A field of 11, led by Miz Mayhem with 5-2 odds, is set to race on Friday, September 7 in the $100,000 Christiecat Stakes at Belmont Park. The race is six furlongs on the turf. Daily Racing Form’s Dan Illman and Matt Bernier have the preview.
Saratoga Hospital Celebrates Cuba At Its 36th Annual Gala
On August 1, more than 1000 guests showed up ready to party at Saratoga Hospital’s 36th Annual Gala, an elegant summer occasion with an exotic “Havana Nights” theme. The warm weather and live Latin music at the spacious Polo Meadow at the Saratoga Casino Hotel whisked guests away to an evening in the Cuban capital city—right here in Saratoga Springs.
The festive ambiance was made even more authentic by the Cuban-inspired cuisine, bright tropical decor and signature cocktails, and the outdoor location provided partygoers plenty of room to dance the night away. The event also included a live auction, which began with a tribute and toast to Amy Raimo, the Hospital’s former Vice President for Community Engagement and Executive Director of the Saratoga Hospital Foundation, who died earlier this summer.
During the auction, honorary chairs Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson purchased naming rights for the Hospital’s lawn jockey to memorialize Raimo and her generosity. Winning bidders of the 170-item auction contributed to the more than $300,000 raised to benefit the Saratoga Community Health Center, making this year’s Gala yet another successful one for Saratoga Hospital.
RIP Jackson: The Truly Amazing Story Of Jason Christopher And His Canine Climbing Companion (Updated)
On Friday, September 20, 2019, Jackson passed away from natural causes following a short battle with bone cancer. (But not before he and his owner, Jay, went on one last epic adventure that was featured on The Dodo.) Hundreds of Jackson’s friends and followers have taken to social media to honor the dog who inspired so many people to get outside.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B25Hc-EAguf/
This story appeared in saratoga living‘s September 2018 issue.
Jackson doesn’t like champagne. He also doesn’t like being home alone, being inside or being woken up from a nap. That’s because Jackson’s a dog. But don’t tell his owner that.
I met Jason Christopher after a series of serendipitous events: First, I started following his dog Jackson’s legendary Instagram account (@jacksonsjourneys)—which documents Jackson’s adventures scaling all of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks with Christopher at his side—only to find out that Christopher is my sister’s boyfriend’s friend’s brother. Then, I wound up playing against Christopher in my summer volleyball league. As of May 2017, he’s been “Junker Jay” to me, a nickname derived from his volleyball team’s name, Junker Jay and the Scrappers (he works in construction and always has scrap materials in his yard on Saratoga Lake). After I told Christopher that I wanted to write a feature in saratoga living about his possibly record-breaking dog—the Adirondack 46er Club keeps track of human High Peak summiters, not canine ones—he invited me on a sunrise hike of Mount Marcy, New York’s highest peak, to celebrate Jackson’s 11th birthday and 250th and counting (yes, you read that right!) High Peak.
Personally, I’m not one for middle-of-the-night hikes—I actually trekked all of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks myself, almost exclusively during daylight hours—but for Jackson, I made an exception. As did nine other humans, including my boyfriend, Nick, my sister, Chelsea (Christopher’s brother’s friend’s girlfriend) and Jen Lynch, Christopher’s pal and the creator of the @jacksonsjourneys account. All 11 of us gathered at the South Meadow Road trailhead at 2am on a drizzly October morning, and individually, we all wished Jackson a happy 11th birthday, as if he could’ve actually responded (he did give me what Christopher called a “hard lean,” when he rests most of his body weight against your knees). Christopher signed us in to the trailhead logbook, and we went on our way—but not before I glanced at the sign-in sheet. Under “number of hikers in party,” he’d written “12.”
The Adirondack High Peaks are 46 mountains that pepper New York’s sprawling, 6 million-acre Adirondack Park and rise more than 4000 feet above sea level (with a few exceptions). Since 1918, according to the Adirondack 46er Club, approximately 11,000 people have become registered “46ers”—climbers who have summited all 46 peaks—and countless others have hiked the mountains without registering with the Club, like Christopher and Jackson. As of August 2018, the Club has also awarded 853 hikers the honorary title “Winter 46er”—that is, someone who’s hiked all 46 High Peaks between December 21 and March 21, not necessarily in the same year. Of course, Jackson and Christopher did do it in a single season—that’s a High Peak almost every other day for three months. “After that winter I thought I could leave Jackson out in the mountains, and he’d be fine,” Christopher says. After someone has become a 46er and a Winter 46er, the Club stops keeping track. But Christopher hasn’t. He keeps a detailed log of both his and Jackson’s summits, including the date of the hike and the other hiker(s) with whom they summited. Hence the 250th High Peak celebration.
Christopher adopted Jackson in January 2007, about six months after he and his former girlfriend’s rescue puppy, Porter, died at just nine months old. Determined to find another furry companion, the couple returned to the same rescue organization in Albany and found “Jason,” the last in a litter named after the Miami Dolphins’ Hall Of Fame Defensive End/Outside Linebacker Jason Taylor. The attendant working at the rescue shelter accidentally introduced “Jason” as “Jackson,” and the name stuck (not to mention, it helped Christopher avoid the confusion of sharing a name with his dog). “The handwritten tag that he was wearing said ‘Jason,’ so I only had to, like, squeeze in two letters,” Christopher says. In the first few months that they had Jackson, they actually considered putting him back up for adoption, Christopher tells me. “He was so mellow and lazy, and he didn’t move for a month straight,” Christopher says. “We were making all these comparisons to Porter, who was smart and obedient but hyper. We were like, ‘Oh, maybe Jackson would be better off being with a senior citizen or someone who’s not so active.’”
