Capital Region Living Besties: People & Places 2022

Page 1


CAPITALCRL REGION LIVING

BESTIES CLEAN SWEEP BY CHANNEL 10

33 YEARS WITH STEVE CAPORIZZO

WAKING UP WITH CHRISTINA ARANGIO, RYAN PETERSON AND JILL SZWED

CRL'S OWN JOHN GRAY AND INTRODUCING STEPHANIE RIVAS

PLUS ESTATE PLANNING LESSONS FROM BETTY WHITE

HUNTER MOUNTAIN

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Contact: 212-588-0950 or 917-853-9907 Virtual or in-person consultation, by appointment only.

WATCH • WAGER • WIN

Legendary Places

Explore and relax! Nestled between Adirondack peaks and glittering lakes, the open spaces of the Lake Champlain Region glow golden. Witness storied forts, bustling towns, and rolling hills of farm-fresh foods. Spend your day watching migratory birds flutter through the heart of the Champlain Valley, or find your perfect hike on boundless Champlain Area Trails. Flow down winding roads by car or bike, and travel along one of the largest lakes in North America. However you choose to spend this spring, the Lake Champlain Region will make your getaway legendary.

www.LakeChamplainRegion.com

Go ahead, have an apple (or two) a day! Research shows that a healthy stomach is one that is thriving with good bacteria. Pectin, the soluble fiber found primarily in the apple peel, acts as a prebiotic to help feed the good bacteria in your gut.

Nutty Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

4 cups

Water

2 cups Hannaford Old Fashioned Oats

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 Medium EnvyTM apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tsp. McCormick® Ground Cinnamon

1 (5.3 oz.)

container Two Good® Vanilla Greek Yogurt

2 oz. Planters® NUT-rition Heart

Healthy Mix, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Pour water, oats and salt into a medium-sized pot. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

2. In a medium bowl, stir apple pieces to coat with cinnamon. Add to oats and continue to cook on low heat until mixture is thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Divide oatmeal among four bowls. Top with yogurt and chopped nuts.

Dietitian’s Tips:

To reduce cook time, swap Hannaford Old Fashioned Oats with Hannaford Quick Oats.

For an extra serving of fiber, add 1 tsp. ground flax seeds and/or 1 tsp. chia seeds.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving: Calories 430; Total Fat 14 g; Saturated Fat 2 g; Sodium 330 mg; Total Carbohydrate 62 g; Sugar 6 g; Added Sugar 0 g; Dietary Fiber 11 g; Protein 19 g

We’re committed to supporting your health and wellness goals. Our team of registered dietitians offer free nutritional services online and in-store.

Thank you to our sponsors for partnering with Hannaford to offer free dietitian services.

from your Hannaford Dietitians

Visit hannaford.com/dietitians to learn more.

: grown or created closer to where we live

Better for the Community

Keeps money circulating in the community, supports local farmers and makers, reflects the unique characteristics of the shared space we call home

Better for the Environment

Less transportation emissions, increased air quality, less waste, preserves open space

Better for the People

Fresher food, cultivates community, endless educational and collaborative opportunities

CAPITAL REGION LIVING

Abby Tegnelia CEO

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Will Levith

ART DIRECTOR Steve Teabout

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT Natalie Moore

CONTRIBUTORS

Lisa Arcella, Alexandra Baackes

Karen Bjornland, Rachelle Booth

Francesco D’Amico, Samantha Decker

Dori Fitzpatrick, Tracy Fluty

John Gray, Audrey Knizek

David A. Kubikian, Dustin Lanterman Konrad Odhiambo

Tara Buffa SALES MANAGER

PUBLISHER, SARATOGA LIVING Annette Quarrier

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Tina Galante

SALES ASSISTANT Tracy Momrow

EMPIRE MEDIA NETWORK, INC.

Anthony R. Ianniello CHAIR

Abby Tegnelia PRESIDENT/CEO Tina Galante

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

VOLUME 19, NO.2

6 Butler Place Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

PHONE: 518.294.4390

FIND US ONLINE AT crlmag.com

Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Many of the ads in this issue were created by Empire Media Network, Inc. and cannot be reproduced without permission from the publisher. ESTABLISHED 2003.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

$35 per year (nonrefundable) FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT:

From The Editors

A WHOLE NEWS WORLD

(clockwise, from above) CRL Director of Content Natalie Moore interviewing Lydia Kulbida of the Bestie-winning evening team; the Bestie-winning morning team—Christina Arangio, Ryan Peterson, Jill Szwed and Stephanie Rivas—reliving the time a camera in the station’s top-secret new studio accidentally went live on air; individual Bestie winners Arangio (Best Morning Anchor) and Rivas (Best Afternoon Anchor) being photobombed by Best Meteorologist winner Steve Caporizzo; CRL CEO Abby Tegnelia, Bestie-winning CRL columnist and NEWS10 evening anchor John Gray, Kulbida and Moore.

First things first: If you live in the Capital Region and didn’t recognize the face on the front of this issue the second you saw it, put the magazine down, get yourself to the nearest TV, and turn on Channel 10. Watch until the face—that of 33-year NEWS10 ABC meteorologist Steve Caporizzo—pops up on the screen. Only then can you call yourself a true Capital Regionite.

Steve and the rest of Channel 10’s anchors have pretty much become synonymous with Capital Region news and weather (and pets!). So, naturally, CRL readers awarded them wins in almost all of this year’s broadcast news Besties. The Bestie-winning NEWS10 lineup is a star-studded array of longtime local anchors and fresh, promising blood—get to know their off-screen personas on page 14.

And of course, we buried the lede: The Besties are back! Read the complete list of People & Places winners—and check to see if your favorite businesses won—on page 19. This issue also has news of the newly named MVP Arena’s new restaurant (page 13); an estate-planning lesson from the late, great Betty White (page 46); our travel writer’s Hunter Mountain swan song (page 48); and of course, CRL’s own Bestie winner—NEWS10 ABC anchor John Gray—to close the magazine out on a high note.

—The Editors

NEW NOW AND

NEW YEAR, NEW CREW

Not feeling in-the-know as we emerge from winter? Spring into the thick of things with these three Capital Region happenings.

STADIUM SEATING

Albany’s newly named MVP Arena has a new MVP of its own. After a soft launch in midJanuary, Albany Stadium Restaurant & Bar, located inside the Capital Region’s largest indoor arena, celebrated its ribbon cutting and grand opening on Tuesday, February 8. The two-story sports bar is open for lunch Monday−Friday and dinner Monday−Saturday, as well as for any MVP Arena events and private events, including those on Sundays. As for the food, Chef Jennifer Hewes, formerly of Madison Ave hotspot The Point, has pulled out all the classic sports bar stops: burgers, apps, sandwiches, mac and cheese and other entrées, plus a comprehensive gourmet grilled cheese menu. (Think: lobster grilled cheese, ghost pepper grilled cheese and French onion grilled cheese.) “We want to be an active participant in downtown life,” says co-owner James Anilowski, who also co-owns an Albany marketing and IT firm. “We have two businesses here, and we are vested in the community.”

Last year, it seemed like all anybody in the Capital Region could talk about was the myriad of film crews taking over Downtown Troy (HBO’s The Gilded Age), Albany (HBO’s The White House Plumbers) and Saratoga Springs (Owen Wilson’s indie film Paint). CRL even devoted an entire issue to the phenomenon, discovering that it’s a mix of well-preserved historic neighborhoods, hefty tax credits, and the Tinseltown grapevine that brings movie-makers to our little corner of the country. Well, film/TV junkies, the set-spotting fun isn’t over yet: In late January, The Daily Gazette reported that an HBO Max reboot of 2010s teen drama/mystery/thriller Pretty Little Liars is set to film around the Capital Region and use the Schenectady Armory as a sound stage. The new series from Riverdale creator Roberto AguirreSacas will be called Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and feature a brand-new cast. Filming is slated to start in good ol’ Upstate New York this August.

POTTERY BARN RAISING

Beware, Capital Region home décor shopaholics: Your newest guilty pleasure has arrived. On February 4, Stuyvesant Plaza welcomed Pottery Barn to its ranks, and since then the store has been satisfying happy customers with the chicest furniture, bedding, bath products, rugs, window treatments, lighting and accessories for don’t-tell-a-soul-how-much-you-spent prices. But who cares? You deserve the fair trade Folsom Round Nesting Coffee Tables and certified nontoxic Dream Square Arm Upholstered Modular Sofa Chaise Sectional from the Spring Look Book, girl. CRL

Albany Stadium’s lobster mac and cheese
The modern farmhouse living room from Pottery Barn’s Spring Look Book
The Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin cast

WEATHER The Man

BELOVED NEWS10 ABC METEOROLOGIST AND BESTIE WINNER STEVE CAPORIZZO TALKS 33 YEARS IN THE CAPITAL REGION, WEATHER ACCURACY AND HIS $2-A-DAY SIDE HUSTLE.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCESCO D’AMICO

NEWS10 ABC Meteorologist Steve Caporizzo got his big break in 1980 when he was a sophomore in college…though “big” is a strong word. “I wanted to do weather professionally—not just on the college radio station,” says the Lyndon State grad. “A small radio station in Brattleboro, VT—WTSA— decided to take a chance on me.” The station paid Caporizzo just $2 per day, but the job kickstarted a four-decade career in meteorology, which brought him to Bangor, ME; Springfield, MA; and finally Channel 10 in Albany, where he’s now worked for 33 years.

While his job has remained the same for 40-plus years, the way he gets it done has certainly changed with the times. “In Bangor I was making maps with magic markers on the wall,” the Georgetown, MA native says. Today, in addition to having much more advanced technology to actually relay the weather on the news, Steve and other meteorologists also now have forecasting technology—computer modeling, satellite pictures and doppler radar—that allows them to predict the weather more accurately than ever before. And no, the iPhone weather app is not one of those technologies. “My forecast is better than any app,” Caporizzo says. “I’ve never even looked at a weather app, to be honest with you.”

Speaking of cynics, what does Caporizzo (his colleagues call him “Cap”) make of the people who claim meteorologists have such an easy job, since they can be wrong half the time? “You always remember the wrong forecasts—you don’t remember the right ones,” he says. “If you’re forecasting a snowstorm and it ends up raining, of course people are going to remember that. It sticks in your mind. But nobody remembers today, where four days ago we said partly sunny, windy and cold with a high of 18. And guess what today is? I can say with high confidence the accuracy on a 24-hour forecast is around 80 percent, which is amazing, because it’s a difficult area—you’ve got mountains, you’ve got valleys and you’re close to the ocean.”

