Saratoga Springs, New York

"Saratoga Springs" redirects here. For other uses, see Saratoga Springs (disambiguation).

Saratoga Springs
City
A view of downtown, looking south along Broadway from its intersection with Caroline Street.
Motto: Health, History, Horses
Nickname: The Spa City, 'Toga
Country	United States
State	New York
Region	Capital District
County	Saratoga
Landmark	Saratoga Race Course
River	Kayaderossas Creek
Elevation	300 ft (91 m)
Coordinates	43°4′31″N 73°46′57″W
Lowest point	Kayaderosseras Creek
- elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Area	29.0 sq mi (75 km2)
- land	28.4 sq mi (74 km2)
- water	0.6 sq mi (2 km2)
Population	26,586 (2010)
Density	920 / sq mi (355 / km2)
Founded	ca. 1776
Incorporation as city	1915
Government	Saratoga Springs City Hall
- location	474 Broadway
- coordinates	43°5′0.23″N 73°47′2.81″W
Mayor	Scott Johnson (R) City Commission Commissioner of Accounts: John P. Franck (D) Commissioner of Finance: Michelle Madigan (D) Commissioner of Public Safety: Christian Mathiesen (D) Commissioner of Public Works: Anthony "Skip" Scirocco (R)
Timezone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code	12866
Area code	518
FIPS code	36-65255
GNIS feature ID	0964489
Demonym	Saratogian
Location within Saratoga County
Location within New York State
Wikimedia Commons: Saratoga Springs, New York
Website: http://www.saratoga-springs.org/

Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, authorities disagree on the original term and its meaning. The city is near the center of Saratoga County in upstate New York.

History

Fort Saratoga was built in 1691 on the west bank of the Hudson River. The current village of Schuylerville, New York was settled about a mile south by English colonists shortly after the fort; it was known as Saratoga until 1831. In 1767, William Johnson, a British soldier who was a hero of the French and Indian Wars, was brought by Native American friends to springs about 10 miles (16 km) west of the village. They treated his war wounds, as the spring was thought to have medicinal properties. Now known as High Rock Spring, it may still be visited today. Johnson was appointed British Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Northeast region and was knighted for his service to the Crown.

The first permanent European-American settler at the springs came about 1776. The springs attracted tourists and Gideon Putnam built the first hotel for travelers. Putnam also laid out the roads and donated land for use as public spaces.

Saratoga was also the site of one of the most important American victories during the American Revolution. The reason for its importance was because this battle convinced the French that they could become allies with the Americans and could help lend support that would eventually end in victory and independence for the Americans from Great Britain.

Saratoga Springs was established as a settlement in 1819 from a western portion of the Town of Saratoga. Its principal community was incorporated as a village in 1826 and the entire region became a city in 1915. Tourism was greatly aided after 1832 by the arrival of the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad, which brought thousands of travelers to the famous mineral springs. Patronage of the railroad increased steadily after the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company assumed control in 1870 and began running the Empire State Express directly between New York City and the resort.

In the 19th century, the noted doctor Simon Baruch encouraged developing European-style spas in the United States as centers for health. With its wealth of mineral waters, Saratoga Springs was developed as a spa, generating the development of many large hotels, including the United States Hotel and the Grand Union Hotel. The latter was, in its day, the largest hotel in the world.

In 1863, Saratoga Race Course opened and moved to its current location the following year, greatly expanding the city's attraction as a tourist destination. In addition, the Saratoga Springs area was known for its gambling, which after the first years of the 20th century was illegal, but still widespread. Most gambling facilities were located on Saratoga Lake, on the southeast side of the city.

After the closing and demolition of many of the town's premier hotels, including the Grand Union and United States, in the 1940s and 1950s and competition from other destinations as more people used automobiles to travel for vacations, Saratoga Springs suffered a significant economic downturn. During the 1950s, the state and city finally closed the famed gambling houses, which further damaged Saratoga Springs as a destination.

The city's rebirth began in the 1960s with the completion of the Adirondack Northway (Interstate 87), which allowed visitors from the north and south much easier access. In addition, the construction of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in the late 1960s, which features classical and popular music and dance, furthered the city's renaissance.

The Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolutionary War, did not take place in Saratoga Springs. Rather, the battlefield is 15 miles (24 km) to the southeast in the Town of Stillwater. A museum dedicated to the two battles is located on the fields where the battles were fought. The British encampment before the surrender at Saratoga took place 10 miles (16 km) east of the city, in Schuylerville, and there are several historical markers delineating points of interest. The surrender of the sword took place where Fort Saratoga had been, south of Schuylerville.

Geography

Saratoga Springs is located at 43°04′31″N 73°46′57″W (43.075337, -73.782422).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75 km²), of which 28.4 square miles (74 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) (2.17%) is water.

The Adirondack Northway (Interstate 87) and US Route 9 pass alongside and through the city, respectively. New York State Route 29, New York State Route 50, New York State Route 9N, and New York State Route 9P lead into Saratoga Springs.

Saratoga Lake is southeast of the city.

Demographics

2010

According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:

• 92.3% White
• 2.6% Black
• 0.2% Native American
• 2.0% Asian
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• 2.2% Two or more races
• 0.7% Other races
• 3.2% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 26,186 people, 10,784 households, and 5,985 families residing in the city. The population density was 921.1 people per square mile (355.6/km²). There were 11,584 housing units at an average density of 407.5 per square mile (157.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.53% White, 3.11% African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.

There were 10,784 households out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 15.5% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,130, and the median income for a family was $59,281. Males had a median income of $39,573 versus $29,439 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,250. About 5.5% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Saratoga Springs charter specifies a "commission" form of city government. Recent efforts to amend the charter have not yet been successful. The most recent charter change proposal appeared on the ballot in the November 2012 election and was rejected. The Saratoga Springs City Council members for 2012 and 2013 are:

• Mayor Scott T. Johnson
• Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan
• Commissioner of Public Works Anthony "Skip" Scirocco
• Commissioner of Public Safety Christian Mathiesen
• Commissioner of Accounts John P. Franck

The county supervisors for the city are Joanne Yepsen and Matthew Veitch.

Transportation

See also: Saratoga Springs (Amtrak station)

The closest scheduled air service is available at Albany International Airport (ALB). There is also a general aviation facility, Saratoga County Airport (5B2), located west of city limits in the Town of Milton.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Saratoga Springs, operating its Adirondack daily in both directions between Montreal and New York City and Ethan Allen Express daily in both directions between Rutland, Vermont and New York City. The local station was built in 1956, but dramatically rehabilitated in 2004. The 6,400-square-foot (590 m²) passenger area contains a coffee shop/newsstand, murals, an automated teller machine, a visitors information kiosk, an outside patio area with benches, and a children’s play area. The station serves about 23,000 passengers every year.

Greyhound Bus Lines also serves the city frequently, sending buses every few hours towards Albany or Montreal. The city Amtrak station serves as the Greyhound Bus Lines and Adirondack Trailways Bus Lines station. The city is also served by the Capital District Transportation Authority, which provides bus service from Schenectady via Route 50 daily, and weekday service to Albany via the Northway Express line.

Long-distance motorists generally reach Saratoga via Interstate 87, which north of Albany is known as the Adirondack Northway. Three exits access the city. Exit 13-S is optimal for reaching Saratoga Lake, and 13-N for the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and the southern and western quadrants of the city. Visitors to the racetrack use Exit 14, which is also arguably best for reaching downtown from the south. Exit 15 serves Skidmore College, downtown if coming from the north, and the shopping malls just north of city limits.

Business

Though Saratoga Springs relies heavily on tourism as its main source of income, especially during the summer months while Saratoga Race Course is open, there is plenty of industry that keeps this culture-rich city's economy booming, and some residents commute to the Albany area. Saratoga Springs is home to a plant of Quad Graphics, offset printers of Time Magazine, Newsweek, People Magazine, Sports Illustrated and many others. Ball Corporation, makers of the Mason Jar as well as aluminum cans for companies such as Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch InBev, has a large manufacturing plant in the city. AMD - Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (Global Foundries) has recently opened a manufacturing site in a newly constructed industrial park just outside Saratoga Springs in the town of Malta, New York. Stewart's Shops, a popular convenience store chain that is an employee- and family-owned business dealing in milk, ice cream, coffee, food to go, gasoline, and more is based out of Saratoga Springs with a distribution center in Greenfield Center. Stewart's now has over 300 stores throughout New York and Vermont. Perhaps the most recognized of all businesses in Saratoga Springs is the Saratoga Spring Water Co. (a division of Anheuser-Busch InBev) on Geyser Road. Since 1872, Americans have been enjoying this popular bottled mineral water whose blue glass bottle is still its trademark to this day.