But what Christopher had mistaken for laziness turned out to be the opposite—for Adirondack High Peak hiking, at least. Jackson’s even temperament made him the perfect companion for 15-plus-mile hikes, mostly in the winter, usually at night, and sometimes for days at a time. Just take the sunrise hike of Mount Marcy: Jackson stayed in the middle of the group, not running ahead like every other dog I’ve ever hiked with, and frankly, looking uninterested in anything other than getting to the top. And at the summit—which, alas, was completely surrounded by clouds, a tragedy typical of sunrise hikes—when Christopher poured champagne out near the Jackson’s snout and said, “Jackson, you did it! What you always wanted to do: hike 250 High Peaks!” Jackson just looked away.
Not only has Jackson’s calm demeanor allowed him to endure grueling hikes that may or may not span multiple days (when you’re a dog, you don’t exactly know how long you’ll be walking for), it’s also made him the perfect rugged, outdoorsy Instagram model. A quick glance at the @jacksonsjourneys account, which has nearly 3000 followers, reveals Jackson in a number of different poses: waking up from a power nap under a snowy tree; standing, alertly, in chest-deep snow; or majestically, against the backdrop of a deep-orange sunrise—not to mention getting comfortable in a canoe (a dog needs a break from hiking sometimes!). “Jay’s captured every single hike with Jackson, and all the photos are so incredible,” says Lynch, who originally launched and managed Jackson’s Instagram account but now is just a devoted follower. “I started the account, and when it got a few hundred followers, Jay decided he could take over. People were chatting with him and commenting, and it really became an engaging platform.” Now, when Jackson and Christopher go on hikes, they’re often recognized by people who follow Jackson on Instagram.
Lynch is herself an aspiring 46er and has hiked most of her 27 High Peaks with Jackson. “He was on the first hike I went on, which was not an easy one, by any means, and he just kept circling back, making sure I was OK,” she says. “Jackson really treats everybody like they’re in his pack, even if he doesn’t know you that well.” As for Christopher, Lynch says, “He’s kind of just like this big brother. He definitely pushes me, but he always pushes me to the right limit. I’ve definitely pushed myself further than I thought I could go, thanks to him.”
Although Christopher and Jackson do hike in a group fairly often, a lot of the time, it’s just the two of them out in the woods for an entire weekend, battling inclement weather, rough terrain and fatigue. Last summer, there was a 2-month period during which the duo hiked 18-25 miles a weekend—that’s 160 miles and 26 peaks in eight weeks. To put that into perspective, consider the fact that Mount Marcy, the highest High Peak, is only 16 miles round trip—the long way. I ask Christopher to delve into his 11 years of memories hiking with Jackson and come up with the most “Jackson” memory: What story most embodies who this dog—which Christopher claims is part wolf, part Sherpa—is? Fairly quickly, he recalls hiking in the Santanoni Range, near Newcomb, NY (just over two hours north of Saratoga), during his and Jackson’s single-season 46er tour. It was nighttime, naturally, and Christopher knew they were coming up to a particularly icy and steep section of the trail. He was nervous about Jackson being able to scale it, and in trying to boost himself up, lost sight of him. “I yelled for him twice, and I’m slipping and sliding,” he says. “And I look up, and he’s just standing there, looking down at me with a look like, ‘What the heck are you doing? Look at yourself.’”
When he’s not hiking, Christopher is, of course, working like the rest of us—but he tells me he’s always looking forward to his next big hike with Jackson. Jackson, on the other hand, “lays around the house and complains that we’re not doing something,” says Christopher. He admits that Jackson has slowed down a bit in his preteen years—but he’s become all the wiser: He’ll wait for a butt-boost up a steep rock face rather than trying to do it on his own. But as long as Jackson’s healthy and capable, Christopher plans to keep bringing him on his epic hikes. In an Instagram post from last October celebrating Jackson’s and Christopher’s fifth run of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks, Christopher wrote: “I could go on forever about how proud I am of Jackson, or how many memories we’ve created together, but for now I just want to thank you for being the best damn friend I could ever ask for.” I’m fairly certain that if Jackson wasn’t a dog—or at the very least, could talk—he’d say the exact same thing back.
Saratoga Auto Auction Preview: Wheels Of Dreams
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a Ford Mustang Boss 429, also known in car-enthusiast lingo as the Boss 9, a mnemonic device seemingly tailor-made to be spoken by Matthew McConaughey in some gritty film, with that signature, self-assured lilt. Too bad I couldn’t have picked a cheaper car to pine over; today, the 429’s price at auction is hopelessly stratospheric. One of the rarest and most highly prized American muscle cars in existence—in total, there are fewer than 1400 originals out there, due to a limited production run between 1969 and 1970—they usually go for around $250,000 a pop.
But it doesn’t stop there. I’ll accelerate or slow to a crawl in my modern Japanese hatchback just to take a peek at all kinds of grande dame autos as they roll by on the highway, much to the chagrin of other drivers around me. Bugattis, Ferraris, vintage Cadillacs—you name it. Blame such an obsession on my first love: a 1963 white Volkswagen Beetle with racing stripes. My infatuation with collector’s cars began at a young age with the sentient, anthropomorphic Herbie The Love Bug (two of my first words were “Buddy Hackett”) and has since taken on the intense voyeuristic tendencies of someone who knows, for certain, that they’re only one number away from winning the Powerball.
If you’re anything like me (God forbid) there’s hope. Now in its second year, the Saratoga Auto Auction will once again take place at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) September 21-22. Presented by the Saratoga Automobile Museum, the two-day auction will see close to 300 cars parade across SPAC’s main stage, as registered bidders hope to come away with their dream car—or another gem to add to their collection. “Basically, what we’re doing here is we’re taking the best of all worlds,” says Jeff Whiteside, the Auto Museum’s Auction Director. “We’re doing a smaller auction than a Barrett-Jackson or a Mecum”—high-end, widely respected auto auction houses—“and we’re doing it in a venue that’s phenomenal.”