In terms of meteorologists, it’s pretty safe to say that “Cap” has officially made it; he’s had a long, successful career in a market that adores him. Even if you don’t watch the news, if you’ve lived in the Capital Region over the last three decades, you know who Steve Caporizzo is. And if you do watch the Channel 10 news, he’s there in your living room giving the weather evening after evening. (And that’s not even to mention Pet Connection, the weekday pet segment Steve launched in 1980 that to date has helped more than 30,000 homeless pets find homes— that’s a whole other story.) But regardless of all that he’s achieved, Caporizzo has never taken it for granted. “I said to the news director at the Brattleboro radio station, ‘Thank you—I will always do this until you say you don’t want me.’” he says. “That was 42 years ago, and I still do their weather to this day. I make $2 a day doing it, but it reminds me where I came from.”

(from top) Steve Caporizzo giving a weather forecast in 1981; with Rue, a rescue dog he adopted from New York City; giving the forecast in the old Channel 10 studio; (opposite) Caporizzo says that as he nears retirement, he wants to focus more on helping homeless pets.

JACKET AND POCKET SQUARE PROVIDED BY MARK THOMAS MEN’S APPAREL.

CHANNEL 10’S CLEAN SWEEP

WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL NEWS, THE CAPITAL REGION HAS SPOKEN: MEET THE CHANNEL 10 JOURNALISTS WHO SWEPT UP BESTIE WINS IN ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TV CATEGORY.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANCESCO D’AMICO

Best Morning Team

CHRISTINA ARANGIO, RYAN PETERSON, JILL SZWED AND STEPHANIE RIVAS

Since Bestie voting took place, popular (and Bestie-winning!) midday reporter Stephanie Rivas has come aboard NEWS10 ABC’s morning team, joining journalism heavyweights Christina Arangio and Ryan Peterson and

meteorologist Jill Szwed in waking up the Capital Region. And, by the sounds of it, Rivas is in for a treat. “We once had a toilet flush live on the air,” says Peterson. “The meteorologist at the time went into the bathroom with his mic.” Szwed jumps in: “It was not me; it was not me!” Another time, the station was getting ready to unveil a brand-new news studio but was keeping it a secret. “This was a top-secret thing,” Arangio says. “You do

not show this new studio.” Says Peterson: “And all of a sudden, one of the cameras in the new studio went hot while we were on the air. And then it finally cut back to us and we were like—” (Cue expression of horror.)

Do laughs like these make up for the morning crew’s ungodly 3:30am start time? We hope so, because the Capital Region wouldn’t be the same without these friendly faces to wake up to.

Christina Arangio, Ryan Peterson, Jill Szwed and Stephanie Rivas

Best Morning Anchor CHRISTINA ARANGIO

While Arangio is part of the morning team, she also stays later than the rest, impressively broadcasting the 12 o’clock news solo (she’s won numerous awards for her breaking news coverage in particular). “I’m running in last-minute and everybody knows it,” she says of the time just before the morning broadcast begins. “I’m here right before air, but I also work the longest shift and I’m just horrendously bad at being here early.”

Best Afternoon Anchor

STEPHANIE RIVAS

This Bestie cycle Rivas pulled off a pretty amazing feat—she won Best Afternoon Anchor without actually being an afternoon anchor. Before moving to the morning news in February, Rivas was actually a reporter who often filled in for midday anchors. So, in other words, Bestie-voters: close enough. “One of the stories that has stuck with me is a round table we set up with Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans,” says Rivas about a favorite story she’s reported. “Hearing their

perspectives on what we can do better as community members and how their lives have been colored by their sacrifice is something I’ll never forget.”

Best Evening Team

JOHN GRAY AND LYDIA KULBIDA

THE CHANNEL 10 TEAM’S BESTIES

WE ASKED THE NEWS10 ANCHORS ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE CAPITAL REGION BUSINESSES.

STEPHANIE’S PICK: STEWART’S SHOPS

“Stewart’s ice cream straight from the box is life changing. I’ll never go back.”

JILL’S PICK: DOWNTOWN SARATOGA SPRINGS

“I love walking along Broadway on a warm afternoon. It’s fun to pop into the shops—you can find things that you won’t find anywhere else.”

JOHN’S PICK: THE INN AT ERLOWEST

“I love the Inn at Erlowest on Lake George because that’s where I asked my wife to marry me.”

RYAN’S PICK: DEATH WISH COFFEE

“Mike Brown and his team have turned Death Wish into a global brand. It’s pretty remarkable. Some of the folks over there have become my good friends.”

STEVE’S PICK: CURTIS LUMBER

& THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

“They are two very long–time supporters of Pet Connection and do so much to help pets in need.”

CRL

John Gray and Lydia Kulbida, who as a team won first and second place, respectively, for Best Evening Anchor, have actually been working together for more than 10 years, though not all of those years were at Channel 10. “I left Channel 13 and then she left and we both ended up here,” says Gray, who also pens a column in CAPITAL REGION LIVING and scooped up the Bestie for Print Journalist. When asked what viewers don’t realize about their job, Kulbida says, “They think it’s very glamorous. They think we walk in here and somebody’s doing makeup, somebody’s doing hair, somebody’s got a wardrobe set for us. They don’t realize how many hours we put in on the phone, setting up stories and getting ready before we actually go on air.” Adds Gray: “A lot of the work happens before we’re on the air. The fun part is when we get to go live to do the news.”

For more from your favorite Channel 10 newscasters, visit CRLmag.com.

John Gray and Lydia Kulbida

CAPITAL REGION LIVING

Besties

PEOPLE AND PLACES

CULTURE

ART GALLERY

ALBANY CENTER GALLERY (TIE)

488 Broadway, Albany (518 462-4775

albanycentergallery.org

THE CLARK (TIE)

225 South Street, Williamstown, MA (413) 458-2303 clarkart.edu

Albany Institute of History and Art

125 Washington Avenue, Albany (518) 463-4478

albanyinstitute.org

Collar Works

621 River Street, Troy (518) 285-0765 collarworks.org

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

MISCI

15 Nott Terrace Heights, Schenectady (518) 382-7890 misci.org

The Children’s Museum at Saratoga (Temporarily closed) cmssny.org

Children’s Museum of Science + Technology (CMOST)

250 Jordan Road, Troy (518) 235-2120 cmost.org

CONCERT VENUE

SPAC

108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-9330

spac.org

Palace Theatre

19 Clinton Avenue, Albany (518) 465-4663 palacealbany.org

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

30 Second Street, Troy (518) 273-0038 troymusichall.org

COUNTY FAIR

ALTAMONT FAIR

NY-146 and Arlington Street, Guilderland (518) 861-6671 altamontfair.com

Saratoga County Fair

162 Prospect Street, Ballston Spa (518) 885-9701 saratogacountyfair.org

Washington County Fair

392 Old Schuylerville Road, Greenwich (518) 692-2464 washingtoncountyfair.com

MUSEUM

NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM

222 Madison Avenue, Albany (518) 474-5877

nysm.nysed.gov

miSci

15 Nott Terrace Heights, Schenectady (518) 382-7890 misci.org

Albany Institute of History & Art

125 Washington Avenue, Albany (518) 463-4478

albanyinstitute.org

OUTDOOR

SUMMER VENUE SPAC

108 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-9330 spac.org

Saratoga Race Course

267 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs (718) 641-4700 nyra.com

Tanglewood

297 West Street, Lenox, MA (413) 637-5180 bso.org

SEASONAL EVENT

HOWE CAVERNS HAUNTED CAVE TOUR

255 Discovery Drive, Howes Cave (518) 296-8900 howecaverns.com

Capital Holiday Lights in the Park Washington Park, Albany (518) 435-0392 pallights.com

Saratoga Racing Season

267 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs (718) 641-4700

nyra.com

SERVICES

ANIMAL HOSPITAL

THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL

2 Rocking Horse Lane, Slingerlands (518) 456-0852 theanimalhospital.com

Miller Animal Hospital (tie)

380 North Greenbush Road, Troy (518) 283-1166 millerah.com

Sand Creek Animal Hospital (tie)

130 Wolf Road, Albany (518) 446-9171 sandcreekanimalhospital.com

Delmar Animal Hospital

910 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-9361 delmaranimalhospital.com

APPLIANCE STORE

MARCELLA’S APPLIANCE CENTER

560 Broadway, Schenectady (518) 381-1957

15 Park Avenue, Clifton Park (518) 952-7700 marcellasappliance.com

Happy Birthday!

This year, Marcella’s Appliance Center turns the big 6-5, having provided the Capital Region with all manner of home appliances since before dishwashers even became a household necessity. Today, the Bestie winner for Appliance Store is owned by John D. Marcella (grandson of the original founder), who expanded the business to a second location in Clifton Park in 2016.

