kept Saratoga Saratoga. Per the City of Saratoga Springs’ 2015 Comprehensive Plan, “The power of place is critical to the character and economic longevity of a community.” Additionally, the plan states that “enhancing and preserving that sense of place, while also embracing the changes necessary to compete with today’s ever changing world requires a careful balance.”

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the antithesis of urban renewal’s raze-and-rebuild mentality. “The historic districts in our city are part of the fabric of this community,” says Ehinger. “It’s part of what makes Saratoga special.” By the ’70s, the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce’s “Plan of Action” had kicked off a community effort to revitalize the city’s downtown. The plan succeeded, and thanks to aid from the private sector and general public, 250 trees were planted, parking facilities and a convention center were constructed, and storefront vacancies quickly became a thing of the past. That decade, the preservation movement also metastasized into the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation (SSPF), an organization that has worked in an advisory role to the city’s Design Review Board (DRB) on all exterior changes to Saratoga’s historic or architectural districts, which span the city’s many entry points, as well as large swaths of downtown, Union Avenue and North Broadway, plus the neighborhoods surrounding the racetrack. What does it mean to have a business or home in either Saratoga’s historic or architectural review district today? Essentially, that you don’t have free reign over what you can do to the exterior of your storefront or home. “When you’re in a historic district, there’s going to be much greater scrutiny of the context of a new building, and any history of the site or building that you’re touching, particularly if it’s an existing building,” says Michael Phinney,

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CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE

super vision (clockwise, from top) A map illustrating the City of Saratoga’s vision for future land use, as seen in the 2015 Comprehensive Plan; The Adelphi Hotel reopened after a major renovation in 2017; The Adelphi first welcomed guests in 1877.

(amphitheater) DAVE BIGLER (historic Adelphi) GEORGE S. BOLSTER COLLECTION/SARATOGA SPRINGS HISTORY MUSEUM

Saratoga’s Zoning Board was established in 1937, and in the late 1940s, the thennew Saratoga Planning Board commissioned a citywide survey to determine what residents wanted. This marked one of the earliest recorded governmental efforts to take an active role in the future design of the city. Since then, the government has prepared similar reports every few years, all the way up to present day; Mayor Meg Kelly is currently heading up the creation of a document known as the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). “We’re going to include the urban forestry, the complete streets and the Greenbelt trail,” Kelly says. “It’s getting all of those, if you want to call them subcommittees, into one userfriendly document, unlike what it is now. Hopefully, we’ll be voting on that by the end of the year.” After that 1940s survey— which, by the way, recognized the need for more parking and an arterial highway for through traffic (sound familiar?)—the next major step in the development of Saratoga was the national Housing Act of 1954, which introduced the concept of urban renewal to many cities across the country. In theory, urban renewal was supposed to spruce up areas of the city that had fallen into disrepair. In Saratoga, as in other urban areas, it did that, while also demolishing historically black neighborhoods and causing rents, mortgages and taxes to skyrocket. One positive byproduct, though, was the creation of a grassroots movement that supported the preservation and restoration of Saratoga’s historic buildings,

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After getting the green light from New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1964, New York City–based architecture firm Vollmer Associates started work on the open-air Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Robert Loren Rotner, lead architect on the project that was to make the most of its unique setting in Saratoga Spa State Park, told the Albany Times Union that early critics assumed his design “was too open in the sides and back and wouldn’t work acoustically.” Clearly, the naysayers were wrong. SPAC opened in ’66 to great fanfare, becoming the permanent summer home of the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra and eventually the venue Live Nation would rent out for big-name acts such as the Dave Matthews Band, Cardi B and Mumford & Sons. Even its new additions and upgrades honor the amphitheater’s roots within the 2,400-acre park. Last year, new facilities and an open-air pavilion were erected to maintain its park-like aesthetic while restoring original sight lines. “It needed to architecturally ‘speak to’ the 1935 neoGeorgian Hall of Springs, as well as to the mid-century modern amphitheater—while also melding in with its natural setting,” Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of SPAC, says of the Pines@SPAC project many people haven’t seen yet because of the pandemic. “We’ve been so thrilled to hear people say, ‘It was so well-designed, it feels like it has always been here.’” –BRIEN BOUYEA

open minded (from top) It was originally thought that SPAC’s open-air design wouldn’t work acoustically; New York City Ballet ballerina Violette Verdy at the site of SPAC’s construction in the 1960s.

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other design elements. The reasoning behind all the rules? An owner of a historic property is considered not just its owner, but also its “steward,” says Ehinger. A historic building has had previous owners, and will have more owners in the future, and the only way to ensure that its historic integrity is preserved for years to come is through regulation. No matter how much of a headache it causes.

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P H O T O G R A P H Y BY F R A N C E S C O D ’ A M I C O

aratoga’s historic buildings and homes don’t look the way they do by accident. The city depends on a quartet of aesthetic gatekeepers, who sit on its government’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), Planning Board and Design Review Board (DRB), and staff the nonprofit Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation (SSPF). Together, they make informed decisions on everything from the types of signs a downtown business can affix to its facade to the dimensions of an entranceway door on a historic home. Here, two of the main players in the process ring in on why Saratoga’s review process, while irksome to some small businesses and homeowners, is so important to the city’s aesthetic.

Tamie Ehinger chair of the Design Review Board The historic districts in our city are part of the fabric of this community. They’re part of what makes Saratoga special. Historic homes have current owners, they’ve had dozens of owners beforehand, and there will be many afterwards. Current homeowners are “stewards” of the property. ON MIXING IN MODERNITY What is wonderful about local architects and builders is that they not only understand the city’s design guidelines, but they also embrace them. They live locally—they understand the value of maintaining the historic aspects, nature and character of the city’s buildings. ON KEEPING SARATOGA’S ‘BRAND’ INTACT

new kids on the block (from top) Phinney Design Group’s newly designed Broadway 385 apartment building, was inspired by Saratoga’s historic United States Hotel; Skidmore’s Tang Museum was built in 2000; trees, like the towering pines that line the aptly named Avenue of the Pines, have long helped Saratoga live up to its “City in the Country” identity.

Samantha Bosshart executive director, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation I wish more people knew that the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation was here to serve as a resource to the community. The organization’s mission is to preserve the architectural and cultural landscape and heritage of Saratoga Springs. We are always advocating for best preservation practices,

board certified (from top) Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Executive Director Samantha Bossart; Saratoga Springs Design Review Board Chair Tamie Ehinger.

