Column as I See ‘Em – SARATOGA REPORT

Column As I See ‘Em – Saratoga Report Publisher Dan De Federicis shares his thoughts, opinions, hopefully some humor and more!

Look at that! The Column as I See ‘Em is back for the second month in a row. Here’s what I’m thinking:

News reports recently announced that Saratoga Hospital was amongst Newsweek’s “World’s Best Hospitals in 2026” . Saratoga Hospital ranked 184th out of 420 hospitals from the United States on the list and was the only hospital in the Capital Region that made it. According to Newsweek “….Each hospital was reviewed and given a score based on four data sources: recommendations from medical experts—including doctors, hospital managers and other health care professionals—hospital quality metrics, existing patient experience data and Statista’s Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Implementation Survey.” Clearly Saratoga Hospital is a community asset and it has improved notably since I moved here 20 years ago, but before I can buy into the report’s conclusion that it is amongst “the best in the world”, I guess I’d like to see the raw data.
The World’s Biggest Bounce House is Coming to Saratoga County in June. How about one hour a day where the adults can go in there and have some fun?
A shoutout to the guy Matt who works at the South Broadway Cudney’s. He’s interesting to talk to, very efficient, and he remembers my name even though I’m only there maybe once a month. Maybe he recognizes me because he’s a fan of the Column as I See ‘Em. Yea, that’s it. BTW, Cudney’s is owned by Joyce Ure and she is very generous to area charities and does it in a low-key way. I am a fan.
Geez it’s such a waste of good commercial space to see the former Smashburger location (in the Fresh Market Plaza) closed for going on 3.5 years now, just sitting there empty. I see there is a sign on the building indicating the space is for lease. There were no “for lease” signs there for what I believe was a period of years after the chain closed the Spa City location, but that changed somewhere along the way.

Continuing with chains coming and going, the Buffalo Wild Wings location proposed on Lowe’s Drive in Wilton is supposed to open later this year. I don’t recall seeing any signs of construction yet.
Meanwhile, the former TGI Friday’s location in the Shops at Wilton continues to sit there empty.
Staying in that general geographic area, The Wilton Mall has a bit of the “Little Engine That Could” vibe about it. It’s never teeming with people, but there are shoppers and people with other reasons to go there. While the mall is not occupied by a plethora of A-list tenants, and some are quite honestly head scratchers, I nonetheless would describe the number of vacancies there as not glaring. For a small shopping mall in the year 2026, that’s saying something.
I wrote “teeming” in the post above. Remember Teem soda? If you do you’re old, but my point is that Teem was a great soda, and yet Pepsi discontinued it decades ago. I understand it’s still available in Brazil, Uruguay and other distant lands. Should you be traveling to South America anytime soon, maybe you can smuggle me a bottle back to the Spa City.
OK Seinfeld fans, in the episode “The Millennium” (Season 8, Episode 20), Newman books a certain musician for his “Newmannium” party. Who is that musician? (Hint: He/She is playing at SPAC this summer). Answer a few down below.
Back to the Wilton Mall, I lost track of the apartment building project that was supposed to be built there. About a year ago the mall was purchased by Ferraz Khan, a Capital Region developer. At the time, he announced that he will focus on the mall first, with plans to bring “a dozen new restaurants, entertainment, and national stores.”. As far as I can tell, the apartments were pushed back to the third quarter of 2027. I like the plan for apartments at the mall and I hope it comes to fruition.
The Verizon store in the Wilton mall moved across the street to the plaza where TJ Maxx is, in the former location of Mohawk Army-Navy store, which moved to the old EMS location last fall. I tried my hand at having AI sketch this out for you below. Let’s just say my AI efforts are a work in progress and hopefully my next attempt is a tad more clear.

I hope you caught my article at the end of March about the new South American Restaurant coming to Congress Plaza later this spring. That story begets another story, namely that the new restaurant, Viva Empanadas, is filling the space previously occupied by Moby Rick’s Seafood for several years until it closed in early January. Prior to its time at Congress Plaza, the seafood retailer also had a good run at the old Pepper’s Market location on Lake Avenue. Moby Rick’s Seafood posted a notice about the closing on it’s Facebook page on January 8, indicating that the lease ended and it was closed. The post said in part “….Our new location won’t be ready yet but it will be bigger and also a seafood restaurant”. I have a number of inquiries into Moby Rick’s via phone, text and email for an update but have not received a reply. I’ll follow up if I receive one.
Have you seen those new U.S. Postal Service Trucks yet? They sure are strange looking. A mail carrier told me the postal employees have nicknamed the duck-billed vehicles as Platypuses. Funny – and apropos.