Earl B. Feiden Appliance

Multiple Locations earlbfeiden.com

Green’s

1207 Central Avenue, Albany (518) 458-7994 greenshasgonegreen.com

AUTO SERVICE

GIL’S GARAGE

817 Saratoga Road, Burnt Hills (518) 306-1651

gilsgarage.com

219 Guideboard Road, Clifton Park (518) 631-6700 gilshalfmoon.com

Bethlehem Auto Service

62 Hannay Lane, Glenmont (518) 426-8414 bethlehemautoservice.com

Eagle Auto Repair

19729 Route 9W, West Coxsackie (518) 756-9797 eagleautorepairny.com

BANK

TRUSTCO BANK

Multiple Locations trustcobank.com

Pioneer Bank Multiple Locations pioneerny.com

Bank of Greene County Multiple Locations thebankofgreenecounty.com

CATERER

OLD DALEY CATERING (518) 235-2656 olddaley.com

Mazzone Hospitality 743 Pierce Road, Clifton Park (518) 690-0293 mazzonehospitality.com

Saati Deli and Catering (tie) 586 New Loudon Road, Latham (518) 783-1600 saatideliandcatering.com

Yanni’s Too (tie) 16 Marina Drive, Coeymans (518)756-7033 yannisrestaurants.com

CHEF

MARC YANNI

Yanni’s Too 16 Marina Drive, Coeymans (518)756-7033 yannisrestaurants.com

Jeff Michael Old Daley Custom Catering (518) 235-2656 olddaley.com

Michael Cohen Chez Mike

596 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush (518) 479-4730 chezmikerestaurant.com

CHIROPRACTOR

DELMAR CHIROPRACTIC

204 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-7644 delmarchiropractic.com

Keith Donato

70 Railroad Place, Saratoga Springs (518) 538-8200 donatochiro.com

Shannon Chiropractic Wellness LLC

397 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-1916 shannonchiropractic.com

CREDIT UNION

CAP COM

Multiple Locations (800) 634-2340 capcomfcu.org

SEFCU

Multiple Locations (800) 727-3328 sefcu.com

Sunmark

Multiple Locations (866) SUNMARK sunmark.org

CUSTOMER SERVICE

WORKSITE BENEFITS

3991 NY-2, Cropseyville (518) 326-3939 worksitebenefits.biz

CAP COM

Multiple Locations (800) 634-2340 capcomfcu.org

Trustco Bank

Multiple Locations trustcobank.com

DAY SPA

COMPLEXIONS SPA FOR BEAUTY AND WELLNESS

221 Wolf Road, Albany (518) 595-4845

268 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 309-7107 complexions.com

Kimberley’s A Day Spa

982 New Loudon Road, Latham (518) 785-5868 kimberleysadayspa.com

Spa Mirbeau

1 Crossgates Mall Road, Albany (518) 647-2328 spamirbeau.com

DRY CLEANER

BEST CLEANERS

Multiple Locations bestcleanersny.com

Stena Dry Cleaning

451 Albany Shaker Road, Albany (518) 459-5944

Silvestri Dry Cleaners

145 Vly Road, Schenectady (518) 456-2800

FACIAL COMPLEXIONS SPA FOR BEAUTY AND WELLNESS

221 Wolf Road, Albany (518) 595-4845

268 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 309-7107 complexions.com

Choices Hair Studio

180 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-4619 choiceshairstudio.com

Flower Power

The Capital Region really is divided on the best florist in the area—this year’s Besties saw not only a tie for first place in the category, but also a three-way tie for third! Congrats to Flowers by Pesha and Renaissance Floral, as well as runners up Chatham Flowers, Frank Gallo & Son Florist and Fleurtacious Designs.

Breathe Massage Therapy

48 Hudson Avenue, Delmar (518) 521-7979 breathemassagedelmar.com

FITNESS

CENTER GOOD KARMA STUDIO

12 Walker Way, Albany (518) 512-9929 thegoodkarmastudio.com

Vent Fitness

Multiple Locations ventfitness.com

Focusmaster Fitness 828 Hoosick Road, Troy (518) 326-4758 focusmaster.com

FLORIST

FLOWERS BY PESHA (TIE)

501 Broadway, Troy (518) 272-1980 flowersbypesha.net

RENAISSANCE FLORAL DESIGN (TIE)

1561 Western Avenue, Albany (518) 464-6002 rfdny.com

Chatham Flowers (tie) 2117 Route 203, Chatham (855) 299-0342 chathamflowersandgifts.com

Frank Gallo & Son Florist (tie) 1601 State Street, Schenectady (518) 346-6171 frankgallo.com

Fleurtacious Designs (tie)

492 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham (518) 608-5618 fleurtaciousdesigns.com

FURNITURE STORE

OLD BRICK FURNITURE

33-37 Warehouse Row, Albany (518) 213-2686

2910 Campbell Road, Schenectady (518) 213-3194

oldbrickfurniture.com

Mooradian’s Furniture

800 Central Avenue, Albany (518) 489-2529

1758A Route 9 Parkwood Plaza, Clifton Park (518) 694-8452

mooradians.com

Taft (now Raymour & Flanigan) Furniture 1960 Central Avenue, Albany (518) 456-3361

121 Ballston Avenue, Saratoga Springs (518) 886-0990 taftfurniture.com

HAIR SALON

CHOICES HAIR STUDIO

180 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-4619 choiceshairstudio.com

BLUSH Salon

211 Old Loudon Road, Latham (518) 608-1481 @blushsalon211 on Facebook

Pure Elements Salon (tie) 1728 Western Avenue, Albany (518) 608-5405 pure-elements-salon.com

Genesis Hair Studio (tie) 1658 Central Avenue, Albany (518) 869-9696

@GenesisHairStudioAlbany on Facebook

HEALTH CARE/HMO

CDPHP

500 Patroon Creek Boulevard, Albany (518) 641-3140 cdphp.com

MVP Health Care 625 State Street, Schenectady (518) 370-4793 mvphealthcare.com

The Empire Plan (877) 776-7447 empireblue.com

HEATING & COOLING

FAMILY DANZ HEATING & COOLING 404 North Pearl Street, Albany (518) 203-5035 familydanz.com

Adams Heating & Cooling Co. 2088 Curry Road, Schenectady (518) 356-4730 adamshvac.net

Crisafulli Bros.

25 Industrial Park Road, Albany (518) 302-2947 crisbro.com

HOME BUILDER

BELMONTE BUILDERS

1743 Route 9, Clifton Park (518) 371-1000

belmontebuilders.com

Hanifin Home Builders

420 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-9033 hanifinbuilders.com

Amedore Homes (tie) 1900 Western Avenue, Albany (518) 456-1010 amedorehomes.com

Hodorowski Homes (tie) 796 Burdeck Street, Schenectady (518) 356-1435 hodorowskihomes.com

HOME HEALTHCARE

MARQUIS CERTIFIED HOME CARE

1762 Central Avenue, Albany (518) 216-0100

marquishc.com

Eddy Visiting Nurse and Rehab Association

433 River Street, Troy (518) 274-6200 sphp.com

Kingsway Community

323 Kings Road, Schenectady (518) 393-8800 kingswaycommunity.com

HOSPITAL

ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER

43 New Scotland Avenue, Albany (518) 262-3125 amc.edu

St. Peter’s Hospital

315 South Manning Boulevard, Albany (518) 525-1550 sphp.com

Saratoga Hospital

211 Church Street, Saratoga Springs (518) 587-3222 saratogahospital.org

INSURANCE AGENCY

WORKSITE BENEFITS

3991 NY-2, Cropseyville (518) 326-3939 worksitebenefits.biz

SEFCU Insurance Agency

469 State Street, Schenectady (518) 786-9905

sefcuinsuranceagency.com

Anatriello Agency

130 Main Street, Ravena (518) 756-2877

anatrielloagency.com

LANDSCAPER

FADDEGON’S LANDSCAPING

1140 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham (518) 785-6726

faddegonslandscape.com

Troy’s Landscape Supply 1266 New Loudon Road, Cohoes (518) 785-1526

troyslandscapesupply.com

Green Fields Lawn & Landscaping (518) 527-9340 greenfieldsny.com

LAW FIRM

MARTIN, HARDING & MAZZOTTI

111 Washington Avenue, Albany (800) 529-1010 1800law1010.com

Mack & Associates, PLLC

270 Mount Hope Drive, Albany (518) 465-1451 mack-associates.com

Cioffi, Slezak and Wildgrube P.C. 1473 Erie Boulevard, Schenectady (518) 377-6700 cswlawfirm.com

MANI/PEDI

COMPLEXIONS SPA FOR BEAUTY AND WELLNESS

221 Wolf Road, Albany (518) 595-4845

268 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 309-7107 complexions.com

Passion Nail Spa and Lashes

351 Southern Boulevard, Albany (518) 445-8000 passionnailsandbrowalbany.com

Happy Nails

2050 Western Avenue, Guilderland (518) 452-6060

MARINA

COEYMANS LANDING MARINA (TIE) 20 Marina Drive, Coeymans

(518) 756-6111 coeymanslandingmarina.com

CASTAWAY MARINA (TIE)

2546 Route 9L, Queensbury (518) 547-1427 castawaymarina.com

Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina 70 Shady Harbor Drive, New Baltimore (518) 756-8001 shadyharbormarina.com

Troy Downtown Marina

401 River Street, Troy (518) 201-6333 troymarina.com

MASSAGE

LABERGE MASSAGE THERAPY

204 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 577-5488 labergemassagetherapy.com

Breathe Massage Therapy

48 Hudson Avenue, Delmar (518) 521-7979 breathemassagedelmar.com

Complexions Spa for Beauty and Wellness

221 Wolf Road, Albany (518) 595-4845

268 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 309-7107 complexions.com

MEDICAL ESTHETICS

THE PLASTIC SURGERY GROUP

455 Patroon Creek Boulevard, Albany (518) 438-0505 theplasticsurgerygroup.net

The Rejuva Center at Williams 1072 Troy Schenectady Road #102, Latham (518) 786-7004 rejuvacenters.com

Complexions Spa for Beauty and Wellness

221 Wolf Road, Albany (518) 595-4845

268 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 309-7107 complexions.com

PAVING/SEALCOATING

L. BROWE ASPHALT SERVICES

19 Sun Oil Road, Rensselaer (518) 479-1400 broweasphalt.com

Cobleskill Stone Products (518) 234-0221 cobleskillstoneproducts.com

Luizzi Asphalt Services

70 Tivoli Street, Albany (518) 459-7325 luizziasphalt.com

PET SPA

PET SPAS & SUITES

1 Cerone Commercial Drive, Colonie (518) 783-5506 petspasandsuites.com

Shampoodle

266 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 368-3260 shampoodledogwash.com

LA Pet Salon and Spa 2443 Route 9, Malta (518) 400-8013 lapetsalonandspa.com

PHOTOGRAPHER

ALYSSA SALERNO

alyssumphoto.pixieset.com

Leann Fyvie fyviefilms.com

T.R. Laz (518) 458-7008 trlaz.com

PILATES STUDIO

CORE PILATES

4 Palisades Drive, Albany (518) 727-0271 corepilatesalbany.com

Free Movement Pilates

500 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar (518) 275-2644 freemovementpilates.com