While other auto auctions around the country are more established—and in turn, have a set time of the year when they occur—Whiteside says launching a new auction in Saratoga at the end of September was not done at random; it was selected to fulfill a demand in the auto auction circuit. On the heels of the world-renowned Pebble Beach Auctions in California, and, locally, with Saratoga Race Course coming to a close Labor Day weekend, the auto auction is the next stop for those hunting for vintage cars on consignment—or those suffering a post-track hangover heading into the fall.
Whiteside comes to the Saratoga Auto Museum from RM Sotheby’s, a prestigious classic car auction firm. In August 2014, he was part of the sale of a 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale that went for more than $26 million—at the time, the second-highest hammer price for a car sold at auction (making the price of my Boss 9 pale in comparison). Whiteside says you can equate those rarefied car sales “to a piece of art from an artist who has died, like a Warhol.” While Saratoga’s auction is comparable to other high-end auctions around the country, don’t expect to see any rare Bugattis on display. (Though the Saratoga Spa State Park will certainly get its fix at the Saratoga Wine & Food Festival two weeks earlier.) “We’re not after that,” says Whiteside. “We’re after a nice broad mix, and our range in prices will go somewhere between about $10,000 and up to about $250,000.” You can actually find some great collector’s cars in the $10,000 ballpark, according to Whiteside. That includes your vintage production cars, such as a 1965 Mustang—which is a beautiful car, but about a million were made, so that drives down the rarity, as well as the cost.
Adding to the general excitement going into the auction, the Museum has also announced the addition of the Dennis Dammerman Collection. Dammerman is the late former Vice Chairman of General Electric, and his collection of 44 vehicles—comprised largely of a variety of mid-century domestic convertibles, coupes and sports cars—will be offered with no reserve. Dammerman was not only an avid car collector and enthusiast, but also a trustee of the Museum, displaying 16 of his vehicles in the 2009 exhibit entitled “Mid Century Marvels.” “Pretty much every single auction house in the country has been trying to secure this collection for consignment,” says Whiteside. “This collection is going to put us on the map.”
Prior to auction time, cars will be staged on SPAC’s lawn, starting on Wednesday, September 19. Then, on Friday and Saturday, each car will be driven across the stage, where it will be auctioned to bidders in person and from around the world using Proxibid, an online auction service. (According to Whiteside, approximately ten percent of all cars are now sold online.) Auctioneer Brent Earlywine, who has also worked for RM Sotheby’s, as well as Auctions America, among others, will return for the second year to host the auction. Cars come from all over the Northeast, from Philadelphia to Montréal. Consignments include a 1960 Chevrolet Corvette Fuelie, 1913 Ford Model T, 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, 1966 Adam West-era Batmobile replica, 1987 Ferrari Testarossa and many, many more.
“Car auctions are a huge spectator sport across the nation,” says Whiteside, who wants to pack the house at SPAC like a midsummer concert might. “And the excitement of the bid is exciting even for the spectator.” Count me in as one of the excited, even if I won’t be driving away with my dream car anytime soon—that is, for now.
Colin Cowie On Planning The Perfect Wedding
Colin Cowie’s traveled more than 14 million miles on behalf of his clients, and he’s been fortunate enough to constantly find inspiration from cultures and traditions all over the world, allowing him to bring new and exciting elements to my designs. He puts a lot of effort into the timing and flow of events so that the guest experience is seamlessly constructed from beginning to end. Here’s his latest column for saratoga living.
{1} What makes the perfect Saratoga wedding?
A stunning venue, beautiful decor, amazing weather, a colorful guest list and a well-stocked bar! There’s nothing like Saratoga in summertime, and with venues like The Adelphi and Hall of Springs, it’s easy to bring your family and friends together in an absolutely gorgeous setting. There’s ample space to set up a tent, which for me is a blank canvas to get creative and make magic!
{2} What’s the perfect nonalcoholic host/hostess gift?
You can never go wrong with a fragrant candle. Some of my favorite brands are Cire Trudon—particularly their Abd El Kader scent—and diptyque Figuier.
{3} Should adults wear costumes to a Halloween party they’re not hosting?
On Halloween, everyone has license to get dressed up and get silly. The more outlandish and creative, the better!
{4} Pumpkin spice: thumbs up or down?
Thumbs down for me…not my favorite.
The Best Of Everything: 8 More Reasons To Love Where You Live
You didn’t think there were just eight, right? Of course, there are millions of reasons why we love Saratoga Springs and living here, but we couldn’t fit them all into the latest issue of our magazine. So we chose eight more.
The Battle Of Saratoga Made America
Sure, we have a beer-friendly picnic area at the track and a free trolley, but how about the fact that, if it weren’t for Saratoga Springs, the United States itself literally might not exist? That’s right, the Battle Of Saratoga, which took place in what’s now Stillwater, was the turning point of the American Revolution—the first time the British Army ever surrendered and the battle that literally changed the face of the world. And now we have a great nation (and national historic park!) to show for it.
Saratoga Race Course Lets You BYOB To Its Picnic Area
Seriously, how many sports venues in the world allow you to waltz right in with a cooler stocked full of your beer of choice? Besides playing tennis, hiking or, well, sitting at home, going to Saratoga Race Course is the most cost-effective way to spend a day with friends; all you need is a few bucks to get in and (if you’re me) a six-pack of Straw-ber-itas. Just make sure to snag a table; you can’t bring your cooler beyond the picnic area.
