Items tagged with 'Crossgates'

Checking out 5 Wits at Crossgates, and other Capital Region escape rooms

5 Wits Albany Deep Space

"Transported away from the relative safety of Earth and onto an abandoned ship in deep space..."

By Cristin Steding

One of the fastest growing branches of the entertainment industry is one that's still largely under the radar of most people: the escape room. More than 1,700 have popped up around the country since 2015 -- including five of them here in the Capital Region.

So I got together a group and checked one out.

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Duck drumettes at Rascals

Rascals duck drumettes

By Deanna Fox

Eating at the mall used to mean Sbarro pizza or chicken from a Chinese food kiosk. (You know you always bought it out of guilt because of the free sample.) Maybe you opted for giant hot pretzels with neon "cheese" sauce, Orange Julius, or the week's worth of calories with a Cinnabon.

But malls are no longer just a place for power-walkers, angsty teenage meet-ups, or chain shopping; malls are becoming destinations for everything from underwear purchases to rock concerts.

The dining is changing to keep pace. Take Rascals -- a business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back space -- in Crossgates that allows for fine steakhouse dining in one space, a sports bar with several large TVs in another, and a performance space with its own bar and dining options in the rear.

The menu is designed to accommodate the varied patronage, but Rascals' take on chicken wings is a sure bet in any of the restaurant's environs.

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A look around Lucky Strike Social at Crossgates

Lucky Strike bowling lanes

The new Lucky Strike Social opens to the public at Crossgates this Friday. The latest entertainment venue at the mall includes two restaurants, a bar, a concert venue, an arcade, and a bowling alley.

Here's a quick look around...

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The new Apple store at Crossgates

new Apple store Crossgates

We happened to be at Crossgates Saturday, which happened to be the first day the remodeled Apple store there was open. So we took a few seconds to gawk.

It's kind of striking from the outside, the way the large glass doors at the front rotate open and the light from inside streams out.

Apple has been making over its stores in a process that's now led in part by the company's famous product designer, Jonathan Ive.

Checking out the new Lord & Taylor at Crossgates

Lord and Taylor Crossgates Mall

By Lauren Hittinger

I enjoy shopping. And though there are spots that I love in the Capital Region, I've been a bit underwhelmed with the overall range of options for clothes shopping here.

In my experience there's a rather lackluster diversity of styles, and what is available is often disappointing, especially for items that might skew a bit more toward younger women and men. And the few good places are spread out, so if you're shopping for something specific to wear to an event, you have have to travel to multiple different locations around the area. I usually don't have time for that, so I end up browsing at one shopping mecca and leave disappointed.

So, with all that in mind, I was excited by the announcement that Lord & Taylor was moving back to the area. A little competition and invigorated selection is always good for shoppers, right?

The store has been open for a few weeks now at Crossgates, and I figured it was a good time to check it out to see if the store matched all the hype.

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World of Beer opening at Crossgates

world of beer lineupThe chain World of Beer is set to open its new location at Crossgates June 23. The beer restaurant is on the lower level near the movie theater.

That there is a chain of craft beer restaurants with 54 locations is either a sign that the craft beer boom is continuing to roll along -- and/or perhaps that we're rapidly approaching peak craft beer. (And then, what, the craft beer apocalypse? Maybe New York State can fall back on its strategic cider reserves.)

Anyway, this bit about WOB (its term for itself) caught our attention:

In addition to more than 500 craft beers in bottles, World of Beer will offer 56 beers on tap from more than 40 countries. Partnering with thousands of craft breweries allows World of Beer to rotate over 10,000 beer items in its coolers. World of Beer offers patrons the most unique and complex beers from local, domestic and international brewers.

You might have to order a beer while you figure out which beer to order.