Pilates Principle 578 Loudon Road, Latham (518) 783-1678 lathampilates.com

REAL ESTATE

PROFESSIONAL

MARCIA MURRAY, MARCIA MURRAY & ASSOCIATES REALTY

63 Putnam Street #202, Saratoga Springs 24 Mallard Cove, Ballston Lake (518) 925-7115 marciamurray.com

Nina Sher, Hunt Real Estate 1365 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands (518) 368-5578 huntrealestate.com

Leanne Royer, CM Fox Real Estate (tie) 2390 Western Avenue, Guilderland (518) 265-2203 cmfoxrealestate.com

Anthony M. Gucciardo, Gucciardo Real Estate Group (tie) 1074 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham (518) 331-3785 anthonygucciardo.com

TREE SERVICE

DAVEY TREE

1 Runway Avenue, Latham (866) 207-2031 davey.com

Advantage Tree Service (tie) 772 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 944-5172 advantagetreeny.com

Wade’s Tree Service (tie) (518)384-7285 wadestreeservice.com

YOGA STUDIO

GOOD KARMA STUDIO

12 Walker Way, Albany (518) 512-9929 thegoodkarmastudio.com

The Hot Yoga Spot Multiple Locations thehotyogaspot.com

Heartspace Yoga & Healing Arts

747 Madison Avenue, Albany 10 2nd Street, Troy (518) 512-3390 heartspacealbany.com

SHOPPING

APPLE ORCHARD

INDIAN LADDER FARMS

342 Altamont Road, Altamont (518) 765-2956 indianladderfarms.com

Golden Harvest Farms

3074 Route 9, Valatie (518) 758-7683 goldenharvestfarms.com

Bowman Orchards

147 Sugarhill Road, Rexford (518) 371-2042 bowmanorchards.com

BIKE SHOP

FREEMAN’S BRIDGE SPORTS

38 Freemans Bridge Road, Scotia (518) 382-0593 freemansbridgesports.com

Mad Dog Bicycles 561 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-3669 maddogbicycles.com

Steiner’s Sports Multiple Locations steinersskibike.com

BOOKSTORE

MARKET BLOCK BOOKS

290 River Street, Troy (518) 328-0045

bhny.com

I Love Books (tie) 380 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 478-0715 ilovebooksdelmar.com

Open Door Bookstore (tie) 128 Jay Street, Schenectady (518) 346-2719 opendoor-bookstore.com

BRIDAL SHOP

ANGELA’S BRIDAL 188 River Street, Troy (518) 869-1848 angelasbridal.net

DeAnna’s Boutique

3991 Route 43, West Sand Lake (518) 283-6252 deannasgiftsandclothing.com

Lily Saratoga

6 Franklin Square, Saratoga Springs (518) 587-5017 lilysaratoga.com

CSA/COMMUNITY CO-OP

HONEST WEIGHT FOOD CO-OP

100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany (518) 482-2667 honestweight.coop

Niskayuna Co-op

2227 Nott Street, Niskayuna (518) 374-1362 niskayunaco-op.com

Denison Farm

333 Buttermilk Falls Road, Schaghticoke (518) 664-2510 denisonfarm.com

Troy Story

Notice a bit of a theme among the winners of this year’s shopping categories?

Troy shops took home a whole handful of wins in these categories: Best Bookstore (the quaint Market Block Books), Bridal Shop (the luxurious Angela’s Bridal), Clothing Boutique (the whimsical Truly Rhe), Music Store (the retro River Street Beat Shop), and, of course, Farmers’ Market, for the Collar City’s hoppin’ Waterfront Farmers Market.

CAR DEALER

KEELER MOTOR CAR COMPANY

1111 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham (888) 600-3013 keeler.com

Lia Auto Group

Multiple Locations (855) 212-7985 liacars.com

Goldstein Auto Group 1671 Central Avenue, Albany goldsteinauto.com

CLOTHING BOUTIQUE

TRULY RHE

1 Broadway, Troy (518) 273-1540 trulyrhe.com

Circles Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany (518) 482-2554 circles-shop.com

Violet’s of Saratoga 494 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-4838 violetsofsaratoga.com

CONSIGNMENT SHOP

WORTH REPEATING

123 Saratoga Road, Glenville (518) 384-0946 worthrepeating123.com

Something Olde, Something New (tie) 1969 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands (518) 474-0663 somethingoldenew.com

The Closet Shop (tie) 337 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-5722 theclosetshopdelmar.com

FARMERS’ MARKET

TROY WATERFRONT FARMERS’ MARKET

Monument Square, Troy (April-October) 865 2nd Avenue, Troy (November-March) (518) 708-4216 troymarket.org

Delmar Farmers’ Market

332 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar delmarmarket.com

Schenectady Greenmarket

105 Jay Street - City Hall, Schenectady (May-October)

432 State Street - Proctors, Schenectady (November-April) schenectadygreenmarket.com

GARDEN NURSERY

HEWITT’S GARDEN CENTER

Multiple Locations hewitts.com

Faddegon’s Nursery 1140 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham (518) 785-6726

faddegons.com

Troy’s Landscape Supply 1266 New Loudon Road, Cohoes (518) 785-1526

troyslandscapesupply.com

GIFT SHOP

CROSS EYED OWL

3143 US Highway 9 #8, Valatie (518) 758-6755 crosseyedowl.com

Wit’s End 1762 Route 9, Clifton Park (518) 371-9273 witsendgiftique.com

5th Corner Goods and Gifts 395 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar 5thcornergoods.com

HARDWARE STORE

ROBINSON’S ACE HARDWARE

1874 Western Avenue, Guilderland (518) 456-7383

1900 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands (518) 475-9483 robinsonshardware.com

Phillip’s Hardware

6495 Route 158, Altamont (518) 861-5364

235 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-9943 shopphillips.com

Hatchet Hardware Multiple Locations hatchethardware.com

HEALTH FOOD STORE

HONEST WEIGHT FOOD CO-OP

100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany (518) 482-2667 honestweight.coop

Uncle Sam’s Health Foods

77 4th Street, Troy (518) 271-7299 646 New Loudon Road, Latham (518) 782-5233 unclesamshealthfood.com

Healthy Living Market & Cafe 3065 NY-50, Saratoga Springs (518) 306-4900 healthylivingmarket.com

JEWELER

JOYELLES JEWELERS

318 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-9993 joyellesjewelers.com

Northeastern Fine Jewelry Multiple Locations nefj.com

Hannoush Jewelers 112 Wolf Road, Albany (518) 715-8759 1750 Route 9, Clifton Park (518) 616-9806 hannoushny.com

LIQUOR/WINE

EMPIRE WINE

1440 Central Avenue, Albany (518) 694-8503 empirewine.com

All Star Wine & Spirits 579 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham (518) 220-9463 allstarwine.com

Menswear, Everywhere

This past December, Mark Thomas Men’s Apparel, which has long been Albany’s go-to spot for formalwear for the fashion-forward man, opened a second location on Broadway in Downtown Saratoga Springs. Oh yeah, and you can check out some of Mark Thomas’ stuff on the very cover of this magazine—the Menswear Bestie winner dressed and styled cover subject Steve Caporizzo!

Exit 9 Wine & Liquor Warehouse

9 Halfmoon Crossing, Clifton Park (518) 688-0153 exit9wineandliquor.com

MENSWEAR

MARK THOMAS MEN’S APPAREL

5 Metro Park Road, Albany (518) 438-7887

385 Broadway Suite 2, Saratoga Springs (518) 871-1293 markthomasmensapparel.com

Britches of Troy

216 River Street, Troy (518) 279-2752 britchesoftroy.com

Amore Clothing

595 Loudon Road, Latham (518) 785-4184 amoreclothing.com

MUSIC STORE

THE RIVER STREET BEAT SHOP

197 River Street, Troy (518) 272-0433 @riverstreet.beatshop.1 on Facebook

John Keal Music

819 Livingston Avenue, Albany (518) 482-4405 1758 Parkwood Plaza, Clifton Park (518) 371-4455 johnkealmusic.com

Drome Sound Music Store (tie) 1875 State Street, Schenectady (518) 370-3701 dromesound.com

Parkway Music (tie) 1777 Route 9, Clifton Park (518) 383-0300 parkwaymusic.com

OPTICAL CENTER

BRASS EYE CENTER

1783 Route 9 #106, Clifton Park 713 Troy Schenectady Road #135, Latham

(518) 782-7827 brasseyecenter.com

DiNapoli Opticians Multiple Locations dinapoliopt.com

Buenau’s Opticians

228 Delaware Avenue, Delmar (518) 439-7012 buenaus.com

SHOPPING MALL/CENTER

COLONIE CENTER

131 Colonie Center, Albany (518) 252-0215

shopatcoloniecenter.com

Crossgates Mall

1 Crossgates Mall Road, Albany (518) 869-3522 shopcrossgates.com

Stuyvesant Plaza 1475 Western Avenue, Albany (518) 482-8986 stuyvesantplaza.com

SPORTING

GOODS STORE

MOUNTAINMAN OUTDOOR

SUPPLY COMPANY

490 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-3500 mountainmanoutdoors.com

Bullseye Jim’s Archery 517 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush (518) 477-2697 bullseyejimsarchery.com

Steiner’s Sports Multiple Locations steinersskibike.com

SUPERMARKET

HANNAFORD

Multiple Locations hannaford.com

Price Chopper/Market 32

Multiple Locations pricechopper.com

ShopRite

Multiple Locations shoprite.com

TIRE STORE

WARREN TIRE

Multiple Locations warrentiresvc.com

LaBarge’s Tire and Auto Service (tie)

52 Route 9W, Glenmont (518) 436-8473 labargestireautocenter.com

Grand Premier Tires & Custom Wheels (tie)

591 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush (518) 477-4753

3361 South Thompson, Schenectady (518) 630-5055 grandpremiertire.com

KisKis Tire (tie)

978 Albany Shaker Road, Latham (518) 785-5516 kiskistire.com

TRAVEL AGENCY

AAA TRAVEL

Multiple Locations hudsonvalley.aaa.com

Blue Skies Travel

2 Pittsfield Avenue, East Greenbush (518) 477-4700 blueskiestravel.com

Fort Orange Travel 9 Woods Way, Clifton Park (518) 472-8171 fortorangetravel.com

PEOPLE & MEDIA

AFTERNOON ANCHOR

STEPHANIE RIVAS, NEWS10 ABC

EVENING ANCHOR

JOHN GRAY, NEWS10 ABC

Lydia Kulbida, NEWS10 ABC

MORNING ANCHOR

CHRISTINA ARANGIO, NEWS10 ABC

Balli and her daughter, Sofia Bhola, of Schenectady, are grateful each day for the leukemia treatment Sofia receives at The Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Albany Med.

