Items tagged with 'people'
Miss Albany Diner building sold to Matt Baumgartner and partners
Miss Albany Diner.
Matt Baumgartner posted today that he and business partners Jimmy and Demetra Vann have bought the Miss Albany Diner building. The name "Miss Albany Diner" and its recipes are not part of the deal:
Mrs. [Jane] Brown and her son Bill, are legally keeping the name "Miss Albany Diner" as well as their recipes, and they maintain the right to open another diner in another location, as well as having the right to sell the name Miss Albany Diner and it's recipes to an interested party at another location. As new owners of the property, we legally can not continue to operate the space as Miss Albany Diner or use their menu items. I'm only noting that because it is important to us that it is clear that we are not "closing down Miss Albany Diner". They sold us the property, and we are not legally allowed to re-open Miss Albany Diner in that space.
On a personal note, I would like to thank Jane and Bill Brown, for giving us the opportunity to care for a building that is considered by many to be one of the most iconic buildings in the capital region. I know the Browns hold the diner very dear to their hearts, and I promise we will respect the history, the memory, and the integrity of Miss Albany Diner.
Baumgartner told Steve Barnes they don't have immediate plans to re-open the place as a diner. [Table Hopping]
The diner had been for sale since 2009. Cliff Brown, who owned the diner with his wife Jane, passed away in 2010. [TU] [TU]
The diner was built in 1941 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's had at least three names prior to being called the Miss Albany. [National Register] [Wikipedia]
Of course, Baumgartner and his partners own Wolff's, which is just next door to MAD.
photo: UpstateNYer via Wikipedia
The dude abided in Saratoga -- and he wore a dinner jacket
The next time you call someone "dude," you'll remember this.
Apparently one of the earliest uses of the word, back in 1883, did not describe a bro. The word was used as a put down for a man who paid too much attention to clothing and fashion. Yes, the opposite of the Dude.
It turns out that the "King of the Dudes" back then was a guy named Evander Berry Wall, a multi-millionaire who reportedly drank champagne instead of water, wore a walrus mustache, had 5,000 neckties -- and like many wealthy East Coasters of the day, spent a fair amount of time in Saratoga.
Old Songs music classes
Looking for accordion lessons? Hammer dulcimer? Penny whistle? This is the place.
Here's something we thought looked kind of fun.
The people who host the Old Songs Music Festival and concerts series are about to begin another semester of music classes in old school instruments.
Old Songs is dedicated to preserving traditional folk music, and as part of their mission they'll teach you how to play it on everything from the accordion (yep, accordion lessons) and the penny whistle, to the ukulele and mountain dulcimer. A lot of the classes are open to beginners who may not even read music.
What's up in the Neighborhood
Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: Columbia County, fun in Vermont, the Radix Center, a coyote, Troy's beautiful city hall, Edith Wharton, an angel with attitude, local radio, mini hot dogs from scratch, BYOB, CSA, Sunday yoga, school bus habits, Saratoga ointment, and an eggplant.
My Exit: Steven Zimring
It's Monday, which means WEXT is running another My Exit show -- where the listeners get to pick their own playlists.
This week, a high school senior takes you on an eclectic tour from Surf Rider, to Zeppelin, to The Grouch and Eligh...
Molly McGrath: The Last Five Years
Molly Rose Marie McGrath -- a coloratura in cowboy boots.
She's a coloratura who owns six pairs of cowboy boots and prefers show tunes and country standards to arias.
There is nothing stereotypical about Molly Rose McGrath.
Born and raised the the Capital Region, her voice teachers pushed her toward opera and encouraged her to head for New York -- but she prefers to stay close to home.
She's been performing locally for years, most notably as Annie Oakley at Albany's Park Playhouse and Patsy Cline in Saratoga.
Now she's trying her hand at producing with a dark, funny little cult show called The Last Five Years.
What's up in the Neighborhood
Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: jumping into freezing a pond, mediocrity, Saratoga rumors, cross country skiing, ballot stuffing, the Illium, eating at bars, Taiwan Noodle, boar short ribs, seitan sliders, important work at Stewart's, cafeterias, tracking wildlife, finding a dress that fits, getting framed, and Pearl Street exposed.
