Links: Golden Tiger Tattoo |
Posted by Jakob Roze '16 The Golden Tiger Tattoo shop is located on 78 Church Street in Saratoga Springs. Although not located in the “Arts District” of Saratoga, the Golden Tiger tattoo shop is a prominent member of the arts community on the West Side of Saratoga Springs. During my time at the shop, I encountered a friendly and comfortable environment in which the artists waved a sense of formal professionalism to provide genuineness. The shop welcomes people of all ages, from 18-year-olds to senior adults. Through observation and conversations, my time at the tattoo shop has given me a sense that the communication within the shop remains colloquial. The artists treat customers as their friends and this is one cultural features that seems to make the business successful. Each artist at the shop has their own unique way of talking and relating to customers. I have found that all artists play off of each other in casual conversation with clientele within the shop. The environment created by this is consequently an all-inclusive friendly environment by which the client feels a part of the culture. Being part of the immediate tattoo culture is carried out primarily by conversation and dialogue with the artists. The client soon becomes interwoven into the conversations occurring around them or with the artist and contributes their own two cents. The organic nature of all the conversations taking place between artists and between artists and clients makes the Golden Tiger Tattoo shop stand out in comparison to other body art settings where conversation is more limited.
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Posted by Madison Centenari '16 The Restaurant at 62 Beekman, owned by Dominick and Darren De Vietro, is located in the heart of the Arts District on the West Side of Saratoga Springs, New York. Local customers and employees have only referred the-year-and-a-half-old restaurant as a “warm”, “cozy”, and “intimate” space that fosters a sense of camaraderie and community. The local customers and employees have special connections and have formed close-knit, interpersonal relationships with one another. One customer related the culture in the restaurant directly to the TV show “Cheers” because the local customers of 62 regularly sit at the bar and share their life experiences with each other. An employee explained that a night without locals was a rare occasion. In addition to the delicious food offered at 62, the restaurant plays an active role in keeping the Arts District alive and takes pride in representing local artists’ pieces. Almost every wall holds beautiful pieces of artwork. Many locals have expressed that 62 has impacted the comeback of the West Side. They believe it has brought traffic to the Arts District, which has in turn brought attention to the neighboring businesses. If you are looking for delicious food, beautiful artwork, a welcoming community, and a good time head over to 62 Beekman! Restaurant Hours: Monday-Friday: 4 pm – 10 pm Saturday: 11am – 11 pm Sunday: 11am – 8 pm Links: Posted by Kayla Provencher '17 Located on 80 West Circular Street in Saratoga Springs, Needlewürks Custom Tattoos and Body Piercing is housed in a 101-year-old building that once was used as a loading station for the former Saratoga Springs trains. After many years of non use, the building has been repurposed and refurbished for the new, artistic tattoo and piercing parlor, owned by Paul Brumley. Needlewürks is home away from home to a community of artists of all ages and genders. However, while they may be different in terms of age and gender, the employees are responsible and drama-free and they dabble in some art medium outside the realm of piercing and tattooing. Some employees sketch, others paint and others play musical instruments, either solo or in a band. This collective love of art fosters an environment of respect between employees, in which they feel comfortable critiquing one another’s work and pushing each other to be better. As the community is made up of workers who are employees but also individual contractors of their own art, self-expression is of paramount importance, but there is still a cohesive look between the individual artists. The art environment the employees create within Needlewürks is casual and a little bit rebellious. Most male employees don jean jackets or plaid button ups, usually with slim jeans and bits of tattoos peaking from under their collars or sleeves. Female employees can be found in dress ranging from fishnet stockings with shorts and band tees to oversized jeans and t-shirts. Both genders make little effort to hide body art like tattoos or piercings. Behaviorally, there is little traditional “professional” structure in Needlewürks. Aside from the receptionist, nobody sits behind desks. Informal language, specifically cursing, is abundant and employees make themselves comfortable working long shifts together, sometimes clientless, by watching movies on the couch or bantering in the back rooms.