Recently on AOA:
+ Rare Form Brewing Co.
+ Stopping in at the Madison Pour House

photo: World of Beer

The extraordinarily 80s Crossgates promo film

A link to this video on YouTube -- a 1984 promo film by the Pyramid Companies for the then just-opened Crossgates Mall -- popped up in our inbox with a message from Fred that simply said: "Eight minutes of eighties awesomeness."

Heh. And Fred was right. It is 80s-tastic, like some synthesizer newsreel film. Come for the 80s fashion and stores long gone, stay for the the now-three-decade-old aerial footage.

A few stills are after the jump to give you a sense of the video...

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A few more bits about the proposed BusPlus Washington-Western line

proposed cdta busplus busway harriman campus

On Wednesday CDTA announced that its board had voted to take another step toward the proposed expansion of the BusPlus bus rapid transit system to the Western-Washington corridor -- AKA, The Purple Line. This bit from the announcement caught our eye (emphasis added):

The [official designation of the preference for this plan] includes construction of a dedicated busway through the Harriman Office Campus and the University at Albany, a transit center at Crossgates Mall, and high-volume stop locations.

The "dedicated busway" was news to us -- and we were curious about what it meant. CDTA's Jonathan Scherzer explained:

We are working with both the University and [state Office of General Services] on the inclusion of a dedicated roadway that would be used exclusively for transit, maintenance and shuttle vehicles. The current design would face the soon to be completed Campus Center on the UAlbany campus while also providing good proximity to the new football stadium to ease traffic.

That rendering above projects what the lane might look like on the office campus (it appears to be the Western Ave side of the campus, near the campus access road).

As we've said before, bus rapid transit is probably the closest this region will come to any sort of light rail-type system in the not-way-distant future. Building this sort of infrastructure -- the busway, the transit center -- looks like a good step toward making BusPlus a real system, something more than just an express bus, which could be key to its longterm success. Because there's a line of thought that making BRT more than "just the bus" is key to it gaining a broader crowd of users.

See also: CDTA chief renews call for downtown Albany transit hub [Biz Review]

After the jump: A bonus rendering of the proposed transit center at Crossgates, and a pdf info sheet about the proposed Purple Line.

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A quick trip through the Crossgates Dave & Buster's

dave and busters bar area

On one hand: We're a little skeptical of the idea behind Dave & Buster's -- a chain arcade/restaurant/bar/Chuck-E-Cheese-type-thing for adults. It makes us think of a "pieces of flair" place, but, you know, with games.

On the other: We do really like to play skee ball...

So, when we were invited to get an early look at the new Crossgates location today -- it opens this Saturday (August 24) -- we figured, sure, why not.

Here's a quick trip through it...

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Trying the poutine at Montreal Poutine

montreal poutine in carton

fries + cheese curds + gravy = poutine

By Daniel B.

A new eatery recently opened up in the Crossgates mall food court: Montreal Poutine. It's in the space formerly occupied by the Hana Express.

The choices available at this particular food court have been uninspired, and I still mourn the loss of exceptions such as Full-Mi-Belly and Hot Dog Charlie's. Say what you will about mini hot dogs with meat sauce, they are one of our few regional specialties.

Anyway, when a new and shiny establishment pops up on the scene, especially one that offers this much beloved French-Canadian specialty that's surprisingly hard to find in these parts, I was compelled to give it a try.

So how did they do?

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For the Love of Wine closing/ From the Garden farm to table opening

Old House Cafe.jpg

For the Love of Wine owners Kristen Williams and Allan Von Schenkel are planning a farm-to-table wine cafe for this space on Lark Street.

This Friday For the Love of Wine, the wine shop that opened a few years ago in Crossgates, will be closing its doors -- temporarily.

The owners -- musicians and food and wine lovers Kristen Williams and her husband Allan Von Schenkel -- are looking for a new location in Albany. In the meantime, they're uncorking some other plans.

Williams and Von Schenkel are planning to open From The Garden, a farm-to-table restaurant and wine cafe, in the former Old House Cafe on Lark Street. They're both sommeliers, but this is their first time serving food -- professionally, at least.

