One town is busy, the other is busier MARV CERMAK COVERING SCHENECTADY Published 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I did my own Tale of Two Cities Saturday night checking out downtown Schenectady and Saratoga Springs.
Schen-ectady's two-block hub was booming. That's what happens on the Saturday nights that Proctors has a headline show. Saratoga was popping. That's what happens on most every one of the year's 52 Saturday nights.
Besides a big turnout for "Hair,'' Proctors kept busy with an unusual event. Niskayuna High held its post-prom party at the theater complex. The celebration, going strong at midnight when I returned from Saratoga, was booked for a 4 a.m. close.
In Saratoga, I noticed a new door sign at the Dine Restaurant saying the place was closed for renovations. Owners of Albany's Cafe Capriccio bought the restaurant that's expected to reopen in June as Capriccio Saratoga.
Over on Broadway, Maestro's chef-owner John LaPosta says plans to open his new restaurant on May 19 hinge on getting a certificate of occupancy and a liquor license.
He's moving into a completely renovated section of the historic Van Dam building just a couple doors south of his present restaurant.
"We look at our expansion as being a new anchor for this end of Broadway,'' LaPosta said Sunday. The relocation will quadruple his crurrent, very limited seating capacity. Some neighboring business owners I know agree the move will boost pedestrian traffic on that end of town........................>>>>.....................>>>>...........Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/defa.....98.php#ixzz1LwWsLFnW
After $100 million in sales tax revenue if Proctor's has a musical the miracle 2 blocks are busy? Tell that to The Parker Inn. Tell that to the jewelry store that fled. But Death Ray is doing a job. Marv is right there is no comparison between Downtown Saratoga and Schenectady. All the arts groups and nonprofit solutions have improved nothing for Joe Taxpayer,