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

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o there you have it: the design of the City of Saratoga in a not-tootough-to-crack nutshell. (Okay, it’s an abridged version.) We didn’t get to mention the crowdfunding campaign that built the Holiday Inn, the creation of the Northway that made Saratoga just a three-hour (incredibly boring) drive from Manhattan, or the idea, stolen from Stowe, VT, to create a northern residence for the New York City Ballet (i.e. the Saratoga Performing Arts Center). We didn’t get to the city’s zoning regulations; the creation of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, which brought industry, and therefore large manufacturing plants, to the city; or the current issues surrounding affordable housing being stamped out by luxury condo developers. And we barely mentioned Marylou Whitney, the “Queen of Saratoga,” whose contribution to the revitalization of Saratoga in the second half of the 20th century cannot be overstated. All these developments and more have made Saratoga what it is today—a city that Gideon Putnam, were he still around, would be proud to call home.

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H OW T H E S PA C I T Y S T R I K E S A BALANCE BETWEEN H I S T O R I C R AC I N G T OW N A N D M O D E R N P L AC E T O B E . BY W I L L L E V I T H

(385 Broadway) DORI FITZPATRICK; (Avenue of the Pines) DAVE BIGLER

owner and principal architect of Phinney Design Group, which has been designing homes and buildings in Saratoga for more than 20 years. Rather, you must apply to make said changes and follow strict rules and guidelines (Ehinger admits that the process “is not a cakewalk”) set forth by the DRB— by way of the US Secretary of the Interior—before being approved to do so. It’s a process that has certainly worked for decades but hasn’t come without its critics: The DRB doesn’t always side with businesses or homeowners on the changes they want to make, and applications can be rejected. That said, Phinney could only think of one project, in all the years he’d been working in the city, that “couldn’t get over the hump.” However strict and unpopular the process may be, especially, perhaps, during the pandemic, when small business owners were trying to make any small improvement to give their businesses a boost, Saratoga’s design review apparatus isn’t unique. “Almost every major city that has historic architecture that plays a part in the fabric of the city has a design review board like this one,” says Ehinger. In fact, she and the other powersthat-be say Saratoga’s rules aren’t nearly as strict as other famous historic towns such as Savannah, GA; Alexandria, VA; and closer-to-home historic hot spots Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. All have design review boards that dictate what people can and can’t do to their historic properties. At least here in Saratoga, the board rules on everything from business’ logo fonts and awning shapes, among

SARATOGA’S AE STHE T IC GATE KE E PE RS

and we see ourselves as a resource for property owners. A lot of insensitive changes were made to Broadway’s historic buildings in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. It’s because of the foundation’s involvement and the historic review process that Saratoga looks the way it does today.

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Green Gold

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big part of effective design is knowing when to stop designing. Whether it be shiplap walls in a modern farmhouse or sparkly jewelry on a runway model, too much of a good thing can quickly become bad. The same is true of city design—a beautifully designed urban center can feel like a concrete prison when nary an inch of it is left undeveloped. Luckily, Saratoga’s designers and urban planners have understood this pretty much since the beginning. “Going back to Spencer Trask and the creation of the reservation, which is now the Spa State Park, and going back even further to Congress Park, if it weren’t for forward-thinking people a very long time ago, we wouldn’t have the resources we have now,” says Tina Carton, the City of Saratoga’s administrator of parks, open lands, historic preservation and sustainability. Part of Carton’s job is to oversee how those resources, or Saratoga’s “Greenbelt,” is or isn’t used. The Greenbelt, which almost entirely encompasses Saratoga’s “urban core”—a.k.a. downtown—is made up of wetlands, woodlands and stream corridors; public recreation lands; scenic viewsheds; farmland; and institutional open space resources. (The Greenbelt is not to be confused with the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail, which, when completed, will connect the city’s neighborhoods via 24 miles of walking/biking trails.) It’s because of the Greenbelt that Saratoga has come to be known as the “City in the Country.” Though the Spa Park and Yaddo’s gardens are parts of the Greenbelt that aren’t subject

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to development, some parts of it are. So it’s only through continuous advocacy and city planning that there is still so much open space in Saratoga. The city is actually in the beginning stages of updating its 2002 Open Space Plan, which set priorities for future land use here, and it will be putting out a community survey in the coming weeks. “One of the questions we’re going to be asking is, ‘Do you know that the city is referred to as the City in the Country, and what does that label mean to you?’” says Carton. “[The survey’s results] are going to be very interesting, because the Open Space Plan hasn’t been updated in so long. There are a lot of newer people here.” The survey will also ask residents what type of green space they’d like more of, whether that be nature preserves, recreation fields or pocket parks. Having ample open space has some obvious benefits to a city, in terms of residents’ wellbeing and environmental health, and it can even affect the economy (studies have shown that nearby green space increases property values, and wetlands can reduce the need for storm management infrastructure). But there’s yet another plus to having the Greenbelt. Rather than allowing the developed part of the city to expand outward and become a portion of sprawling suburbia, the preservation of the Greenbelt has ensured Saratoga has stayed a “city.” “Preserving the open space really did concentrate our resources downtown,” Carton says. “And it made it this really wonderful, walkable city that, especially during COVID, people have really appreciated.”

(greenbelt) SCOTT BERGMAN/SUSTAINABLE SARATOGA; (waterfall) FRANCESCO D’AMICO

S A R AT O G A ’ S V I B R A N T D OW N T OW N OW E S I T S S U C C E S S T O T H E C I T Y ’ S U N D E V E L O P E D O P E N S PAC E . By N ata l i e M o o r e

“Going back to Spencer Trask and the creation of the reservation, which is now the Spa State Park, and going back even further to Congress Park, if it weren’t for forward-thinking people a very long time ago, we wouldn’t have the resources we have now.” – TINA CARTON

the green miles A view of Saratoga’s Greenbelt from near the northeast corner of Saratoga Lake; (opposite) Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature) has helped develop more than 200 miles of trails throughout Saratoga County, including the Glowegee Creek Trail, pictured here.

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Torah Ark guitar, Caffè Lena’s lobby

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IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS SA R ATO GA I S A TR E A S URE T R OV E O F HI STO R I C , Q UI R KY A N D I N T R I CAT E D E S I GN E LE M EN TS W I TH A STO RY. A LL YO U HAVE TO D O I S LO O K C LOSE LY. hobby lobby The massive guitar hanging in the lobby of Caffè Lena was a gift from board member Kevin Bright; (opposite) the cage shower in the Lillian Russell (inset) bathroom at Saratoga Dreams B&B.

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BY N ATA L I E M O O R E P H O T O G R A P H Y BY

D O R I F I T Z PAT R I C K

The first thing you see when you walk through the doors of Caffè Lena is a huge guitar hanging on the wall in front of you. It’s not just any old hollow-body; it’s an ark, built to hold Torah scrolls, which was used during Lena board member Kevin Bright’s twin sons’ bar mitzvah in Los Angeles. (Bright, former executive producer and director of hit sitcom Friends, was saratoga living’s 2020 Design issue co–cover star.) When it came time to hang the massive instrument on the wall, Executive Director Sarah Craig enlisted the help of Bonacio Construction, whose owner, Sonny Bonacio, apparently gets excited by “impossible” projects. “So he sent a crew down to mount it on the wall,” says Craig. “I arrived shortly after the job was done and one of the guys said, ‘You didn’t tell us it was an 800-pound guitar!” (It’s not really 800 pounds, but you get the point.) 47 Phila St.

