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Saratoga Springs, New York

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"Saratoga Springs" redirects here. For other uses, see Saratoga Springs (disambiguation).
Saratoga Springs
City
City of Saratoga Springs
A view of downtown, looking south along Broadway from its intersection with Caroline Street.
A view of downtown, looking south along Broadway from its intersection with Caroline Street.
Nickname(s): 
The Spa City, Toga
Motto(s): 
"The City in the Country"
(also "Health, History, Horses")
Location within Saratoga County
Location within Saratoga County
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountySaratoga
First settledca. 1776
Incorporated (town)1819
Incorporated (village)1826
Incorporated (city)1915
Government
 • TypeCity Commission
 • MayorScott T. Johnson (R)
 • City Commission
Members' List
 • State AssemblyJames Tedisco (R) (2009)
 • State Senate
State senators
 • U.S. HouseChris Gibson (R)
Area
[2]
 • 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
 (April 1, 2010)
 • City26,586
 • Density920/sq mi (350/km2)
 [citation needed]
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
12866
Area code518
FIPS code36-65255
GNIS feature ID0964489
Websitehttp://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.Template:GR 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[3] 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 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.[4]

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 New York City area 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°N 73.782422°W / 43.075337; -73.782422 (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 km2), of which, 28.4 square miles (74 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

2010

According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:

2000

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 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. Recently there have been efforts to amend the charter, which have not yet been successful; as of early 2012 a grass roots effort to change to a council-manager form of government was vocal and active.[5] The Saratoga Springs City Council members for 2012 and 2013 are[6]:

  • 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, 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. The city Amtrak station also serves as the Greyhound Bus Lines & Adirondack Trailways Bus Lines station. The city is also served by the Capital District Transportation Authority, which also provides service from Schenectady via Route 50 daily, and weekday service to Albany via the Northway Express line.[7]

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 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 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 Saratoga County. 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, NY. 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.

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:

Skateboard Park

The Saratoga Springs Skatepark is New York State's first municipal skatepark (est. 1988) located in the center of the East Side Recreation area on Lake Avenue. The exercise facility is known for its cement skateboard pool, installed in 2004, which the city filled with dirt in March 2010.[8] A group of skateboarders then publicly offered to dig out the pool by hand which prompted the city to excavate it in November 2011.[9][10] 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," 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 Opera Saratoga (formerly known as the Lake George Opera) during the summer.

Mmuseums in the area include 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 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 Cafè 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[11]). 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; 0.63 sq mi) artists' community, founded by Spencer Trask and his wife, the author Katrina Trask. He made his money as a Wall Street financier. Since its inception in 1900, Yaddo has hosted 60 authors who later won the Pulitzer Prize 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.

Media

Education

Empire State College and Skidmore College are both located in Saratoga Springs. Verranzo 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[12] 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.

Dr. Janice M. White is Superintendent of the Saratoga Springs City School District; Assistant Superintendents are Kurt Jaeger (Business), Thomas Mele (Elementary Education) and Michael Piccirillo (Secondary Education). The school Board is made up of Mia Pfitzer (President), Regina Gapczynski (Vice President), Russell Danforth, Ernest Gailor, Steve Grandin, Frank Palumbo, Charles Phillips, Jeffrey Piro, and Jay Rifenbary; school board members serve three-year terms.

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.

Saratogians

Actors
Sports figures
Musicians
Authors
Others
Films shot in and around Saratoga Springs
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 fiancee'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
  • The club sandwich was invented in Saratoga Springs in 1894[19]
Other

Sister cities

  • Caroline Street as seen from across Broadway
    Caroline Street as seen from across Broadway
  • A nighttime street scene on Broadway
    A nighttime street scene on Broadway
  • Broadway by day
    Broadway by day

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ "District 43 Map". New York State Senate.
  2. ^ US Census Bureau List of urbanized Areas
  3. ^ Peck, Willys (1998-04-29). "Saratoga Stereopticon". Silicon Valley Community Newspapers. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  4. ^ http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17633/17633-h/17633-h.htm R. F. Dearborn, Saratoga and How to See It
  5. ^ http://blog.timesunion.com/saratogaseen/vote-set-on-reforming-government/13617/
  6. ^ http://www.saratoga-springs.org
  7. ^ Capital District Transportation Authority#Saratoga Service
  8. ^ http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2010/03/24/news/doc4ba96e2739c12324536682.txt
  9. ^ http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2011/11/05/news/doc4eb5f59895679978649551.txt
  10. ^ http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Skateboarder-s-moves-may-hit-pay-dirt-2228998.php
  11. ^ http://poststar.com/news/local/bye-bye-local-legend-don-mclean-refutes-tale-of-song/article_fca88f04-18a8-11e1-bb02-001cc4c03286.html
  12. ^ Saratoga Springs City School District website, www.saratogaschools.org
  13. ^ "David Hyde Pierce". IMDb. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  14. ^ Humphries, Shawn (2005-10-14). "How Bill Parcells Made Big Gains". Golf Online. Retrieved 2007-02-14. [dead link]
  15. ^ a b Invented in Saratoga County, Starr, Timothy, 2008
  16. ^ "Saratoga (1937)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
  17. ^ a b c d "Magical Movie Tour" (PDF). Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
  18. ^ Aftermath at IMDb
  19. ^ Linda Stradley (2004). "History of Club Sandwich". What's Cooking America?. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
  20. ^ Diakopoulos, Christopher (2006-04-27). "City looks to get new sister". The Saratogian. Journal Register Company. Retrieved 2006-09-07. [dead link]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saratoga Springs, New York.
Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Saratoga Springs.
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