Downtown Saratoga Has A Free Trolley Service
Speaking of a cheap day at the races, you can get there for free, courtesy of the Capital District Transportation Authority’s (CDTA’s) Saratoga Summer Trolley. The service is available July 1 through Labor Day, and the trolley runs from the Courtyard By Marriott on Excelsior Avenue to the Saratoga Casino Hotel, with stops at The Hilton, on Broadway and at Saratoga Race Course. Most Saturdays during track season, you can catch me sitting in my lawn chair on Broadway and Congress, waiting for the trolley (with cooler in hand) to take me to the track.
Two Words: Free Parking
After spending four years rifling through pockets and center consoles, searching for rogue quarters for parking meters in Burlington, VT, Saratoga’s free-parking situation has been a much-needed reprieve. Saratoga’s one of few cities that has resisted the urge to line every street with parking meters or kiosks—and charge for every parking garage—and it makes visiting our city all the more pleasant. Now all you have to do is find a spot…which is easier said than done.
We Have Doughboys!
You know when it’s 2:30am, and you’re just craving something? Maybe you know you’re headed home to an empty fridge. Or you’re just sick of pizza, and your other options for cheap, quick, deliciously bad-for-you foods are limited. If you’re in Downtown Saratoga, you’re going to one place to get one thing: Esperanto’s own creation, a DoughBoy. The pizza dough-wrapped chicken-and-cheese concoction is arguably the best drunk food in the world, and Saratoga remains the only place you can get it.
Our Epic ‘First Night’ Celebration
I have a confession. I’ve never been to First Night. (Cut me some slack—I moved to Saratoga on January 6.) Obviously, our New Year’s Eve celebration is legendary, with more than 15,000 revelers taking to Downtown to enjoy food, live performances and fireworks. But I’d like to take that a step further: It’s a rite of passage. I won’t consider myself a true Saratogian until I wake up on the first day of 2019 with the memory of the epic night before.
Amtrak Brings Us Anywhere We Want To Go
Saratoga even has a means of escaping Saratoga (though I have no idea why anyone would want to do that). With an Amtrak station just a few minutes from Downtown, we can get to pretty much any city in the northeast—New York, Boston, Buffalo, Montréal, Philadelphia—with a reasonably priced train ticket. Honestly, anything that keeps me out of outbound NYC traffic on my way back to the saratoga living headquarters is a godsend.
Saratoga’s Just Plain Sexy
In the wise words of pop duo LMFAO, we’re sexy and we know it. Saratoga has culture, unbelievable food, horse racing and lots and lots of class. We’re proud to announce to out-of-towners that, yes, we actually live in the place where they’re vacationing, and, yes, we love it here. A lot.
The Best of Everything: 8 Reasons to Love Where You Live
It’s undeniable. Saratoga Springs is the best small city in the Capital Region for sports, culture, nightlife and more—and we’re well aware of it. So saratoga living assembled some of its top voices to talk about the eight reasons we all love where we live.
SPORTS: SARATOGA RACE COURSE
By Brien Bouyea
I’ve visited dozens of celebrated sporting venues as an on-assignment journalist and several more via my alter ego as a deranged fan (you don’t want to be around me if my beloved Boston Red Sox are on the short end of the stick against the New York Yankees). My professional and personal travels have led me to Fenway Park, Churchill Downs, Notre Dame Stadium, Madison Square Garden, Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Rose Bowl, among others. I’ve been to some fascinating places that have both great tradition and spellbinding ambiance, but I remain of the opinion that nothing in the world of sports holds a candle to Saratoga Race Course. Nothing.
Saratoga’s hallowed history is without peer in American horse racing. Elite Thoroughbreds have been competing here since Abraham Lincoln’s presidency. Our treasured track has played host to the likes of Man O’ War, Secretariat and Affirmed, all of whom won here (and famously lost here, as well). These equine legends are still being spoken about in reverential tones decades after their glory, and Saratoga Race Course is much more than just these horses’ distinguished past; it remains a vibrant and wondrous experience imbued with the prestige that comes with the exclusivity of a six-week shelf life: We get “the season” for only 40 days.
When September finally arrives, and we reach the conclusion of the annual Saratoga racing meet, we’re all a bit worse for the wear—but we continue to love it. It is uniquely us. As the track gates close following the Labor Day finale, summer fades into autumn. The Saratoga mystique, however, continues to stir our souls until the next time the noble animals return to the fabled Spa oval. On frosty winter nights, when the moon illuminates a fresh coat of sparkling snow atop the Saratoga roofline, it’s been said that it’s possible to hear the faint sound of hooves rhythmically gliding past the Grandstand toward the finish line.
At Saratoga Race Course, anything seems possible. This is our “field of dreams.” It’s been that way for more than 150 years. I’ve already got next year’s Opening Day—Friday, July 19, 2019—circled on my calendar. I wouldn’t trade these six weeks for anything. Anything.
CULTURE: YADDO
By Will Levith
Five years ago this month, I quit my job to become a full-time freelance writer. One of the first gigs I landed was interviewing musician Mike Doughty, who fronted the jazz-hip-hop-fusion band Soul Coughing (they scored a top ten single in 1998 with “Circles”). In my pre-interview research, I learned that Doughty had composed music at Saratoga Springs’ famed artists’ retreat, Yaddo. Reporting the story for The Food Network, I asked him a question that was culinary in theme—and his answer was no less fascinating now than it was back then: “The truly iconic Yaddo food item is the carrot stick,” he told me. “You get an old-style construction worker’s lunchbox and thermos of tea and coffee every day to take to your studio, and it invariably includes carrot sticks. I don’t remember which writer it was, but somebody wrote that if Yaddo did some kind of Oscars thing, the statuette would have to be a golden carrot stick.” That answer re-enlivened my interest in my hometown’s most mysterious property.
