September 21, 2011 (New World Bistro Bar)

Tonight was a fabulous night, I spent the evening with my dear friend Denise while she introduced me to a fabulous restaurant located in Albany, New World Bistro.  New World Bistro is only 19 miles away and it is on the same block as the Spectrum Theater, which was our final destination of the evening.  

New World Bistro Bar features owner Ric Orlando’s own variation of soul food.  The chef’s use many local growers and producers for the food they prepare.  The atmosphere is relaxed and the service is wonderful.  If seeing a movie, make sure to inform the waiter and they will ensure your dinner is served timely and that you are able to relax and enjoy your dinner and still make the movie.  My dinner tonight was Thai Italian Love, Panang Curry Bolognese and I have just one thing to say, WOW!    

Next stop, the Spectrum.  The Spectrum is not your mall theater but it is a theater committed to showing films that are provocative, entertaining and thought-provoking. By showcasing the best first-run independent, foreign and Hollywood films, the Spectrum has differentiated itself from the competition.  So, looking for a fun evening with friends, head to dinner at New World and top it off with dessert at the Spectrum and watch a movie. 

September 16, 2011 (Family and Child Service of Schenectady)

This week was filled with events that were held at Golf courses.  This evening was the Family & Child Service of Schenectady’s 6^th Annual Golf Ball Drop held at Stadium Golf Course.  

Family & Child Service of Schenectady is an organization that was started back in 1929 as part of a Junior League initiative.  I have served as a member of the board of directors since 2009 and chair of their fund development committee since 2010.  Family & Child Service’s mission is to preserve and enhance the integrity of family life and I am so happy to be a part of an organization that has for more than 80 years continued to support this region.  The event is a lot of fun and I was very excited that Dave McGraw won the third prize, the 43" TV right behind us.

This is an annual event so please be sure to mark your calendars and plan to attend this wonderful event that includes watching it rain golf balls from the sky!!!   

September 15, 2011 (Join your local Chamber of Commerce)

If you are a local business owner in this area, I would have to strongly suggest joining the Chamber of Commerce.  As a member of the board of directors for a non-for-profit, I have the opportunity to attend chamber events on their behalf and I must say that the events are always enjoyable.  The event I attended this evening was sponsored by both the Schenectady County Chamber and the Southern Saratoga Chamber and the event benefitted the local victims of Hurricane Irene.  The Chambers of Commerce are nonprofit organizations, dedicated to acting as a catalyst for economic growth.

Tonight’s event was held at The Edison Club.  The club was an idea conceived in 1903 by employees of the GE Test Department and the finalization of contracts occurred in 1925 when the property was turned over to GE. 

September 13, 2011 (More Perreca's)

Today I went to lunch with my team from GE and I have to tell you about our luncheon location because today’s treasure is More Perreca’s in Schenectady’s Little Italy section at 31 North Jay Street.  More Perreca’s is the restaurant addition to Perreca’s Bakery.  Perreca’s Bakery has been here since 1913 and has been a family run business from the beginning. I have been to More Perreca’s several times and although have tried a variety of the menu items, I always return to my favorite, Eggs in Purgatory.  This fabulous dish of poached eggs in their red sauce and served with their amazing homemade bread, yummy!! 

Please make sure to stop by and try this dish or something else on the menu, the service is fast and you can definitely fit this in during your lunch hour and there is a lovely outdoor patio if the weather permits. 

Saturday, September 10, 2011 (A day of festivals)

The first Saturday after Labor Day is always a busy day in Schenectady!  It features several local annual events. 

The day began with a visit to the 60^th Annual Stockade Outdoor Art Show featuring more than 100 artists from the Northeast. This area was recently affected by flooding from Hurricane Irene, but its residence and this community believe the show must go on and go on it did! 

It was then off to stop at St. George’s Greek Festival for a sampling of wonderful food, including a nice piece of baklava.  The weather was nice and it was a great way to spend the afternoon. 

Finally, in the evening a stop at the 6th Annual Schenectady Little Italy Street Fest.  The fest is set up on North Jay Street amid some of Schenectady's most well known Italian bakeries, restaurants, and pastry and spumoni shops.  Wow, what a day!  

Schenectady is filled with great days like this, another reason to love this area!

September 9, 2011 (Apostrophe Cafe)

Today, I had a luncheon meeting to discuss an upcoming Junior League event in December and our location, the new Apostrophe Café.  Apostrophe Café is located within Proctor’s Theater at 432 State Street, Schenectady and is a great place for an afternoon meeting. 

