All Over Albany

A quick recap of the week

Here are a few highlights from the past week on AOA:

+ Daniel checked out the new ShopRite in Niskayuna. Thankfully, he came back alive.

+ We gave away tickets to Wye Oak at Valentine's by asking: What's your favorite tree?

+ Laura asked about where to get ukulele lessons.

+ A UAlbany study found that the song has remained the same -- and it's about sex (or, you know, short term mating strategies).

+ Friendly's declared bankruptcy and six Capital Region locations are closing. Eat the (off-menu) Buffalo chicken sliders while you still can.

+ The Saratoga lip dub hasn't quite met expectations.

+ What was up in the Neighborhood this week: Occupy Wall Street, the Buffalo Bills, Michael Bierut, Ta-Da!, mushrooms, fair trade, a cupcake fight, Jack's, a winning recipe, cider donuts, the upstate lexicon, All Good Bakers, the Hibernians, a skate shop, Norman Rockwell, Woolly Bears, and memory.

+ Katherine told us about a guy in Troy who's growing his own grains. Yep, in his yard -- in an urban part of the city.

+ We gave away tickets to Andrew Bird at the Troy Music Hall by asking: What's rare in the Capital Region? (There were some funny answers.)

+ Wendy got a $12 haircut at the Paul Mitchell school in Schenectady.

+ Emily told us about Troy jewelry designer Nadine Medina, who finds inspiration in second-hand items -- and macaroni necklaces.

+ Yet another round of bumper gawking.

And the 2011 Tournament of Pizza started!

+ Results from Round 1 in Saratoga.

+ Results from Round 1 in Schenectady.

+ Results from Round 1 in Troy.

+ Results from Round 1 in Albany.

Thanks to everyone who's helped out with the TOP this year!

If you'd just like the whole week unfiltered, check our listing of the last seven days of AOA.

Thanks to everyone who posted a comment or shared a photo or idea this week!