Welcome to the Tromping Around Report: a blog post wherein I, your humble Albablogger, creep around town surreptitiously taking photos of things so that you, the reader, can find out about cool stuff coming to Albany that you might not have known about yet.
Banh Mi and Burritos are Coming to Pearl Street
You can learn a lot by reading those little work permits that developers are required to post in their windows. Here are two new spots that are going into Redburn-owned spaces on Pearl. I couldn't track down any more info on the restaurants themselves, other than that an older TU article suggests that the burrito place is going to be vegan. EDIT: Burrito Burrito in Troy has confirmed that this is going to be their Albany store. They're hoping for an opening before the end of the year, barring unforeseen circumstances.
... Along With a Mysterious Art and Performance Space
So this is an interesting one: the permit just says "retail with wine and beer," but according to their very slick Instagram, "Etrice Gallery is a brand and lifestyle boutique that specializes in Fashion, Art and Music." A bit of poking around on Instagram suggests that Schenectady-born heavy metal singer Maria Brink of the band In This Moment is planning on doing something at this place.
A Nice Patio For Albany Kitchen/The Cloud Food Hall
After a pivot to a new concept a few months back, things seem to be progressing again at the new "Albany Kitchen" food hall on Columbia street. The tiny fire pits at each table are a fun touch. The official launch of the cloud food hall app has now been pushed back, so you might expect to see an opening here in late September or early October.
Pretty Paths at Tivoli
Nice news for nature lovers: the previously mostly-wild Tivoli Lake Preserve in Arbor Hill/West Hill is getting spruced up with some new wooden walkways. According to Mayor Sheehan, they're halfway to being completed, but you can already go walk on what they've built so far.