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Another scoop of frozen yogurt (or yogourt)

yeh frozen yogurt coming soon posterWhat Colonie is to cupcakes, Guilderland is becoming to frozen yogurt: Yeh! -- a Montreal-based chain -- is opening soon in Crossgates, between the Apple Store and Burlington Coat Factory. (We have an email in about the date.) [Crossgates Facebook]

We'd never heard of Yeh! before -- apparently it's a notable example of Quebec entrepreneurship. It looks like the other new-style froyo shops. [Montreal Gazette]

It will be the third froyo shop in that area -- there's a TCBY across from Stuyvesant Plaza and a 16 Handles mysteriously being sited somewhere in McKownville. Is there such as a thing as froyo over-saturation -- peak froyo?

photo: Crossgates Facebook

Browsing the new Penzeys Spices at Crossgates

penzeys crossgates exterior

First floor, near the movie theater.

By Daniel B.

Regardless how good a catalog may be, nothing comes close to being able to see, touch, and in this case, smell the merchandise.

Last week, without much fanfare, a retail store for Penzeys Spices opened in Crossgates Mall. It's on the first floor by the movie theater, in between the Sprint store and Johnny Rockets.

For the better part of a decade I've bought herbs and spices from this purveyor through the mail, even though they have stores in 29 states. And while I cannot tell you how this location stacks up to those around the country, what awaits you at the Guilderland mall is pretty special.

Grab a hand basket when you step into the door, because you are going to need it.

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The new H&M at Crossgates

H&M Crossgates Exterior

The new Crossgates H&M -- smaller but with more stuff.

By Kaitlin Resler

The monstrous Crossgates H&M that lived in the old Caldor space (oh yeah, I totally remember and loved Caldor) has moved. It's now divided up into three connected spaces, both upstairs and down at the mall.

I had been really excited about this renovation, mostly out of hope that the new store would include some of the H&M's higher-end lines. Also, I like shiny new stores.

It wasn't until I saw the new store that I realized that our old H&M was a bit outdated.

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Best Cleaners spring refresh: Emily Vorce

Emily Vorce before 525.jpg

Emily in her pre-refresh winter uniform.

best cleaners logoOn day two of our shoptastic Best Cleaners spring refresh weekend we met Emily Vorce.

Emily works in the Berkshires, and has spent the better part of the last few months hiding under lots of layers. In her entry she told us:

The uniform out here is sweater on top of turtleneck, tights, skirt, boots, multiple undershirts. It's freezing and you can get buried in sweaters and never get out. I'd like to transition into some great spring dresses with florals and colors. Something cheery, less serious.

Kaitlin and Carey's task: to lighten things up a bit. They had some help from V Salon's Rebecca Taft and make-up artist Cindy Slyke.

Like Michael Walsh, Emily was a great sport -- excited and ready to try new things. And, like Michael, she looked gooooooood.

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The new Forever 21 megastore

Forever 21 Entrance

It's huge!

By Kaitlin Resler

After months of construction and teasing from a sign looming over the section of Crossgates that used to be Dick's, the new Forever21 opened on Friday.

I don't mean to make this sound super epic -- it's not exactly high-fashion heaven -- but it's the largest of the chain's stores on the East Coast. And for quick, trendy pieces and four-dollar sunglasses Forever21 is certainly a place to check out. And if you've never been, or haven't set foot inside for a long time, now it's definitely worth a look.

So I took one...

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At the mall, with Andy

crossgates warholesque

Pop Egg.

We noticed this Warhol-esque installation at Crossgates last night. It's at the top of the escalators by the new Dick's store.

It seemed a little groovy for the mall. In a good way.