A Platypus on Crescent Ave

Hey out there NHL fans, my Sabres are looking pretty good. As I write this, a first-tound matchup with the Bruins seems possible. That would make the local bars pretty lively during the games. Not too many Ottawa Senators fans in these parts.

I was heading up North Broadway last week and I noticed this majestic, but rather odd looking, tree in front of one of the houses. It almost has the look of a palm tree. We should be so lucky.

I first wrote about the planned development of approximately four homes off of Jefferson Street just south of Five Points in November of 2020. That was almost 5½ years ago, and there are still signs there today but no indication of any homes going up just yet.
Staying in the Five Points Neighborhood, I was driving on Park Avenue yesterday and I saw people removing the multiple successive signs that were there for months protesting the proposed condo development at the corner of Park Ave. and Cottage Street. The city’s planning board approved the 6-unit project in January and construction is expected to start this summer. If you were wondering why one of the signs had the words “Burma-Shave” on it, I can provide an answer for you, or at least a partial one, if you click here.
I consider myself a fan – heck even an ambassador – of Saratoga Springs, so here’s where I’ll get myself in trouble: I like the soft serve from both Dairy Haus and Humpty Dumpty here in the Spa City, but neither of them compare to Martha’s Dandee Creme on Route 9 across from The Great Escape. A stop at Martha’s is an extra level of exciting.
Staying with businesses up north, there seems to be a mini trend of established businesses from Warren and Washington Counties opening up Saratoga-area locations. Canopy on Route 9 in Wilton is, according to AI,” a greenhouse café, boutique garden center, and market”. It was opened last year by the owners of the long-standing Mandy’s Spring Nursery in Granville. Bear’s Cup Bakehouse, which I did make it to once or twice, is an upscale – and some would say pricey – bakery on Broadway in the former Jacobsen Rugs location next to Forno Bistro. Their original location is a seasonal walk-up window in Bolton Landing that has quite a following in the Lake George region. Their website indicates a third location is under construction on Rt. 9 in Wilton, near the aforementioned Canopy location.
Getting close to the end here. The SPAC-bound artist who was booked for the “Newmannium” party was none other than Christopher Cross, who will appear at SPAC with Toto and The Romantics on July 16. I caught that particular Seinfeld rerun last week and there was a “between the moon and new york city” reference, which many of you will recall was part of the lyrics to Cross’ 1981 hit “Arthur’s Theme”.
And finally, proving that all roads lead to Saratoga (perhaps some via detours), “Arthur’s theme” is from the movie “Arthur” of course, which starred Dudley Moore. His first big movie, at least that I recall, was “10”, which co-starred actress Bo Derek. Some of you may recall Ms. Derek visited the Spa City, more specifically Saratoga Race Course, on a number of occasions in the past several years. She has been involved in many facets of thoroughbred racing, including regulation, anti-slaughter activism and ownership, and is respected by many in the industry.

OK folks, thanks for reading this column as well as the other parts of Saratoga Report. Temperatures this week are going to sniff 80 degrees, which will be a welcome change from this past winter and an up-and-down April.

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PLEASE READ THE LIST OF CURRENT AND RECENT ADVERTISERS BELOW AND FIND WAYS TO SHOW YOUR THANKS FOR THOSE THAT KEEP THIS FREE PUBLICATION GOING.

- Caffe Lena – Our first advertiser. What a gem here in not just Saratoga but the entire region! Can’t make a show? Stream live or watch past shows on Caffelena.tv
- Roohan Realty, The Scott Varley Team and Julie & Co. Realty – I have such respect for these three Realty firms, their respective owners, and their teams that I won’t accept advertising from any others. If you are buying or selling, residential or commercial, choosing among these three for your Realty needs is the smartest way to go.
- Adirondack Trust Co. Not just a great financial institution but a pillar of the community. What worthy project haven’t they helped on? Don’t forget you can get insurance through ATC’s affiliate Amsure.
- Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga – Retraining retired racehorses to help veterans, children and many others! How perfect is that? They have great events too!
- New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. – Horse Racing is so important in this region and this stellar organization, based in Saratoga Springs, represents the breeding industry in the entire state.
- Saratoga Auto Museum – Yet another asset that makes Saratoga special! Make sure you catch the Pontiac Exhibit before April 26!
- Saratoga Central Catholic School – My daughter is a student at “Spa Catholic” and absolutely loves it, and she’s getting a terrific education. Call (518) 587-7070 to arrange a private tour or shadow visit.
- The Mostly Modern Festival – Celebrating their 7th Season, June 4-20 at the Arthur Zankel Music Center in Saratoga Springs! Click here to find watch a brief video about Mostly Modern Projects.
- Plaza 15 Self Storage – Great location, great staff and competitive pricing. I have been a customer for a few years now!
- Point Breeze Marina – Another place I have been a customer of for years. Terrific options for new & used boat purchase and rentals to get you on the lake!
- The Posie Peddler – And yet another place I was a customer of before they became an advertiser! Their flower arrangements will simply blow you out of the water as they are so creative and beautiful! Wonderful options for Mother’s Day!

