This was my first time at the River Street Festival. Parking, as usual in these places, was…read moreterrible, and we looped around for quite a while until we found a spot to squeeze in. There were definitely a wide range of different artisan crafts and goodies! Ranging from homemade soaps and scents to special meat scrubs, we got to try out a plethora of novel things! Sadly, we missed the Farmer's market, but there's always next year! Also, awesome tact to have the Yelp booth supply us with a charging station. Loved it!

It was great to see a stage set up for music, and all the great vendors…read more The only problem I had was I couldn't find the farmers market!

Jay Square is a new public green space with a focus on accessibility across from Schenectady City…read moreHall on Jay Street. The first thing you'll notice when visiting is the Dr. Seuss inspired Wayfinding Sign sculpture from artist Colin Christian. According to a lovely multi-cultural sign welcoming all to Jay Square, a similar sign pointing to SCHENECTADY is featured in the Dr. Seuss book I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!, thanks to the authors previous advertisement experience working with client General Electric in the 1940s. You'll also find a major increase in public seating, including several benches and chess/checker tables throughout the space. This is sure to be a well loved feature during the two Farmer's Markets that wraps around city hall during the less-wintery months - The Schenectady Farmer's Market on Thursdays (May to November) and The Schenectady Greenmarket on Sundays (April to November). My favorite feature is the small Percussion Playground and performance space, where I am eager to catch local musicians sharing their art with the community. We are really looking forward to utilizing the gathering space when out and about downtown; can't wait to see what other events and fun Schenectady has in store for this spot moving forward!

I can not believe I am the first to review this business. 36 distillery is right on route 5,…read morebetween the 103 bridge and the 890 bridge. It is in the old fire house turned into a distillery. I am not sure how long it has been there. I first noticed it when they had barrells painted on the side of the building. I looked up the website and saw that they made small batch local bourbon. I wa in! I told my husband we have to stop there. They seem to be open 4-8pm wed-sat. You can check their Facebook page for more info. It was a wed night around 6pm when we arrived. There was only one car in the parking lot, but there were open flags flying and the lights were on so we went in. There is plenty of parking right out front and on the side of the building. We were the only ones there. We walked in and an old cellar or barn smell hits you. It may be from all the reclaimed wood on the walls. It was dark and cozy inside. There is a bar and tables to sit at. They had beer and wine. They also had on site made, gin, vodka, and bourbon. The drink list on the drink board was great. Lots of choices for those who don't like their liquor straight. I chose the 36 bourbon on the rocks. The bar tender was very friendly and explained what the 36 was all about. He also poured a taste of the bourbon I was about to drink. This bourbon had many layers of flavor and was delicious. So good I bought a bottle. The bar tender said they usually have a food truck come on Fridays, and some Fridays they live entertainment. During the week they have light pub food. This is a great place to stop before you go to dinner or for a night cap. We are 100% going back and bringing friends. If you like small batch local liquor give this place a try. I was pleasantly surprised on how nice it was.

What a great little hidden gem. You can jump off the rocks into some deeper pools, crystal clear…read morewater and you can even swim up under the waterfalls. Be careful of the sharp rocks, and be sure to pick up after yourself. Don't litter and make it a dirty place, as of now it is not and I hope it stays that way!

Ah, good old Wolf Road, always evolving. I don't get back home too often, but I seem to always see…read morenew businesses popping uphere. Chain burger joints seem to be the new craze on this strip. Luckily some of the oldies like JT Maxie's, Denooyer Chevy and others are still around! Most people don't realize this busy Capital Region road used to all be farmland a mere 60 YEARS ago. My mom grew up in the South Colonie area, it has got to be wild to have experienced how much this has changed. I think there MAY be one private residence left on this road. I was looking through an old book on Wolf Road while I was home in the 518. It's by Naylor, Platt and Platt, I imagine the Colonie Town Library would have a copy. I was skimming the book and found out that a country club once stood where Colonie Center is. I lived in Albany 30+ years and it's amazing how much that mall has evolved, it's now quite nice for this region. I remember the Herman's sporting good store on Wolf Road, that moved to Colonie Center and is now long gone. I miss the days when we had Papa Gino's across from the mall! I remember driving by Jerry's Bike Shop and Cranberry Bog often as a kid, hard to believe these spots are no longer there. Platt's Deli was another popular Wolf Road institution, that was replaced by Bucca di Beppo (if I remember correctly). It's amazing how many businesses have come and gone over even just the last 20 years. 2012 brought us Trader Joe's, which has horrible parking nation wide and even in Smalbany too! I'm not quite sure why they placed this popular store in such a congested area! The traffic on Wolf Road is to be avoided at Xmas, but after living in Los Angeles, I now snicker when my friends complain about this thoroughfare.

