Not long after graduating from Tulane University in New Orleans, I found myself in Saratoga Springs for the first time. I must say, it made quite an impression.
I was part of a small group of friends celebrating our newfound academic freedom before each of us headed off to different cities and different futures. The six of us knew we had to make the most of our weekend. And so we did. Back before Google or iPhone or Snapchat, Saratoga Springs seemed like a magical place, full of mystery, mischief and mirth. At a bar on Caroline Street, the locals were amazingly welcoming to us, while other Saratoga neophytes treaded a bit more carefully around us Manhattan boys making all that noise. We were hard to miss.
On that first night in Saratoga so many years ago, I remember standing alone on Broadway as I waited for my buddy to pull the car around, and thinking to my 21-year-old self, “I’m going to live here one day.” And here we are. Over the past quarter century, I’ve made dozens of trips to Saratoga and have seen the dramatic changes this special spot has experienced firsthand. But, truth be told, Saratoga Springs is still the same inviting, beautiful, social town it’s always been. Now, in 2018, it feels right, it is right, that in this, the 20th anniversary year of saratoga living, I, too, have made Saratoga my home.
I’ve been thinking a lot about that first weekend with my oh-so-young crew at the time, and where our lives have taken all of us—professional athlete; tech executive; politician; stay-at-home dad—me, as the newly minted Editor in Chief of a storied media brand responsible for reimagining what’s possible, what’s necessary, what’s next. Those are exciting questions my team and I will be answering with every subsequent (and gorgeous) new issue of saratoga living.
We strive to be your window onto the world we inhabit: the intoxicating beauty of our surroundings, the energy of our residents, the excitement that defines this city—saratoga living is the key to unlocking your all-access pass to this place we all call home.
I knew I’d be back. To stay.
Richard Pérez-Feria
Editor In Chief
@RPerezFeria