Although Yaddo abuts our city’s best-known venue, Saratoga Race Course, it might as well exist in a different dimension. Originally the country estate of Spencer and Katrina Trask, Yaddo comprises 400 acres of land and a sprawling mansion where its guests work, as well as some stand-alone studios—and an equally compelling garden, free and open to the public. (The private part first opened its doors to artists in 1926.) During my childhood, I only heard vague rumors about what went on within its walls—it was just this creepy, old haunted house that fit a Scooby-Doo> episode better than it did Saratoga. “I was really struck that we were seen as a place of foreboding, which isn’t at all the soul of Yaddo and the Trasks,” says Elaina Richardson, current President of Yaddo, of what she arrived to in 2000. To combat this, Richardson’s struck a happy medium between Yaddo being a private artists’ retreat and one open to the public. “What we’ve tried to do is ask people in the Yaddo community to stay an extra couple of days—they get the protected time but then might be at Northshire Bookstore or UPH doing an event for us,” says Richardson. Taking advantage of the presence of those 200 annual guests makes perfect sense: Throughout the years, Yaddo has hosted 74 Pulitzer Prize winners, 68 National Book Award winners, 29 MacArthur Fellows and one Nobel Prize winner. Just imagine what it would’ve been like to hear Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man at UPH or Truman Capote read from In Cold Blood at Northshire. (They were both Yaddo guests.)
Ever since I did that interview with Doughty, I’ve had a singular Saratoga daydream: to someday be a guest at Yaddo. Maybe it’ll be for a future saratoga living assignment. A man can dream, no?
PHILANTHROPY: SARATOGA HOSPITAL GALA
By Lizzie Hunter
Being an event planner myself, I’m naturally a tough critic when it comes to events: I always find myself making mental notes of things that inspire me at other foundations’ soirées. Every year, I leave Saratoga Hospital’s annual Summer Gala with a long list of mental notes: There’s just so much to love about the event of the season—actually, the entire year.
From the second you set foot in the completely transformed tent to match the year’s unique theme—2018’s was “Havana Nights”—you could tell that the planning committee put its heart and soul into every aspect of the Gala. (In other words, I have total decor envy!) Every year, the committee entertains hundreds of guests with an unbelievable live auction—I can never understand how they track down all those must-have packages—and the food has yet to disappoint. It’s safe to say that after 36 years, Saratoga Hospital’s Gala committee has mastered “the equation” for planning not only a successful event, but also one that truly stands out among the many other amazing parties held in the area throughout the year.
Furthermore, the Gala’s timing has always been sublime; it’s early enough in the season that attendees can get excited about it and without being exhausted from the six-week whirlwind that is the Saratoga Race Course meet. And these aren’t just any old attendees—they’re the quintessential Who’s Who of Saratoga Springs. You never know who you might see at the Gala. This year, you might’ve found yourself mingling with Saratoga’s own queen herself, Marylou Whitney. (That’s surely not something I get to do every night!)
Lastly, let’s not forget the reason for this epic annual celebration: Saratoga Hospital. Much of the hospital’s success can be attributed to the contributions of Amy Raimo, the former head of the Saratoga Hospital Foundation who died in an accident just weeks before the 2018 Gala. In a Facebook post following the tragedy, the Hospital said, in part: “Leading the Hospital’s Foundation, Amy’s incredible spirit, passion, energy, and commitment to our community and to our hospital has left an indelible mark on everything we do.” I can’t help but feel like Amy had something to do with those dark, rain-filled skies dissolving away just in time for guests to enjoy this year’s Gala.
ENVIRONMENT: THE WATER
By Karen Bjornland
I’d like a Saratoga cocktail, please. You know, the one with the magnesium, potassium and lithium. Yeah, I’m one of those people who sips the zesty mineral waters that bubble up in Saratoga Spa State Park. My favorite mineral martini spews from Hayes Well Spring, which you’ll find near Geyser Island Spouter, a geological wonder that looks like a big rock dome. I belly up to the bar, a stone block studded with spouts, and the fizzy water burps into my clear plastic cup. As I slowly imbibe, the pungent potion tingles the tongue and tickles the senses. The deeper the spring, the stronger the taste. To me, it’s a delicious tonic, a lip-smacking elixir. Others find it repulsive. But with 12 springs on the drink menu, they can always select a different, milder cocktail.
Saratoga Springs is the only place east of the Mississippi where you’ll find cold, naturally carbonated mineral water. Can you think of another town where a free, refreshing (and perhaps healthful) beverage is available, self-serve, 24/7, in every season around Downtown and in the piney woods of a beautiful nearby park? At Roosevelt Baths & Spa, one can de-stress in a deep tub of effervescence. And soon, the Roosevelt II Bathhouse, closed since the 1980s, will reopen as a health and wellness center.
Our water isn’t just for local, personal enjoyment; it’s also become a famous tipple out there in the world. Saratoga Spring Water, in the classy cobalt-blue bottle, is poured in hotels and restaurants across the country and in the Caribbean, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. George Washington drank from High Rock Spring (next to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market), and President Obama toasted his second term with it. Algonquian-speaking Native Americans believed that the Great Spirit Manitou stirred the waters, making them magical and curative, and until the mid-20th century, the waters were used as medicine for nervous disorders, arthritis, gout, indigestion, constipation and heart disease. Doctors even prescribed baths, and bottled waters were sold in pharmacies and on trains.
At One Roof, a local holistic health center, founder Selma Nemer once told me that Saratoga’s water and its healthful properties are everywhere, whether you’re aware of them or not. “The healing waters are running under this city,” she said. “They’re under all our buildings.” I’ll drink to that. And keep those Saratoga cocktails flowing, I say.