Column As I See ‘Em – Saratoga Report Publisher Dan De Federicis shares his thoughts, opinions, hopefully some humor and more!

Look at that! The Column as I See ‘Em is back for the second month in a row. Here’s what I’m thinking:

The World’s Biggest Bounce House is Coming to Saratoga County in June. How about one hour a day where the adults can go in there and have some fun?

Continuing with chains coming and going, the Buffalo Wild Wings location proposed on Lowe’s Drive in Wilton is supposed to open later this year. I don’t recall seeing any signs of construction yet.

Meanwhile, the former TGI Friday’s location in the Shops at Wilton continues to sit there empty.

OK Seinfeld fans, in the episode “The Millennium” (Season 8, Episode 20), Newman books a certain musician for his “Newmannium” party. Who is that musician? (Hint: He/She is playing at SPAC this summer). Answer a few down below.

Have you seen those new U.S. Postal Service Trucks yet? They sure are strange looking. A mail carrier told me the postal employees have nicknamed the duck-billed vehicles as Platypuses. Funny – and apropos.

Hey out there NHL fans, my Sabres are looking pretty good. As I write this, a first-tound matchup with the Bruins seems possible. That would make the local bars pretty lively during the games. Not too many Ottawa Senators fans in these parts.

I was heading up North Broadway last week and I noticed this majestic, but rather odd looking, tree in front of one of the houses. It almost has the look of a palm tree. We should be so lucky.

I first wrote about the planned development of approximately four homes off of Jefferson Street just south of Five Points in November of 2020. That was almost 5½ years ago, and there are still signs there today but no indication of any homes going up just yet.

OK folks, thanks for reading this column as well as the other parts of Saratoga Report. Temperatures this week are going to sniff 80 degrees, which will be a welcome change from this past winter and an up-and-down April.

PLEASE READ THE LIST OF CURRENT AND RECENT ADVERTISERS BELOW AND FIND WAYS TO SHOW YOUR THANKS FOR THOSE THAT KEEP THIS FREE PUBLICATION GOING.

Caffe Lena – Our first advertiser. What a gem here in not just Saratoga but the entire region! Can’t make a show? Stream live or watch past shows on Caffelena.tv

Adirondack Trust Co. Not just a great financial institution but a pillar of the community. What worthy project haven’t they helped on? Don’t forget you can get insurance through ATC’s affiliate Amsure.

Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga – Retraining retired racehorses to help veterans, children and many others! How perfect is that? They have great events too!

New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. – Horse Racing is so important in this region and this stellar organization, based in Saratoga Springs, represents the breeding industry in the entire state.

Saratoga Auto Museum – Yet another asset that makes Saratoga special! Make sure you catch the Pontiac Exhibit before April 26!

Saratoga Central Catholic School – My daughter is a student at “Spa Catholic” and absolutely loves it, and she’s getting a terrific education. Call (518) 587-7070 to arrange a private tour or shadow visit.

The Mostly Modern Festival – Celebrating their 7th Season, June 4-20 at the Arthur Zankel Music Center in Saratoga Springs! Click here to find watch a brief video about Mostly Modern Projects.

Plaza 15 Self Storage – Great location, great staff and competitive pricing. I have been a customer for a few years now!

Point Breeze Marina – Another place I have been a customer of for years. Terrific options for new & used boat purchase and rentals to get you on the lake!

The Posie Peddler – And yet another place I was a customer of before they became an advertiser! Their flower arrangements will simply blow you out of the water as they are so creative and beautiful! Wonderful options for Mother’s Day!