| Saratoga Springs | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| City of Saratoga Springs | |
| Downtown Saratoga Springs | |
| Nickname(s): The Spa City | |
| Motto: "The City in the Country" (also "Health, History, Horses") |
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| Location within Saratoga County | |
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Saratoga Springs
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Saratoga |
| First settled | ca. 1776 |
| Incorporated (town) | 1819 |
| Incorporated (village) | 1826 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1915 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Commission |
| • Mayor | Scott T. Johnson (R) |
| • City Commission |
Members' List
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| • State Assembly | James Tedisco (R) (2009) |
| • State Senate |
State senators
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| • U.S. House | Chris Gibson (R) |
| Area[1] | |
| • City | 29.0 sq mi (75.2 km2) |
| • Land | 28.4 sq mi (73.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.6 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) | |
| • City | 26,586 |
| • Density | 916.8/sq mi (353.5/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 12866 |
| Area code(s) | 518 |
| Twin cities | |
| • Chekhov | Russia |
| • Vichy | France |
| FIPS code | 36-65255 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0964489 |
| 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.[2] 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 what the exact word was, and hence what it meant. The city is near the center of Saratoga County in upstate New York.
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Fort Saratoga was built in 1691 on the west bank of the Hudson River about a mile south of the current village of Schuylerville, New York, which was settled shortly thereafter, and was known as Saratoga until 1831. In 1767, Sir William Johnson, British soldier and a hero of the French and Indian Wars, was brought about ten miles (16 km) west of the village, to what would become the city of Saratoga Springs, by Native American friends, 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 at the springs arrived around 1776, and a tourist trade swiftly grew, with hotels being constructed starting with Gideon Putnam. Putnam laid out the roads and donated land for use as public spaces.
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 noted doctor Simon Baruch encouraged bringing European style spas to the United States, and thus Saratoga Springs, with its wealth of mineral waters developed as a spa, seeing many hotels built, including the Grand Union Hotel that was, in its day, the largest hotel in the world,[4] and the United States Hotel. In 1863, Saratoga Race Course opened and moved to its current location the following year, greatly expanding the city's reputation 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, Saratoga Springs experienced a significant economic downturn. During the 1950s, the famed gambling houses were also shut down, which hurt Saratoga Springs' popularity even more. 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. There is a museum dedicated to these two battles 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.
Saratoga Springs is located at (43.075337, -73.782422).[5]
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.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:
As of the census[2] 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.
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. Saratoga Springs is home to Quad Graphics, offset printers of Time Magazine, Newsweek, People Magazine, Sports Illustrated and many others. Ball Corp., 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 office 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.
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.
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:
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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.
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 in the area.
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 at Cafè Lena early in his career and has returned for occasional benefit concerts, and singer Don McLean was also a frequent performer 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[6]). Numerous other establishments exist 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 many congratulate themselves on "revitalizing" a "deteriorating" area, others consider such declarations an 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; 0.62 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.
Saratoga Springs has graced the silver screen since the days of Clark Gable and Edward G. Robinson. The following is a list of movies filmed in and around Saratoga Springs.
For more on movies, see "In Pop Culture" below.
Empire State College and Skidmore College are both located 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[7] is made up of:
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.
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. The Saratoga Springs City Council members for 2010 are:
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.[11]
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.
| Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Saratoga Springs. |
| Corinth, Greenfield Center | Glens Falls | Wilton | ||
| Galway | Schuylerville | |||
| Saratoga Springs | ||||
| Ballston Spa | Malta | Stillwater |
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