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|elevation_m = 91.4
|elevation_m = 91.4
|elevation_ft = 300
|elevation_ft = 300
|website = http://www.saratoga-springs.org
|website = http://www.xtube.com
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code_type = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code = 12866
|postal_code = 12866

Revision as of 15:15, 16 December 2008

Saratoga Springs
City
Meerkat123 rules
Downtown Saratoga Springs
Downtown Saratoga Springs
Nickname: 
The Spa City
Motto(s): 
Health, History, Horse's cock
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountySaratoga
First settledca. 1776
Incorporated (town)1819
Incorporated (village)1826
Incorporated (city)1915
Government
 • MayorDaniel schwank (R)
 • State AssemblySteven Russell (R) (2009)
 • State SenateDik headson (R) (2009)
 • U.S. HouseJoe frost (D)
Area
[1]
 • City29.0 sq mi (75.2 km2)
 • Land28.4 sq mi (73.6 km2)
 • Water0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2)  2.17%
 • Urban
36.89 sq mi (95.57 km2)
Elevation
300 ft (91.4 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • City26,186
 • Density921.1/sq mi (355.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
12866
Area code518
FIPS code36-65255
GNIS feature ID0964489
Websitehttp://www.xtube.com

Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, USA. The population was 26,186 at the 2000 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 place name, authorities[2] disagree on what the exact word was, and hence what it meant.

The City of Saratoga Springs is near the center of Saratoga County in upstate New York.

Government

The Saratoga Springs charter specifies a "commission" form of city government. Recent efforts to amend the charter to consolidate responsibilities with the mayor have as yet been unsuccessful.

  • Mayor - Scott Johnson
  • Commissioner of Public Safety - Ron Kim
  • Commissioner of Public Works - Anthony "Skip" Scirocco
  • Commissioner of Accounts - John Franck
  • Commissioner of Finance - Ken Ivins
  • Saratoga County Board of Supervisors - Joanne Yepsen, Matthew Veitch

History

According to historical accounts, Sir William Johnson, British soldier and a hero of the French and Indian Wars, was brought to what would become the city by native friends in 1767 to treat war wounds at a spring thought to have medicinal properties. The spring is now known as High Rock Spring, and may be visited today.

The first permanent settler arrived around 1776, and a tourist trade swiftly grew, with hotels being constructed by such Revolutionary War luminaries as Gideon Putnam.

Saratoga Springs was established as a town 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.

In the 19th century, the community became famous as a spa that saw many hotels built, including the colossal Grand Union Hotel that was in its day, the largest hotel in the world. [1]

The famous 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.

Geography

Saratoga Springs is located at 43°4′31″N 73°46′57″W / 43.07528°N 73.78250°W / 43.07528; -73.78250Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (43.075337, -73.782422)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75.3 km²), of which, 28.4 square miles (73.6 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (2.17%) is water.

The Adirondack Northway (Interstate 87) and US Route 9 pass alongside and through the city. 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

As of the censusTemplate:GR 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/sq mi (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. this does not include Mexicans which make up approximately 48% of the population during track season.

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.

The City of Saratoga Springs is part of the Saratoga Springs Urbanized Area, with a total combined population of 51172. This makes it the 442nd most populous urban area in the USA. This entitles the Saratoga Springs area to a metropolitan planning organization to coordinate transportation issues. Instead, a regional approach was selected, and Saratoga is served by the Capital District Planning Committee.

Culture

Racing

The city is perhaps most famous for the Saratoga Race Course which opened on August 3, 1863. Founded by John Hunter and William R. Travers, it is the oldest continuously-operating Thoroughbred track in the United States. The track holds a summer meet lasting approximately six weeks, from late July to Labor Day, every day but Tuesdays. 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 Gaming and Raceway, a harness (Standardbred) racetrack that includes a video gaming facility, the Racino.

The 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 marked by a small covered pavilion with the name of the spring across the top for all to see. Some however are just a spigot in a rock where the water flows out. Many of the springs are famous for their distinct taste. Some taste of regular water and some taste strongly of a certain mineral such as sulfur. Some people even bottle the spring water to take home. The springs give the town character and a history that is very unique.

List of the Springs: Big Dick Spring, Big Red Spring, Cum Spouter, 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, and State Seal

Arts and entertainment

Superhorse, one of 34 fiberglass horses on display around downtown Saratoga Springs in the 2007 Horses, Saratoga Style street display.

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (known by its acronym "SPAC," 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 for several decades. 2007 marks the second year of the annual Saratoga Native American Festival held on the grounds of SPAC. It 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 the geographically-misdescriptive Lake George Opera Festival during the summer.

There are several museums in the area, including the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame, and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. There are more than 20 golf courses.

The city is also 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 the Caffè early in his career and has returned for occasional benefit concerts. Singer Don McLean is said to have composed his "American Pie" sitting at a table in the Tin & Lint, a bar on Caroline Street. A plaque marks the table today. Numerous other establishments exist on Broadway, Caroline Street, and the redeveloped Putnam Street.

Caffè Lena

Recently, Beekman Street (four blocks west of Broadway) 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 many congratulate themselves on "revitalizing" a "deteriorating" area, others consider such declarations an egregious insult to the generations of Saratogians of marginalized ethnicities that toiled in support of the tourism economy of the city, and were traditionally segregated to this once-remote quarter.

Saratoga Springs is also home to Yaddo, a 400-acre (1.62 km2; 0.63 sq mi) artists' community, founded by the great Wall Street financier, Spencer Trask and his wife, the author Katrina Trask. Since its inception in 1900, Yaddo has been home to 60 Pulitzer Prize winning authors and one Nobel Prize winner. Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, and David Sedaris have all been artists-in-residence. The Yaddo grounds are adjacent to the backstretch of the Saratoga Race Course.

Education

Skidmore College is located in the north of the city. During the summer, Skidmore is one of several hosts for the Johns Hopkins' CTY program. 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.

Notable Saratogians

Actors

Sports Figures

Musicians

Other Notable People

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 passenger area contains a coffee shop/newsstand, murals, an automated teller machine, a visitors information kiosk, outside patio area and 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. Its station is the Saratoga Diner on South Broadway, distinguished by a fiberglass statue of a young horse mounted on the roof of the building. The bus station is also served by the Capital District Transportation Authority. CDTA also provides service from Schenectady via Route 50 daily, and weekday service to Albany via the Northway Express line.[4]

Long-distance motorists generally reach Saratoga via I-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 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. Exit 15 serves Skidmore College and the shopping malls just north of city limits.

  • Caroline Street, the main entertainment district, as seen from across Broadway
    Caroline Street, the main entertainment district, as seen from across Broadway
  • A nighttime street scene on Broadway
    A nighttime street scene on Broadway

Sister cities

See also

References

  1. ^ US Census Bureau List of urbanized Areas
  2. ^ Peck, Willys (1998-04-29). "A Floating Scum Partisan Reveals Himself" (HTML). Silicon Valley Community Newspapers. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  3. ^ Humphries, Shawn (2005-10-14). "How Bill Parcells Made Big Gains" (HTML). Golf Online. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
  4. ^ Capital District Transportation Authority#Saratoga Service
  5. ^ "Saratoga (1937)" (HTML). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
  6. ^ a b c d "Magical Movie Tour" (PDF). Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
  7. ^ Diakopoulos, Christopher (2006-04-27). "City looks to get new sister" (HTML). The Saratogian. Retrieved 2006-09-07.

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