Interview with David Girard, Managing Partner of 518 Craft and Artistic Director of Troy Foundry Theatre How would you explain Troy to someone who's never been here? I would say that it’s one of the most historical— sneaky historical— places in the United States. I think it’s one of, I don’t think, I mean, it is one of the oldest cities. A lot of people like to talk about how it was the third richest city in the United States. It was probably actually the richest city at cert

Interview with Melanie O'malley, owner of O'Malley's Oven When have you most felt supported by Troy? "In general, having a booth at the farmers’ market. I started there, I think, 10 or 11 years ago, and I just had a little incubator kitchen, no storefront. That was my sort of introduction to really being part of the Troy community, and that was just through the farmers’ market. That was what drew me to Troy for putting roots down. And so it’s been this building of just seeing

Interview with Kathleen Tesnakis, Owner of Ekologic If your your studio could talk, what do you think it would say? "I think what’s so amazing in here is that the work is actually very difficult, and we are problem solvers, so we’re always overcoming obstacles. And that is why there aren’t as many people doing this type of work. But what gets missed is the longevity of the item, the bespoke qualities of the item. So we’re imbuing love into things here in the studio, and I thi

Interview with James and Erin Kehoe, Downtown Troy property owners, and owners of The Workspace + more! Is there a place downtown that holds a special memory for you guys? "When we first moved to Troy. We were living in South Troy. We loved living in South Troy. It was kind of our first experience here. We were living in Albany and had heard Troy was getting cooler— and it was cheaper. So we found this really nice apartment in South Troy. It had just been redone by a local la

Interview with Jamel Mosely - Owner of Whiskey Pickle, cofounder of Collectiveffort and Upstate's Cold Brew, and Downtown Troy BID Board Member. What does success look like for you here in Troy? Success is something I’ve thought about for a long time— what it really means to be successful. Here in Troy, and more broadly, it comes down to doing what I love and being able to live comfortably. And comfort looks different for everyone. For some, it means being debt-free. For othe

Interview with Jamie Magur, Owner of Troy Grooming Co. & Downtown Troy Business Improvement District Board President. What does success look like for you here? "Success for me is being part of creating something bigger than myself— a vibrant city with community-based businesses, plenty of jobs, economic development, and strong neighborhood connections." Is there a place downtown that holds a personal memory for you? " Fulton Street is where I grew up. My grandmother had a res

Interview with Jessica Garrity, Owner of Collar City Cold Pressed. What part of Troy mirrors a part of you? " In a world where places and faces are all starting to look the same, Troy is keeping it real. Some of the things I love the most about Troy is the daily juxtaposition of something beautiful with something gritty, something soft and something strong, something dirty with something sweet. To me that resonates. It’s real, it’s authentic, it’s not perfect, and it’s never

Interview with Richard and Kathleen Kiernan, Troy Residents. Was there a particular reason why you chose to live in Troy? "We had moved from Brooklyn in 1992 to have a more suburban lifestyle. We raised our son in suburban Rensselaer County. But there was always something about Troy that intrigued us. We volunteered at the Music Hall at one point, and over the years, we had different experiences here. A lot of people we met had roots in Troy. And right around the time we were

Interview with Yair de la Rosa, Owner of La Capital Tacos. What was a moment in your work that you felt, this is why I'm doing this? “Because of my family— this is what we do. I continued that legacy, but it’s also something I really like. My background is as a chef, working in multiple cuisines and fine dining and things like that. Yes, I love to cook. That’s one of my things. I think that’s why we have a good product— because we love what we do. You know, it’s a hard job,

Interview with Steve Riddler, Manager of the Troy Waterfront Farmers' Market. People of Downtown Troy is a storyteling series highlitghting the business owners, artists, employees, entreprenuers, creatives, and neighbors who shape the character of our district ever single day. This is our first installment. Continue reading for the full extended interview. What was a moment in your work that made you think, "this is why I'm doing this"? "I manage the farmers’ market, and ther