Albany Distilling Company
John Curtin and Matthew Jager, founders of the new Albany Distilling Company.
Almost every guy thinks about it at one time or another, says Matthew Jager. The "manly dream" of owning a bar. And that's how it all started out.
Matthew, who teaches at The College of Saint Rose's business school, and his buddy John Curtin, a leadership trainer and former English teacher, were hanging out at the Albany Pump Station, having a couple of drinks, when one of them said, "Hey, you know what we should do? We should open a bar!" And the other one said, "Yeah!"
Eighteen months and $300,000 later, they do not own a bar.
Instead, they own a distillery -- The Albany Distilling Company -- in a building right next door to the Albany Pump Station. A few months from now they're hoping to put their white whiskey on the shelves of bars and restaurants around the region.
Have they ever made whiskey before? No. But this little hitch doesn't seem to worry them.
Sh*t Public Radio Listeners Say
By the way: it's N-e-d-a U-l-a-b-y.
More evidence that "sh*t (insert whatever) say" is the dominant mode through which we now understand modern society: local public radio people Sarah LaDuke, Ian Pickus, and David Hopper have created a "Sh*t Public Radio Listeners Say" video.
And it's funny. Because it's true. Nicely played.
If you sit with the volunteers answering calls during a WAMC pledge drive, you will hear about half of these things in one hour. They'll also tell you that you sound taller on the radio.
Earlier on AOA: Local holiday wish list: Sarah LaDuke
What's up in the Neighborhood
Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: the Albany Food and Wine Fest, the Tour de Egg Sandwich, General Tso, leaving peckish and underwhelmed, diner diner food, wine in Hudson, a different kind of Republican, getting carded, b-r-r-r-ding, throwing clay, periodicals, bundling, and the purty white stuff.
Laura Hajek, post pageant
Sheldon Crest and Laura Hajek.
Like a lot of people, we were amused and a little bit intrigued last week by Laura Hajek's bid (representing Glens Falls) for Miss New York USA. Her faux-interview contestant video was creative and playful, while her Laura Palmer-inspired photo was just kind of odd.
Laura seemed like just about the last person you'd expect to see competing in a pageant. But it looked like she was having fun playing the part -- which made it fun to watch. That she didn't end up as one of the finalists is sort of besides the point.
Curious to learn more about Laura and her experience in the pageant, we emailed with her this week -- about puppets, other pageant contestants, playing the part, and the Dougie.
Next stop for Roland Kays: Raleigh
We were disappointed to see recently that State Museum curator of mammals Roland Kays was leaving the institution. As the TU reported, morale at the museum is low and many researchers are leaving as a result, Kays among them (be sure to read chrisck's comment).
Kays is one of our favorite local nerds. He researches how wildlife adapt to urban environments. And the conversation we had with him about fishers in the Pine Bush is still one of our favorite AOA posts (that's him weighing a tranquilized fisher in the photo). Also: he was one of the organizers of the popular Cooking the Tree of Life series at the State Museum. The guy even races unicycles.
So, we emailed him to find out what's next. He emailed back:
[Y]es, sad to be leaving the Albany area, but excited about new opportunities at the new Nature Research Center I'm moving to in Raleigh, NC. I'll also be a Prof at NC State. Dr. Jeremy Kirchman will continue the Cooking the Tree of Life at the NYSM, and I'll also start it up down in Raleigh.
Kays says he's also working on a project that will involve non-scientists running camera traps that report images to a wildlife database. He says that could be up and running this summer and he's hoping it will include some sites here in the Capital Region. We'll see if we can get more details as the project's closer to being ready.
photo via Roland Kays
My Exit: Mark DiMartino
It's Monday, time for another My Exit on WEXT.
Here's a look at the set from this week's person.
All Good Bakers moving
All Good Bakers announced yesterday that it's moving from its first storefront on Quail Street in Albany to a bakery space on Delaware Ave (or, the DelSo, as you also like to call it).
