Working life- Masako's New York

Saratoga Springs

By Masako Yamada

鉱泉が自由にくめるよう町のあちこちに水くみ場が設けられている

Albany may be the capital city of New York, but there is surprisingly little entertainment in the downtown area. The government buildings are buzzing with people on weekdays, but it's strangely deserted at night and on weekends. There are restaurants and clubs in Albany, but they aren't packed close together, so it's always necessary to take a car from one place to another. Many of the buildings in between the interesting hubs of activity are either chain superstores or crumbling family businesses.

During the summer, Saratoga Springs bustles with extra activity. Many residents of New York City have summer homes upstate, and they bring along with them a touch of city sophistication. Historically, the mineral springs in town have attracted vacation-goers, but bathing doesn't seem to be a major draw nowadays. The preferred method of enjoying Saratoga Springs water is in a glass, with a meal. One can take one's own jug to a spring and fill it up for free. The water is also sold in bottles in stores.

The racetrack and the performing arts center attract tons of tourists, tourists who wouldn't even turn an eye toward Albany. The track is one of the premier thoroughbred tracks in the country, and the racing season climaxes with the Travers Stakes. The excitement spreads far throughout the region, and even though I don't know anything about horse racing, I'ｖe been exposed to office gossip about the health of certain horses, including Funny Cide. Several co-workers have even dressed up in the 1920s flapper style in order to enjoy a day at the races.

The arts center, which is called SPAC, attracts world-class artists including the New York City Ballet, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. There are dozens of restaurants that cater to the crowds, including many that are as expensive as restaurants in the city. I always giggle when I see the advertisements on the wall at one of the coffeehouses, since most of them are related to yoga, massage, meditation and organic food - the interests of nature-loving yuppies, not of the farmers who till the fields that surround the town.

Perhaps I like Saratoga Springs the best after the summer crowds have thinned out. In the winter, there are less people and the streets look forlorn, but the storefronts are beautifully decorated with Christmas dioramas, and I like watching the holiday shoppers running about the place. People snowshoe and cross-country ski in the nearby parks, or even in the town streets. This is something that I'ｖe never seen in Boston or New York City.

I would not be willing to live 30 miles (48 km) from work in order to surround myself in urban comforts (I visit Boston every two or three weeks, so I suppose I get my fill of the city life then), but I admire Saratoga Springs. It's amazing what a little town can do.

Shukan ST: Nov. 7, 2003

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