Outside the parlor, the employees of Needlewürks sometimes perform live art shows during concerts where they set up a blank canvas off to the side of the stage while a band is performing. Then, they’ll take out their drawing utensils and all begin working on the canvas, two to three artists at a time, until there’s one chaotic and disjointed, but beautiful, image at the end. Rather than keeping these murals, they usually raffle them off or give them away to friends. In one example given by a tattoo artist, the Needlewürks staff set up a canvas for a Skeletons in the Piano concert at Putnam Den, a local hangout off of Broadway, and performed an art show right on the side of the stage. Thus, Needlewürks is comprised of a group of artists who work both individually and together, and have created a community grounded in their shared respect for art. Posted by Rebecca Katz '16 Larry’s Barbershop, located on Washington Street, serves as a business where men get their hair cut, and it is also a place where men receive and give support to each other through banter. Customers may even hear the barbers describe the environment as an “old school” business that is a sort of “spa for men.” These two phrases describe the shop’s atmosphere well and bring to light the experience and support that keep men in Saratoga coming back to Larry’s. The business itself is located at 74 Washington Street in an old building that used to be a hotel. The outside of the shop is simple, displaying a sign with the shop’s name and a barber’s red, white, and blue pole over a wooden bench with an American flag painted on it. Once a customer walks into the shop, warm and yellow, but bright light, along with a personalized greeting from one of the barbers, greets them. The sounds of men’s voices conversing, complaining, and joking intermingles with the buzzers switching on and off, the snipping of scissors, the turning of newspaper pages, and when it occasionally goes quiet, the ads on the radio. These sounds emanate from men hanging out together and supporting each other. The conversations in Larry’s Barbershop, although serious at times, are regularly peppered with intermittent jokes and chuckles. In this way, men may grumble about their daily lives. Yet, these grumbles never get too solemn, as there is always a barber or another customer to tease the complainer or change the subject to a popular topic such as the current big sporting event, horse racing, or one of the barber’s band’s recent gigs.
Larry’s Barbershop maintains an emphasis on an “old school” environment through allowing men to talk and joke with each other without distraction. These conversations provides support for men, much like spas provide in other parts of Saratoga Springs. Posted by Jasmyn Story '15 In 1925 the Frederick Allen Lodge#609 was chartered as one chapter of many of the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World (I.B.P.O.E. of W.) in the United States. The current location is 69 Beekman Street. Though its location has changed since 1925, the Frederick Allen Lodge maintains its status as a social, cultural, and historical hub within Saratoga Springs. Every weekend the lodge opens its doors to the public. On a Friday night at the lodge, sounds of Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, and Rufus fill the air. This time-stamped music invokes memories of a era before the current development of Caroline Street. It is reminiscent of a time when the lodge was packed with members of the community, ready to laugh and dance. Times have changed, but a small, dedicated group of members participates in regular gatherings. The lodge currently struggles to obtain the weekend crowds it once did. Competing with the bar scene of downtown Saratoga, the lodge provides its members and non-member attendees with something unique. The lodge provides members and other visitors with a sense of belonging and intergenerational connection. Here, visitors will see 20-year-olds dancing alongside their elders. Members also engage in conversations about days long gone, and hopes for the future. These precious moments tucked away on a Friday night strip away the task of the day. The only thing that matters is the collective sense of belonging. Despite the city’s evolution, the lodge maintains its standing as a staple social location for the community. The lodge's service transcends that of a bar or music club; the lodge serves history, tradition, and cultural connection. Posted by Zoe Sullivan-Blum '17 The Local Pub & Teahouse is a restaurant located on the historic West Side of Saratoga Springs, NY, 142 Grand Avenue on the corner of Beekman Street. "The Local”, as patrons and employees warmly refer to the restaurant, is a central hub of life on the West Side and an “anchor” in the Arts District. Upon entering through an entry area, some of the first things a visitor notices are the warm colors and the stunning woodwork of the inside The Local. Saturated with a cozy and friendly atmosphere, both through the furniture and the attitude of the employees and the customers, The Local suggests a sense of familiarity and locality. Through my research at The Local, I came to realize the importance of connectedness between the employees and the regular customers at this establishment. Humor is a large part of establishing this connection. Frequent joking and teasing that takes place between employees and “regulars” serves to strengthen these bonds. The sense of ease and camaraderie that the customers gain from having this sort of joking relationship with The Local’s employees is a large part of what keeps them coming back -- besides the excellent food of course! I found The Local to be a business with a focus on locality and long-lasting relationships. The social acceptance that customers gain emphasizes the importance of the restaurant and bar as a community space. The Local even has a Mug Club for the most devoted of customers. Mug Club members pay a yearly fee and receive specials, an invitation to the annual Mug Club party, and a mug of their very own that hangs above the bar. The Local has a relationship with the regular customers it caters to as well as the town around it. Posters and notices for community events and announcements adorn the entryway, and The Local sometimes has fundraisers or other events that support the community, such as the Hearts for Preston Fundraiser Walk.