Write owners Britin and Nick Foster over on their blog:
[The spot] that has been calling our names for years, 540 Delware Avenue, was vacant, and offered a multitude of improvements: Three times the square footage, 10 parking spaces, a slightly larger retail area, reasonable rent, fully-installed fire-suppression system (with fans and hood - a huge expense!), better quality finishes, on a main thoroughfare, accessible to our Delmar customers (but still in Albany) and we could walk to work in good weather! ... We've lived in the DelSo neighborhood since moving here in 2003 - having our bakery here will be an absolute dream come true for us. We'll start acquiring equipment and navigating the city permitting process next week. We're hoping to open sometime between mid-February and mid-March, and will operate on Quail St. until then.
The space is the strip of storefronts next to the recently opened Mingle. The last tenant in the space was also a bakery, called In the Mix.
AGB says they were able to make the move thanks in part to financing from the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region.
We can only hope they're taking the toast with them.
Earlier on AOA:
+ Interesting in 2011: Britin and Nick Foster
+ Eat this: Grilled cheese at All Good Bakers
What's up in the Neighborhood
Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: lots about Trader Joe's, convention center implications, last call, Thacher Park, museum rules, the Berkshires, restaurant health inspections, tea, pizza launched via meatball, mind blowing posters, Montreal, socializing at the dog park, and benign neglect.
Laura Hajek, Miss Glens Falls
Laura Hajek -- playing the role of Laura Hajek?
Update: We talked with Laura after the pageant.
The Miss New York USA pageant is this weekend in Westchester County. And while it wasn't on our calendar, we do know who we're rooting for: Laura Hajek, Miss Glens Falls.
Her contestant video is embedded after the jump (because it autoplays, that's a screengrab above). And. It. Is. Awesome. It's set up like she's the guest on some sort of celebrity talk show. And the host has a puppet head.
Hajek plays the interview more or less straight, coming up with New York answers for most of the host's questions. (She kind of has an Alison Brie-like quality about her.) It's quite the departure from the other contestant videos (for example: Miss Clifton Park).
There seems to be a very high likelihood that Hajek is generally awesome. She's a member of the Ravacon Collective, which made the video. (Among Ravacon's other work: moving images that Phantogram used for its concerts.) And, according to her info on Facebook, she's a literature major at SUNY-Purchase (while also pursuing acting), and went to the Waldorf School in Saratoga.
Jeremy Snyder's TEDxAlbany chocolate chip cookie talk
Back in November we talked with Albany resident Jeremy Snyder about his family's effort to find the best chocolate chip recipe. It's a fun story. (And... delicious.)
We first heard about Jeremy through his talk at last year's TEDxAlbany. The video of his (charming) talk is now online. We've embedded it above.
We've also updated the earlier post collecting TEDxAlbany 2011 talks. And we think we've got them all embedded now -- including the talk by FarmieMarket's Sarah Gordon.
Yep, AOA was a media sponsor of TEDxAlbany.
New Year's Rulin's
What's on your list?
In 1943, Woody Guthrie sat before the WGY microphones to talk about his autobiography, Bound for Glory. Guthrie was appearing on The Author Meets the Critics, a program that was sort of like NPR before NPR. Interestingly, its producer, Martin Stone, later went on to launch The Howdy Doody Show. So much for the high-brow stuff.
Anyhow, the WGY program was moderated that day by none other than Granville Hicks, well known author and literary critic, director of Yaddo, Grafton resident, and noted socialist. It must have been quite a show -- and I can't help but wonder if tucked inside Guthrie's bag that day in Schenectady, next to a copy of Bound for Glory, was the notebook holding his New Year's Rulin's.
A lot of you may have already read Guthrie's list, which is like 33 points for better living. Written in 1942, they're elegantly simple, and a pretty good example of how you might want to start fresh in the new year.
My Exit: Seth Casale
We were off Monday, so we missed the first My Exit profile of the new year, but you can catch the replay Sunday morning on WEXT.
Here's a look at from this week's eclectic set.
The new Lark Tavern opens
The new Lark Tavern reopened quietly on New Year's Eve.
Eighteen months after fire closed the Lark Tavern, a new version of the popular bar/restaurant on Madison Avenue in Albany has opened.
When you walk in the door you'll recognize it. Sort of. You might get that sense of wait, I've been here before -- haven't I?
The new owners -- Ryan Hancox, his wife Mary Silverstein, and their partner Laura Bianchino -- have redesigned a bit. There's a brand new kitchen and a nook for a piano bar that used to be a storage closet. And the structure itself has pretty much been rebuilt on the inside. Overall the new Lark Tavern looks like a modernized version of its former self.
