Saratoga Springs - not only a nice place to visit
Money magazine has ranked Saratoga Springs ranked #75 on its list of the best 100 small towns to live in. The blurb points out the city's many springs, as well as Skidmore and SPAC. Strangely, there's no mention of The Track. Maybe the author had a bad day at the races? And maybe that affected the overall ranking, because we think Saratoga should rank much higher than 75. (Thanks, Spirit!)
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You know what? I am sick to death of hearing about Saratoga Springs. "Ooh, you live near Saratoga?" "We're going up to Saratoga, wanna come?" "Everyone knows Saratoga is the place to be!" Ad nauseum. Maybe it's the condos that sell for half a million, or the overpriced restaurants... I don't know. Every community seems to want to be Saratoga. Really?! There are many places to live that have a lot more charm.
... said Ranter on Aug 15, 2011 at 5:42 PM | link
Saratoga is overpriced and snotty and those are probably the 2 reasons that kept it lower on the list (and is #75 out of #100 something to brag about?). It can be beautiful, SPAC can be a wonderful experience (when Live Nation's not packing in as many people as they can fit into every last square inch like they did for the Tom Petty concert experience that made me swear off SPAC forever), and there are some excellent restaurants there (Hattie's and Sushi Thai Garden to name two - and they happen to be right across the street from each other) - oh and Skidmore is there. Honestly, though, it's too expensive and I find it utterly baffling why NYS spends so much money propping up the horse racing industry in this state. We have serious fiscal problems and our state government pours way too much money into this wealthy class's hobby.
... said xina on Aug 15, 2011 at 6:44 PM | link
I don't get it either. Broadway in Saratoga has a Talbots, LOFT, Starbucks, & a Coldstone. Stuyvesant Plaza does too! It's as though the presence of a half dozen or so name brands eases the rich lady's mind... "Ahh, yes, this is where people like us go."
... said Sally on Aug 16, 2011 at 10:29 AM | link
I moved to Saratoga Springs three months ago from the Albany area and I have not looked back. I find the quality of life far superior than in and around Albany.
... said The Original Mike on Aug 16, 2011 at 1:18 PM | link
Well, I haven't been to Saratoga-not-the-track since I was a kid, so I have no comment on how good or not-good it is to live there.
I will just express my pleasant surprise to note that Money Magazine even knows it exists. Other NYS towns on the list: Harrison, Mamaroneck, Nanuet, and Pearl River.
You could argue, "yes, well it's because of the rich Westchester types who go to the races in the summer" but heck, I'm just glad the editors didn't look at a map of New York State that said, "Here Be Dragons" everywhere north of Ossining.
... said ajw93 on Aug 16, 2011 at 2:44 PM | link
Downtown Saratoga businesses are planned for tourists and college students. This means it's heavy on restaurants, gift shops and bars. I work there but I'm glad I don't live there.
... said Eric Stott on Aug 16, 2011 at 4:15 PM | link
The track keeps Saratoga running. The local businesses depend on it. But, any analyst worth their salt would have made note of the fact that locals curse out the "turists" every summer, even as they flood the streets, and curse out the "Skiddies" the rest of the year, even as they make every effort to change the town landscrape to 50% hipster while school is in session. Perhaps there's a decent reason to leave those factors out of the analysis.
That being said, food is excellent. Schools are decent. Taxes are more reasonable that Schenectady or Albany county. The track is a blast if you can make it there on a non-weekend. It's a turist town, an economically diverse hometown, and its perfectly lovely, if amusing in its own pretension.
... said Leah the Nosher on Aug 16, 2011 at 4:26 PM | link
In their 2005 ranking Money Magazine named Delmar the 22nd best place to live. 75? Ha!
... said Mike on Aug 17, 2011 at 10:21 AM | link
I live about 45 minutes west of Saratoga. I visit AT LEAST once a week for an open mic that I attend there. I love the dining options and the coffee places. I never come across any issues with the tourists and the "skiddies." I just don't see how anyone could be so negative about the place. True there are the name brand shops, but there are also a lot of of indipendent ones. It's a long strip with a big variety. If there is something better within 30 minutes of Albany, I'd like to know. Seriously.
... said James Frederick on Aug 17, 2011 at 12:35 PM | link
I'm not sure how anyone can hate on a place that brings in millions every year from tourism and improves the quality of life for the whole Capital Region by giving it's residents more choices of things to do and places to go. You explain it.
... said The Original Mike on Aug 17, 2011 at 3:00 PM | link