Overall, The Local is a community-based business with an emphasis on locality, regularity, and acceptance. The relationships forged between the customers and the employees are a very special part of the atmosphere of this cultural setting. Posted by Nicole Confalone '16 During the months of September, October, and November, I spent time doing fieldwork in Rena’s Fine Flowers, a flower shop located on the West Side of Saratoga Springs, New York. The shop is located within Beekman Street’s Art’s District at 51 Ash Street. Conversing with both Rena and her mother Kay, I have come to understand that in Rena’s Fine Flowers, flowers are Rena’s form of creative, personal expression. Rena and the shop have almost come to be one in the same. As the owner of the shop and the main employee, Rena has followed her vision of what she dreamed her shop could become, through her ideas of space and the creation of floral arrangements. In the shop, Rena organizes arrangements both individually and as a set so that the customer may visualize what an arrangement or set of arrangements could look like in their own home. Arrangements can be made for any and all occasions and are always made fresh. Rena adds her artistic touch to all of her creations, tailoring them to her customer’s specific needs in order to create unique arrangements for all. Whether it is for an anniversary, a wedding, a holiday, or a track party during Saratoga’s annual horse racing season, Rena puts her emotion into every single one of her creations, evoking her talent and passion for flowers. Rena’s Fine Flowers has become a place where Rena gets to live her dream out everyday and share her masterpieces with others. “Flowers mean the world to me. This is what I love to do, and I’m so grateful that I’m able to do it every day. Flowers are beautiful! Every different one has very different meanings to them, different scents, different textures... Flowers mean a lot.” – Rena Zeppetelli
Posted by Emma Foley '16 When The Blue Peregrine Salon opened on Beekman Street in July of 2014, the new salon demonstrated the value of forming personal connections within a business environment. Laura McDonald opened the Blue Peregrine after being diagnosed with life threatening illness and deciding to revisit her childhood dream of owning her own salon. Limelight, the salon that she had worked at before the Blue Peregrine, encouraged her to follow through with her goal. Laura opened the Blue Peregrine in the Arts District with the intention of helping people through the work that she did and extending a hand of friendship that is often not part of typical commercial settings. On one level, Laura’s main intentions were to own a salon and style hair. Yet, after hearing from her co-workers and her clients and after reading an article about the charity work she does within the salon (Grey 2014), I also see that Laura’s work transcends the goal of maintaining physical beauty and strives to help improve the lives of others. Laura works to enhance happiness in her clients, speaking to them as though they are close friends when they are in her salon chair. This is the attitude all the hairdressers have while working with clients at The Blue Peregrine, and it has helped to foster an environment that is welcoming and allows stylists to serve as friends to their clients, always happy to lend an ear and provide advice. The salon attracts primarily female clients and currently has a staff entirely made up of female hairdressers. This women-centric environment blended with the warm spirit of the stylists at The Blue Peregrine has made the salon somewhat of a haven for women to participate in feminine activities and conversations. The women support each other’s relationship troubles, give beauty tips, and discuss the challenges they face at home and at work. The hairdressers build their clients and each other up and offer a service that is effective both physically and emotionally, allowing female friends to decompress and find a sense of community within the salon. Reference cited Grey, Jennie 2014 Beauty from the inside out at Blue Peregrine Salon. The Saratogian. July 25. Online: http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20140725/beauty-from-the-inside-out-at-blue-peregrine-salon Date accessed: December, 2014.
Posted by Eileen Nardoza '15 and Emma Weitzenkorn '15 Local residents regard Dehn’s Flowers & Gifts as a staple of the West Side of Saratoga Springs. Located at 180 Beekman Street, Dehn’s is a family run business that has been present on the West side of Saratoga since 1892. Other than daily experiences with both personal customers and corporate companies, Dehn’s interacts with the community through Dehn's Facebook page to update customers on their Fabulous Friday Giveaways, a weekly auction of an assortment of seasonal goodies. They specialize in business-to-business relationships as well as catering to individual customers to create arrangements that emulate a season or event. The store specializes in providing flower arrangements to mark life events, such as weddings, funerals, sympathy, holidays, seasons, and birthdays. The staff at Dehn’s specialize in providing a personalized touch to their arrangements that they assemble with love, care and empathy. For many cultures, floral arrangements convey an expression or gesture of emotion. Dehn’s slogan is “We deliver smiles every day,” indicating the value for using their business to convey a message and deliver a sentiment. Dehn’s is a welcoming environment leaving customers open to discuss personal desires in terms of floral designs. The women in the design room, tucked away in a back room of the shop located near the cooler, assemble the arrangement with pride and compassion with a lighthearted attitude throughout the day. Posted by Ella Kaplan '16 Located in the heart of the Arts District at 79 Beekman Street, Spa City Bicycleworks not only services and sells bicycles, but also offers an old-time model bicycle “clubhouse” experience. Tone, the owner, has integrated elements of history, art, and family to create this “clubhouse” rather than setting up a standard shop focusing solely on selling bicycles. Spa City Bicycleworks is housed in a building that used to be an Arts Coop. At the front of the building, the porch has rocking chairs in front of a neon blue bicycle sign and a painted plaque that says “Beekman Street Arts Coop”. The entrance is located up a ramp on the side of the building, where Rosco, Tone’s dog, typically waits to greet visitors. Inside, bikes, accessories, attire, and merchandise line the walls. Behind the register counter, a workshop area provides Tone space to do tune ups and repairs. Throughout the shop, different components express the historical and art-inspired “clubhouse” setting. Near the entrance old-fashioned candy machines welcome visitors, bicycle-inspired paintings and images hang on various doors and walls, and the back room has a couch and TV where customers can hang out and wait for repairs.
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Anthropology students present case studies based on projects about local people and places.
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