All Over Albany

Crossing the Black Bridge

We finally got a chance to check out the new paved path in Green Island that leads up to the southern end of the Black Bridge. And short story short: it's nice.

The Black Bridge is worth checking out sometime if you haven't already. There's a small parking lot at the end of Cannon Street on the Green Island side, and it's a short pedal from downtown Troy via the Green Island Bridge.

The bridge connects Green Island and Van Schaick Island in Cohoes across one of the Mohawk River's curling paths into the Hudson River. And it's part of a multi-use path that connects Green Island, Van Schaick Island, Peebles Island, and Waterford. The roughly two-mile corridor -- the Delaware Ave path in Cohoes -- is a nice walk or pedal as you pass by the fairways of the Van Schaick Island Country Club, the Van Schaick Mansion, a bunch of new residential developments in Cohoes, the old Matton Shipyard, cross the bridge onto the northern end of Peebles Island, and then cross another bridge over to Waterford with a view of the locks.

The setting is beautiful -- and a little bit wild. Late Sunday afternoon we glided past a deer and saw a bald eagle from the Black Bridge.

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Laura's hometown home in Cohoes

Laura's love for Cohoes runs so deeply that she built a home across the street from the house where she grew up. Her passion for her hometown combined with her love for home design have not only resulted in an interesting story -- she's also built a business on these two things.

A new home that has the details and feel of an older house, Laura's thoughtfully-designed place makes it easy to imagine spending a cozy Sunday afternoon or enjoying a large family party. It's a comfortable and welcoming space.

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Egg in the Bread at The Breakfast Spot

Simple, but comforting.

Do you ever really miss your mom?

I do, especially when I am sick. Growing up, my mom used to make me Campbell's tomato soup with extra saltines, a juice box, and a crunchy peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cut into triangles.

But now I'm the mom, and moms don't get sick days. No one is there to make me a soothing meal when I'm feeling under the weather, but thankfully there is The Breakfast Spot (TBS) in Cohoes, which serves up meals that comfort from the inside.

Having breakfast at TBS feels like a trip back to childhood, though not my childhood; I was born in the 80s, and the decor at TBS feels straight out of a diner from Leave it to Beaver. Nostalgia never hurt the healing process anyway.

Still, the food at TBS alone can cure what ails you. Case in point: Toad in the Hole -- or what TBS refers to as Egg in the Bread.

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A view of where the Mohawk meets the Hudson

For an afternoon zone-out break: Check out this nice aerial tour of the Cohoes Falls, Waterford locks, and Peebles Island area by Youtube user Tom Hoffman Jr.

The video includes some beautiful scenes. But we were also struck by how it helps put all those pieces of land where the Mohawk meets the Hudson into context -- differently even than by looking at a satellite map.

Today's moment of winter

A different class of icicle.

From the how-cold-is-it file: It's been cold enough to freeze (part of) the Cohoes Falls.

We took a minute Friday afternoon to gawk at the partially frozen falls.

Here are a few more pics.

That time whales swam to Albany

From a circa 1684 map of what was then called New Netherland.

That article about a possible shark in Lake Ontario reminded us about a story we once heard about whales swimming up the Hudson River to Albany.

Just another fish (er, cetacean) story, you say?

Well, it's true. Really.

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Peebles Island State Park

I really love state parks. As an apartment dweller, I have limited access to my own outdoors space and rely on parks and natural spaces to get sun and fresh air. Over the next few months I'm going to be sharing my favorite parks around the region, and highlighting the best parts of each spot.

Imagine there was a natural retreat with walking paths, wildlife, barbecue pits, and peaceful rivers just a few minutes from your house.

Okay, you can stop imagining now, because Peebles Island State Park is it. And if you're not already taking advantage of this spot, then you're missing out.

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That time the Capital Region included four of the nation's 100 biggest cities

Don't worry, there's a bigger version.

Albany was once the 9th largest city in the nation, by population. And Schenectady the 17th. And Troy the 19th.

It's true. Of course, that was in 1840, 1800, and 1840.

Inspired by this chart of the nation's most populous metro areas over the country's history [via], we figured it'd be interesting to chart the national ranks (up to 100) of New York cities from 1790-2010. A few of the rankings surprised us (Cohoes! Watervliet!). And the trends help illustrate New York State's shifting position within the nation.

OK, let's have a look...

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The AOA Historic Bad Boys, Broads and Bootleggers Tour

Update: The tour is sold out!