People demonize Wolf Road all the time. There are some folks who say that they avoid it all costs…read more Others won't patronize a business if it chooses to open up a spot on this commercial stretch in Colonie. They are missing out. Sure, to the untrained eye it can look like nothing but a parade of chain restaurants. On the south end there's IHOP, PF Chang's and The Cheesecake Factory. On the north end there's Moe's, The Outback Steakhouse, and Red Lobster. And there's a lot more in between. And during peak traffic hours, it can come close to resembling a small downstate traffic jam. All joking aside, it can be some of the worst traffic in the region. But Wolf Road has its good sides too. My love for Trader Joe's is well documented, and its convenient back entrance makes the Wolf Road business accessible to anyone clever enough to use it. Then of course there is the Hong Kong Bakery and Bistro. We don't have very many authentic Chinese restaurants in the region, but this is one of them. And I've heard there are good Chinese dishes on the menu at Buffalo Wagon too, although I have yet to try any for myself. Subbers is on Wolf Road too, and if you are a fan of mozzarella sticks, you have to try their take on the form. Ted's Fish Fry outpost also offers delicious fried treats that aren't from a nathional chain. Lemondrop was revealed to have tasty boba tea. I've got to get there and order one half-sweet. And the shop also has some of the tartest tart yogurt around. And lucky for me, that's just how I like it. Off almost everyone's radar is U Mundu E Ca, the Italian market that just hosted a pop up dinner featuring locally famous chefs Brian Bowden and Mark Graham. I'm not sure if it makes up for the evils of Buca di Beppo around the corner, but it certainly comes close Benson's Pet Center is there too, which is another great regional business that has nothing to do with food. Of course there is no getting around that this small strip of activity has two Starbucks. But one of them has a fire place and the other has a drive through. So, in a way, they are totally different. The truth is, that I don't instinctively hate chains or malls either. Some of them are fine. I love great coffee, but I occasionally go for the convenience of Starbucks. The wings at The Ruck are my favorite in the region, but once in a while I'll get a hankering for a breaded wing from Hooters. Honest Weight is a fabulous store, but Whole Foods has my favorite prosciutto and great salami sliced to order. And thanks to Wolf Road and Colonie Center, we even have a Tesla super charging station. I get the problems of businesses leaving the cities and moving to the suburbs. I understand how communities can improve with rich retail areas that encourage walking over driving. And I value those things. I really do. But I'm not so blinded by them that I can't see the good in this far too reviled road.

This is a nice Miral located in Troy New York I never even heard of Troy New York but they have two…read moreback to back mirrors next which other that are pretty darn cool with a positive meaning which I like. Colorful and well said

Schen the nonbeliever!…read more I'm a believer that NY state has a lot of cities which time forgot. Buffalo was one, but is transforming itself. Rochester too, to some degree. But Syracuse, Utica, Binghamton, and Schenectady all fit that description. They are relics of the past, sleepy and quiet, with a massive Italian influence and so much of the towns are like ghost towns, preserved from the industrial era. There are some great places to eat in town as well, such as Mike's for hot dogs, and Morette's for their awesome Steak sandwiches. It's very easy to award this lovely city a 5 star rating, and it's so much more than just a far-flung suburb of Albany.

I love Schenectady…read more There. I said it. It's true. Although here in the Capital Region, the Electric City doesn't quite yet have the same cachet as some of the other municipalities. We don't have to quibble. You can enjoy Troy and still get a jolt from Schenectady. This is a city that's doing so much to improve itself, it's not even funny. Proctors is the beating heart at the center of this very walkable downtown. But it's far from the only entertainment destination. The MopCo Theatre is a short walk away, and the improv comedy coming from that stage is hilarious. And on top of that is the Schenectady Light Opera Company which puts on all kinds of shows every year. I've known people who have been involved in productions, yet have never gone. I'm almost entirely motivated by food. Malcolm's in Schenectady needs to be mentioned in the same breath as the best restaurants in the Capital Region. They are doing all the right things. The Sunday Greenmarket is amazing, even in winter. Not only for the farms, but for the food. It was the place that launched Tara Kitchen, and now its the incubator for the region's first Ethiopian restaurant (and they are making their own injera). Italian food? In Schenectady it's the air we breathe. From the amazing sandwiches you can find at Italian deli's, to the cream filled lobster tails at Villa Italia, to the 100 year old coal oven at Perreca's that cranks out crusty loaves of bread, to the house made ricotta at Capiello's, to the lemon ice during summer at Civitello's. Downtown is much more walkable, even at night. The city has brought on Ambassadors to patrol the streets, so that it's less lonely out there. It's still not much of a walking town, but it should be. There are great things to walk to and explore... like breweries! Right downtown. Mad Jack led the way. Great Flats came next. Druther's is out there by the casino on the river, and even though gambling isn't my thing, macaroni and cheese paired with local craft beer totally is. And now Frog Alley has opened, bringing some love to the other side of the tracks. And all of them are making delicious liquid. You can even buy a beer passport and get on the Schenectady Ale Trail. And all of this is just downtown. Get off the beaten path a bit, and you can find some remarkable international restaurants, including my very favorite Mexican place in the entire region, La Mexicana. Schenectady is also home to Marino's Flying Pizza which, just so happens to be my favorite local pizza place. Fight me. Diners? Old school diners? Check. Barbecue? The Memphis King can't be beat in the 518. I love some of our other BBQ joints too, but my heart belongs to Brandon. On top of all that, you've got the history of the place. General Electric in its heyday. Thomas Edison. Kurt Vonnegut. The railroad. The river. And more. Much much more. I know I may sound like an add for the place, but nobody asked me to write this. I just find myself in Schenectady all the time, and keep encountering people who have lived in the Capital Region their entire lives and have never been. Get with it people. Schenectady is lit. (see what I did there)

Great mural located in Troy New York. It has a great positive message behind it which I really…read morelike. It's right next to another mural and both are nice to see