Cage Shower, Saratoga Dreams B&B Forget about shower caps. This antique bathing contraption, from a time when showers were an amenity reserved for the wealthy, will keep your hair high and dry while your body gets squeaky clean. While only a few have survived to present day, one resides right here in image-conscious Saratoga. For that, thank turn-ofthe-century actress and singer Lillian Russell, who believed an invigorating shower shouldn’t mess up one’s coif. She installed the then-newfangled “cage shower,” which features “needles” of water that shoot at you horizontally, rather than cascading down from above, while renting what is now the Saratoga Dreams B&B, a converted Queen Anne–style home on Union Avenue. To this day, the B&B, whose building dates back to 1887, honors those who want to stay camera ready but clean, with its “Lillian Russell Bathroom,” a pink-ceilinged room that also includes a clawfoot tub, chaise lounge and stained-glass windows. 203 Union Ave.

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it’s a TRAP One of the two Guy Pène du Bois’ paintings hanging in Saratoga’s Broadway post office; (opposite, from left) a bank vault door in Lyrical Ballad; the post office paintings were commissioned by the 1937 Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP).

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Paintings, Saratoga Springs Post Office If you’ve ever waited in line at the post office in Downtown Saratoga—and who hasn’t?—chances are, your eyes have drifted to the two huge pieces of art on the entrance-side wall. Together, entitled Saratoga in Racing Season, the paintings by Guy Pène du Bois were commissioned by the 1937 Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP), a part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal that employed artists to decorate federal buildings following the Great Depression. Pène du Bois’ paintings weren’t the most important New Deal project taken on in post-Depression Saratoga, though; earlier in the decade, the city itself was transformed into a tourist destination when the Reconstruction Finance Corporation commissioned the massive Saratoga Spa complex in what's now the Spa State Park. 475 Broadway

Bank vault doors, Lyrical Ballad Bookstore Fifty years ago this year, Lyrical Ballad opened its Phila Street doors for the first time. The used bookstore took over a space in the former Saratoga National Bank building, inheriting a unique quirk: two bank vault doors. “We use one as a rare books vault,” says Janice DeMarco, Lyrical Ballad’s owner, “and there’s another further down the hallway that we have books in, too.” You may be thinking, if one vault houses rare books, which are of greater value than your run-of-the-mill paperback, does the door still lock? “We don’t know, because we don’t lock it,” DeMarco says. “If we ever locked that big, heavy door, I’m not sure we could get it open again.” 7 Phila St.

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Dollhouse, Impressions of Saratoga The dollhouse on permanent display at Impressions of Saratoga is a oneof-a-kind masterpiece, built by Hans Hustedt, late father of Impressions’ co-owner Marianne Barker. A stone mason by trade, Hustedt first got into dollhouse making after he built his own full-sized retirement home. Impressions’ dollhouse is one of more than 20 Hustedt built during his lifetime, each of which took several months to complete and sold for anywhere from $4,000$10,000. “He hand-cut all the logs, shingles, floorboards and beams on his table saw,” says Barker, “and laid all the stone floors, fireplaces and chimneys using pebbles and rocks we collected when at the beach or in the stream that ran through his property.” (Many of the houses’ fireplaces are fitted with flues

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tiny house A dollhouse, handmade by the father of Impressions co-owner Marianne Barker, is on permanent display in the Broadway gift shop.

and actually work if you put a small candle inside them.) His incredible attention to detail was evident in his unwavering work ethic, which, at least to his wife, wasn’t necessarily a good thing. “Mom would get so mad, because he wouldn’t come when she called him for a meal,” Barker says. “We finally installed an intercom to his workshop and even then, he had a hard time walking away.” 368 Broadway

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fter Kyle Coletti graduated from college in 2005, he headed down to the Big Apple to seek his fame and fortune in the financial services world, landing a job at one of Morgan Stanley’s largest wealth management groups. But four years in, he realized i ssu e that it wasn’t his thing. Something he was passionate about? Personal fitness. A collegiate hockey player, Coletti had boxed and kickboxed in the offseason to stay in shape—and conveniently, his father, Gene, had co-launched a home-gym-machine business in the mid-1990s called Focusmaster, marketing to martial artists looking to get some athome ass-kicking done sans trainer, sans focus mitts (i.e. what one pounds on). The base-level product, the Focusmaster G-1000 Striking Machine, is an exquisite piece of machinery that went on to win a coveted European design award. It boasts a series of stationary padded targets mounted on an adjustable metal frame (it retails for about $1,200). The genius of the design fits this home apparatus into the tiniest of areas, all while facilitating hundreds of kickboxing combos. There are also a number of upgraded versions, including the topmost G-6000, which offers multi-target stations for team training (in the $8,000 range). With Focusmaster, Coletti saw an opportunity to marry fitness and finance, and like father, like son, he, along with business partners of his own, took over the brand, rechristening it Focusmaster Fitness and opening up a Troy studio in 2013. (Thankfully, Gene and his partners already had their hands full with their main FOCUSMASTER FITNESS PRESIDENT squeezes, Old Daley Custom Catering and Daley’s on AND CEO KYLE COLETTI HAS Yates restaurant.) There, clients could not only come in and unleash hell on Focusmasters, with assistance CAUGHT THE EYE OF THE DESIGN from real-life trainers, but also bust a move anytime SET—AND JILLIAN MICHAELS— at home, if they purchased their own machine. And Coletti, now serving as the business’ president and W I T H H I S S TAT E - O F -T H E - A R T CEO, came up with a signature 30-minute workout K I C K B OX I N G M AC H I N E . to get clients on the straight and narrow. Two years later, business went bonkers when Focusmaster BY WILL LEVITH wound up winning the title of “America’s Next Fitness Phenomenon” on the Jillian Michaels–hosted Sweat Inc. on Spike TV. Things were on the up and up. Because Coletti was marketing to home gym enthusiasts all along, when the pandemic hit last year, it made his sales pitch even stronger. “With COVID, we’ve had this whole new opportunity to sell to the people we originally created Focusmaster for,” he says. And smartly, Coletti had also been building up an online platform— Workouts by Kyle—with 250-plus video workouts for at-home sweaters. Focusmaster subscribers, who pay between $115-$160 per month for in-studio sessions, also have access to daily video workouts filmed at the studio, as well as videos Coletti prerecords. He’s even now offering financing for the home equipment. For Coletti’s money, he feels that the hybrid at-home/live gym model will eclipse COVID—but then again, that was always the plan with Focusmaster anyway. “We’re lucky to have a unique product, the online workouts and the brick-and-mortar studio,” says Coletti. “We can service people in the community like no one else can.”

master and commander Focusmaster Fitness President and CEO Kyle Coletti was marketing to home gym enthusiasts long before COVID hit.