MORNING TEAM

NEWS10 ABC TEAM

METEOROLOGIST

STEVE CAPORIZZO, NEWS10 ABC

MUSIC RADIO WGNA

NEWS RADIO WAMC

RADIO PERSONALITY

PAUL VANDENBURGH, TALK 1300AM & 98.7FM WGDJ

PRINT JOURNALIST

JOHN GRAY, CAPITAL REGION LIVING

SPORTSCASTER

RODGER WYLAND, NEWSCHANNEL 13

PLACES

ADIRONDACK INN

MIRROR LAKE INN

77 Mirror Lake Drive, Lake Placid (518) 523-2544 mirrorlakeinn.com

Whiteface Lodge

7 Whiteface Inn Lane, Lake Placid (518) 523-0505 thewhitefacelodge.com

ASSISTED LIVING/ NURSING HOME

KINGSWAY COMMUNITY

323 Kings Road, Schenectady (518) 393-8800 kingswaycommunity.com

The Sentinel of Amsterdam 10 Market Street, Amsterdam (518) 896-1010 sentinelalf.com

Teresian House (tie)

200 Washington Avenue Ext., Albany (518) 456-2000 teresianhouse.org

Van Rensselaer Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation (tie) 85 Bloomingrove Drive, Troy (518) 283-2000 vanrensselaermanor.com

B&B (within 3 hours)

GARDNER FARM INN

59 Brunswick Road, Troy (917) 509-5110 gardnerfarminn.com

The Inn at Erlowest

3178 Lake Shore Drive, Lake George (518) 668-5928 theinnaterlowest.com

CAMPGROUND

ADVENTURE BOUND DEER RUN CAMPGROUND (TIE)

200 Deer Run Drive, Schaghticoke (518) 664-2804 abcamping.com

MOREAU LAKE STATE PARK (TIE)

605 Old Saratoga Road, Gansevoort (518) 793-0511 parks.ny.gov

Moffit Beach Campground

205 Page Street, Lake Pleasant (518) 548-7102 dec.ny.gov

DAY TRIP

(within 3 hours) LAKE GEORGE visitlakegeorge.com

Lake Placid lakeplacid.com

Cooperstown thisiscooperstown.com

DOG FRIENDLY SPOT THE CROSSINGS OF COLONIE

580 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville (518) 783-2760 colonie.org

Bye-i Brewing (tie) 122 Remsen Street, Cohoes (518) 244-3924 byeibrewing.com

Rodger That

Congrats to NewsChannel 13 Sports Director Rodger Wyland, who in winning the Sportscaster category prevented NEWS10 ABC from completely clean-sweeping the broadcast news categories. It’s really no surprise Wyland took the title—he’s been with the station since 1986. We can hear it now...”And I’m Rodger Wyland on Sports. This is NewChannel 13.”

Capital Hills at Albany Golf Course (tie)

65 O’Neil Road, Albany (518) 438-2208 caphills.com

Elm Avenue Park (tie)

261 Elm Avenue. Delmar (518) 439-4955 townofbethlehem.com

GOLF COURSE (PRIVATE)

THE COUNTRY CLUB OF TROY

100 Troy Country Club Road, Troy (518) 274-1000 countrycluboftroy.com

Wolferts Roost Country Club (tie) 120 Van Rensselaer Boulevard, Albany (518) 449-3223 wolfertsroost.com

Colonie Golf and Country Club (tie) 13 Country Club Lane, Voorheesville (518) 765-4100 coloniegcc.com

GOLF COURSE (PUBLIC)

SARATOGA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB

458 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs (518) 583-4653 golfsaratoga.com

Saratoga Spa Golf Course 60 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-2773 saratogaspagolf.com

Frear Park Municipal Golf Course

2701 Lavin Court, Troy (518) 270-4553 troyny.gov

HIKING TRAIL

JOHN BOYD THACHER STATE PARK

830 Thacher Park Road, Voorheesville (518) 872-1237 parks.ny.gov

Five Rivers

56 Game Farm Road, Delmar (518) 475-0291

dec.ny.gov

Vroman’s Nose Hiking Trail (tie) 264 Mill Valley Road, Middleburgh cnyhiking.com

Grafton Lakes State Park (tie)

254 Grafton Lakes State Park Way, Grafton (518) 279-1155 parks.ny.gov

HOTEL (CAPITAL REGION)

CROWN PLAZA ALBANY - THE DESMOND

660 Albany Shaker Road, Albany (518) 869-8100 desmondhotelsalbany.com

Renaissance Albany Hotel

144 State Street, Albany (518) 992-2500 marriott.com

The Adelphi Hotel

365 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 678-6000 theadelphihotel.com

KIDS BIRTHDAY VENUE

GOOD KARMA STUDIO

12 Walker Way 1A, Albany (518) 512-9929

thegoodkarmastudio.com

KJ’s Gymnastics

3143 Route 9, Valatie (518) 758-2554 kjsgymnasticsny.com

FunPlex Fun Park

589 Columbia Turnpike, East Greenbush (518) 477-2651 funplexfunpark.com

KIDS CAMP

CAMP FOWLER

152 Pelcher Road, Lake Pleasant (518) 548-6524 campfowler.org

Good Karma Studio

12 Walker Way 1A, Albany (518) 512-9929 thegoodkarmastudio.com

YMCA Adventure Camp

1 Camp Nassau Lane, Guilderland (518) 640-1988 cdymca.org

PARK

JOHN BOYD THACHER STATE PARK

830 Thacher Park Road, Voorheesville (518) 872-1237

parks.ny.gov

The Crossings of Colonie

580 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville (518) 783-2760 colonie.org

Saratoga Spa State Park 19 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs (518) 584-2535 parks.ny.gov

55+ RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

BEVERWYCK (TIE)

40 Autumn Drive, Slingerlands (518) 280-8385 eddyseniorliving.com

THE SPINNEY AT VAN DYKE (TIE)

6 Parker Mathusa Place, Delmar (518) 689-0162

The Spinney at Pond View 2490 Pond View, Castleton-On-Hudson (518) 479-0800 thespinneygroup.com

Kingsway Community

323 Kings Road, Schenectady (518) 393-8800 kingswaycommunity.com

ROMANTIC

GETAWAY INN

THE INN AT ERLOWEST

3178 Lake Shore Drive, Lake George (518) 668-5928 theinnaterlowest.com

The Sagamore Resort (tie) 110 Sagamore Road, Bolton Landing (518) 644-9400 thesagamore.com

The Reluctant Panther (tie) 39 West Road, Manchester Village, VT (802) 362-2568 reluctantpanther.com

The Adelphi Hotel (tie)

365 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 678-6000 theadelphihotel.com

SARATOGA INN/HOTEL

THE INN AT SARATOGA 231 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 583-1890 theinnatsaratoga.com

Inn Style

This year’s Bestie survey saw four historic inns—Lake George’s Inn at Erlowest, Troy’s Gardner Farm Inn, Lake Placid’s Mirror Lake Inn, and The Inn at Saratoga—beat out modern hotels to win their respective categories. The Inn at Saratoga, the oldest of the four, is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year.

Longfellows Hotel & Restaurant

500 Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs (518) 587-0108 longfellows.com

The Adelphi Hotel 365 Broadway, Saratoga Springs (518) 678-6000 theadelphihotel.com

SKI AREA

GORE MOUNTAIN 793 Peaceful Valley Road, North Creek (518) 251-2411 goremountain.com

Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort 37 Corey Road, Hancock, MA (413) 738-5500 jiminypeak.com

WEDDING VENUE

OLD DALEY ON CROOKED LAKE 2339 NY-43, Averill Park (518) 674-3132 olddaley.com

Franklin Plaza 4 Fourth Street, Troy (518) 270-9622 franklinplaza.com

Pat’s Barn 110 Defreest Drive, Troy (518) 283-7102 patsbarn.com

Saratoga Springs:

Sonoma Grove – high $500’s

Regatta View – high $500’s

City Square – from $1 3m

Meadowbrook - from $1 2m

Halfmoon/Clifton Park:

Alexandria - high $400's

Windsor Woods – high $400’s

Round Lake: Griffin’s Ridge – high $400’s

A family-run business, Belmonte Builders has been building high quality, new homes in the Capital Region for more than 40 years We take pride in building vibrant neighborhoods and oversee ever y step of the construc tion process to ensure that we build a home that exceeds our customers expec tations!

Stop by our model home in Griffin’s Ridge to learn more:

50 Village Circle Nor th Round Lake, NY 12151

Open Daily 12pm - 5pm Tuesdays 10am – 2pm

Closed M ondays

Contac t: Spencer Lewis 518-410-4158 spencer@belmontebuilders.com

Belmonte Builders is located and builds in the Capital Cities Region.
Coming in 2022: Forest Gove: Saratoga Springs
Waite Meadows: Clifton Park

Becoming the Best You

These six local businesses are here to help you level up your life this spring.

Capital Region Hearing

9 West Sand Lake Rd., Wynantskill 518.326.1742; capitalregionhearing.com

Capital Region Hearing is an independent audiology practice offering a personalized approach tailored to each individual’s needs. Staffed by doctors of audiology, Capital Region Hearing is a private practice that offers unbiased treatment recommendations to provide the best-suited hearing instruments to its patients.

Fagan Associates

767 Hoosick Rd., Troy 518.279.1044; faganasset.com

Fagan Associates is a family-owned and-operated wealth management company with more than $600 million in assets under its management. The team believes that investing is about

more than just money—it’s about the people behind the numbers. They understand that every client has different needs and goals, and partner with them to help them reach their future aspirations.

Breathe Massage

48 Hudson Ave., Delmar 518. 621.7979; breathemassagedelmar.com

In today’s economy, we can’t allow ourselves many luxuries. Although massage does feel luxurious, it’s the beneficial results at the end of the session, including the reduction of stress and anxiety, that make the routine one we should not go without. At Delmar’s Breathe Massage, those end results are front of mind in every treatment its experienced therapists provide. Each therapist loves what she does, and lets that show through her work. Head to Breathe’s website to schedule an appointment.