The Capital Region has a rich history, some of which can be found in books and museums -- and some of which... well... not so much. This area has its fair share of stories -- some truer than others -- of gangsters, bootleggers, political bosses, and gin mills .

So on Wednesday, August 7, AOA is hosting a "Bad Boys, Broads, and Bootleggers" trolley tour. Local history buffs Maeve McEneny and Duncan Crary will lead a raucous excursion into our region's infamous illicit past filled with stories your history teacher didn't want to tell you.

In addition to stories about characters like gangster Jack "Legs" Diamond, political boss Dan O'Connell, and Troy madam Mame Faye, we'll stop for tours and tastings at:

+ The speakeasy at City Beer Hall

+ Smith's in Cohoes, a historic haunt for political figures and home to the bar from Tammany Hall

+ The Lucas Confectionery in Troy

+ And a whiskey tasting at Albany Distilling Company.

We'll end the evening hanging out at the Albany Pump Station where your tour ticket will get you a free beer.

There will be swag, prizes, and other surprises along the way.

Tickets are $25 -- here's how to buy them.

Last year Maeve and Duncan led the really fun Troy > Albany Aqua Duck tour for AOA. That tour sold out within 24 hours, so check your calendar, coordinate with your friends and get your reservation today.

Trolleys for the the AOA Bad Boys, Broads, and Bootleggers tour will be provided by Advantage Transportation and Harmony House Tours helped pull the whole tour together. The event is sponsored by The Lofts at Harmony Mills, the Cohoes Local Development Corp, and The Downtown Albany BID.

Woman bitten by potentially rabid fox in Cohoes

The Albany County Department of Health reported today that a woman in Cohoes was bitten by a potentially rabid grey fox this morning (area map). The fox got away, and officials are urging people to keep an eye out for wild or stray animals that are acting strangely -- and call 911 if one is sighted.

Update: A fox -- maybe the fox -- was shot by Cohoes police later in the day. Update update: The fox that was shot tested positive for rabies, Cohoes police say. [TU] [@CBS6Jennifer]

Rabid foxes turn up now and then in this area. Three foxes tested positive for rabies between January and October of 2012 -- one each in Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties -- according to the most recent data posted by the state DEC. There were also three positives in 2011 -- two in Saratoga County, and one in Schenectady County. Statewide that year there were 26 positive tests for rabies in foxes, 21 of those in grey foxes.

Back in 2010 a man was bitten by a rabid fox in Greenwich, in a scene that sounds like something from a B movie. From the Daily Gazette:

Richard Leddy, 40, said he was lying on the town beach reading when he heard someone in the water say, "Oh look, there's a fox."

"I thought they meant on the other bank, but then I heard a snarl and looked over to see the fox in mid-leap," Leddy said. "Next think I knew he'd sunk his teeth into my arm."

Yikes.

The animals that most often turn up with positive rabies tests in the state, at least over the last few years, are raccoons and bats. In 2011, there were 162 raccoons that tested positive, and 64 bats. (That's just a raw count of positive tests by the state lab, not a measure of prevalence within the population of those animals compared to other animals.)

In fact, the last two people to die of rabies in New York State -- in 1995 and 1993 -- got it from a bat, according to the state's Wadsworth Center.

Earlier on AOA:
+ "Pet" gray fox on the loose in Troy
+ Fox stalking

photo of a grey fox (*not* the grey fox in Cohoes): US Fish and Wildlife Service via Wikipedia

Ravens Head: Cohoes Armory is a done deal

The Cohoes Armory, via Google Street View.

The Ravens Head Brewing Company's selection of the Cohoes Armory for its start-up brewery/restaurant is a done deal, Ravens Head co-owner Brennon Cleary says. The company's offer on the building was accepted Monday, and the closing is expected March 15.

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Ravens Head Brewing focusing on Cohoes Armory

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Ravens Head Brewing -- the startup brewing company/brewpup that had been hoping to set up at St. Joseph's in Albany -- has put in an offer on the Cohoes Armory, the Business Review reports.

The news isn't a surprise. Ravens Head's application for a zoning variance for St. Joe's had prompted strong concerns from some residents of the Ten Broeck Triangle neighborhood. And co-owner Brennon Cleary had told AOA earlier this month that the group behind the brewery project regarded the former church as "already dead", in part because the cost of acquiring parking for the site was pushing the total price tag of the already-$3 million project too high. The Cohoes Armory was on their list of new target properties.