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Home Gym Home Run

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F LOW E R P OW E R

artha Starke has been making her Petal People cards for almost 15 years, but the whimsical designs especially capture the zeitgeist this year. After all, if ever there was a spring so eagerly anticipated, it’s this one. And Starke’s little people, made of colorful pressed flower art, perfectly celebrate that, playfully ushering in spring like little rays of flower-powered sunshine. Starke has been charmed by flowers her entire life, having enjoyed an idyllic childhood in rural New Hampshire, surrounded by her father’s gardens and orchards. When she and her husband moved to Saratoga Springs in 1998, for him to teach at Skidmore, Starke was already making handmade paper. She set to work planting her own garden, eventually adding bits of botanicals as added color and texture to her papers. From there, it took an ill-fated activity idea for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop to spark her now-popular Petal People. “I thought they would enjoy making little pictures out of flower petals,” she says. “It bombed for them, but it ignited me. I started selling my Petal People with my paper.” The first iteration was a series of unique art pieces using pressed leaves, ferns and flower petals, plus all kinds of tendrils and stems for detailing. After the idea took off, in around 2006, Starke started making notecard prints out of her treasured works of art. She now sells about 80 designs in her Petal People Etsy store—as well as almost 40 brick-and-mortar stores throughout the US, as far west as Portland, OR and Santa Fe, NM, and even across the Atlantic in Wick, UK. Nowadays, Starke doesn’t leave home without her wooden flower press for collecting flora on the go, and she enjoys making new designs that remind her of her travels. (One favorite is called Garden, made of Ixora—think colorful clusters of tiny petals—found in California.) “I hope people feel a story in my designs,” she says, “feel the memories associated with the flowers.” While Starke looks forward to again meeting customers at craft fairs—and her work at Valley Artisans Market in nearby Cambridge, NY—she’s found peace during COVID. “I’m an introvert,” she says. “I love creating in the studio all day long. That makes me the happiest.”

CRAFTED DESIGNING THE PERFECT G I F T W I T H T H R E E TA L E N T E D S A R AT O G A A R T I S A N S . PHOTOGRAPHY BY F R A N C E S C O D ’A M I C O

starke industries Martha Starke designs her Petal People cards using pressed flowers, leaves, ferns and other greenery.

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–A B BY T E G N E L I A

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above the fold Laura Toma makes many of her custom-folded books for clients celebrating their first wedding anniversary, for which a traditional gift is paper.

BOOK SMART

hen you first look at Laura Toma’s book art designs, you might assume that she’s slicing away at the pages of a used hardcover to reveal the silhouette of a heart or a word. Look closer, though, and you’ll realize that the book wasn’t as much as nicked during her artistic process. “The pages aren’t cut; they’re only folded,” says Toma, the Wilton-based creative force behind Novel Ideas by Laura. “You can still unfold the pages and read the book if you really wanted to. But I think you’d be crazier than I am for folding them.” Toma’s process isn’t so much crazy as it is extremely meticulous. First, the artist has to create the design—the word or image that will be displayed within the pages of the book. Then she has to measure every single page, mark it and fold it (she’s worked with some books that were thousands of pages long). In the end, the average piece takes her upwards of eight hours to finish. How exactly did the idea for Novel Ideas come about? “By accident,” Toma says. In 2016, she asked a friend who volunteered at the library to save her some books that were being thrown away. When she got them, she realized why the books were being discarded: They were falling apart. “Some of the pages were dog eared, and I just started playing around with them,” Toma says. “I realized that I could make designs if I folded the pages in a certain pattern and any kind of silhouette I could think of.” To date, Toma’s folded designs into hundreds of books, including a medical school graduate’s name into Grey’s Anatomy, a soon-to-be bar mitzvahed boy’s name into the Torah and, one of her favorites, a couple’s last name in the Harry Potter font in a Harry Potter book. The folded book was used as the centerpiece at the couple’s wedding, which was held—wait for it—in a library.

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– N ATA L I E M O O R E

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LO O M I N G LARGE

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textile appeal Cecilia Frittelli and her husband, Richard Lockwood, who produce handwoven textiles of all kinds, colaunched one of the original businesses in the Beekman Street Arts District.

ecilia Frittelli, co-owner of Saratoga Springs’ artisanal textile company Frittelli & Lockwood, and Saratoga Springs go way back—four-and-a-half decades, to be exact. Frittelli spent her college years at Skidmore, graduating in 1980 and moving away to the city. In ’84, she married husband Richard Lockwood, and the couple founded Fritelli & Lockwood as a part-time business. Six years later, they moved to the Adirondacks and transformed the venture into a full-time endeavor. Eventually, Saratoga came calling again. “I’ve always loved Saratoga,” says Frittelli. “I ended up going to school here, but I always wanted to come back.” The FrittelliLockwoods did just that in 2009, settling in Greenfield and setting up shop in the Beekman Street Arts District. The couple now has five looms at their Textile Studio on Grand Ave., which triples as a gallery, storefront and manufacturing hub. In other words, if you want to catch loom weaving in action, stop on by. “We’ve inspired wannabe weavers, for sure,” says Frittelli. “It brings a whole new meaning to their understanding of the process.” They produce everything from tailored shirts, scarves and jackets, to vests, skirts and ties. And they have some great spring pieces, too. “One of our most popular styles is called a drape shawl,” says Frittelli. “It’s a 20-inch-wide rectangle that we weave on the loom and sew a twist into, so that the front of the garment is a beautiful swag and the back is a poncho.” The bamboo-fiber shawl is woven using a style known as a “leno weave,” which creates tiny spaces in the fabric, making it more breathable for those warm spring days. While COVID has certainly taken a chunk out of the studio’s daily foot traffic, Frittelli says that her loyal customer base has come through in a major way, as have customers just looking to “support local.” (Online and virtual art show sales haven’t hurt either.) And their fellow artisans on Beekman Street have even pitched in. “We’ve tried to stay together as a group,” she says, “and support one another.”

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–WILL LEVITH

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champions

Amsterdam’s Kentucky Derby Double Shot

Historic Photographs of Saratoga Springs The George S. Bolster Collection

A PA I R O F F O R G O T T E N T H O R O U G H B R E D S WITH CARPET CITY CONNECTIONS GET THEIR L O N G O V E R D U E D AY I N T H E S P O T L I G H T.

by george After his horse George Smith won the 1916 Kentucky Derby, Amsterdam’s John Sanford was described as “the happiest man at the track.”

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ven the most devout Thoroughbred racing aficionados probably couldn’t tell you much, if anything, about horses George Smith or Clyde Van Dusen. And it’s understandable. Although each won the Kentucky Derby, both quickly faded into obscurity. But for Capital Region racing fans, they should be rediscovered and lauded. That’s because George Smith, who won the Derby in 1916, and Clyde Van Dusen, in 1929, were both owned by natives of Amsterdam.