Culture

Horse racing

The city is perhaps best known for the Saratoga Race Course, which opened on August 3, 1863. The first track was located across Union Avenue (at the present Oklahoma Training Track location) from the present Saratoga Race Course, which opened the following year. Founded by John Hunter and William R. Travers, the thoroughbred track is the oldest continuously-operating sporting event of any kind in the United States. The track holds a summer meet lasting six weeks, from late July to Labor Day, that attracts the top horses, jockeys, and trainers in America. The meet features a number of major stakes races, with the Travers Stakes, a Grade I race, being the most important of America's summer horse races. The track season sees a dramatic influx of people into the city. Hotels fill to capacity, and many Saratogians rent out their homes.

Also located in the city is the Saratoga Casino and Raceway, a harness (Standardbred) racetrack that includes a video gaming facility, the Racino, and a horse betting simulcast room.

The Springs

One of Saratoga's many public springs

Before racing began in Saratoga, the area's natural mineral springs had been attracting summertime visitors for many decades. These springs were believed to have healing powers. The Lincoln Baths was one such place people would go to be treated with the waters. The bath house has since been transformed into an office building, but still exists and can be visited to this day. The spa treatments also are being continued in a new bath house in the Spa State Park called the Roosevelt Baths. Springs can be found all over town. Most of the springs are covered by small pavilions and marked by plaques; others, however, are less conspicuous, sometimes just a spigot in a rock. The springs are famous for their varied and distinct tastes: some are clear freshwater, others are saltier, and some taste strongly of a certain mineral such as sodium bicarbonate or sodium chloride. There is a sulfur odor but mineral analysis of the water consistently shows almost no presence of dissolved sulfur, because the sulfur is in the form of the gas hydrogen sulfide, which degasses from the water very quickly. Visitors are welcome to bottle the spring water for personal consumption.

The springs include:

• Big Red Spring
• Charlie Spring
• Columbian Springs
• Congress Spring
• Deer Park Spring
• Empire Spring
• Geyser Island Spouter           
• Geyser Spring
• Governor Spring
• Hathorn #1

• Hathorn #3
• Hayes Well Spring
• High Rock Spring
• Old Iron Spring
• Old Red Spring
• Orenda Spring and Tufa Deposits
• Patterson Springs
• Peerless Spring
• Polaris Spring
• Rosemary Spring
• State Seal

Skateboard park

The Saratoga Springs Skatepark (est. 1988), located in the center of the East Side Recreation area on Lake Avenue, is New York State's first municipal skatepark. The exercise facility is known for its cement skateboard pool, installed in 2004, which the city filled with dirt in March 2010. A group of skateboarders then publicly offered to dig out the pool by hand, which prompted the city to excavate it in November 2011. The skatepark is free, open to the public and has a skate-at-your-own-risk policy per the New York Recreational Use Statute.

Arts and entertainment

Superhorse, one of 34 fiberglass horses on display around downtown Saratoga Springs in the 2007 Horses, Saratoga Style exhibit of public art

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (known by its acronym "SPAC," which rhymes with "snack") is a covered outdoor amphitheater located on the grounds of the Saratoga Spa State Park, with a capacity of 5,000 in reserved seating and 20,000+ on its general admission lawn area. SPAC is the summer home of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Ballet, and has hosted a weekend-long jazz festival since 1978. Since 2006, the Saratoga Native American Festival has been held on SPAC grounds each fall. SPAC is a stop for touring national recording artists: over 20 popular bands grace the stage every summer. Steps away on State Park grounds, the Spa Little Theater hosts the "Home Made Theater" as well as Opera Saratoga (formerly known as the Lake George Opera) during the summer.

Museums in the area include the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and the Saratoga Automobile Museum. There are more than 20 golf courses in the area.

