All Over Albany

A quick recap of the week

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

+ Casey talked with Matthew Pierce, a pro poker player from Albany.

+ An island in the Mohawk River near Schenectady is for sale.

+ The Cambridge Hotel episode of Hotel Hell aired.

+ Daniel says you should eat the Jackburger at Jumpin' Jack's. Right now. (Really, you're almost out of time.)

+ Some kids are precocious -- in a bad way.

+ Phantogram was added to the lineup for the Pearl Palooza festival in downtown Albany.

+ A development group presented a plan to reincarnate the Latham Circle Mall. It might include -- gasp! -- a supermarket.

+ What was up in the Neighborhood this week: the ice cream sandwich throwdown, the Altamont Fair and very fair people, CDTA, the Cambridge Hotel, digging local facts, run commuting, Glenotia Island, mad weird behavior in Washington Park, Nosh, an enormous pancake, a vegan burger, the gardens at Spa State Park, Lake Ontario, and a mailbox message.

+ More evidence that Stewart's makes good ice cream.

+ A few of the items found on Craigslist this week: romance at the fair, a fantasy involving yup, shredded newspaper, and old-school New York license plates.

+ With election season heating up, Casey got some tips on running from "Jerry Jennings," "Lou Rosamilia," and "Gary McCarthy" based on their experience in the mayors race at the ValleyCats games.

+ The American Pickers crew was picking in the Capital Region this week -- and Abby even got a photo.

+ S and J asked about how to find a nanny in the Capital Region. (There were some high quality answers.)

+ And Walmart is opening a small (for Walmart) store in Niskayuna -- why that could be a good thing.

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 an idea this week!

Matthew Pierce photo courtesy of Matthew Pierce.