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GEORGE SMITH Although the first Derby was run all the way back in 1875, it had only recently grown from a regional event into a national spectacle when George Smith went to the post for the race’s 42nd edition. With more than 60,000 fans

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME

By Brien Bouyea

in attendance, George Smith, named after a famous gambler and owned by Amsterdam’s John Sanford of Hurricana Stock Farm, put on a thrilling performance, defeating British import Star Hawk in a desperate finish. With Hall of Fame jockey John Loftus in the irons, George Smith covered the 1¼-mile journey in 2:04. The

Thousands of historic images of Saratoga Springs are available for purchase Custom sizes and finishes available Fast turnaround on special orders

The Canfield Casino in Congress Park www.saratogahistory.org 518.584.6920

clyde’s tale Jockey Clarence McCrossen on Clyde Van Dusen, the 1929 Kentucky Derby winner who was named after his trainer.

was donated to Breeding Bureau of The Jockey Club. In 1927, he was sent to the US Army Remount Service, where he sired military horses for his remaining years. He died in 1933 at the age of 20.

New York Times described Sanford as “the happiest man on the track” and added that George Smith was “still full of fire” after the race. “[Sanford] paid $22,500 for the colt last year just to win the Derby with him this spring, and the colt had lived up to his promise,” the newspaper reported.

George Smith went on to enjoy a solid career, winning 17 of his 31 starts. His most famous win after the Derby was in the 1918 Bowie Handicap in Maryland, in which he defeated fellow Derby winners Exterminator and Omar Khayyam. After a disappointing stallion career at Hurricana Farm, George Smith

Clyde Van Dusen, on the other hand, a gelded son of Man o’ War, was both bred and owned by Amsterdam businessman Herbert P. Gardner. A small horse weighing around 900 pounds, he was given his name by Gardner as a tribute to his trainer. Yes, Clyde Van Dusen (the horse) was trained by Clyde Van Dusen (the man). Although he had some success prior to the Derby, the equine Clyde and every other horse in the field was supposed to be running

KEENELAND LIBRARY COOK COLLECTION

C LY D E VA N D U S E N

for place money behind heavy favorite Blue Larkspur, a future Hall of Famer. The weather, however, turned the track into a swamp on Derby Day 1929. “Man o’ War’s line went marching on today when Clyde Van Dusen, gelded son of the superhorse, plunged through the deepest mud Kentucky has known in years to win the fifty-fifth running of the Kentucky Derby,” the Times reported. “Never faltering, never minding in the least the treacherous footing, Clyde Van Dusen carried H. P. Gardner’s colors to their first Derby victory.” Leading from start to finish, Clyde Van Dusen slogged through in 2:104⁄5, one of the slowest winning Derby times on record for the 1¼-mile distance. Interestingly, Gardner was not among the crowd of 75,000 in attendance at Churchill Downs that day to see Clyde Van Dusen defeat Naishapur by two lengths (the favored Blue Larkspur finished fourth). “Mr. Gardner did not see the triumph of his horse,” the

van the man The official program for the 1930 Kentucky Derby, featuring the race’s 1929 winner, Clyde Van Dusen.

Times noted. “Trainer Van Dusen said his employer stayed away from the track for fear that the excitement of the contest would be too much for him as he is advanced in years.” Sadly, Clyde Van Dusen never won another notable race after the Derby—and in his career, garnered a disappointing 12 wins in 42 starts. He made his final appearance on a track in 1937 at the age of 11 when he was paraded with six other famous geldings—including Hall of Famers Sarazen and Jolly Roger—at Lexington’s then-new Keeneland course. Clyde Van Dusen died in 1948 at the age of 22, and it would be 74 years before another gelding won the Derby. The horse that did it? None other than Saratoga hero Funny Cide.

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Winning at Losing

Empire Media Network ✆ 518.294.4390

O L D F R I E N D S AT C A B I N C R E E K ’ S

ZIPPY CHIPPY, T H E B E LOV E D R AC E H O R S E W H O LO ST A LL 1 0 0 O F H I S R AC E S , C E L E B R AT E S T H E B I G 3 - 0 .

By Natalie Moore

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNIE BUSH

nyone who grew up playing a sport he or she wasn’t particularly good at has heard the mantra “winning isn’t everything.” But for Zippy Chippy, a retired Thoroughbred who now resides at Greenfield Center’s Old Friends at Cabin Creek, not winning was everything. Zippy, who was first acquired by owner and trainer Felix Monserrate in a trade for a Ford truck, is notable in the world of horse racing not for his winning career but for his impressively losing one: The dark brown gelding failed

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to win a single race out of the 100 he ran between 1994 and 2004. While he did scrape together a few second- and third-place finishes, Zippy was, maybe, best known for stopping in the middle of races, biting (both people and other horses) and being banned for life from Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack after failing to leave the starting gate three times in a row. A perennial long shot, Zippy gained quite a following: In 2000, he was named one of People’s most interesting personalities, and the same year, participated in a 40-yard race

against minor league baseball player José Herrera. He lost. These days, Zippy has become a sort of spokeshorse for Thoroughbred aftercare. In 2012, he traveled with his paddock-mate and best friend, Red Down South, to Old Friends’ Kentucky location for a fundraiser that featured Zippy-inspired merchandise (think shirts, hats and mugs) sporting the motto “Winners Don’t Always Finish First.” He also has his own children’s book, The True Story of Zippy Chippy: The Little Horse That Couldn’t and was the star

Silverwood

zippy-dee-doo-dah (from top) Retired racehorse Zippy Chippy at his home at Old Friends at Cabin Creek; with his best friend and paddock-mate, Red Down South; with his marketing director and sponsor Rosanne Frieri; (opposite) Zippy once lost a 40-yard race to a minor league baseball player.

of his own calendar. Additionally, he'll be the subject of an upcoming billboard advertising campaign, per his marketing director and sponsor, Rosanne Frieri, and will be celebrating his 30th birthday, COVID willing, at Old Friends at Cabin Creek from noon-3pm on April 17. “He was the worst but never gave up,” says Frieri, a horseracing lover and aftercare proponent who refers to her monthly sponsorship of the horse as her “child support.” “I think that’s such a strong lesson,” she says. “There are a lot of people that can relate to that scenario.”

