ACE

Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy

Albany County

Washington Park Inn: Upstate Overnights

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The Low-Down

Built in 1884, this brick Victorian Mansion has a historic charm that matches its location in the heart of historic Albany, as one can walk to the Capitol Building, Empire State Plaza, Center Square and the other gems of the downtown area. If you’re wishing for a leisurely, urban adventure through Albany’s fantastic downtown while enjoying an Inn with character, this may be the perfect place for you.

What Gabby Loves About This Place

I love small boutique hotels. Plus, location, location, location! Washington Park Inn is just two blocks from Center Square in the Lark Street neighborhood, which offers delectable local restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and more. One of my favorite things to do in the area is walk around and admire the 19th century brownstones. I would love to live in one of these brownstones…maybe one day!

The Details

If you book a stay directly on their website, you get a 10% discount using code WPI10! Rates start at $139/night. Breakfast is included in your stay; Brooklyn bagels and smoked salmon included…I mean, what more could you want!

The Washington Park Inn
Address: 634 Madison Ave, Albany, NY 12208
Phone: (518) 930-4700
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CapNY is a perfect fall getaway destination. You deserve a vacation. Book, enjoy, and relax. Don’t forget to tag us in your photos! We’d love to share. @UpstateCreative

Grey Gables: Upstate Overnights

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The Low-Down

A welcoming Gothic Victorian home awaits your arrival in the heart of Slingerlands historic district. This 2,000+ square foot home has three bedrooms, a kitchen with all the necessities for a home cooked meal, a front porch, a screened in back porch, plus a back patio overlooking the woods equipped with a fire pit for those chilly fall nights. Located just a few minutes from downtown Albany via car, you can escape an urban exploration filled day in your own quiet, private, cozy space.

The Rail Trail

What Gabby Loves About This Place

The location of this place couldn’t be more perfect for a fall stay. Just minutes from Albany County Helderberg-Hudson rail trail, you can ride your bike or take a walk and enjoy everything beautiful Upstate has to offer in this beautiful season. This home is a great middle ground for those who want to enjoy nature and who also want to drive into downtown Albany for a meal at one of the local restaurants.

The Details

To reserve your dates, you must fill out an inquiry form on the website. There is a two night minimum and the price is $160 per night plus a $100 cleaning fee per stay. It sleeps up to six people, but you can put in a special request if you wish for more people to join. As we come into the October months, be sure to book quickly so you can enjoy all that fall has to offer at Grey Gables!

Grey Gables
Address: 127 Font Grove Rd, Slingerlands, NY 12159
Phone: (518) 728 1175
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CapNY is a perfect fall getaway destination. You deserve a vacation. Book, enjoy, and relax. Don’t forget to tag us in your photos! We’d love to share. @UpstateCreative

Exploring the Albany Pine Bush Preserve

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By: Maria Gigliello

Maria!

Did you know that the Cap Region is home to one of the rarest habitats in the world? Out of only 20 in existence, the Albany Pine Bush Preserve boasts one of the largest inland pine barrens in existence. You might know it as the sandy stretch of land around the Thruway in the Guilderland/Colonie area, but the Albany Pine Bush Preserve is a totally unique piece of preserved land teeming with rare plants and animals that we are lucky to have right in our own backyard. Take a trip with me as we explore this delightfully uncommon preserve in the Cap Region.

The Helderbergs from the Karner Road Barrens

I had the opportunity to intern at the Pine Bush when I was in college and spent many days leading school and camp groups around the preserve. I still know some of the trails like the back of my hand and I still never tire of lingering among the towering pitch pines. There are so many elements to the Pine Bush that make it a unique place but one thing to note is that the preserve is not just one chunk of land. The Thruway, Crossgates Mall and suburban neighborhoods split the land up into several parcels. With 12 trailheads and over 20 miles of trail, you have endless options of exploration!

An inland buck moth

The Discovery Center

Let’s start right at The Discovery Center off of Route 155. Several miles of trail start from here, including a 1 mile loop and a 2.5 mile loop over rolling sand dunes. This is a great part of the preserve to explore if you’re interested in seeing wildlife. Pretty soon, in September, you’ll catch sight of black, orange and white inland buck moths flying above the scrub oak. Be on the lookout for turtles, deer and a wide variety of birds as well!