Cleary told the Biz Review that they're still working out details for the armory, but they're "very confident" about the property.

The Cohoes Armory is currently listed for $239,000 by Trinity Realty Group, and includes 22,000 square feet with "[an] apartment, offices, storage/production areas, storage loft, loading dock, and room for trailer access." A Craigslist item for property mentions "ample parking." The building appears to be in an area zoned for mixed-use that allows for restaurants and bars (p. 58). (St. Joseph's is in an area zoned for residential, thus the need for a zoning variance -- on which the Albany BZA has not ruled.) Update: Cohoes' director of community and economic development tells the TU the project fits with its plan for the neighborhood and it can fit under existing zoning.

The armory dates back to 1893. Its architect was Isaac Perry, who not only designed a handful of armories around the state, but also supervised a phase of the state capitol construction.

Earlier and elsewhere:
+ Ravens Head Brewing considering alternatives to St. Joseph's
+ TU: Church pub called a foul brew
+ TU: Council opposes church pub plan
+ Analysis from local brewer George de Piro
+ Is St. Joseph's Church a brewery in its next life?

Mohawk Show

Design gawking: the Mohawk Show -- an exhibit of work from a design competition sponsored by the Cohoes-based Mohawk Fine Papers -- will be on display at the Foundry in Cohoes January 31.

The touring show highlights "higher thinking in graphic design, excellence in print production" -- and not surprisingly given the sponsor -- "appropriate paper choice." The exhibit has already made a handful stops around the country, and after Cohoes it's headed for Europe.

The exhibit will be on display from 6-9 pm. It's free.

image: Neal Whittington / Present & Correct / Mohawk Fine Papers

RAD Soap Co.

Yep, the soap with hemp seed oil is called "Toke."

Sue Kerber thinks the Capital Region needs to use more soap.

More specifically, her soap.

A familiar face and vendor at local farmers markets, Cohoes-based RAD Soap Co. has grown quickly in its four years. Sue's soaps and lotions began as a natural remedy to her family's ailments, from eczema to muscle pain to sinusitis. Those home remedies eventually turned into a full line of soaps, lotions, crèmes, balms and teas made from all natural ingredients -- and shipped all over the country.

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Sticky Fingers Candy Apples

Donna Harris doesn't even notice the smell anymore -- but you would.

After three years of making gourmet candy, caramel and chocolate apples, the owner of Sticky Fingers Gourmet Apples is used to the delightfully overwhelming scent that wafts through her shops in Cohoes and Troy.

The two-pound apples at Sticky Fingers are covered in more than just jelly or caramel. There's also fluffernutter, praline pecan, dark chocolate and sea salt or cajun spice.

I stopped into their new shop on River Street to check out a few different varieties and find out what exactly goes into a $10 gourmet candy apple.

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Grand opening for The Foundry in Cohoes

Way back -- like a whole 1.5 years ago -- The Foundry arts org in Cohoes was one of the first local orgs to apply for a Pepsi Refresh grant. And it won -- $50,000.

Well, this evening the Foundry has the grand opening of its converted bank building on Remsen Street, with tours and music from We are Jeneric. It starts at 4:30 and runs into the evening. (They would appreciate it if you could RSVP.)

From the Foundry's vision statement:

The Foundry is dedicated to connecting the arts and creative sectors to the business, civic, education and non-profit community of New York State's Capital Region. The Foundry strives to teach businesses, artists, institutions, and community developers how to use arts and culture in enriching and strengthening the physical, economic, and social revitalization of our region.

photo: The Foundry

For sale: lots of eclectic stuff

This could be worth a look: a "giant sale of eclectic offerings" in Cohoes this Friday and Saturday. Blurbage:

Hundreds of Estate items gathered from private residences from NYC, the Hudson Valley Region, and the Capital District.

Vintage and Used Furniture, Pottery, Industrial, Extensive Lighting- 1910-1980s, Glassware Antiques, Collectables, Outdoor Furniture, Garden and much more.

Here are what look like a few pics from the assortment. Recently added: art and "vintage medical."

The sale is at the former Cohoes Mill End Fabric building on Saratoga Street. It runs from 8 am - 3 pm each day (it's probably better to show up earlier than later -- the best stuff tends to get plucked quickly at these things). It's cash and check only.

(Thanks, Madonna!)

Once snow, now melt

This clip is from the Cohoes Falls Sunday morning. The volume of water going over the falls has been up quite a bit over the last few days as all that snow melted (or, was melting). Impressive, but it's not the torrent from last March.