Man shot in head, mother and son defy bike-to-school ban, state investigating suspicious fires, odd math on state test, ghost cats

Troy police say a man was shot in the head Sunday morning during a fight (map). The man is expected to survive. Police say the man may not have been the target of the shot -- though neighbors say the man, who lived on the street, was fired at for taking pictures of the scrum. [TU] [Troy Record] [Fox23]

Albany police have arrested a Troy man for the August 30 Second Street murder. Police say there may have been a confrontation between the two men before the shooting. The APD says witnesses at the party where the shooting occurred were initially reluctant to cooperate with the investigation. [TU] [Troy Record] [Fox23]

Schaghticoke fire officials say there was another suspicious fire this weekend. The state is now organizing a task force to investigate a string of 10 suspicious fires around the town. [Fox23] [TU]

A Troy City Hall inter-office memo warns of big tax increases in the city next year if it can't find a way to make budget cuts. [Troy Record]

The Saratoga mother and son who got in trouble for biking to school last spring defied the districts' no-biking-to-school rule by pedaling to the first day of class last week. [Saratogian]

(there's more)

State Senate break reportedly near, Biden coming to area, layoffs at the TU, mouthwash defense surfaces, liquor license denied because of Salvation Army

It's now been a month since the state Senate upheaval started. The two sides are reportedly nearing some sort of resolution. The Democrats known as "The Three Amigos" (that includes Pedro Espada, who's sided with the Republicans) are threatening to do something (it's not clear what) if there isn't a deal by Thursday. Two of the Amigos plus another senator walked out of the Dems' session yesterday -- and apparently other rank-and-file members are feeling "frisky." [Daily Politics] [PolitickerNY] [TU] [AP/Troy Record]

It does seem like something is up -- David Paterson has requested statewide TV time for 5 pm this evening. That's prompted speculation that he might try to dislodge the situation by appointing a lieutenant governor (which would, in turn, probably set off legal throwdown). [Daily Politics] [TU]

If it's any consolation, the senators' pay has been stopped. [NYDN]

Joe Biden will be in Clifton Park tomorrow to tout the federal stimulus effort. He'll be speaking at Shenendehowa High School. This will be the first Vice Presidential visit to the area since 2000. [TU] [WTEN] [Daily Gazette]

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David Sedaris at Crossgates tonight

david_sedaris.jpgAuthor David Sedaris will be at the Crossgates Borders tonight for a book signing. His new book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, came out this week.

The event starts at 7 pm. He always seems like a popular draw in this area, so you might want to show up early.

photo: Hachette Book Group

Teavana

Teavana kettles

Pots at Teavana

By Amy Brozio-Andrews

My doc says I should relax and cut down on the caffeine, so I was especially looking forward to visiting Teavana, which just opened this weekend at Crossgates Mall.

So what exactly is "a heaven of tea"?

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Jury deliberating Kathina case, selection process for Hillary replacement criticized, crash closes major intersection, new life for vacant anchor space at Crossgates?

The jury in the trial of Jermayne Timmons, the teen accused of firing the shot that killed Kathina Thomas, heard closing arguments yesterday before going into deliberations. The jurors were sent home at 9:30 pm and will continue deliberating today. [TU]

The gunman in the I-90 shootout had been on probation after pleading guilty to a handful of charges related to a 2006 robbery in Connecticut. He died Monday night after being taken off life support. [TU]

Jim Tedisco says Hillary Clinton's replacement in the US Senate should be picked by voters in a special election. It would seem that the chances of that actually happening are extremely small. [TU] [AP/Troy Record]

The New York Daily News reports that Andrew Cuomo has interviewed with David Paterson for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat -- though Cuomo's people called the story "factually inaccurate." [NYDN]

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Unbelievably cheap blazers at the Gap

Gap blazers

Marked down. Way down.

Here's a deal for the guys: the Gap at Crossgates right now is running a boffo sale on men's blazers.

They've marked down a whole bunch of them -- in a range of colors and fabrics -- at least 50 percent. Some have been marked down twice -- and you then get 40 percent off that price. We scored a brown moleskin jacket for $12.50 last night. You read that correctly.