They have renovated the seating area and their menu (designed by my dear friend Leesa) has some amazing selections.  Today I had the Jazz Hands sandwich, which was delicious.  Are you looking for a place to have lunch while enjoying the downtown experience? I suggest stopping by Apostrophe.

Be sure to stay tuned for more information on Junior League event in December. 

September 7, 2011 (Walking Jay Street)

Sometimes you just need to get away from the office for a minute and clear your head, during lunch today I took a quick stroll on Jay Street, well the walking Jay Street.  Walking Jay Street is a cobblestone walkway right off of State Street across from Proctors’ Theater and features a fabulous variety of shops. 

Today I was just window shopping and it was a great way to clear my head because there was a street guitarist in front of one of the shops and after a quick stop at Ambition Café for a soft drink, I sat at a little bistro table while listening to another duo of street musicians nearby.   I think Walking Jay is a definite hidden treasure in downtown Schenectady.  

I hope you stop by soon for this treat. 

September 5, 2011 (Labor Day)

Having a day off is such a wonderful thing, on Labor Day I took a wonderful 4 mile walk on part of Mohawk River/Erie Canal Blue Way Trail.  Parking at the Railroad Station Park, Rosendale Road, Niskayuna.  Here is a view at the start of my walk.

The park has a picnic area and lovely benches where you can relax and read a book while enjoying the day.  So if you are looking for a relaxing place to just unwind while having this amazing view, I definitely suggest starting your day here. 

September 3, 2011 (Schenectady County Library)

I am not sure when this happened but as I got older I seemed to forget about public libraries and how wonderful they are but a few years ago I became reacquainted with them and all they have to offer.  So, now one of the things I enjoy doing on the weekend is visiting the Schenectady County Public Library.  First of all, it is close enough to walk to, so I fit in a little exercise on my way and t is always such a treat to find a new author or that new release that just happened to hit the shelf.  Today’s find was “Love Child” by Shiela Kohler, an author I have never read.

That is the best thing about the library, you have the ability to pick up books by your favorite author or try a new author or read a new genre that you may want to explore without any cost.  They also have books on tape that you can borrow, what a great idea if you are taking a road trip.  You can also peruse their extensive video collection, no cost video’s, wow, how awesome is that!!! 

One of the things that Schenectady County Library does is a program called “One County, One Book”, the program was established to encourage everyone in the county to read one book and that one book would give you a talking point with every person that read it.  This year’s book was “My name is Mary Sutter” by Robin Oliveira.  It was a great read and if you haven’t read it, I encourage you to, it will give us something to chat about, should we meet.     

If you don’t belong to a library, I really suggest making use of their facilities.  It is a great place to spend time and one should never stop reading or learning about new things.

Do you have your library card?    

September 1, 2011 (Stockade Inn and Happy Dollars)

I was excited to learn that although The Stockade Inn (which had been without power for many days after Hurricane Irene came to visit) was going to be open today and still planned to serve lunch for our weekly Schenectady Rotary Meeting.  This is a must visit if you are ever in the area.

The Stockade Inn is located at the corner of Union and Church Streets in the historic Stockade District of Schenectady, New York.  The Inn was the home of the former Mohawk Bank which was constructed in 1814 (original vault still in the basement) and it has served many purposes over the years, from a bank, a private home, a classical school department, the Mohawk Club (a men's only social club) and now the only hotel in existence in this historic area.  

Besides the beautiful decor, the food is fabulous and I definitely recommend a night cap here while listening to some wonderful jazz music.   

I talk about how much I love the area but it is also about my love of the people that live here.  Every week the Schenectady Rotary Club meets for lunch on Thursday at noon at this wonderful venue and every week we have a moment of what we call "Happy Dollars".  What occurs during happy dollars is that you are given the opportunity to stand up and place a dollar in the gold plated box and express a story you wish to tell or for something that you are happy or grateful for (the money is used to continue the great programs supported by the Rotary).  Your happy dollar can be because your team won the game, your child got accepted to a college, you met a new friend, or whatever it is that you wish to acknowledge, one gentleman every week puts in a dollar because he loves his wife, it is now up to $2 a week because he has a new daughter.  However, today when people got up, there were many happy dollars, there were $20, $10, $5's!  Today, everyone was grateful!  They were grateful that although they may have lost material possessions due to the storm, they were there, they were alive and they are grateful that they can continue to help others to survive this tragic event.  They did not focus on the negative of the storm but on the positive and how they came together to support one another.   

Schenectady is a survivor, whether it is an earthquake or a hurricane, we rebuild, we reengage, we reunite to build a better community.  Just another reason to love where I live and the people in my life.