BUSINESS: GLOBALFOUNDRIES
By Will Levith
This is going to sound a little bit snobbish, but growing up in Saratoga Springs, the town of Malta was never a place I made a concerted effort to go to on a regular basis. Save maybe to catch the occasional movie at the Malta Drive-In, for me it wasn’t much of a destination. It was kind of just there. These days, there are thousands of people who’d take exception with that perspective—and for good reason. That’s because in 2009, international tech giant GLOBALFOUNDRIES broke ground in Malta on what has become one the world’s leading semiconductor (or chip) plants, part of a global network that includes a corporate headquarters in Silicon Valley and manufacturing hubs in Singapore; Germany; Essex Junction, VT; and East Fishkill, NY.
Known as Fab 8, Malta’s state-of-the-art chip-making facility, which officially opened for business in 2012, has 460,000 square feet of cleanroom space—an airtight, contaminant-free area where the chips get produced by workers in Dr. No-like lab gear—and 2.4 million additional square feet to support all of its weighty infrastructure. All told, GLOBALFOUNDRIES has made a $12 billion investment in the area and pays out more than $300 million in salaries, according to Forbes.
Look, nobody can beat Saratoga’s entertainment venues—the racetrack or SPAC (both of which made this list)—but in sheer tech know-how and worldwide manufacturing prestige, it’s hard to beat GLOBALFOUNDRIES. Even though I still don’t find myself in Malta all that often, when I’m there, I always get this nagging sense of chip-envy.
NIGHTLIFE: CAROLINE STREET
By Natalie Moore
What if, after a day spent in the Executive Box at the Saratoga Race Course, sipping Twisted Tea and betting your money away, you turned in for the night right after the tenth race? What if, after dropping $45 on three Bud Light Limes at the sold-out Imagine Dragons concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, you went straight home after the encore? As unimaginable as these scenarios sound, they could be a reality if it wasn’t for the Saratoga Springs social scene stalwart, the place that keeps us going late into the night and our after hours home base: Caroline Street.
I only turned 21 a year and a half ago, so Caroline Street still holds its who-will-I-run-into, how-many-bars-can-I-hit-in-one-night, where-should-I-go-to-get-late-night-pizza thrill. (Typically, it’s 20 people from my high school, four and Pizza 7, respectively.) But if you stand on the corner of Caroline and Putnam at 1am, it’s not just 22-year-olds you’ll see. It’s everyone. Your childhood best friend’s parents. A 35-year-old guy on vacation from Miami. (Find him: He’ll buy you pizza.) A group of college girls rocking questionable IDs and impressive high heels. Your boss. A senior citizen headed to tear up the dancefloor at Dango’s. How does one street appeal to such a panoply of people, whose only common fiber is the love of a good party? “There’s something different for everybody,” says Tin & Lint Owner Jim Stanley, who’s “been on Caroline Street longer than anybody” (48 years, to be exact). He’s right: It’s pretty rare to find a dance club, a dive bar, a four-story tavern, karaoke, live music and the best cocktail you’ve ever had (I’m looking at you, Hamlet & Ghost) all within one block of one street. Stanley was around when the T&L opened in 1970—when it was one of two bars on a street shared with a printing shop, grocery store, record store, haberdashery and barbershop. “I think the people that owned the bar then were the catalysts for the area moving forward,” Stanley says. “’Cuz now there are 16 bars before you get to the corner of Caroline and Henry. There are too many bars.”
But even if there are too many bars, something’s kept Stanley on Caroline Street since the beginning. And I suspect that same something will keep me coming back, too, long after my 23rd birthday. Because, after all, there’s something for everybody.
DESIGN: NORTH BROADWAY
By Beverly Tracy
The first time I stepped through the massive walnut front door into the foyer of a house on North Broadway, it felt magical. It was 2005, and I was visiting Saratoga to find a place to live before my two young sons started school. I was invited to a dinner party in a 10,000-square-foot Victorian mansion to celebrate the opening of the New York City Ballet’s run in Saratoga. Truthfully, it was sort of a date, but I simply wanted to see the house.
A short walk from Downtown Saratoga Springs and bookended between bustling Broadway and the main entrance to Skidmore College’s campus is the residential section of the Broadway historic district, which includes the most coveted addresses in Saratoga. Primarily built as summer “cottages” by wealthy city residents who came to soak in the mineral baths and get away for the season—and marked by large, meticulously landscaped lots—North Broadway’s houses boast exceptional trim and architectural decoration. These grand homes, most of them erected during the building boom of the late 1800s in the High Victorian style, sit, regally, back from the wide corridor of North Broadway, reminding us of a more elegant time, as I was reminded, that magical evening 13 years ago.
I recently ran into that first Saratoga “date” again. We reminisced about the dinner party; he recalled the fine wine, while I admitted to admiring the stunning French flocked wall-covering and matching silk velvet custom-tufted sofas. He went on to say that it had been a lovely evening, while I thought back to the sprawling front porch, original wood trim and fine art collection. Ultimately, he became someone else’s Prince Charming, but that night, I fell in love, not with him, but with North Broadway.
PERFORMING ARTS: SPAC
By Jeff Dingler
I will always have a special place in my heart for the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Not only because it’s where I’ve seen a couple of the best shows in my life, but also because it’s where I graduated from Skidmore College. I’ll never forget running from the packed amphitheater after the ceremony through a cold May downpour, my diploma in one hand, my girlfriend gripping the other. SPAC will forever be that place. But I’m just one of many people who’ve had the chance to create irreplaceable memories there over the years.
First opening on July 9, 1966, with a performance of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, SPAC was originally conceived of as a summer residence for the New York City Ballet (NYCB), The Philadelphia Orchestra and other classical institutions and composers from across the country. Almost exactly a year later, however, legendary calypso singer Harry Belafonte became the first nonclassical musician to perform at SPAC—and the venue soon welcomed in a younger, hipper crowd. Since then, SPAC has become a go-to destination for both the classical and pop music worlds.