The city is notable for its vibrant night life. Caffè Lena was one of the first venues in the Eastern US at which Bob Dylan performed in 1961. Arlo Guthrie played at Caffè Lena early in his career and has returned for occasional benefit concerts, and the singer Don McLean was a frequent performer there early in his career. (Contrary to a popular legend, Mr. McLean has stated that his song "American Pie" was not composed at a table in the Tin & Lint, a bar on Caroline Street.) Numerous other establishments are located on Broadway, Caroline Street (the Hamilton district), and the redeveloped Putnam Street.

Recently, Beekman Street (four blocks West of Broadway), once the center of a lower-class residential neighborhood, has become an art district, housing four galleries, a restaurant, a pub and teahouse, and a bistro. Artists live and work in co-ops and arrange social events. While some take credit for "revitalizing" a "deteriorating" area, others consider such declarations an insult to the generations of minority and marginalized ethnicities who worked in the service jobs of the tourism economy, and were traditionally segregated to this once-remote quarter.

Saratoga Springs is home to Yaddo, a 400-acre (1.62 km²; 0.62 sq mi) artists' community, founded by Wall Street financier Spencer Trask and his wife, author Katrina Trask. Since its inception in 1900, Yaddo has hosted 68 authors who later won the Pulitzer Prize and one Nobel Prize winner, Saul Bellow. Leonard Bernstein, Truman Capote, Aaron Copland, Sylvia Plath, and David Sedaris have all been artists-in-residence. The Yaddo grounds are adjacent to the backstretch of the Saratoga Race Course.

Media

• Saratoga Wire daily newspaper, mainly online
• The Saratogian newspaper (daily)
• Saratoga Today newspaper (weekly)
• Saratoga Business Journal newspaper (bi-weekly)
• The Spotlight newspaper (weekly)
• Eco Local magazine (monthly)
• Our Town Saratoga West
• Saratoga Seasons magazine

• Saratoga Living magazine (quarterly)
• Simply Saratoga magazine
• The Skidmore News
• Skidmore Unofficial
• Saratoga.com
• Look TV television station

Education

Empire State College and Skidmore College are both located in Saratoga Springs. Verrazano College, which only lasted a few years during the 1970s, was also in Saratoga Springs. During the summer, Skidmore is one of several hosts for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Eastern Nazarene College, located in Quincy, Massachusetts, was founded in Saratoga Springs as the Pentecostal Collegiate Institute and Biblical Seminary at the turn of the 20th century.

The Saratoga Springs City School District is made up of:

• Six elementary schools (kindergarten through grade five) — Lake Avenue, Caroline Street, Division Street and Geyser Road in the City of Saratoga Springs; Greenfield in the Town of Greenfield; and Dorothy Nolan in the Town of Wilton
• One middle school (grades six through eight) — Maple Avenue Middle School in the Town of Wilton
• One high school (grades nine through twelve) — Saratoga Springs High School located on on the West side on Blue Streak Boulevard in the City of Saratoga Springs.

Private schools in Saratoga Springs include Saratoga Central Catholic High School, St. Clement's Regional Catholic School, The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, and Saratoga Independent School.

Notable residents

Actors

• Charles Brackett, Hollywood screenwriter and producer
• Dave Cummings, Adult Hall of Fame performer, grew up in Saratoga Springs
• David Hyde Pierce, 1977 Saratoga Springs High School graduate and winner of the Yaddo Medal
• Scott Valentine, television (Family Ties) and motion picture actor, graduate of Saratoga Springs High School
• Monty Woolley, American actor, best known for his role in the play The Man Who Came to Dinner; grew up in Saratoga Springs, where his father managed the Grand Union Hotel

Sports figures

• Jerry Bailey, Retired jockey
• Dave Erb, 1956 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner on the colt Needles, won many other stakes races; lives in neighboring Greenfield, New York, which borders Saratoga Springs
• Kathleen Kauth, hockey player; 2006 Olympic bronze medalist; currently plays for the NWHL's Brampton Thunder
• Justin Morrow, figure-skater; two-time national ice-dancing medalist; 2005 Saratoga Springs High School graduate
• Bill Parcells, retired football coach; owns a summer/retirement home overlooking a local golf course
• Don Pepper, baseball player who played only one season with the Detroit Tigers (1966); father of LPGA golfer Dottie Pepper-Normoyle
• Dottie Pepper-Normoyle, golfer; 1983 graduate of Saratoga Springs High School, daughter of Major League basketball player Don Pepper
• Giana Roberge, professional cyclist; 2004 Master's World Time-Trial Champion; former owner of Paradox Bicycle Center on Church St.; Skidmore graduate
• Tim Stauffer, Major League Baseball pitcher in the San Diego Padres system; attended Saratoga Central Catholic High School
• Anthony Weaver, football player; former defensive end with the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, 1998 Saratoga Springs High School graduate