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home stretch: fashion

hunger || thirst || design || what to do

Stunningly Spring

S NID ER FAS H IO N’ S ST RUC T U R E D NEW S PRING L INE B RING S T HE SPI R I T O F H IG H FAS H IO N RUNWAYS TO SARATO GA S P RING S. p h otog ra p h y by D O RI F IT Z PAT RIC K

tepping into Staci Snider’s Saratoga clothing shop makes you feel like you’ve been transported directly from Congress Street to the heart of Paris or Milan. The designer’s innovative, bold and dynamic pieces are raising the bar for Saratoga fashion: Each design decision is calculated with a powerful purpose to create looks made specifically for the strong and confident women who will wear them. Drawing inspiration from the late Iraqi-British architect and trailblazer Zaha Hadid for her Spring 2021 collection, Snider has brought to life pieces as remarkable as Hadid’s own building designs. “The color story this season represents the opposing elements of fire and ice, while the designs communicate a fluidity of form and function,” Snider tells me. These two pieces are perfect examples of how to bring a rebellious yet refined approach to your spring wardrobe. Pastels and florals are simple sure bets for spring…but why be simple when you can be stunning. —Corinne Sausville

@rinniesaus

ABOVE NORMANDIE DRESS | $515 LEFT SOHO SHIRT DRESS | $425 JUMPSUIT MOSCOW | $495 Go to saratogaliving.com for three more looks.

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518.584.7500

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WE’RE MATCHMAKERS! Panza’s Restaurant Chef Frank Otte’s Bolognese sauce YIELDS 4 QUARTS

Capital Region Cook-off: Let’s Get Saucy

Let Us Introduce You to the Home of Your Dreams...

INGREDIENTS

0 oz ground beef 2 1¼ cup carrot, minced 1¼ cup celery, minced 1¼ cup onion, minced 2 tbsp garlic 2½ cup red wine 2 bay leaves 1 tsp chili flakes 2 tsp Italian dried herbs 1 tbsp Kosher salt 2½ cup canned ground tomatoes 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp chicken base 84 oz whole tomatoes, canned 4 oz butter

TWO CA PITA L REGI ON C HE FS GO A LL I N ON THE IR BE ST BOLOGNESE.

OPTIONAL:

Splash of heavy cream Pecorino Romano, to taste

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Licensed Real Estate Broker/Owner, CBR

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INSTRUCTIONS

rep your pasta al dente! In our latest episode of Capital Region Cook-off, we’re pitting Chef Frank Otte from Panza’s Restaurant, one of Saratoga’s OG Italian haunts, against Executive Chef Nathan Houle of Glenville’s Waters Edge Lighthouse, in what we’re dubbing “Battle Bolognese.” Yes, you read that right: Our chefs are going mano a mano in a sauce-specific, Hamilton-Burr–style duel. So have your Le Creuset and ingredients at the ready, because the only thing that’ll be left on this battlefield will be red (sauce).

• Brown ground beef in a large pot. In a food processor, combine carrot, celery, onion and garlic until the mixture is in uniform bits, approximately 1/8 of an inch in size. Once beef has browned, drain the fat, add the veggie mixture and cook for five minutes. Add the red wine and reduce by 75 percent. Add the next eight ingredients (bay leaves through canned whole tomatoes) and cook for 20 minutes at a low simmer. Finish with butter, stirring to incorporate (this should make the sauce creamy). Adjust, to taste, with additional chili flakes, salt, pepper and sugar.

frank’s red hot Panza’s Restaurant chef Frank Otte serves up his Bolognese dish topped with a dollop of whipped Mascarpone.

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• If a richer sauce is desired, heat sauce with a splash of heavy cream and finish with an additional pad of butter and more Pecorino Romano. • Serve over pasta of choice and garnish with a dollop of whipped Mascarpone, fresh basil and shaved Parmesan cheese. dJoriginals.com deJonghe Original Jewelr y 470 Broadway, Saratoga Springs • 518-587- 6422

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The Waters Edge Lighthouse Executive Chef Nathan Houle’s Pappardelle Bolognese YIELDS 8 SERVINGS INGREDIENTS

2 boxes De Cecco pappardelle 1 lb ground beef 1 lb ground sweet sausage 1 lb ground veal 2 large carrots, diced 1 large onion, diced ½ cup minced garlic 6 oz tomato paste 16 oz sherry cooking wine 2 28-oz cans tomato sauce 2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes ¼ lb fresh basil (chiffonade) 1 oz Kosher salt 2 oz black pepper 1 whole nutmeg 16 oz heavy cream

nice cream Executive Chef Nathan Houle of Glenville’s Waters Edge Lighthouse uses more heavy cream than Panza’s in his traditional, slowcooked Bolognese recipe.

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hunger

|| thirst || design || what to do

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large, deep, round saucepan on medium heat, add a touch of oil and all three meats (beef, sausage and veal). Stir and crumble them as they cook until you’re left with small, fully cooked chunks of meat. Pour meat into a colander placed over a bowl, so that meat drippings can be saved for later. • Using the same unwashed pot that the meat was cooked in, add a touch of oil and set heat to medium high. Add onions, carrots, garlic and kosher salt, stirring often to prevent burning. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add the sherry wine and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, 2-4 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, fresh basil and cooked meat. Stir to incorporate. Add half of the rendered meat drippings, heavy cream and file a

The Waters Edge Lighthouse

quarter of the nutmeg into the sauce. Stir to incorporate. Drop the heat to medium-low, stir often and allow the sauce to simmer lightly for 1-2 hours (the longer, the better). • Cook the pappardelle, following the directions on the box. Toss the cooked pasta in a little bit of sauce to coat and allow pasta to absorb the flavors. Ladle some extra sauce over the top and garnish with some grated Parmesan cheese, filed nutmeg, fresh basil and/or chipped scallions.

home stretch: fashion || hunger ||

thirst

tonic boom Hamlet & Ghost’s Elderflower Gin and Tonic; (opposite) the La Vie En Rose.

Gin and Bear It HA M LE T & GHOST CO-OWNER BRENDAN DI LLO N HAS YO U R ‘Q UARANTI NI’ NEEDS COVE R E D W ITH THRE E GI N-CENTRIC COCKTAI L R E C I P E S, P ER FE CT FO R TH E SARATOGA SPRI NG.

|| design || what to do

t always happens. You pick up a bottle of something strong for some big event (say, a post-vaccination celebration), drink a quarter of it and then surrender it to your liquor cabinet to gather dust for the rest of time. Sound familiar? saratoga living is here to help. If you’re inadvertently aging a bottle of gin in your pantry, give one of these cocktail recipes, courtesy of Hamlet & Ghost, a try.

Elderflower Gin and Tonic This is a super-easy showstopper for the spring and summer months. FeverTree Elderflower Tonic does

all the hard work, and it is absolutely delicious. INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz citrus-forward gin (Black Button, Hendrick’s, Malfy) watermelon ice cubes 5 oz Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic mint lime wedges INSTRUCTIONS

To make the watermelon ice cubes: cut watermelon into 1-inch-by-1-inch cubes, lay them out on a nonstick tray and freeze overnight. For the cocktail, add gin of choice and watermelon cubes to a tall glass. Top with Elderflower Tonic and stir gently. Garnish with mint and a lime wedge.