Of course, SPAC’s stayed true to its classical roots as the summer home of both the NYCB and The Philadelphia Orchestra. “It’s truly a pleasure to perform in such a beautiful environment, where the richness of the Philadelphia sound is on full display,” says the orchestra’s conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “Each summer I look forward to this special combination of nature and music!” And who do we have to thank for SPAC’s ambitious (classical) lineup, which this past summer included one of the only stops by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba? President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol, that’s who. (A big hat-tip should also go to Live Nation for its incredibly diverse programming—which, in 2018, included everyone from Pulitzer Prize-winning hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar to pop priestess Janet Jackson.)
Sobol and company must be doing something right. This season alone, I felt like I saw a decade’s worth of great concerts—and I can’t wait to see what SPAC has up its sleeve next summer. Admit it—you can’t either.
Can’t get enough of Saratoga? Read “8 More Reasons To Love Where You Live” here.
5 Questions For Saratoga Springs’ Top Culinary Minds
What do you do when you have all of Saratoga Springs’ greatest culinary minds in one place at the same time? You poll them on their favorite local restaurants, foods to cook with, food cities and more, that’s what! Below, find answers from Fish at 30 Lake’s Chef Tracey Kwiecien, Osteria Danny’s Chef Danny Petrosino, Boca Bistro’s Chef Roslyn Riggi, Chianti Il Ristorante’s Chef Fabrizio Bazzani, Prime at Saratoga National’s Chef Jason Saunders, R&R Kitchen and Bar and Upstairs at 43 Phila’s Chef Brian Bowden, Salt + Char, Morrissey’s Lounge and The Blue Hen’s Chef David Burke and Hattie’s Restaurant’s Chef Jasper Alexander. Dig in.
Chef TRACEY KWIECIEN of Fish at 30 Lake
1. What do you cook better than anyone else?
My grandmother’s food, especially pierogies.
2. What’s your go-to spot to eat in Saratoga Springs that’s not your own?
Karavalli and the Spring Street Deli.
3. What’s your favorite food city?
Boston, at the moment.
4. What’s the best advice you were given as a young chef?
Stay organized and prioritize everyday tasks.
5. What culinary TV show could you imagine yourself on?
None.
Chef DANNY PETROSINO of Osteria Danny
1. What do you cook better than anyone else?
Eggplant.
2. What’s your go-to spot to eat in Saratoga Springs that’s not your own?
Boca Bistro.
3. What’s your favorite food city?
New York City.
4. What’s the best advice you were given as a young chef?
Buy the best ingredients and try not to ruin them.
5. What culinary TV show could you imagine yourself on?
Molto Mario.
Chef ROSLYN RIGGI of Boca Bistro
1. What do you cook better than anyone else?
Paella.
2. What’s your go-to spot to eat in Saratoga Springs that’s not your own?
Osteria Danny.
3. What’s your favorite food city?
New York City.
4. What’s the best advice you were given as a young chef?
Always lead by example.
5. What culinary TV show could you imagine yourself on?
Chopped.
Chef FABRIZIO BAZZANI of Chianti Il Ristorante
1. What do you cook better than anyone else?
Risotto and pasta, because they’re close to my heart.
2. What’s your go-to spot to eat in Saratoga Springs that’s not your own?
I enjoy a simple barbecue outside.
3. What’s your favorite food city?
New York City is the heart of the food world. I used to live in Los Angeles, and the Asian influence is on another level.
4. What’s the best advice you were given as a young chef?
Be simple, stay simple and never use more than three ingredients. Study the nature of products to recognize when and how they’re good, so they can perform at their best.
5. What culinary TV show could you imagine yourself on?
I would’ve loved to have traveled with Anthony Bourdain.
Chef JASON SAUNDERS of Prime at Saratoga National
1. What do you cook better than anyone else?
Steaks.
2. What’s your go-to spot to eat in Saratoga Springs that’s not your own?
Osteria Danny.
3. What’s your favorite food city?
Kennebunkport, ME.
4. What’s the best advice you were given as a young chef?
It could be the greatest food, but if you don’t get it up to the window in time, it doesn’t matter.
5. What culinary TV show could you imagine yourself on?
Hell’s Kitchen.
Chef BRIAN BOWDEN of R&R Kitchen and Bar and Upstairs at 43 Phila
1. What do you cook better than anyone else?
Seafood—usually whole fish like halibut and salmon.
2. What’s your go-to spot to eat in Saratoga Springs that’s not your own?
Home. My wife cooks more often than me.
3. What’s your favorite food city?
New York City.
4. What’s the best advice you were given as a young chef?
Work hard, stay focused and above all, stay true to your craft.
5. What culinary TV show could you imagine yourself on?
Top Chef.
Chef DAVID BURKE of Salt + Char, Morrissey’s Lounge and The Blue Hen
1. What do you cook better than anyone else?
Eggs.
2. What’s your go-to spot to eat in Saratoga Springs that’s not your own?
Boca Bistro and Osteria Danny.
3. What’s your favorite food city?
Hong Kong.
4. What’s the best advice you were given as a young chef?
Follow the best, not the money.
5. What culinary TV show could you imagine yourself on?
Gordon Ramsay’s kids show, MasterChef Junior, as a judge or instructor.
Chef JASPER ALEXANDER of Hattie’s Restaurant
1. What do you cook better than anyone else?
Fried chicken: There’s not only a lot of history to the dish, but also a science to seasoning it. Hattie’s has been using special methods of cooking chicken for 80 years.
2. What’s your go-to spot to eat in Saratoga Springs that’s not your own?
That’s a political question. Let’s say Compton’s.
3. What’s your favorite food city?
New York City or New Orleans.
4. What’s the best advice you were given as a young chef?
Keep your head down, focus on the fundamentals and outwork the person next to you.
