One Wonderful Weekend in Glenville

The world may have gotten a look—albeit a rather dreary one—at Schenectady, when the noir-y film, The Place Beyond the Pines, was set there in 2012. What viewers outside of the Capital Region missed out on, though, was the place beyond the place beyond the pines: Glenville, where a lot of the movie was actually filmed. The Schenectady suburb might not have gotten name-checked in the blockbuster crime drama, but it’s certainly a hidden gem of a place to spend a wonderful weekend. (Head there soon, lest Hollywood comes knocking.)

FRIDAY
While the town of Glenville encompasses 50 square miles and nearly 30,000 residents, its unofficial “business district” is undoubtedly the Village of Scotia, so that’s where we’ll kick off our weekend festivities. Grab an early dinner at the Bestie-winning Turf Tavern (turftavern.com), located right on the corner of Route 50 and Mohawk Avenue in Downtown Scotia. The 80-year-old restaurant was actually named for its location: Before the Northway was built, travelers who were on their way to Saratoga Race Course to watch “turf” racing, as horse racing was widely known back then, would drive right by the restaurant, stopping in for a meal before finishing the last leg of their journey on Route 50 to the Spa City. Today, the tavern is known for its classy comfort food—think American classics like steaks, seafood, salad and pasta—and cozy atmosphere that’s at once casual and elegant. After your early bird dinner, make the short walk down Mohawk Ave to another Bestie winner, Scotia Cinema (scotiacinema.net), a historic, locally owned and operated theater, which shows one film per evening at 7pm. Tickets are just $9 for adults (be sure to grab a large popcorn with
real butter).

SATURDAY
Start your Saturday off with a wholesome breakfast at Be Nourished (benourishedcafe.com), a café from the owners of Scotia’s Bova Health and Wellness. Everything on the menu—from Peppe’s PB+J Toast to The Whole-Dang-Avo Sandwich—is Dr. Joe Bova–approved, so you can count on being properly fueled for an active day. And you’ll most certainly need a shot of life for where we’re headed. Mountain Ridge Adventure (mountainridgeadventure.com), a 15-minute drive away, features a high ropes course and a 10-zipline canopy tour over a 500-foot-deep gorge—right in Glenville! The Treetop Pass will get you three hours of monkeying around above the ground, or you can go the less strenuous route with the Zipline Pass, for two hours of good, old-fashioned coasting.

Hungry? We thought so. All manner of fried food awaits at Jumpin’ Jack’s Drive-In (jumpinjacksdriveininc.com), a sprawling riverside delight that dates back to 1952. Order yourself a signature Jackburger (two patties topped with cheese and coleslaw) and basket of Twister Fries (Jumpin’ Jacks’ take on curly fries) at the open-air counter, and then top your tummy off with some soft serve in a cone.

After a morning and lunch hour like that, some relaxation is in order. Spend your afternoon strolling around Collins Park (villageofscotia.org), located just across the street from Jumpin’ Jacks, and perusing Thistle Be Perfect Artisan Boutique (thistlebeperfectshop.com) and The Speckled Hen (facebook.com/thespeckledhenscotia) gift shop, both of which are treasure troves of unique home décor and more.

Your last stop of the day should be Scotia’s Jade Bistro (jadebistroscotia.com), an upscale Asian fusion restaurant serving dishes such as Peking Duck, Citrus Pad Thai and sushi, plus an assortment of sakes, cocktails, wine and beer. Cheers to a day well spent!

SUNDAY
Everyone knows New York City bagels reign supreme in the world of the carb-o-licious breakfast delicacies, so while you’re in Glenville, opt for the shop with “NYC” in its name. Located in Socha—not to be confused with “Scotia”—Plaza, Manhattan Bistro & Bagel (manhattanbistroandbagel.com) serves up more than a dozen types of bagels, plus sandwiches, salads and pastries. Just down the road is the Empire State Aeroscience Museum (esam.org), an aviation lover’s dream located at the site of the old General Electric Flight Test Center. The museum includes more than 20 planes and a simulated reality vehicle ride, plus numerous exhibits and interactive displays.

Make sure you get in some pick-your-own berry fun at Swaggertown Road’s Buhrmaster Farms (buhrmasterfarms.com), which opens for strawberry picking in mid-June and blueberry season in July, followed by a beer and a bite at West Glenville’s Wolf Hollow Brewing Company (wolfhollowbrewing.com). Food offerings at the brewery are constantly rotating, so check its website ahead of time to learn what you’re in for.

With that, Capital Region staycationers, your wonderful weekend in Glenville is now complete. Come back soon!