Worksite Benefits

32 Tamarac Rd., Cropseyville 518.326.3939; worksitebenefits.biz

At Worksite Benefits, this year’s Bestie winner for the Insurance Agency and Customer Service categories, agents understand that benefits are not one size fits all. The independent agency’s trusted team provides you with detailed coverage options and works with you to customize the package that provides the best plan for you. After all, you know better than anyone what’s best for you and your employees.

Delmar Chiropractic

204 Delaware Ave., Delmar 518.439.7644; delmarchiropractic.com

The leading health professionals at Delmar Chiropractic are dedicated to helping you achieve your wellness

objectives by combining skill and expertise that span the entire chiropractic wellness spectrum. Unlike conventional medicine, which focuses on attempting to treat disease once it occurs, Delmar Chiropractic emphasizes improving your health in an effort to reduce the risk of pain and illness in the first place.

POLY Go Clear

3 Depot St., Hudson Falls 800.882.4683; mypolyled.com/shop Beautiful, younger-looking skin anytime—anywhere. The cordless POLY Go Clear handheld wand boasts medical grade power and output, and can be used in the comfort of your own home. The device, made by Hudson Falls’ Medtek Skin Care, has two interchangeable heads: the blue light, which is FDA cleared for moderate to severe acne, and a red light for reducing wrinkles and skin

rejuvenation. The wand, which is just $299 for both lights (shipping is free), is gentle and effective, and can be used anywhere on the body.

The Spinney at Van Dyke

6 Parker Mathusa Pl., Delmar 518.689.0162; Leaving your house does not mean you have to leave your privacy behind. The Spinney at Van Dyke offers a new approach to living for the “55 and better” community, allowing residents to move away from the burdens of owning their home while allowing a sense of privacy in a community setting. Each cottage at The Spinney features private entryways, back and front porches, as well as direct-access, attached garages. The Spinney lifestyle is the smoothest transition from owning a home to downsizing and renting. Schedule a visit today to see why!

See Beauty in a Whole New Light

A local company’s FDA-cleared device harnesses the gentle, non-invasive power of red light wavelengths to help rejuvenate the skin.

POLY Pro Rejuv Red Light Therapy Device

• 1,820 high performance LED lights [633 nm, 60mW/cm2].

• Safe, gentle and effective for all skin types

• Five-section, contouring head panel for maximum body coverage

• Adjustable, articulating arm

• Portable, moves easily from room to room

• Contact-free operation

• Touch screen timer and monitor that records all usage

• 15-minute session time

• 120V operation, plugs into any standard three-prong outlet

• LEDs rated for 50,000 hours of use or 200,000 sessions

• Commercial-grade construction

• Industry-leading three-year warranty

In the 1980’s NASA began testing the use of red light wavelengths to help grow plants and as a way to provide sustainable food sources for extended voyages into space. During their research, NASA also discovered that red light wavelengths could be used safely and effectively for alleviating pain, healing wounds and rejuvenating the skin.

This remarkable discovery has led to the development of a new category of derma-wellness devices, led by the Hudson Falls-based company Medtek Skin Care/UVBioTek, creator of POLY LED. POLY’s devices (POLY is short for polychromatic light therapy system and represents the “many” conditions that red light can treat) utilize red light energy to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, treat acne and blemishes, rejuvenate the skin, and energize the entire body by naturally stimulating the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides the energy for many processes in living cells.

Accelerating the popularity of this phenomenon, as well as creating lucrative new business opportunities, is the fact that the FDA has granted its coveted

510K OTC (over-the-counter) Clearance for Medtek Skin Care’s POLY Pro Rejuv Red-Light Therapy (RLT) System.

“This is a significant development for our company and the entire skincare industry,” says Medtek President Gary Richardson. “We invested a tremendous amount of time, research and financial resources in obtaining our FDA 510K OTC Clearance. The visible results experienced by our customers prove that our investment was well worth the effort.”

This is but the latest accomplishment for the Hudson Falls company, which has been a pioneer in the field of light therapy for more than 25 years. Already popular among leading dermatologists and medical practices due to its acne-fighting blue light, the company is also now experiencing tremendous demand for its POLY RLT units (primarily indicated for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles) from day spas, med spas, tanning salons, beauty salons, health clubs and massage and wellness centers. POLY wands for home use, available in both blue and red light, are also an affordable option.

Individual results may vary, but Sharon Butto of The Spa Studio Adirondacks in Queensbury, utilizes POLYs flexible design to cover hard-to-treat areas and has seen great results. “The nice thing about the POLY Pro is that you can open it up and do a whole region,” she says. “One person had [skin issues] on the shoulder going up the neck. I put the POLY PRO over the whole thing.”

While Medtek is a proud Capital Region company, its products are popular across the country.

“We have 29 day spas located in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia offering the POLY RLT systems,” says Jason Loving, of the Glo Sun Spa chain. “POLY is one of our most popular spa services. It delivers beautiful results and features contactfree operation.”

Hot Topic: the Production of Collagen

“Collagen” is one of the hottest buzz words in the beauty and skin care industry, and red light is right in the thick of the conversation. To function,

each cell in your body requires energy in the form of the aforementioned ATP, which is manufactured and stored within cellular structures called mitochondria. Exposing the skin to red light energy helps to safely and naturally stimulate the production of ATP. This, in turn, promotes skin regeneration via the production of collagen and elastin at the cellular level.

As we age, the mitochondria become less able to efficiently produce ATP. After the age of 21, it is estimated that our collagen production decreases about 1 percent each year. The increase in ATP stimulates the production of collagen fibers and collagen density. As collagen density increases, it helps to rejuvenate the skin and reduce fine lines and wrinkles, while also creating a more youthful appearance.

“POLY RLT has been a wonderful addition to our business,” says Adrienne Aaron, owner of Electrik Image Spas of Michigan. “It allows us to safely treat all skin types and it has become a robust profit center for our four locations.” Adds Michelle Fry, of Blush and Glow Skincare and Waxing Boutique in Glen Ellyn, IL: “POLY delivers incredible results. We also use POLY to enhance the results of our skin treatment services. My clients just love POLY!”

Effective Red Light Energy

It’s important to note that for a red light device to work effectively, the light emitted must be within a specific wavelength (nm) and it must also generate sufficient power to stimulate results.

This is critical, as some RLT devices on the market lack FDA Clearance and may emit no more power than the decorative lights on a Christmas Tree.

Think of it this way: Which would be more effective—a capsule with 6 milligrams of Vitamin C or one with 600 milligrams of Vitamin C?

To view the entire line of POLY Light Therapy Systems for your business or home, visit www.mypolyled.com

For a free Red-Light Therapy Science & Business Report, contact Medtek Skin Care at jerry.deveney@outlook.com

Spring Into Home Renovations

Your next great house project starts right here, with these top five local companies.

Luizzi Asphalt Services

70 Tivoli St., Albany

518.459.7325; luizziasphalt.com

Luizzi Asphalt Services’ mission is to be the most trusted name in quality products and dependable service for homes and businesses across the Capital Region. Luizzi is a thirdgeneration company that has provided services to thousands of satisfied customers over the years. The Luizzi name has been in the Capital Region for more than 50 years, and the family has built a reputation it is proud of! Call Luizzi Asphalt Services for skilled solutions to all of your asphalt maintenance and repair needs.

Wolberg Lighting Design & Electrical Supply

Multiple locations wolbergelectric.com

Are you looking to renovate this

spring? Remember to include a lighting layout plan to take your renovation to the next level. A good lighting plan integrates comfort, control and energy efficiency to create a healthy and safe home environment. Begin by assessing the activities that take place in each room. Most rooms are in need of layered lighting to address different needs—for instance, task lighting in the kitchen or bath, or ambient light in the living room. Talk to the lighting experts at the Albany, Schenectady or Saratoga lighting showroom for the best guidance in lighting terminology, types of lighting and choosing the right LED bulbs.

J. Hunziker Paving, LLC

25 Corellis Dr., Rensselaer 518.858.7917; jhunzikerpavingllc.com

When it comes to driveway paving, work only with seasoned driveway contractors who can ensure that

Visit Colonie Center for an unparalleled shopping experience. Bringing the Capital Region so many stores that are unique to the market-from L.L. Bean, Barnes and Noble, Nordstrom Rack, and P.F. Changs.

Colonie Center also offers one-of-a-kind events for the whole family. Visit our website to plan your next shopping trip, www.shopatcoloniecenter.com.

your driveway is smooth and functional. Avoid the frustration and disappointment of dealing with unprofessional driveway paving contractors by doing business with J. Hunziker Paving, LLC, instead. Owner Jason Hunziker has 20 years of experience serving the residential and commercial paving needs of customers throughout Troy and the surrounding areas, and he is committed to providing his customers with the best possible workmanship and service. When you need topquality driveway paving for your home or place of business, Jason will be there to help. Turn to him for all your asphalt driveway paving needs.

CR Gas Logs & Fireplaces, Inc.

15 Drywall Ln., Voorheesville 518.765.4279; crgaslogs.com

CR Gas Logs & Fireplaces has been a leader in the hearth and patio industry

in the greater Capital Region for more than 30 years. Employees pride themselves on providing each customer with high-quality service and advice, whether he or she is looking for a cozy interior fireplace or an elaborate, custom outdoor kitchen. Whatever you’re thinking, CR Gas Logs’ staff will help educate you on the right choice for your home. CR Gas Logs’ goal is for all its customers to leave feeling like they had a positive shopping experience, whether they made a purchase or not.

L. Browe Asphalt Services

19 Sun Oil Rd., Rensselaer 518.479.1400; broweasphalt.com

The L. Browe Asphalt Services has served thousands of residential and commercial customers in the greater Hudson Valley. Their installations are built to last, with correct elevations and subtle detailing to ease the job into the land. Transitions are smooth with good, level flow and slight changes in elevation to provide proper water drainage. L. Browe mills the end of the drive so that it retains its thickness and is not subject to being lifted up by plowing equipment. The end product is a true, level, aesthetically pleasing job with artistic curves and superior function that completes and enhances the entire property.