We stopped in to check it out and meet the new owners.
What's up in the Neighborhood
Among the topics in this most recent spin around the Capital Region's online neighborhood: a misconception, Saratoga bar problems, very good photos, flecks of gold, Saratoga best/worst, holiday season retail from the other side, bars on New Year's Eve, chevre cheesecake, the Olde English, a formidable sandwich, customer service to the rescue, Lasik, jazz-hands Santa, bald eagles, and pernicious discharges.
Interesting in 2011: Olivia Quillio
Singer/songwriter Olivia Quillio.
All this week we're highlighting some of the interesting people we've gotten to know over the past year.
This spring Olivia Quillio won the Garage to Glory competition at the College of Saint Rose. Since then her music, songwriting and unique style have gained her a lot of attention in the Capital Region.
The Shaker High grad tried SUNY Potsdam for a while, where she was inspired by some of her literature classes, but unmotivated and anxious.
So she left school in her sophomore year to do what she's been doing in one way or another for most of her life -- write songs. She's been writing, playing and recording ever since.
Interesting in 2011: Laura Glazer
"I can only really be myself..."
All this week we're highlighting some of the interesting people we've gotten to know over the past year.
Laura Glazer's voice has a breathy, tiny, childlike sweetness about it, but it's not the kind of voice you're used to hearing on the radio. Still, since 2003, she's been introducing the Capital Region to all kinds of fun and interesting music on her radio program Hello Pretty City.
A little over a year ago HPC moved from its morning slot on WRPI to Sunday nights at 8 on WEXT. With that move, Glazer pretty much doubled her audience, and in the last year we've noticed her hosting live shows, appearing with WEXT at shows like Larkfest and curating the music line-up for events like the Local Harvest Festival.
But we were first introduced to Laura through her wonderful photography. For the last few years she's been photographing Phillip Patterson's efforts to transcribe the entire King James Bible by hand -- a project that was featured in the The Wall Street Journal earlier this week.
In addition her fun pins and drawings, Albany wallpaper and other art projects help make the Capital Region a more fun place to live.
Laura came to the Capital Region about ten years ago after having lived in Virginia, New York City, Minneapolis, Texas and a number of other places, but she's made a home in Albany. As she preps for the first Hello Pretty City of 2012, we talked with her about music, art, Albany, pinball and the party at Sponge Bob's house.
Interesting in 2011: Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian
Outgoing Troy mayor Harry Tutunjian.
All this week we'll be highlighting some of the interesting people we've gotten to know over the past year.
After two terms, Harry Tutunjian steps down as the mayor of Troy this week. In his eight-year tenure as mayor, Tutunjian has overseen a lot of change in the Collar City: new development, the controversial demolition of the former city hall, and the plan for the new Riverfront Park which broke ground this week. Tutunjian's term was also marked by some rather public and acrimonious battles with the Troy city council.
One the things we've found interesting about Tutunjian is that he's made frequent use of Twitter -- to share news, answer questions from constituents, promote local businesses, make contacts, and jab political opponents. And while Twitter might not necessarily have always been the best venue, we think public officials communicating this way is generally a good thing. And we'd love to see more local officials follow Tutunjian's example.
So, as his last term as mayor comes to a close, we talked with @TroyMayor about his time in office, his leadership style, and the appeal of the Collar City.
Interesting in 2011: Britin and Nick Foster
Nick and Britin Foster, with their daughter Katie.
All this week we'll be highlighting some of the interesting people we've gotten to know over the past year.
Britin and Nick Foster took a big step this year when they opened a storefront for All Good Bakers, their organic bakery that had previously only sold at the Delmar Farmers' Market and via a community supported bakery arrangement. And they've seen success: the storefront on Quail Street in Albany has been one of the bright spots in a neighborhood that's needed a lift.
It's been interesting to watch Britin and Nick build their business -- both because of the way they seem to conscientiously make decisions about ingredients and operations, as well as their savvy use of social media to spread the word about their products.
And we get the sense they're baking up bigger things in 2012...
... said Wendy Voelker about The organic milk shortage