DRAFT KING
Amsterdam’s Andre Jackson, Jr. is no stranger to being in the news, having just helped lead The UConn Huskies basketball team to a national championship. But the 21-year-old made headlines of a different kind after he decided to stay in the NBA draft rather than return to college. At press time—mere hours before the draft kicked off—we were on the edges of our seats to see which team would draft him. [Editor’s Note: He was drafted in the second round by the Orlando Magic.] But we do know that the hard-working Jackson popped up at workouts with the Suns, Grizzlies and Lakers. “He’s been on a plane to a different state each day,” confirms his mom, Tricia Altieri. “So off court, he’s been constantly in the air, and on the court…” Yup, they say he can fly.
LASER FOCUS
Just in in time for bikini and tank top season, Saratoga’s Skin By ASK skincare spa has launched a powerful new laser hair removal treatment: Lutronic’s Clarity II. “It’s the best of the best,” says Owner/Aesthetician Andrew Stephen Kelly. “It is the only laser for hair removal on the market with a 1ms pulse width, which means we can target even the fi nest of hair. Our laser also has a cryogenic spray that is expertly timed to cool the skin pre- and post-treatment, making it painless.” Early clients are raving that fewer treatments are needed, and the results last longer. With no post-treatment downtime required, what
are you waiting for?
CAT CALLING
Nothing beats the relaxing, cozy feeling of a day in a café. But to Rachel Anne, founder of Rotterdam’s new Pretty Paw Lounge Cat Cafe, that experience can be leveled up with the help of some feline friends. Her new business, which at press time was set to open mid-July, offers patrons the opportunity to snack on some freshly baked goods and meet the establishment’s cats and kittens that are guaranteed to melt hearts. The best part? The cats are adoptable through local nonprofit Kitten Angels, so you may just be going home with a little more than a caffeine buzz.
HARD TO BEET
Schenectady resident Chelsea Heilmann is getting ready to open the restaurant Capital Regionites didn’t know we needed. This July, the owner of Take Two Café will unveil her second venture: Unbeetable, a vegan arcade located on Clinton Street in the Electric City. “There’ll be a full bar with beer, wine, cocktails and mocktails, because it’s family friendly,” Heilmann says. “It’s going to be 100 percent vegan elevated bar food.” Think “crab” rangoons, spinach and jalapeño dip, and vegan mac and cheese poppers with a side of Pacman, pinball and ping pong. Game on.
PIG OUT
Ballston Spa just raised the roof on its food and drink scene. Literally. And it’s all thanks to The Speckled Pig, which fi nished building its rooftop dining area— complete with tables, couches and shade-giving umbrellas—just in time for summer. “We have a ton of new beers up there, in addition to seltzer slushies,” says Co-owner Larry Hyde. Indeed, guests can wash down their pizza with a homemade hard root beer, a Head in the Clouds sour, or one of four rotating seltzer slushie fl avors. “Swing by any time,” Larry continues. “It’s always hopping!”