5. What culinary TV show could you imagine yourself on?
Does it have to be related to food? Law & Order.
—additional reporting by Madeline Conroy and Gabriella Boschetti
‘saratoga living’ Editor In Chief Richard Pérez-Feria: Top Chefs, Great City
Every Sunday, when I was growing up in Miami, my family had a tradition that, given today’s frenetic schedules and perpetual motion, seems impossibly quaint in hindsight: My parents and my three siblings and I would attend a late afternoon matinee (we kids would take turns choosing the movie; my brother, Star Wars; me, Annie Hall) before going to El Segundo Viajante, a traditional Spanish restaurant, for delicious paella, jamón Serrano, caldo gallego and other Iberian delicacies. So began my special and ongoing relationship with fine dining.
During my university years in New Orleans, one of the greatest food towns in the galaxy, I fell deeply in love with Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Creole and Cajun dishes at the iconic K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. I had never tasted food like that in my life—and I was hooked. After graduation, three dining experiences in three consecutive weekends in three different cities completely elevated the stakes for my personal hunger games: Chef Mark Militello’s sublime snapper at Mark’s Place in North Miami; Chef Daniel Boulud’s mouthwatering duck at Le Cirque in New York City and Chef Alice Waters’ tear-inducing spring lamb at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA. I know how fortunate I’ve been in my life to be at the tables of some of the greatest culinary talents anywhere, but as a young adult, to experience those chefs’ magical creations—in consecutive weekends, no less—was, in a word, ridiculous.
In subsequent years, as I moved around the country, I discovered even bigger “wow” dining adventures, featuring the restaurants and dishes of Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Vong, JoJo, Perry St, Jean-Georges); Bobby Flay (Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, GATO); Gilbert Le Coze/Éric Ripert (Le Bernardin); José Andrés (Jaleo); Wolfgang Puck (Spago, CUT); Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill); Thomas Keller (The French Laundry) and on and on. Lucky me.
When I decided to make Saratoga Springs my home, I couldn’t imagine and didn’t count on fine dining being a part of the equation for such a small city (I’d lived in Manhattan, LA, Miami and Vegas prior to moving here). Within days, I was blown away by the likes of Osteria Danny’s edible Tuscan miracles and Hattie’s slap-your-mama hot fried chicken and Fish at 30 Lake’s these-shouldn’t-be-this-good brussels sprouts and R&R’s creamy, unforgettable scallops and Salt & Char’s perfectly seared filet and Boca Bistro’s can’t-get-enough calamari—and the hits keep coming: Hamlet & Ghost’s squid, 15 Church’s fried oysters, Prime’s seafood tower, Max London’s eggs Benedict, Chianti’s antipasto, Harvey’s steak tacos…They all make Saratoga unbelievably, unquestionably and undeniably the country’s best small city restaurant destination. But how?
I suspect those fast ponies and the impressive cultural scene have something to do with it; but no matter the reason, I, once again, find myself in the presence of culinary giants. Told ya I was lucky. You are too. Hungry yet?
Richard Pérez-Feria
Editor in Chief
@RPerezFeria
The Best Of Everything: The Ultimate Saratoga A-Z Guide
In high school, I was on the best volleyball team in the state. I’m the best in my family at Scrabble and at Field Day in fourth grade, I was the best softball thrower. These are all quantifiable facts: My team won the state championship game (twice), I’ve won far more Scrabble games against my parents than they have combined against me and I once threw a softball farther than anyone else in my grade. But being “best” isn’t always quantifiable, and people tend to use the concept subjectively. (I consider myself the best dancer, much to my boyfriend’s—no, everyone’s—embarrassment.)
Keeping that in mind, it’s a tall task compiling an A-Z list of the “best of” what Saratoga Springs has to offer. Who’s to say one Asian restaurant in Saratoga is better than another one? (I’m partial to Phila Fusion.) The best (yes, subjectively) saratoga living could do was to hold a citywide survey asking the people what they were partial to (in the 12866 zip code), add up all the responses and crown the winners “the best of Saratoga.” Below, find our comprehensive guide to the Best of Saratoga A-Z. In total, nearly 1000 people cast their votes, and came up with this comprehensive Best of Saratoga A-Z guide. The winning percentages are noted. —Natalie Moore
A: Asian Restaurant
Sushi Thai Garden
26.17%
B: Bakery
Mrs. London’s Bakery
40.10%
C: Coffee
Uncommon Grounds
41.92%
D: Diner
Triangle Diner
30.42%
E: Escape
The Sagamore Hotel
43.45%
F: Flower Shop
Schrade’s Posie Peddler
43.04%
G: Gym/Fitness
Saratoga Springs YMCA
37.85%
H: Hotel
The Adelphi Hotel
31.33%
I: Italian Restaurant
Osteria Danny
20.64%
J: Jeweler
deJonghe Original Jewelry
34.34%
K: Karaoke
Saratoga City Tavern
41.74%
L: Liquor Store
Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor
62.37%
M: Mexican Restaurant
Cantina
44.76%
N: Nail Salon
Hello Nails
16.70%
O: Outdoor Dining
Druthers
20.58%
P: Park
Saratoga Spa State Park
47.72%
Q: Quick Eats
Esperanto
24.32%
R: Radio Station
102.7 WEQX
15.62%
S: Street
Broadway
60.89%
T: Tattoo Parlor
Needlewurks Body Piercing and Tattoo
49.89%
U: Unisex Salon
Classical Concepts Salon
14.07%
V: Venue
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
68.15%
W: Wine
The Wine Bar
30.90%
X: X-Country Path
Spa State Park 5K Cross Country Course
42.72%
Yoga Studio
Hot Yoga Spot
36.05%
Z: Zen Spa
Roosevelt Baths & Spa
23.42%