The Madison Avenue Pine Barrens

Remy enjoying the Madison Ave Barrens

Moving down the road to Madison Ave Extension, I want to bring you to my favorite trailhead of the Pine Bush. The Madison Avenue Pine Barrens is one of the best spots to feel dwarfed by the distinct pitch pine trees that tower over the preserve. Gentle, rolling terrain makes for a relaxing walk while taking in the beauty of the land around you. When lockdown first started, my dog, Remy, and I frequented this trailhead as the wide, sandy trails make for a good spot to walk a four-legged friend. The full loop at this trailhead is only about .6 miles but take the purple connector trail for an extended 3.7 mile walk to DiCaprio Park in Guilderland!

The Great Dune Trailhead

The preserve’s characteristic pitch pines 

Just down the road from the Madison Ave. Pine Barrens is one of the crown jewels of the whole preserve, the Great Dune trailhead. This area contains–you guessed it– the largest sand dune of the preserve standing at 75 feet tall! While most of the Pine Bush’s habitat is made up of sandy soil, pitch pines and species that prefer a dryer climate, the Kaikout Kill that runs through the Great Dune area supports ferns and mosses providing some charming greenery. In spring, this is also a great area to look for the endangered Karner blue butterfly that only feeds on the leaves of wild lupine. Several loops can be made from here, the longest being just under 2 miles.

Wild lupine ready to be snacked on 

Six Mile Waterworks

Finally, we’re making a stop at the Six Mile Waterworks trailhead! Home to Rensselaer Lake, this section of the preserve allows for fishing, paddling and picnicking. If fishing is your thing you can try your hand at catching bass, carp, pike and pumpkin seed. If you’re more of a hiker, you can pick up a .5 mile trail from Six Mile Waterworks that will lead you to the neighboring Rapp Road Barrens.

There are several more trailheads in the preserve with superb hiking and bird watching opportunities! You can check out all of the trails and what they have to offer by visiting the preserve’s website.

Eat & Drink

When you’re done hiking, paddling, or fishing, there are some great eateries in the area to stop by as well:

  • Blessing’s Tavern in Colonie: Located on Watervliet Shaker Road, just down the road from the Pine Bush, this local favorite has some top notch pub food to refuel after your day of adventuring. You can’t go wrong with any of their sandwiches or wings!
  • Fiden’s Brewing Company: Mere minutes from several Pine Bush trailheads is Fidens, a local microbrewery. If you’re a fan of IPAs, they’ve got you covered with their “Socratic Questioning” lineup that features 7 different kinds of IPAs and DIPAs.

Maria Gigliello is an avid hiker, paddler and writer who enjoys spending as much time as possible doing all three things in the Adirondack State Park. She is just as passionate about beer as she is about responsible outdoor recreation and is always in search of a good view and a brew. You can follow her adventures on her blog, The Dirt.

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CapNY CoWorking Tour: Hone Coworks, Albany

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The Lobby

Co-working and monthly-lease office space is exploding in the Capital Region! Flexibility, socially-distant camaraderie, and services abound. Come on a sneak-peak tour of art-filled, high-tech Hone Coworks in Albany, and we’ll fill you in on all of our favorite perks.

Hone Coworks is located inside the wooded, shady Great Oaks office park in Albany. It’s close to Crossgates Mall and I-87, but it’s also near to the urban amenities — restaurants, museums, nightlife — of downtown Albany. AMPLE and easy parking is a big plus to this location.

Stylish, Decked-Out Shared Spaces

The Kitchen

After entering through the very welcoming Lobby (seen in the photo above right), you’ll come upon the large, open Kitchen section (seen in photo to the right). The color palette is bright and sophisticated — orange, teal — and the furniture and vibe are modern and vibrant. AKA, I wish my place looked like this.

Make custom seltzers from an app!

Hone Coworks is tech-ed out and touch-free throughout. You can make a custom cucumber-infused seltzer using an app! Reserve and unlock your conference rooms, make copies — all contact-free.

Hold on, I’m not done with the Kitchen deets, though. There’s Clif Bars and RxBars and fresh fruit! Microbrew coffee by Brewtus, a small batch specialty roaster in Delmar. And wait — there’s Oatly Creamer in the fridge! I know, I’m gushing, but (cue Julie Andrews) these are a few of my favorite things!