GREATEST OF EASE

Capturing that perfect mid-performance shot is tricky, as the fearless athletes at Good Karma Studio rarely stop moving.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Alyssa Salerno’s work snapping the athletes at Good Karma Studio, Bestie winner for Best Yoga Studio and Best Kids Birthday Venue, helped her snag a Bestie for Best Photographer. So we asked her to submit her favorite shot, and tell us how it was captured alyssumphoto.mypixieset.com

Photographing the talented women from Albany’s Good Karma Studio is always an adventure. I’ve photographed the aerialists five times, and each time I’ve learned something new about shooting action photography. This image was taken during the studio’s student showcase at Putnam Place in Downtown Saratoga. We planned a practice shoot during their recital a few days prior; there, we dialed in the look and feel of the images, color lighting and overall space. This image was tricky due to low lighting and a fast-moving target. The low light that adds drama to their performances is counterintuitive to action photography when it comes to camera settings. So I had to get creative and come up with a happy medium. We decided to use spotlighting on both the ground and aerial levels to help illuminate the performers. To be sure we could capture the beauty of the students’ hard work, we prepared the perfect shot for each gymnast; we went over what their poses would look like, how long they would be in that pose, and what position I would need to be in to capture the photo. Ultimately, the images from the showcase came down to planning, communication, trust and a go-for-it attitude from both myself and the amazing athletes from Good Karma Studio.

SHRIMP TOO

Bestie-winning chef Marc Yanni of Yanni’s Too in Coeymans whips up an easy-to-make, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp appetizer.

Ingredients:

Jumbo peeled & deveined shrimp

Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced

Fresh baby spinach

Fresh chopped garlic

Lemon juice

Pecorino Romano cheese, thinly sliced

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

• Toss your shrimp in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Wrap a slice of your Prosciutto around your seasoned shrimp. We use four jumbo shrimp for an appetizer, but make as many as your heart tells you is right! Get your sauté pan hot with a little olive oil and sear your wrapped shrimp on both sides until the Prosciutto is lightly crisp and the shrimp are pink, just a couple minutes on each side.

• Next, heat a sauté pan with olive oil and fresh garlic (add some red pepper flakes if you like some spice!). Add about two cups of fresh baby spinach to the pan—it will cook way down, so add more than you think you need. Once the spinach starts to wilt, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the Romano cheese. When the cheese is melted, remove. Place the wrapped shrimp on a bed of the cooked spinach, top with melted cheese, and serve. CRL

A Sure Pet

These two pet-centric businesses will keep your furry friend happy and healthy this spring.

The Animal Hospital

2 Rocking Horse Ln., Slingerlands 518.456.0852; theanimalhospital.com

The staff at The Animal Hospital have dedicated their lives and this practice to their patients. The serene veterinary office is warm and inviting for you and your companion. By choice, it has remained a small hospital, allowing all of the staff to know you and your pet, giving whatever time is necessary to meet your needs. Every patient benefits from the staff’s commitment to being at the forefront in veterinary medicine. The Animal Hospital teams philosophy is to treat each patient as they would their own family members.

Pet Spas & Suites

1 Cerone Commercial Dr., Albany 518.783.5506; petspasandsuites.com

Pet Spas & Suites has been proudly serving the Capital Region for 30 years. Its commitment to providing quality pet care and passion for animals drives the dedicated team to assess each pet’s needs and provide him or her with the best experience possible during each visit. Pet Spa & Suites sends out a special thank you to its loyal customers for entrusting their furry family members with grooming, daycare and boarding needs since 1990!

Experts

Thank You for Being a Friend

The late, great Betty White (and her character on The Golden Girls) teaches us a real-life lesson about where our money can go after we’re gone.

ESQ.

This past New Year’s Eve, while the world welcomed in a new year, it also lost one of its most beloved TV icons.

Betty White, entertainment royalty, passed away just 17 days shy of her 100th birthday. With a career that spanned eight (that’s correct, eight!) decades across television and film, White was a comedic trailblazer who kept her proverbial comedy “fastball” well into her nineties. Off-screen she was just as tireless as an advocate for animal welfare and racial justice.

When celebrities pass away, there is typically a wave of information about their net worth and their estates. Who got what? Who got snubbed? We expect the rich and famous to have their sizable affairs in order, and when they don’t, the stuff that is nobody’s business quickly becomes everyone’s business.

White’s estate plans, meanwhile, provide some lessons (from both life and screen) about the importance of considering leaving money to charitable causes, and her beloved Rose Nyland character on The Golden Girls shows us what’s possible when your friends are your family.

Betty White did not have any biological

children. She was a widow for the final 40+ years of her life; however, she did have a close relationship with three stepchildren and their families. Under the laws of New York (note that White lived in California), those stepchildren were not White’s “distributees” (a legal term of art meaning those who would inherit when someone dies without a will). Accordingly, if the famous actress’ estate plan included a desire to leave assets to her stepchildren, she would have needed to be proactive via a Last Will & Testament or a Living Trust stating that. Similarly, Rose Nyland, who spent all those years cohabitating with Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia, would have needed

to create an estate plan to leave assets to her dear friends. Rose could have created a plan that not only left money to the other Golden Girls, but could have even specified that, if Sophia went back to the “Shady Pines” nursing home, the money destined to her would instead be split evenly among the others. Estate planning documents can be as straightforward or complicated as you wish, even including provisions that hold money in trust for young beneficiaries, beneficiaries with special needs, or those who may need long-term care.

There are already stories about White’s charitable beneficiaries being an array of animal welfare and rescue organizations. When my clients desire to leave money to charities, planning becomes even more important to make sure that those good causes receive assets based on the wishes of the decedent. Decisions have to be made regarding whether beneficiaries get a percentage of the pie or a fixed amount.

When celebrities pass, it reminds us of our ability to make an impact on those around us—our family, our friends and in White’s case, a lot of worthwhile organizations. The Golden Girl’s posthumous charitable contributions have only reinforced the fact that she will continue making the world a better place long after her death.

David A. Kubikian is a partner at Herzog Law Firm, P.C. and specializes in elder law, estate planning and estate administration. Offices are located in Albany, Saratoga Springs, Clifton Park and Kingston. Webinars about estate planning are available at herzoglaw.com

A cheat sheet for aligning in the cosmic energies:

Becoming Your Best(ie) Self

How to use the energies of the season to take your life to the next level.

fter a long road through the pandemic, many of us are ready to take our lives to the next level. And we’re in luck, because spring is the season to do it.

AHow do we ignite the energy to get fired up? Inspiration comes when we turn our attention to our heroes and heroines: Simone Biles, Tom Brady and the other greats of the world. We love them for their fiery, enthusiastic and enterprising natures; they inspire us to set bold goals, and to actualize our highest potentials. The attraction, though, lies at the heart of our own light. We see reflected in

them a vision of our own greatness. They remind us that we, too, have this fire (Aries) energy inside of us and the capacity to be our best selves.

Sure, some days we fight, deny and shrink when we are challenged by our inner spark. But on other days, an invisible force (Aries energy) seems to urge us to rise up and meet it. Cue the Rocky theme.

How can you align best with the cosmic energies of this season?

Use the highly dreamy and visionary Piscean energy in early- to mid-March to get creative. Use this time to decide: What do I desire? Who do I want to be?

Sun in Pisces (ends 3/20): Dream it

Sun in Aries (ends 4/19): Evoke powerful emotion and ignite your drive

Sun in Taurus (ends 5/20): Ground it with practical action

What does my best next-level self and life look like? Paint a bold new picture.

Once the sun moves into Aries on March 20 (which also happens to be the start of spring), evoke and apply powerful emotion to the dream. Get fired up. Ignite passion and life force. Connect to your boldest self. Raise your confidence, so when it’s time to plant your seeds, you will do what it takes in order to take action. You must be courageous enough to tend to those seeds, even when you can’t see the growth occurring underground. Your newly ignited fire will fortify you so you can compete with any forces (i.e., fear and doubt) that will try to destroy or extinguish the dream.

Next, you will ground in the energy of the dream with Taurean earth energy once the sun enters Taurus on April 20. You will apply grounded practical action in order to manifest a passionate dream into physical form.

The evolution of your best, next-level self will be further supported by the new moon solar eclipse on April 30, which will bring with it an extra dose of initiating, powerful, advancement energy. So bring your boldest passions, inspirations and dreams forward, and become the best YOU of all time.

Congrats to all of the Bestie winners and runners-up featured in this issue. Thank you for modeling the highest potential for all of us. CRL

To learn more about your personal astrology and apply it to your life practically, or to boost your confidence, sign up at: rachelletrahancoaching. as.me

THE Experts

All Good Things

CRL ’s travel columnist says goodbye—after one last magical trip, to Hunter Mountain.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY

My years as a professional travel blogger and women’s retreat company founder have brought me around the world—but my time here at CAPITAL REGION LIVING got me to explore my own backyard. For that, I’m forever grateful.

While my year and change as a regular columnist here is coming to a close, I know that from time to time I’ll return, as I do to all of my favorite destinations.

For now, I’m ending on a high note— literally—with a story about my recent trip to Greene County’s Hunter Mountain in the Great Northern Catskills.

Growing up in Albany, I had a pretty significant obstacle to overcome: I hated winter.

As soon as I was able, I moved to warmer climates. A few years ago, however, my life unexpectedly brought me back to the land of four

seasons for awhile. After a brutal stretch bracing against reality, I finally started to warm up (no, not literally) to the idea that my Capital Region neighbors had been sharing with me my whole life: To survive winter, you must embrace a winter sport.

I grew up skiing, and while I wasn’t very good to begin with, I certainly got rusty after 10 years of swapping snow for sand. So, I vowed to go skiing at least once a season. This pledge brought me to several area slopes— Jiminy Peak right across the border in Massachusetts, and West Mountain due north in Queensbury, to start.

Next on my list? Hunter Mountain. Since dipping my boot back into the ski world, I learned that Hunter is the mountain for New York City residents escaping north. From Albany, it’s

less than an hour’s venture south.

Scribner’s Lodge was long on my bucket list of places to stay in the Empire State. A true four-seasons destination, I was drawn to its particularly winterfocused offerings, which include an outdoor barrel sauna, an onsite skating rink and numerous fire pits strewn about the property.

