Vibe Check: Thursday Night in Saratoga
Saratoga Arms celebrates 25 years, Bailey's hosts Sipping for Seniors and more mid-November goings on.
Stop #1: Saratoga Arms
The thing about living in Saratoga—a place known for its hospitality and abundant lodging options—is that you don’t really get a chance to enjoy those abundant lodging options. As a journalist, I’ve found my way into The Adelphi for photoshoots and countless events, but have yet to have an opportunity to jump in that jacuzzi on the balcony of the Polaris Suite. I live 10 minutes away—why would I?
This past Thursday, boutique Broadway hotel Saratoga Arms said “distance be damned” and welcomed the local Saratoga community into the halls and rooms typically reserved for visitors from out of town in honor of the hotel’s 25th anniversary. The gathering was truly a Who’s Who of Saratoga life—Helen Watson, Maggie Fronk, Ashley Salvadore, Carina Rodriguez, Jill Johnson VanKuren, Taylor Rao, Mary Beth McGarrahan, Todd Shimkus, Deann DeVitt, Ellen Brodie, Tom Roohan, Samantha Bosshart, Patti Petrosino, Heidi Owen West, Natalie Sillery, Andrea Zappone, Cassy Dean, Cate Masterson and Chris Lyons all caught my eye or went out of their way to say hello.
Guests had free reign of the hotel, and were able to check out a selection of open rooms on the second floor and lower level. “What’s up with these rooms?” I asked event videographer Zach Skowronek as we descended the stairs from the lobby. “They’re sick,” he said, plainly. Indeed, the two garden level rooms were (literally) on another level, with fire places, walk-out patios with room service, and spa-like bathrooms. It was there that we met room inspector Sheila, who is in the process of mailing a copy of Saratoga Living to her dog walker friend who doesn’t believe Tim Pink’s pack photos are real.
Back upstairs, Saratoga Arms owner Amy Smith addressed the crowd. “So many people are interested in what we’re announcing tonight,” she said. “You’ve asked me: Are you expanding? Are you selling to Hilton? Or, my personal favorite: Is Kathleen running for public office?” (For those who don’t know, Kathleen Smith is Amy’s hoot of a mother and the original owner of hotel; the suggestion that she was running for office caused quite the uproar in the packed room.) While none of those things are happening, GM Rachel Boggan did announce some exciting new initiatives, including a locals rate for people who live within 50 miles of downtown Saratoga and locals events such as holiday brunch on the three Sundays leading up to Christmas, a book club and a pop-up dinner series.
Rachel also told the story of one tongue-in-cheek guest request that set Saratoga Arms down a path of personalizing each of their guests’ stays. “A few years ago we took an online booking, and in the booking comments the guest simply said, ‘I would love a goldfish in the room, but no pressure.’” Rachel said. When the guest arrived, Jerry the goldfish from Benson’s was waiting in his room. “The guest was absolutely blown away,” Rachel continued. “He told our staff that he has requested a goldfish every single time he’s made a hotel reservation for years and we were the first hotel to ever execute his request. We had found our new focus: ultra personalization from deep, active listening and a desire to simply blow our guests away.”
Now, Saratoga Arms sends a pre-arrival survey to all guests to find out what time they expect to check in, their ideal room temperature, their robe size, what extra amenities they’d like in their room (additional towels, bath slippers, etc.), and if they want any signature welcome amenities such as a box of chocolates, seasonal flower arrangement or special occasion cake. After Amy and Rachel’s presentation, I ran up to my 68-degree third-floor room—with its giant bath towels and Beekman 1802 products—to grab a can of chicken noodle soup I’d stashed in my overnight bag and headed out on the town.
Stop #2: Networking at Night
Now more than a year old, young professionals group Networking at Night hosted its second annual food drive for Franklin Community Center (FCC) this Thursday at Parting Glass. I wasn’t the only one who had dipped out of the Saratoga Arms event for the occasion—I ran into Mary Beth McGarrahan, FCC development director and 2023 Capital Region Gives Back honoree, laughing with friends at the bar, mainly about the fact that my boyfriend hadn’t gotten a sub for his bowling league on the night I had a free stay at one of Saratoga’s top hotels. (It’s OK, Pete, I forgive you.) “Call him and let me talk to him,” Mary Beth’s friend, Katie, said. “Tell him you can run around the wet room.”
Elsewhere, actual networking was happening: One business student from Hudson Valley had made his first-ever trip up to Saratoga for the occasion, and Boston transplant Gregory Kristan gave me a convincing pitch for a story about his website that reviews sports stadiums. Networking at Night founders Shelagh Conley and Andrea Gorgen posted up by the donation table, and by the end of the evening had collected more than 200 noperishable items for FCC’s food pantry.
Stop #3: Sipping for Seniors
It was this time last year that I published my investigation about Thursday being the new Friday in Saratoga, and given the sheer number of happenings this Thursday alone, I’m sticking to my answer: yes. After a pitstop for a cauliflower burrito bowl from Taquero (hold the crema, add kimchi), I headed over to a packed Bailey’s to check out the Saratoga Senior Center’s Sipping for Seniors event, at which celebrity bartenders collected tips to be donated to the center. “Who loves senior citizens? Who loves Jameson?” asked Becca Beers as she tried to tempt one table of guests into shots. When her questions were met with blank stares, she changed to a more blunt tactic: “OK, do you just want to donate?”