It's almost unbelievable. The guy standing next to us at the checkout counter had this response when he heard about it: (eyes popped out) "Really?!?" And it's not just sizes XXL or XS -- as of last night there were plenty of S,M and L.

The jackets are located on the right side of the store in the walkway to the Gap Kids. The ridiculously-priced ones were in the middle of the walkway.

Our first meal at The Standard

Standard exterior

The 50's style worked for us.

The Standard, the new restaurant at Crossgates, opened this week. And after hearing about the company behind it, we were kind of curious. We figured you would be, too.

So we had dinner there last night.

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The glitter Jesus

By Amy Brozio-Andrews

glitter JesusDo you think it will multiply my money like loaves and fishes?

I have a pretty relaxed view of what's tacky, I'll admit. If it makes you happy, I'm cool with it. Mostly.

But I was stunned when I came up the escalator at Borders (Crossgates) earlier this week and saw this prominently displayed on a table.

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What can we expect The Standard to be?

Eveready Diner

The Eveready Diner in Hyde Park, which is owned by the same restaurant group.

When we first saw the signs for The Standard, the new restaurant going in at Crossgates, we thought, "Oh, look, there's a mid-century ring-a-ding-ding chain now. Whatever."

But then we heard a little more about it. The Standard is being opened by a company that runs a group of restaurants in the Hudson Valley. So we did a little research to get a sense of what we might expect.

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Troy deploys gun shot detector, Albany targets blight, movies for gym class, poll worker says students weren't turned away, IMAX screen opens

The City of Troy demonstrated its new system for monitoring and locating gun shots. The "ShotSpotter" cost $250,000. So where's the coverage area? The location of the monitors is a secret. [TU] [Troy Record]

The Troy City Council voted unanimously to ask RPI to start paying a public safety fee to offset the costs of the emergency services coverage at the campus. Mayor Harry Tutunjian says he's already been talking with the school and is concerned the council is trying to negotiate the deal itself. [TU] [Troy Record]

The City of Albany says it's using mapping software and a multi-department effort to focus on cleaning up the 50 most blighted blocks in the city. The program is being coordinated by the city's police chief. [TU]

A woman climbed down a steep 75 foot embankment yesterday in Ravena to help the passengers of a pick up truck that had just slammed into the back of her car. The woman, a nurse, says "I like to help people." [CBS6] [WNYT]

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Paterson's top advisor quits, woman murdered in Schenectady, local home prices steady, gambling with sick days, upside to global warming?

David Paterson's top advisor, Charles O'Byrne, resigned Friday because of the furor over him not paying taxes between 2001 and 2005. O'Byrne had been described as "the second-most-powerful man in New York" while working for Paterson. [NYT] [TU]

Police say a woman was murdered in her Schenectady home over the weekend. They say it appears Jaiwanti Mangar, a Guyanese immigrant, was killed after being struck in the head. [Daily Gazette]

Despite the stepped up police presence in the neighborhood following the nearby murder of UAlbany Richard Bailey, a man was stabbed four times at the corner of Madison and Ontario in Albany early Saturday morning. The attack was related to a fight over a woman, apparently. [Fox 23] [TU]

The president of the Pine Hill Neighborhood Association says there's been "an outpouring of outrage" in the neighborhood after Bailey's murder. APD chief James Tuffey says he's "certain" his department will find the murderer. [TU] [TU]

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The Melting Pot

melting pot logoWhen a Hooters goes, um, belly up at the mall, what do you follow it up with? The obvious answer is -- of course -- "chain fondue."

The new Melting Pot at Crossgates opens today. It appears to be a little different from the usual mall fare. The restaurant's only open for dinner. It takes reservations. And it's a bit on the expensive side ($60 for two people).

Anyone have Melting Pot experiences from other cities? Come on, dish. We'd love to hear if an $18 pot of melted cheese is worth it.

The Scoop

For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.

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