Each unique room is a sanctuary; some have fireplaces, others balconies or cozy indoor seating areas. Upon arriving for a long girls weekend with my friend Jess, we were welcomed with a bottle of wine, s’mores kit, hand-illustrated map of the area, and charming hand-written note.

As a result of a check-in snafu, the genuinely apologetic Scribner’s staff treated us to Sunday-evening dinner and delicious cocktails at Prospect, the hotel’s Brooklyn-esque onsite restaurant. The Howling Sun cocktail, featuring pear eau de vie, Dolin dry vermouth, Cocchi Americano, Asian pear, Verjus and absinthe, was a particular treat. It was, I hoped, an omen for a bluebird ski day to follow.

Mondays and Tuesdays are sleepy on the mountain, as

one Prospect bartender had warned me. They are the nights Prospect is closed, though the lodge hosts pop-ups of other local restaurants in its place— on our trip, hot spot Hyphen was serving delicious chili and elevated tater tots.

There’s plenty to explore beyond the hotel, of course. Fellow Café, a serene bakery serving breakfast, lunch and grocery items, is a standout in Hunter, as are Elevated Wine and Spirits and Hunter Mountain Brewery if you want to stock up on wine or brews to sip by your very own fireplace.

More options are available in Tannersville, the slightly (emphasis on slightly) bigger and buzzier town 10 minutes down the road. Tannersville

is reminiscent of a quainter Woodstock, with a cute yoga studio, a chic home design store, and plenty of charm. Lovers of green juices and hearty salads, usually adrift in a ski town, will be thrilled by Maggie’s Crooked Café, a must-visit for small-town smiles and healthy hits.

Most winter visitors are fueling up for one main reason: hitting the slopes at Hunter Mountain. From the picturesque snow on the trees to the dramatic icicles dripping from the mountain, I felt like I was in an arcticthemed screensaver. While our early-in-the-season visit and limited skills meant we had a narrow list of slopes to hit, I can see why Hunter is so beloved by New Yorkers from all corners of the state.

Skiing may be a winter classic, but back at Scribner’s, we tried something fresh: glice skating, an alleged ecoalternative to ice skating that doesn’t require water or energy to freeze said water. While we both agreed nothing compares to the real thing, at $5 per skate rental, it’s worth it for the novelty—and the amazing sunset views.

Those itching to hit a trifecta of winter activities should also set their sites on nearby Kaaterskill Falls, the highest cascading waterfall in the state, dropping more than 260 feet over two tiers. From the Lauren House trailhead, it’s just over 1.5 miles round trip to wander to a dramatic overlook before circling down to the base of the falls. The icicles dripping from the falls made for a dramatic sendoff, and a reminder that there is indeed wonder in the winter.

It’s been an honor sharing a few of my favorite corners of New York, in all seasons, with you. Bon voyage, and I’m sure I’ll see many of you on my return visits home to the Empire State.

This doesn’t have to be goodbye! Follow the international adventures of Alexandra Baackes on her award-winning blog, Alex in Wanderland (alexinwanderland.com), where women can also peruse her diving and yoga retreats held in far-flung locales around the world

Pack Your Bags, Capital Region!

From Lake Placid to the Finger Lakes, here are six must-see Upstate New York locales you should plan a trip to visit right now.

Lake Champlain

LakeChamplainRegion.com

Explore and relax! Nestled between Adirondack peaks and glittering lakes, the open spaces of the Lake Champlain Region glow golden. Witness storied forts, towns and picturesque rolling hills. Spend your day watching migratory birds flutter through the heart of the Champlain Valley, or find your perfect hike on boundless Champlain area trails. Cruise down winding roads by car or bike, and travel along one of the largest lakes in North America. However you choose to spend this spring, the Lake Champlain region will make your getaway legendary.

Howe Caverns

255 Discovery Dr., Howes Cave 518.296.8900; howecaverns.com

This spring, visit the largest show cave in the Northeast and the secondmost visited attraction in all of New York State. Located just off Interstate 88 (just 45 minutes from Albany!), Howe Caverns offers its traditional 90-minute cave tour all year round. The tour includes a mile-and-a-quarter walk and quarter-mile boat ride on the

cave’s underground lake, and is perfect for explorers of all ages. Tickets for the tour must be purchased online in advance. The Howe Caverns team would like to thank everyone who voted for their Halloween Haunt as the best seasonal event in the Capital Region for the second year in a row.

The Lake House on Canandaigua

770 S Main St., Canandaigua 800.228.2801; lakehousecanandaigua.com

What if we told you you could get a Scandanivian spa treatment, a Frenchinspired dining experience and a Colorado-caliber ski vacation, all smack dab in the middle of New York’s wine country? Oh yeah, and on the shores of a gorgeous freshwater lake, no less? That’s exactly what The Lake House on Canandaigua, a new resort on the north shore of the fourth largest Finger Lake, has to offer. This spring, make the three-hour drive due west to experience all The Lake House has to offer, including the onsite Willowbrook Spa and renowned Rose Tavern, and explore the surrounding region—dozens of wineries, breweries and distilleries, plus spring skiing at Bristol Mountain, await.

John Boyd Thacher State Park

830 Thacher Park Rd., Voorheesville

Consistently voted one of the best parks and picnic spots in CRL’s Bestie awards, Thacher Park really is all it’s cracked up to be. Situated along the Helderberg Escarpment, Thacher is home to six miles of limestone cliff face, rock-strewn slopes, woodland and open fields, plus it offers unparalleled panoramic views of the Hudson-Mohawk Valleys and the Adirondack and Green Mountains. Add in volleyball courts, playgrounds, ball fields and picnic areas, and Thacher Park just might be your go-to spring day staycation.

The Cove at Sylvan Beach

750 Pioneer Ave., Sylvan Beach

315.356.1840; covesylvanbeach.com

Looking for the perfect getaway? The Cove at Sylvan Beach, a new lakeside vacation rental destination on Oneida Lake, offers space and activities for the whole family. A pontoon boat is included with each of The Cove’s 70 beautifully appointed two- and threebedroom lakeside cottage rentals, so you can enjoy carefree days on the water fishing, cruising and just soaking up lake life. Sylvan Beach Supply Co., The Cove’s flagship store, will also offer rentals for bicycles, paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and more for exploring the area during your stay.

Steuben County corningfingerlakes.com

More than any other season, spring is the one we anticipate most. Trees bud. Flowers push up through the soil and blossom in vibrant color. The air fills once again with birdsong laughter, and streams flow with wild abandon as the world comes alive. Our spirits soar as we get outside, move again, explore. Such is spring, the season of new beginnings. Savor this spirit of spring by visiting Steuben’s exciting craft distillers—mad scientists and culinary wizards creating exceptional gin, vodka, whiskey and moonshine. Discover for yourself the latest ways the area’s creative tastemakers tantalize the tongue. This spring, Explore Steuben!

before you go... WHEN THE WORST THING IS THE BEST THING

Whenever Jeremy Conroy needed to think, he’d walk in the park. There was a pond, a small amphitheater where they held concerts in the summer, and benches on which to sit and watch the pigeons. Mostly it was quiet, perfect for the 13-year-old to work.

Jeremy’s teacher said the local magazine had just published its Best Of edition, where readers voted on their favorite places to shop, eat and be entertained. Inspired, the teacher decided to make that the eighth grade class’ weekend homework assignment: The students would have to come up with a list of their own favorite things. Jeremy immediately thought of his dog, Potter, the waffle house where he loved to get breakfast, and the big amusement park a dozen exits up the highway.

After taking a seat at the park, Jeremy noticed an old man in a jet-black fedora hat on the bench opposite him. He was a kind-looking soul who tipped that hat and asked Jeremy what he was writing in the notepad in his lap. Jeremy didn’t normally talk to strangers but, seeing how harmless the gentleman looked, he took a chance and explained his teacher’s assignment.

The man took off the hat, placing it on the bench beside him, and said, “If you ask me, son, I’ve found in life that quite often the worst thing is the best thing.”

Jeremy pretended to understand and then politely went back to his notes to continue his own list.

“I’m sorry,” the nice man said. “That probably didn’t make sense. Let me explain.”

Jeremy put the pen back down and waited for an education from his new octogenarian friend.

“My favorite restaurant is DiCaprio’s,” the man began, “because that’s where I asked Marcia Whitmore to marry me.”

Jeremy smiled and replied, “And she said yes?”

The man laughed, “Heavens no, she turned me down flat. Left me with her veal parm and the $40 check.”

When it was clear Jeremy was confused, the man continued: “She wasn’t the right one, you see. Had she said yes, we both would have been miserable, and I wouldn’t have met my beautiful Margaret whom I was with for 56 wonderful years.”

The old man went on, “My favorite college is RIT” Jeremy asked, “What did you

study there?”

Again, the man smiled. And then said, “I didn’t. Despite having perfect grades, they rejected me, and I ended up at the University of Buffalo where I got a degree in engineering.”

“And that was better?” Jeremy asked.

The man took crackers from his pocket and tossed them to the patient pigeons, answering, “Oh yes, much better. My roommate became my best friend, I loved my teachers. Buffalo was right for me even if I didn’t know it.”

He pressed on: “My favorite doctor was a man named Herbert Morton. He’s long gone now, but guess why he was my favorite doctor.”

Jeremy was the one smiling now and answered, “I don’t know. Because he cured cancer or something?”

“No sir,” he replied. “Because he kicked me out of his office when I turned 40 and refused to quit smoking and drinking.”

Jeremy was trying to understand, when the man added, “He said, ‘I like you, Frank, and I don’t want a front row seat when you die, and that’s what’s going to happen. You won’t listen to me, so get out.’”

“What happened?” Jeremy asked.

“He scared me is what happened,” he replied. “So I did straighten myself out.”

The old man rose and picked up his hat. “My point is, son, that life is a mystery that reveals itself to us in its own good time,” he said. “And when things don’t go your way, remember–“

Jeremy interrupted man to excitedly say, “Sometimes the worst thing is the best thing.”

The kind man nodded, then placed the remaining crackers in Jeremy’s small hand and said, “Finish this for me, would you please?”

Jeremy tossed the crackers to the pavement to the delight of the birds. By the time he raised his eyes to say thank you, the old man was gone.

The boy pondered his own life, both the triumphs and missteps, and when he handed in his homework, Jeremy’s teacher said it was the strangest yet loveliest thing she’d ever read. CRL

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