Lark Street is Hip & Trendy in Albany New York
NY Business District with Festivals, Great Restaurants & Night Life
Feb 12, 2009
This trendy business district in Albany’s historic Center Square neighborhood, dubbed “the village within the village”, is hopping all year long…even in the dead of winter when snow covers the sidewalks and is piled high along the curbs. Upstate New Yorkers are not daunted by cold and snow.
1st Friday – Albany NY
On the first Friday evening of each month, a gallery night called 1st Friday brings folks from around the city and region to the local galleries, museums, businesses, and restaurants. Upstate Artists Guild (an artist’s cooperative), Amrose+Sable Gallery (a small contemporary art gallery), and the Albany Art Room (an open studio for art making) are just a few of the prominent venues.
On a more conservative note, the Albany Institute of History and Art, founded in 1791, with a significant permanent collection of artists from the Hudson River School, also has shorter-term exhibits of contemporary regional and national artists.
LarkFEST & Art on Lark
LarkFEST, begun in 1980 and one of the largest street festivals in the area, attracts more than 60,000 people annually the third Saturday of September. With 5 stages set up on 8 blocks of closed-off Lark Street for live musical performances, the area is buzzing with activity including artists booths and food vendors.
Art on Lark, a smaller event on the third Saturday in June, is more focused on highlighting the Lark Street area as an arts district. The day includes artist booths, musical/dance/theatrical performances, a sidewalk chalk drawing contest, and one-day art installations.
Restaurants on Lark Street
There is a smattering of pizza parlors, Chinese take-out, Mexican, Greek, Indian, Middle Eastern and an excellent Thai café, Sukothai, interspersed with higher end restaurants like McGuire's, The Wine Bar & Bistro, and Elda's on Lark, with Justin's on Lark at the other end of the business district close to Madison Ave.
- Justin’s on Lark - 301 Lark - a restaurant and bar on the street level of one of the historic row houses, is a well-known venue for contemporary jazz. Talented regional jazz musicians offer two sets each evening from Thursday through Sunday.
- The Wine Bar & Bistro - 200 Lark - has a large selection of wine and interesting tapas in a cozy rooms with fireplaces…in the summer the back patio expands the seating capacity.
Bars & Pubs in Lark Business District
The Lark Street Business District is lively most of the week, but really starts to bustle on Wednesdays when the graduate students in the area seem to begin their weekend and continues through Saturday night into the wee hours of Sunday morning. Here are three of eight bars listed on the Lark Street BID website:
- Bomber's Burrito Bar - 258 Lark - started from the winnings in a casino poker game, features affordable food and recycles their cooking oil by donating it to the Honest Weight Food Coop to fuel their biodiesel van.
- Lark Tavern - 453 Madison - originally a firehouse constructed in 1867, this pub/restaurant has a bar in front and backroom with stage that hosts a variety of live entertainment from poetry readings and cabaret, to a monthly jazz big band ensemble.
- Lionheart Blues Café - 448 Madison - has a great selection of beers and bartenders that know the difference. There is seating on the sidewalk in front in summer and a billiard table and darts in the back.
Cafés & Bakeries on Lark in Albany New York
Many cafés and coffee shops, including a Ben & Jerry's, offer a diverse imprint on the district:
- Crisan’s Bakery - 197 Lark - has the look of a European pastry shop with beautiful pastries and desserts displayed in glass counters. They also have delectable gelato.
- Daily Grind Café & Coffee Roasters - 204 Lark - a place where neighborhood regulars come to chat, read, write and meet. Their motto is “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbuck’s”.
There are plenty of others that provide a wide array of food, coffee and tea: Albany Coffee Shop, Debbie's Kitchen, Good Leaf Gourmet Tea Company, Hot Dog Heaven, Ramona's Café, and Scratch Bakery Café.
Where is the Lark Street Business District
The Lark Street Business Improvement District in Albany New York, is located in between the controversial Nelson Rockefeller Empire State Plaza and the century-old, Olmsted-influenced Washington Park. Lark Street is a thriving and colorful part of an urban neighborhood that strives to preserve its historic significance.
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