One of the many Meeting Rooms

Tech-Friendly Workspaces

Now that’s we’ve covered the creamer, we’ll move on to the workspaces. Happily, you’ll find tech-friendly Meeting Rooms of all shapes, sizes and designs, which can be rented by the hour (members’ access is included in their monthly fees). There’s a hip / corporate vibe to these spots, and they’re more than able to handle six-feet-apart spacing.

Another luxe touch is the one-touch feature that turns your desk from a sitting to standing space, AND the Herman Miller office chairs that grace every workspace. Hmm, does a Henry Miller chair beat my sofa? Let me think. Yes, it does.

Artwork All Around

Floor-to-ceiling artwork and triptych by Samson Contampasis

But of all the things to love about Hone, my favorite is the artwork. The artwork that fills the halls and walls is a combination of permanent pieces by regional artists like Samson Contompasis and Lori Kochanski, as well as a rotating gallery wall curated in partnership with Albany Center Gallery.

Hone Community Manager Sarah McDonnell

Okay, and one last shout-out, because Hone Coworks Community Manager Sarah McDonnell set up a jar of Neutrogena make-up wipes for emergency touch-ups. “Masks really screw up your make-up,” she said. “We really try to think of everything you’ll need, and have it here.” Now that’s thinking of everything!

HOW TO FIND HONE COWORKS

Address: 300 Great Oaks Blvd, Suite 300, Albany, NY 12203

Website: https://honecoworks.com/

Call: 518-250-4855

Email: hello@honecoworks.com

ACE Creative: Karina Wojnar

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Some of you may recognize Karina Wojnar, as she is the Development & Membership Manager at Albany Center Gallery. In this position, she fills her time writing grants, planning programming, increasing community outreach efforts, and working with ACG members.

Karina at work, Albany Center Gallery

She wants our readers to know her as a daughter, a sister, and friend – someone who prioritizes amplifying the voices of the unheard in the CapNY community. ACE’s Gabby Fisher has been following her on Instagram for quite a while and reached out to feature her for this week’s ACE Creative feature because of her evolving style as an artist. She’s a creative millennial powerhouse.

Karina, where are you from?

Artwork by Karina

I am originally from Northern NJ, a small lake town called Ringwood. Currently I live in Albany! I went to Siena College and loved the area, so I decided to stay after graduation. Why? The people. The energy of the people. The architecture. The quirks. The random cobblestone streets and historical buildings. Running into people you know in cafes and farmer’s markets. The fact that there are people dedicated to community and positive change. How active people are in politics, human rights, and deeper conversations.

How did you get into the creative field?

Karina’s a yogi too!

I’m lucky. My parents value art as essential, so it was always my path to be in the creative field. I grew up dancing, participating in theater, writing, reading, and prioritizing art classes. I applied to colleges with the intention of getting a business degree with a focus in the arts. Throughout my time at Siena College, I fell in love with social justice and the overlap between humanity and art.

Human beings use art to emote, to share facts, to evoke, to connect with one another. I believe art to be how humans use their VOICE. Everyone has a voice and a different way of expressing it, whether through music, visual art, performance, writing, fashion, etc. We all deserve to be heard.

Painting

In a prior conversation between the two of us, you mentioned you feel like you haven’t necessarily found your creative “voice” yet. Can you talk a little bit about that? I feel that many people can relate.

I’m still experimenting. For the past couple years, I’ve been combining complementary colors and mixing embroidery into paintings. I’m still learning and figuring out technique. People say that once you can become decent at replicating a piece or style of yours over and over– you’ve found your voice.

I’ve been reading “Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic” by Lisa Congdon. It’s been encouraging and affirming to know that my voice matters and it’s all a part of the process. This journey; experimenting, actively listening to my fellow creatives, research…it will all shape my voice, my art, and my life.

ACG hosted a public art bike tour in downtown Albany

What is it like being part of an arts community in CapNY? What has it been like working with local creatives?

In one word…inspiring. Communication and dialogue with fellow creatives is so important. We inspire each other, help each other out, lift each other up. It’s been rewarding. Working with the local arts community is the reason I want to stay in the area.

If you could leave our readers with a word of advice or positivity, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to put yourself and your art out there. Your voice matters. Black Lives Matter. Black Art Matters.

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