Musicians

• Callen Sisters (Jess and Beth), sister musicians; 2001 and 2002 Saratoga Springs High School graduates, respectively
• Dorian Crozier, drummer who has sat in with Five for Fighting and The Rembrandts; 1989 Saratoga Springs High School graduate
• The Figgs, a band formed in 1987 by Mike Gent, Pete Donnelly, and Guy Lyons, 1989 and 1990 Saratoga Springs High School graduates
• Dave Luetkenhoelter, bass player for Kutless; lived in Saratoga Springs for a short time during high school
• Chauncey Olcott, famed Irish tenor and composer, author of My Wild Irish Rose maintained a home Inniscara in Saratoga Springs
• Sarah Pedinotti, young jazz singer with albums positively review by Billboard Magazine; parents opened One Caroline Street Bistro in 1996
• Utah Phillips, while not a native, began his career as a professional musician while living in Saratoga
• Scott Underwood, drummer for and member of Train; 1990 Saratoga Springs High School graduate
• The band Phantogram

Authors

• Jeff Goodell, author and contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine
• Danny Hakim, reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner for the New York Times
• James Howard Kunstler, writer and social critic, former resident, since moved to Washington County, New York
• John McPherson, Internationally syndicated cartoonist, creator of the comic "Close to Home"
• Steven Millhauser, writer, winner of 1997 Pulitzer Prize, lives in Saratoga Springs
• Solomon Northup, lived and worked in the town, was a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery; wrote Twelve Years a Slave after regaining freedom in 1853
• Frank Sullivan, writer, The New Yorker
• Craig Wilson, columnist for USA Today, formerly columnist for the Saratogian

Others

• Ransom Cook (1794–1881), long-time resident of Saratoga, inventor of the Cook Auger, or "Beetle Bit"
• George Crum, inventor of the potato chip; a Native American/African American chef at Moon's Lake House on Saratoga Lake
• Charles F. Dowd (1825–1904), co-principal with his wife Harriet M. Dowd of the Temple Grove Ladies Seminary, now Skidmore College)
• Justin Michael Jenkins, artist, designer for Susan Polgar; 1989 Saratoga Springs High School graduate
• Ulysses S. Grant, late life resident; died of cancer in 1885 at his cottage on Mt. McGregor just north of Saratoga Springs
• Derek Marcil, multi-platinum and gold record award winning recording engineer/sound mixer; 1980 Saratoga Springs High School graduate
• Gene Markey, screenwriter, producer, U.S. Naval officer
• Matt Rhoades, campaign manger for the 2012 Romney-Ryan presidential campaign
• Jane Roberts, author, psychic and trance medium or spirit medium
• Nick Steele, noted fashion stylist; grew up in Saratoga and his family still resides there
• Marylou Whitney, socialite; maintains a home at Cady Hill
• Mollie Wilmot, socialite, philanthropist