Lavender Pimm’s Cup This is one of our favorite drinks here at Hamlet & Ghost. The Pimm’s Cup is refreshing, herbal and quick to throw together. Make a pitcher of it for a socially distanced patio party or mix a single one up for yourself after a long day. INGREDIENTS

cucumber slices 1.5 oz Pimm’s .5 oz Black Button Gin (Any gin will work, but we like Hendrick’s)

82 Church Street, Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866 518.581.0023 saratogasignature.com

INSTRUCTIONS

In a cocktail shaker, add a few slices of cucumber and muddle them. Add the rest of the ingredients except for club soda and shake with ice. Strain into a tall glass, add fresh ice, and top with club soda. Garnish with mint and cucumber.

La Vie En Rose This drink is for the folks who want a boozier and slightly more bitter cocktail. Barr Hill’s Tom Cat Barrel Aged Gin is

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Just steps away from Broadway

.75 oz simple syrup (1 cup sugar simmered with .5 cup water until dissolved; allow to cool in the refrigerator) 1 oz lemon juice 3 dashes lavender bitters 1-2 oz club soda

Y O U R

P E R S P E C T I V E

AS WE APPROACH THE SPRING OF 2021, we all imagine Saratoga Springs waking from a long nap and a return to the joy of warmer weather and sunshine. Days by the pool, barbecue on the grill, and alfresco dinners with friends… if these are part of your plans for the coming months, start now! Outdoor furniture should be ordered NOW to have and enjoy for summer. Now is the time to check out the great selection available at Saratoga Signature Interiors. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.

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incredible, and its deep, rich flavor mingles so well with Campari and grapefruit juice.

.5 scant oz simple syrup 3-4 drops rose water

INGREDIENTS

Crush cardamom pod in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add all other ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a short glass and add some fresh ice cubes.

1 cardamom pod 1.5 oz Barr Hill Tom Cat Aged Gin .75 oz grapefruit juice .5 oz Campari .5 oz lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

home stretch: fashion || hunger || thirst ||

design

what to do

Small Space, Big Results

MAT T H EW B AK ER, OW NER O F G S L L AND S CAPI N G & N U R SE RY, B R E AKS D OW N H OW H IS F IRM MAD E A T IG H T SARATO GA LOT I N TO A PR I VAT E PAR ADI SE . p h otog ra p h y by CAST L E P H OTO G R APHY I N C.

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U se Ston ewor k Th ou gh tfu l ly When designing areas like this, it’s very easy to have an overwhelming amount of patio or stone features. On this project, we utilized stone accent walls that could also be used for seating and incorporated small areas of turf to soften the visual and make the backyard feel larger.

take it for granite This Saratoga home’s firepit and stone walls used for sitting were made with Adirondack granite to match design features of the house and garage.

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A S m al l P ool Is Still a P ool

Ad d Se at i n g to You r O u t do o r K itc h en

Due to the tight space and nature of the project, we worked closely with Concord Pools & Spas to design a smaller pool that would still give the customers all the options that they were looking for—bench seating, extra jets and the custom bluestone pool coping (or the edging placed around the pool’s wall).

T wo F e n c e s Are Bet te r than On e privacy policy By planting trees along a privacy fence, you can bring just a little bit of nature into an otherwise urban backyard; (opposite) the gas firepits serve as the center of entertainment in this space.

Privacy is a concern with these smaller lots as well. On this project, we worked with AFSCO Fence to install a privacy fence, and along the front side

Custom solutions for better living

Every backyard entertaining space needs an outdoor kitchen with a grill, shelving and refrigerator. Oftentimes, we build them in an L-shape, allowing the longer side to be a bar for seating.

switched from fencing to an Adirondack granite wall with pillars. We incorporated black iron, giving the entrance to the backyard a warm, welcoming feel.

Forget Firewood Firepits have become popular features for most backyards. We recommend gas-burning ones for safety and simplicity—a simple on/ off switch controls the firepit.

Matthew Baker is the owner of Duanesburgbased GSL Landscaping & Nursery, one of the Capital District’s leading design, build and landscape contracting companies. A native of Wrentham, MA, Baker worked at a small landscaping company as a teenager before getting a degree in landscaping design and construction

from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He moved to Upstate New York and started GSL in 2002 and now leads a dedicated team of 10 full-time employees and more than 40 seasonal employees who strive to provide the highest level of craftsmanship and customer service.

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home stretch:

Spring Break Returns! VACCINES ARE ROLLING OUT, SO TRAVEL IS OPENING UP. HERE’S HOW TO TAKE A SAFE GETAWAY (OR STAYCATION!) THIS APRIL. n BY NATALIE MOORE

ith more and more people getting the COVID-19 vaccine, the world is slowly beginning to open back up…and just in time for spring break! Whether you’re still skeptical about venturing too far from Saratoga, or are jonesing to (finally) get the heck out of dodge, you can safely make the most of your vacation time this April. Here’s how:

Homeward Bound Go full-out tourist in the Spa City. Book yourself a stay at Broadway’s historic Saratoga Arms, which was built in 1870 by a grandson of Gideon Putnam, and spend your days exploring the Saratoga Automobile Museum,

fly like an eagle Explore the Saratoga Automobile Museum on your Spa City staycation; (opposite) Ballston Spa– based Perpetual Travel owner Andrea Gorgen on Eagle Beach in Aruba this past January.

tasting the waters from each of the city’s mineral springs in the Saratoga Spa State Park,, and mineral springs and dining at classic hot spots such as the Olde Bryan Inn. In the evening, relax on the wraparound porch of your new home (not too far) away from home. DUSTIN LANTERMAN

what to do

ANDREA GORGEN/PERPETUAL TRAVEL

fashion || hunger || thirst || design ||

Staying Stateside Whether you’re exploring the “gorgeous” gorges of Ithaca, NY, or flying south to avoid

the tail end of winter, there are plenty of COVID-safe travel options in the great US of A. If a plane ride is in the cards, try to pick a destination accessible by nonstop flight from Albany International Airport. “I would recommend Charlotte, Orlando or Tampa to minimize the number of people you come

into contact with while flying,” says Andrea Gorgen, owner of Perpetual Travel, a Ballston Spa–based travel agency. An added bonus of going somewhere warm? Outdoor dining.

Going Global “Global” may be a bit of a stretch since, at press

time, most of the world’s borders are still closed off to US travelers. But for those who’ve set their sights beyond the States, you do have some balmy options— Aruba, Jamaica, St. Martin, Punta Cana and Mexico, to name a few. Before you go, make sure to research your destination’s requirements for COVID testing, which can vary from place to place. “I recently went to Aruba, and if you didn’t have your negative COVID results when you arrived, they’d test you there for $75,” says Gorgen. “You’d be locked in your room until you got a negative result back.” So know before you go, because one thing none of us needs is more time stuck inside–especially when paradise is calling.