I checked in with the Senior Center’s Lois Celeste and Trina Lucas to see which tables of guests were there for the event. “Everyone is here for this,” Lois said.
“I thought it wouldn’t get busy until 7:30,” Trina said. “It’s been like this since 6:30.”
Stop #4: The Movies
While not an officially sanctioned Thursday night Saratoga event, I figured I’d make my jam-packed night even more jam packed by going to the movies for the first time since before the pandemic. Following the acquisition of the downtown Bow Tie Cinema by AMC in 2022, the Saratoga theater saw a boom in business this summer when Barbie and Oppenheimer came to the big screen, and again this fall when Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour film came to town. “It was sold out for, like, five days straight,” says AMC Stubs A-List member Kate VanHerp, who remembers feeling her seat at Pricilla vibrate from the base from the T Swift tunes cranking in the next theater over. (She’s not alone.)
Thursday was opening night of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy prequel that came out in 2020. Set 64 years before the events of The Hunger Games, the movie follows a young President Snow as he mentors the female District 12 tribute in the 10th annual Hunger Games. While I remember the book being disturbing, the movie was even more so, and given the number of people in the audience besides my friends (two), I’m not sure it’ll be AMC’s next big 2023 blockbuster.
After the movie, I walked back to Saratoga Arms (who knew how close it was to the theater?!) slightly on edge after watching children fight to the death for two-and-a-half hours. I picked up a tea bag in the lobby, climbed the stairs and snuggled into my king bed for one of the most restful nights of sleep in my life.
—Natalie
Quote of the Week
“You can’t tell me that everyone else in the f***ing world is flossing.”
—Overheard at Uncommon Grounds
Listen Up
This week, in honor of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Shelters of Saratoga launched Crossroads, a podcast that aims to elevate the conversation surrounding homelessness in the Spa City. The first episode is a conversation between SOS Executive Director Duane Vaughn, Associate Executive Director Stephanie Romeo and Director of Development Rosemary Royce about the perception of homelessness versus the reality, the invisibility factor of our homeless population, and the intersection of homelessness and healthcare. The second episode features special guest Tracy Kidder, who earlier this year published the book Rough Sleepers, which follows “street doctor” Jim O’Connell as he aims to care for Boston’s homeless population.
New Name, Who Dis?
Holiday shoppers, take note: There’s a new name on Broadway. This week, Mountainman Outdoor Supply Co. announced that it had officially rebranded as Saratoga Outdoors, following the sale of Mountainman’s Old Forge location to new owners. The Saratoga location will remain in the hands of founder John Nemjo, and continue to carry the best in outdoor gear and apparel for all of upstate New York’s seasons. Visit them next week to take advantage of Black Friday sales all weekend long.
On the Street
Just off Broadway, there’s another new name in the holiday shopping game. On Thursday, we noticed a brand-new women’s clothing store has sprouted up on Henry Street, just in time for Black Friday. It’s name? On Henry Boutique, of course.
Opera in the House
We may be a long way from June 2024, but Opera Saratoga has its sights set on next summer. On a Zoom call this Thursday, the company announced its 2024 season performances, which include Così fan tutte, an opera that pits love against lust and spirituality against materialism; musical Guys and Dolls, featuring direction by Opera Saratoga’s own Mary Birnbaum and musical direction by Andy Einhorn (who you may remember conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra when Audra McDonald came to SPAC this past summer); and a world premiere opera that will be devised and composed during the summer season by Composer-in-Residence inti figgis-vizueta. For more on the 2024 season as well as off-season events, click here.
Gifts for Grandma
This week, Impressions of Saratoga and the Dark Horse Mercantile launched a new initiative that aims to bring a bit of holiday joy to Saratoga’s oldest residents. “When visiting my mother [at Teresian House Center for the Elderly in Albany], I see that many residents do not have visitors and we would love to be able to do something to bring them joy,” says Marianne Barker “The holidays can be very lonely.” Enter Impressions’ Adopt a Grandparent Giving Campaign, which aims to give gifts to all 350 residents of The Wesley Community. Shoppers in either store (or those shopping online) can purchase a $20 gift tag that can be personalized with a special note from the giver. The tag will be hung on a “Giving Tree” until Christmas rolls around when Marianne and Maddy Zanetti will purchase gifts and deliver them to the Wesley residents.
Party On
Putnam Place, the longtime host of some of Saratoga Living’s top events, is now booking holiday events! Offering a state-of-the-art sound system, full bar, dance floor and a gigantic LED screen, Putnam can host large events of all kinds. Check out the space for yourself at the 5th annual Capital Region Gives Back fundraiser, returning to Putnam Place December 6.
Save the Date
We’re less than two weeks out from the release party for Wheat All About It, Saratoga Living’s first-ever collaboration beer with Whitman Brewing! What’s in store? Free pints of the new wheat beer, signature take-home glasses, pizza, live music by Paul Lambert, brewery tours and photo ops that will be featured in the next issue of the magazine! Get your tickets now. Special thanks to Hunt Real Estate’s Helen Mastrion for making this event possible.
ICYMI
Saratoga Living’s Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide
Behind the Scenes: 2023 Holiday Issue