Connections
Saratoga favorites

by Beverly Harrison Miller ’67, Alumni Association President

The best time to visit Saratoga is the fall, followed by the spring. So says the alumni board of directors, which should know, since we’re on campus at least three times a year, and most of us even more. What follows is our list of Saratoga favorites.
     Where to stay? We pick Union Gables (the old Furness House), owned by Jody Witkop ’01, and Longfellow’s, a few miles south, owned by Steve Sullivan ’79. Board member Carol Strickland ’72 loves sitting in a rocker on the Union Gables porch. The house used to be Skidmore’s, and since it’s Jody’s inn now, it really still is.
     Longfellow’s is also a favorite for dinner. So is Sperry’s, a regular Skidmore hangout. Other favorites are Wheatfields, the Olde Bryan Inn, Bruno’s (near the track, for pizza), Springwater Bistro, One Caroline Street, Gaffney’s (for homemade French fries), the Country Corner (for breakfast), and—surprise!—Aikins Dining Hall on campus. (Yes, eating is a favorite Saratoga activity for the alumni board.)
     After dinner, try the Parting Glass for darts, live music, and good fries. The T&L (known as the No Name to old-time Skiddies) is the favorite bar of Justin Model ’91. Jeff Anderson ’93 likes the patio at Gaffney’s on a summer’s night. There might be impromptu jazz at One Caroline Street. And in the summer, groups play on Broadway itself.
     Although the track is the big draw in August, Jo Leach Lewis ’57 likes the ballet and orchestra performances at SPAC. Walking down Broadway, Tony Llano ’97 reads the dates on the Victorian buildings and pokes around in the Lyrical Ballad bookstore. Neil Astmann ’00 stops in at Saratoga Debut for a haircut. Everyone likes the Shoe Depot (the only spot where my husband will buy shoes). Mabou on Broadway sells funky furniture and home decorations. Read the Times and listen to Coltrane over coffee at Uncommon Grounds. The gift shop at Skidmore’s Tang Museum just may be the best museum shop you’ll ever go to. (Of course, the Tang itself may be the best museum you’ll ever go to.)
     Rob Resnick ’88 enjoys visiting faculty and friends on campus and in town. Sibyl Waterman Haley ’71 likes to walk down North Broadway and look at the wonderful homes. Skidmore’s North Woods are an absolute treasure: take a walk there and look for salamanders. The campus itself teems with activity. Dale Conron Ahearn ’75 says that any student event is worth attending; ditto for the summer schedule of concerts, readings, and dance (year-round, see www.skidmore.edu for the events calendar). Or take a moment to sit under the tree at the northwest corner of Haupt Pond.
     For alums, every trip to Saratoga begins and ends on campus. (Well, it really begins with the drive down North Broadway, still a favorite of Kim West ’79 and Jill Richardson ’92.) Sit on Case Green and observe campus life from the center. Walk around our gorgeous campus. Never, ever miss the Tang. Load up on items from the Skidmore Shop (a favorite T-shirt reads “Skidmore Football: Undefeated Since 1922”). Check out the views from the top floor of Scribner Library as you sit in a soft chair and read (or doze).
     And what’s the number-one Saratoga favorite for the alumni board? Skidmore, of course.

Connections Saratoga favorites

Connections
Saratoga favorites