In popular culture

Films shot in and around Saratoga Springs

• Saratoga (1937) - Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, Jean Harlow; notable for being leading lady Jean Harlow's last film; Harlow collapsed on set during filming and died. Racing scenes were filmed at the Saratoga Race Course.
• Lolita (1962) - James Mason, Shelley Winters
• Feast of Friends (1970) - The Doors' self-produced documentary; features lengthy concert footage at SPAC (on 9/1/68) and Jim Morrison reciting poetry backstage.
• The Way We Were (1973) - Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand
• My Old Man (1979) - Kristy McNichol; made-for-TV movie, based on an Ernest Hemingway story, was filmed at Saratoga Race Course, various locations in Saratoga Springs, and throughout Saratoga County. It starred Kristy McNichol, Warren Oates and Eileen Brennan.
• Paul's Case (1980) - Eric Roberts, Lindsay Crouse
• Ghost Story (1981) - Fred Astaire, John Houseman; houses on North Broadway were used as homes in this film. Cast included Fred Astaire, John Houseman, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
• Billy Bathgate (1991) - Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman; the Nicole Kidman dancing scene was shot at the Hall of Springs.
• Nobody's Fool (1994) - Paul Newman, Bruce Willis
• The Horse Whisperer (1998) - Robert Redford, Scarlett Johansson; special effects for the horse and rider accident were shot at the southern end of Saratoga Spa State Park. Also, a room at the Gideon Putnam Hotel was made into a shoddier motel room.
• The Time Machine (2002) - Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba
• Seabiscuit (2003) - Toby Maguire, Jeff Bridges; racing scenes shot at the Saratoga Race Course in November 2002. The front and inside of the Canfield Casino in Congress Park doubled as the interior of the Maryland Jockey Club.
• Aftermath (2008) — Chris Penn's last film
• The Skeptic (2009) - Tom Arnold, Zoe Saldana
• A Dog Year (2009) - Jeff Bridges, Lauren Ambrose
• Virgin Alexander (2011) - Rich Faugno, Paige Howard, Bronson Pinchot
• Ass Backwards (2013) - Casey Wilson, June Diane Raphael, Alicia Silverstone, Jon Cryer

Radio

• Saratoga Springs was the setting for a radio soap opera by the same name, created by ZBS Foundation and written by Meatball Fulton. The 1989 series was produced as 90 four-minute daily episodes for National Public Radio. The story incorporates Saratoga Springs historical facts and utilizes local actors as well as ZBS regulars. Lena Spencer of Caffe Lena is listed as playing herself. A "Best of Saratoga Springs" compilation (c. 2004) can be purchased from ZBS (www.zbs.org). During spring and early summer, 2007, the original four-minute episodes were podcast by ZBS.

Television

• In the pilot episode of the 1960s sitcom Green Acres, it was noted that Eddie Albert's character of Oliver Wendell Douglas was born in Saratoga Springs.

Music

• In the song "Adelaide's Lament" in the 1950 Broadway musical Guys and Dolls, Adelaide, who has an eternal cold caused by her fiancé's refusal to finally marry, sings "When they get on that train to Niagara / She can hear church bells chime / The compartment is air-conditioned / And the mood sublime... / Then they get off at Saratoga for the fourteenth time / A person can develop la grippe!"
• The 1971 song "American Pie" by Don McLean was not written at the Tin and Lint bar on Caroline Street, according to Mr. McLean (see the citation above).
• In the 1972 Carly Simon song "You're So Vain" the singer references horseracing in Saratoga Springs: "Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga, and your horse naturally won...."

Food

• It is believed that potato chips were invented in Saratoga Springs, by Native American/African American chef George Crum, at Moon's Lake House on August 24, 1853
• It is believed that the club sandwich was invented in the Canfield Casino in 1894.

Other

• Walt Disney World Resort has a themed resort called Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, inspired by this city. Additionally, the Walt Disney World Railroad station at Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom was modeled after and closely resembles the former Victorian era railroad depot that once stood in downtown Saratoga Springs.
• The James Bond novel, Diamonds are Forever contained several scenes set in Saratoga Springs and its racecourse

Sister cities

• Vichy (France) since 1994
• Chekhov, Moscow Oblast (Russia) since 2001
• Waveland, Mississippi In the spring of 2006, Saratoga Springs decided to help out the people of Waveland in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina via a "Mardi Gras"-esque festival downtown.

Gallery

• 

  Caroline Street as seen from across Broadway

• 

  A nighttime street scene on Broadway

• 

  Broadway by day

See also

• Gideon Putnam
• Caffè Lena
• Horses Saratoga Style
• Saratoga Performing Arts Center
• List of Mayors of Saratoga Springs, New York
• Geyser Crest
• Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, a Disney resort inspired and designed like this city
• Marcia White, Executive Director of SPAC

References

Notes

External links

• City of Saratoga Springs — Official site
• Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau
• The Ultimate Guide to Saratoga County and Saratoga Springs, NY — Official site
• Saratoga County History
• Local's Guide to Saratoga Springs, NY
• Our Town: Saratoga Springs Documentary produced by WMHT (TV)