Still, it makes for a quality whooooshhh.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Capital Region waterfall walks
+ An even better look at the Cohoes Falls

An eagle-eyed walk on Peebles Island

The view toward Cohoes. That's Harmony Mills in the distance.

I'm going to tell you a story about something that didn't happen. But that doesn't mean the story is a sad one.

Peebles Island State Park is one of my favorite Underappreciated Places of the Capital Region. The island, which sits where the Mohawk and Hudson rivers meet, is easy to get to and has a nice little trail. But what makes Peebles so interesting is the views: From the cliffside trail you can see waterfalls, other islands, the waterfronts of the surrounding cities, and factories and other industrial sites, some empty, some humming. And then there's the forest and fauna of Peebles Island itself. Not entirely natural or entirely urban, it's a compelling combination.

Its primary draw, at least this time: The eagles.

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New York wine and cheese

A one-stop shop in Cohoes.

The AOA elves are back to help you with your holiday shopping. For the next couple of weeks we'll be bringing you fun, interesting, local gift ideas for the holiday season.

This next suggestion just might be my favorite -- the gift of wine and cheese.

Sure, New York doesn't appear to be any closer to allowing wine to be sold in grocery stores, but that doesn't mean there's no place to go for both wine and cheese.

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Virtual weekend: Oktoberfest, Janelle Monae, a whole lot of water

One of Sebastien's photos from the packed Oktoberfest on North Broadway in Albany.

Updated with another photo!

Stuck doing something else this past weekend? Out of town? Having fun some other way?

Here are a few of the sights and sounds from this past weekend -- you know, sort of like a virtual weekend.

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Al-Baraki returns

Al Baraki's Paul Chedrawee in his old Lark Street space.

Help is on the horizon for those of us going through chicken shawarma withdrawal.

Al-Baraki is coming back.

The Lebanese restaurant was a big hit when it moved to Lark Street from Troy, but a fire in the building next door closed them down in the spring.

We followed up on a tip from Ryan and it turns out that Paul and Simone Chedrawee are reopening Al Baraki -- but not on Lark Street. They're heading to Remsen Street in Cohoes.

It's a much larger space than the old Lark Street location, with tables and expanded menu.

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Bread and Jam to close

From a show in 2009. Bread and Jam always seemed like a warm place.

From a post this afternoon on the Facebook page for Bread and Jam, the coffehouse/cafe/performance space on Remsen Street in downtown Cohoes:

It is with the most profound sadness in my heart that we must announce to all of you that after two years of great food, drink, and music that Bread and Jam will be closing its doors permanently this Friday September 3rd. The past two years have been nothing short of a dream f...or me. Being a longtime musician, I always wanted to own my own music venue, and I was able to do that. I can never express in words what the friendships and experiences have meant to me here, and the fact that all of you got a chance to share that dream with me. My staff has always been there for me like family, going above and beyond anything I could expect from them. The musicians from all over the country have shared stories, and their great craft in our fine little space. But most of all there is no way I can ever thank our customers enough. Each of you believed in Bread and Jam enough to spend your hard earned money on a regular basis here, and make my dreams come true. Cohoes is a beautiful place with wonderful potential, and great people.

There's more at the page from owner Sal Prizio, who writes the cafe "finally ran into a financial wall that I just wasn't able to hurdle." Another message says the cafe's final day will be this Friday. "And yes, I will be hosting one more open mic this Thursday at 8pm."

Prizio was recently featured in the TU. When asked how the business was going, he replied:

We're hanging in there. It's a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be. I was under this perception that I was going to open this cool place, and everybody was just going to flock to it. And that's just not the reality.

We're sorry to see Bread and Jam go. It's a friendly, warm place and it had become a good spot for music.

Earlier on AOA: Remsen Street in Cohoes

(Thanks, Lou)

photo: Bryan Thomas

The Pig Pit BBQ

Hmmm... do we smell a BBQ smackdown?

While driving around Cohoes , I couldn't help but giggle at this "Pig Pit vs. Dinosaurs: Bring it on!" sign. Clearly I had to check that out.

So, my look at Cohoes continues with, The Pig Pit.

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Harmony House Marketplace & the Wine Seller

They love NY wines.

Okay, okay, I'll admit it - I don't think of New York when it comes to choosing a wine. And I'm definitely not alone in that thinking.

The folks at Harmony House Marketplace's The Wine Seller are hoping to change that.

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