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{ off track }

The Taste of Upstate

saratoga living T E A M E D U P WI T H NO RT H WAY B R E WI N G C O. F O R A V I RT UA L B E ER-TAST ING E V E N T O N F E B R UA RY 11. n BY N ATAL IE MO O RE

I can of the hour Pale Bearer, a hazy IPA brewed with Death Wish Coffee, was one of six beers featured during the tasting.

f there’s one thing besides beer that Max Oswald, director of sales and operations at Queensbury’s Northway Brewing Co., is proud of, it’s his company’s partnerships with other local businesses. So on February 11, saratoga living teamed up with Oswald to host a virtual tasting event that featured six Northway beers, plus cheese, chocolate and coffee from

his brewery’s partners. Prior to the party, each virtual attendee received his or her own tasting kit, topped with a Putnam Market baguette, a Northway Brewing tasting glass and a “Triple Play” three-pack of vodka, whiskey and bourbon from Saratoga’s Cooperstown Distillery Beverage Exchange. Throughout the evening, Oswald and Northway’s head brewer, Joe Lawler,

discussed how they brew beer using unusual ingredients such as coffee from Death Wish Coffee, yogurt from Argyle Cheese Farmer and Cherry Chic chocolate from Barkeater Chocolates, as well as use leftover Cooperstown Distillery whiskey barrels to barrel-age their beers. A portion of the proceeds from the event was donated to Brewnited, Northway Brewing’s charity that supports out-of-work service industry employees and essential workers through direct payments. saratoga living’s donation, along with a $10,000 donation made the same week by Ball Corp., brought the total funds raised by Brewnited to more than $50,000.

#1 IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

brew crew Event attendees picked up their tasting kit (center) and tuned in to Zoom (below) to listen to Joe Lawler and Max Oswald (above, at left and center) discuss Northway Brewing’s local business partnerships.

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{ horseplay } It’s a (De)sign

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ACROSS 1. Involuntary contraction 6. ADA-compliant feature 10. 2010 Angelina Jolie movie filmed partially in Albany 14. American Eagle sub-brand 15. “Let It Go” singer 16. Blind mice, for one 17. Put an end to creativity? 19. Looks at 20. Owned 21. ___ loss for words 22. Those with diplomas 23. Far-___ (remote) 25. Knighted actor McKellen 26. New job perk for a creative? 31. PA city on a lake 33. “Do ___ others…” 34. Choice word? 35. Reality star Kardashian 36. 73, for The Pines Course at the International Golf Club in MA 39. A billion years, in astronomy 40. Extinct, wingless 56-down 41. Opposite of WNW 42. Got a 100% 44. Swear word substitute 45. Creativity provided by the creator himself? 50. Hip hop duo ___ Sremmurd 51. Keep your bunkmate

awake, perhaps 52. Athlete Johnny or actor Matt 55. Peyton’s bro 56. Tony-winning actress Arthur 59. Location in the Book of Genesis 60. As well as creativity? 64. “The Gift of the ___” 65. Big ___ (David Ortiz nickname) 66. September sign 67. Apple desktop 68. Effortlessness 69. “Let’s ___ a high note”

DOWN

1. Miss America garment 2. Org. that’s against the fur trade 3. Retired Yankee, to fans 4. Paint and ___ 5. Wins first, second or third 6. Took a tune from the top again 7. Legendary boxer who suffered from Parkinson’s 8. Controversial food ingredient or NYC arena 9. Move a video camera horizontally 10. Brand in buffet heating 11. Sansa’s sister in Game of Thrones 12. Didn’t tell the truth 13. Mix, as a salad 18. Ornamental case

“Sometimes I do it with soy sauce but I get confused.” –WASHINGTON STREET

59 61

49 52

63 66

37. Skin woe 38. Super Bowl LV saw its first female one, for short 43. Pediatricians and cardiologists (abbr.) 44. “___, a deer” 46. 1996 Alanis Morissette single 47. Bodysuit for babies 48. Home inspection headache 49. Mourn 52. Musician and mental health advocate Lovato 53. 59-across resident 54. Prefix denoting 106

overheard SOMETHIN’ TO TALK ABOUT... –BALLSTON LAKE

“I think I’m more of a salami than a mamí.”

22. West African nation 23. Extra charge 24. Another name for wildebeest 25. Spider-Man: ___ the Spider-Verse 26. Types of change 27. Number of English words spelled with three Ys 28. Wanderer 29. “___ the Housetop” 30. 44-down’s dear 31. Just managed, with “out” 32. Shine’s partner, in the morning 36. Ungodly

51 58

27 36

56. Crane, for one 57. Breakfast brand 58. Not disclosing one’s identity on Reddit, perhaps 60. RNs wear it these days 61. The Angels, on a scoreboard 62. Delivery company whose name includes one less “s” than its competitor’s 63. Transgression against divine law ANSWERS ON saratogaliving.com SEARCH: CROSSWORD

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{ photo finish*} call of the wyle “There is still this amazing sense of unity,” says yoga teacher Judy Joy Wyle of her Joy of Yoga virtual classes.

Joy Springs Eternal JU DY JOY WYLE , WH O H AD TO C LO SE T H E P H YSI CA L LOCATION OF H ER 31-YEAR-OLD SA R ATO GA YO GA ST U DI O LAST JULY, IS READY TO TEACH I N -P E R SO N AGA I N . BY W ILL LEVITH

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PH OTOGRAP H Y BY KAT I E DO B I E S

⁄ SPRING 2021

hen I talked to Judy Joy Wyle, owner of the Joy of Yoga, Saratoga Springs’ longest dedicated yoga studio, in January, the wounds of COVID were still fresh. Last July, amidst a pandemic that had all but canceled closeness—a key pillar of any yoga practice—Wyle made the emotional decision to close her Arcade building studio, a fixture in the community for more than 20 years (the business has been active for more than three decades). Even though she had to close her physical space, Wyle was able to pivot to virtual classes in mid-March and has been hosting them on Zoom from her small Saratoga living room for just over a year now. “It’s an amazing thing to me that the Joy of Yoga never stopped,” says Wyle. “As a business owner, I’m grateful that I’m still in business.” While virtual classes are nothing like the real McCoy, Wyle says she’s been surprised by their inherent power. “There still is this amazing sense of unity,” she says. “Even through the airwaves, we can come together. At the end of class, when I say some blessings and ‘om,’ we are there in yoga, in truth, in the place of being present together. And it’s like a spell that nobody wants to break.” With vaccinations now making the rounds and the state beginning to ease capacity restrictions, Wyle tells me that she’ll be rolling out a hybrid schedule this coming June, continuing on with her virtual classes, while also teaching some live ones at another one of Saratoga’s long-running yoga studios, Yoga Mandali. “I’m really looking forward to this association and expanded new chapter of my teaching,” says Wyle. It’s a major homecoming of sorts, too; Yoga Mandali is just a few blocks down from where her old space used to be. “I so love being a part of the Saratoga yoga community,” says Wyle. Welcome home, Judy!

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