When the guy at the top steps in
PLUS: Empanadas are coming, and the ticket to buy right now before it's too late.
Spring must be here — Opera Saratoga kicked off the 2026 season last night with quite the party. (Pics on the way…) Now if only the actual spring would spring.
I’m headed to Coat Room for nightcap research... (Confused? See below.) #IYKYK*
— Abby
🫶 Love the Dispatch? Help spread the word by forwarding to a friend.
🍝 Join the Dinner Club: Say goodbye to awkward mingling. We do all the planning — you just show up (I’ll text you where to go the morning of the event) to meet new friends. *Party ends with a nightcap at…🤫
Ron Garafalo doesn’t usually do this
By: Allison Bradley
New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR) President Ron Garafalo typically leaves the organization’s monthly housing reports to statistics and trends.
Last week, however, he stepped in himself, his very presence putting people on high alert.
“The latest data makes clear that the shortage isn’t improving fast enough,” he said, “and demands more immediate action.”
(For context, inventory across New York fell in February to 22,366 homes — the lowest level recorded since the association began tracking the metric in 1997.)
He then urged the Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul to “accelerate efforts to remove barriers and help facilitate increased housing production across the state.”
What it means for us
In Saratoga County, we’ve got those barriers (mainly zoning rules and the SEQRA law) — plus one more thing the state report doesn’t mention: an infrastructure ceiling. Our water system, for example, is already being expanded at a cost of $33 million just to handle the people who are already here. What would happen if we added 500 homes?
Yup, we’re in an era of sustained constraint.
In Saratoga County:
Many local homeowners are currently “locked in” to low mortgage rates (the 3% vs. 7% dilemma). Because they won’t sell, new inventory never hits the market. This creates a cycle where the “inventory floor” stays low for years, rather than just a few months.
In our “constrained” market, sales are down because there is nothing to buy (supply is low). Even though the volume of sales looks bad in a headline, the value stays high because the few available homes are fought over.
What’s the most confusing “fact” you’ve heard about the market lately? Reply to this email or drop a comment — let’s look at the data together.
For more information visit sothebysrealty.com/fourseasons and contact Allison Bradly via text at 518-339-7313 or email at Allison.bradley@sothebysrealty.com.
🎟️ Hot ticket
Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers
Not sure if you like bluegrass? This polished band made up of amazing players from Saskatchewan, Detroit and Nashville (Steve Martin is a huge fan) is a great way to find out. The show’s tonight at 8 at Caffè Lena.
“They have lyrics that move you like pop music, instrumental craft that will wow anyone, and the warm authenticity that people expect of Caffe Lena artists,” says Caffè Lena’s executive director, Sarah Craig. “Just a real crowd pleaser of a band, and one of our favorite discoveries of the last couple years. Kick back and discover what traditional music sounds like in the 21st century!”
Book your ticket (now!) for tonight’s show at caffelena.org.
😋 Buen provecho
Saratoga is one step closer to its own full-time empanada outpost — meaning, you could soon tuck into the golden turnover treats stuffed with delicious fillings without having to wait for track season (Nuchas) or various farmers’ markets (Ana’s). Viva Empanada just had its wall signage approved at the March 25 Design Review meeting for its future digs at 68 Congress Street (near CVS). Thanks to Saratoga Civic Pulse for the tip.
One more reason to look forward to warmer weather
Pint Sized (35 Phila) will soon offer outdoor dining at what owner August Sosa is calling his new “sidewalk café” — with a goal of adding “some vibrancy” to Phila Street’s ever-growing restaurant row. Bringing over most of the tables (made of approved metal, no plastics or synthetics) from the bar’s former location on Broadway proved easy enough to get past Design Review — who just seemed relieved that the furniture would now be set up on sidewalks instead of the uneven grass outside the old place. The plan, Sosa said, was to have removable stanchions and “all items be brought inside at the end of the night, so there’s no obstruction on the street.”
📰 IN BRIEF
Saratoga Hospital was the only Capital Region hospital to make Newsweek magazine’s “World’s Best“ list. Congrats! — News10
Party pics: Breaking Bubbles for Double H Ranch — Times Union
Desperate Annie’s owner Marc Travis took to social media with an emotional announcement about his healthcare woes regarding needing open heart surgery in May — and has raised more than $50k on GoFundMe. — Facebook
There was some ickiness in the city’s water last year. Here’s why. — News Channel 13
.
📌 ICYMI…
A Saratogian in ‘Time’ magazine
Deep dive into What’s Going on Saratoga’s twinning Facebook groups
Dylan Hinds’ ‘kind of weird’ local celeb turn
🫙 Support the Dispatch
The Dispatch is FREE! But paid subscriptions and community contributions are what keep us going.
Never corporate, always local.
Thanks for reading,
— Abby
