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What it takes to be 'rich' in the Capital Region

What it takes to be 'rich' in the Capital Region

Plus, your Top 5 Weekend Events

Phat Chiem
August 15, 2024

In partnership with

Happy Thursday, Capital District! Welcome to our new Thursday format, which now features our Top 5 Weekend Picks together with our full events roundup... Today, we’re also taking a look at what it takes to be considered ‘rich’ in the Cap Region.

Let’s get that 💰️ baby!

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Today in The 518

What salary do you need to be ‘rich’ in the 518 💵
Reader poll: Do cellphones belong in the classroom? 📵
Tell DOT what you really think should be done with the 787 🚘️
Troy Pig Out is one of our Top 5 Weekend Picks 🐷

📣 TALK OF THE TOWN

Oh, you’re rich rich…A $2.19 million home on Douglas Lane in Loudonville 📷️ Sotheby’s Int’l Realty

What’s considered ‘rich’ in the Capital Region?

Do you make more than $117,000 per year as a single person? That’s more than double the median income of $48,000 in the Capital Region, putting you in the top 10% of earners 👏

These numbers come from a report released Wednesday by the Times Union, based on census and other financial data.

But as the TU wisely points out, there’s a big difference between feeling comfortable and feeling rich. According to Bankrate’s Financial Freedom Survey, the average American feels like they need to earn over $168K just to “live comfortably.” To actually feel rich, they need to make way more—$520K a year!

In fact, the survey shows that the more money people make, the more income they feel they need to be “rich.” Wealth, of course, is all relative. Your perception of personal wealth is highly shaped by whether you are able to afford the same lifestyle as your friends and neighbors.

Wanna feel more wealthy? Move to a poorer area 🤣 You might avoid these places then—the wealthiest ZIP codes in the Capital District.

We all agree: Cellphones don’t belong in the classroom

Last week, we talked about the trend of local school districts banning cellphones, and ran a reader poll asking if phones belong in the classroom. You voted overwhelmingly in favor of cellphone bans—just one person said schools should allow phones in class. Here’s a sampling of the reactions we received:

“The numbers say loud and clear: Technology has a negative impact on kids' mental health.”

“Phones are poison and have no place in educational settings. None.”

“I am a museum educator, and I don't allow phones in my classroom and it is wonderful to see students focus 100% on what is in front of them. Not having a smart device forces them to use their imagination and the results are beautiful!”

“Graduated high school in 2012 without even a flip phone and no social media except Facebook. Definitely helped my mental health because I couldn’t compare myself to others and, with no phone, I was able to focus more on school. Face-to-face interactions are priceless.”

🌞 WEATHER WATCH

"Fear of death increases in exact proportion to increase in wealth." —Ernest Hemingway

Expect a beautiful summer weekend with showers likely on Sunday 😎

🌦️ Thursday 85°/63° 💧 40%

🌤️ Friday 87°/70° 💧 3%

🌥️ Saturday 78°/70° 💧 40%

⛈️ Sunday 77°/66° 💧 91%

Editor’s Note: We’re big fans of the 1440 newsletter. All the news you need to know every day—without the political bs. Give it a try! 👇️

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🗞️ CAPITAL DISTRICT DIGEST

What should we do about the 787? DOT wants your feedback.

Ballston Spa: No face masks for parades

Ballston Spa lawmakers have passed a law banning full-face masks and gas masks during parades and processions. The regulation comes a year after demonstrators aligned with the neo-fascist group Proud Boys marched through downtown. But critics, including the NYCLU, argue that the law threatens free speech and protest rights. [Daily Gazette]

New plans for St. Clare’s Hospital

The former St. Clare’s Hospital campus in Schenectady has been sold to developers Jeff Buell and Chris Spraragen, who plan to revitalize the 17-acre site with housing and community assets. The project, supported by Schenectady's economic team, aims to attract seniors and young professionals. [News 10]

Share your feedback IRL on the 787

The NYS Department of Transportation is hosting events to gather public input for reimagining much-hated I-787. Residents can share their opinions on the project at events this weekend, including the Rensselaer Farmers Market (Thurs), 518 SNUG Day in Albany’s Washington Park (Friday) and Troy Farmers Market (Sat). They’ll also be at Albany Latin Fest on Aug. 24.

More to explore: Read our story on ideas for transforming the Albany waterfront, with links to the proposed plans.

🎟️ WHAT’S HAPPENING

⭐️ = The 518’s Top 5 Weekend Picks

⭐️ Troy Pig Out | Starts at noon, Sun, free. After a pandemic hiatus, Troy Pig Out is back! Taste your way through downtown Troy and decide who has the best barbecue in the land ($4-$5 per sample). Don’t miss the hot dog eating contest at Broadway and 5th, next to Nighthawks (1 and 3 pm).

⭐️ Yo-Yo Ma with the Philadelphia Orchestra | 7:30p, Friday. Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma returns to perform Dvořák’s Cello Concerto under the baton of conductor Xian Zhang. Opening the evening are two SPAC premieres by composers Nokuthula Ngwenyama and Zoltán Kodály.

⭐️ Altamont Fair: Through Sunday. $15; children 10 and under free; $27 unlimited ride bands. This year’s highlights include Royal Hanneford Circus, Battle of Altamont: Pro Wrestling, demo derby, racing pigs & corgis, and the Lucky E Rodeo. Be sure to check the schedule before you go; not all events happen every day!

***Make the most of your fair outing with our Guide to the Capital Region’s Best Fairs!

⭐️ Free Family Circus Day: Doors open at noon, performance at 1p. Pack a picnic and bring a blanket to Troy’s Prospect Park to see performers from Westchester Circus Arts put on a show of amazing tricks, including aerial, acrobatic and juggling stunts. Expect a crowd; this show is first-come, first-serve.

⭐️ Midsummer Madness: 4-6p, Sun, free. Jennings Landing, Albany. In this unique approach to "A Midsummer Night's Dream,” the cast list will be drawn live on stage 5 minutes before the performance starts, and the actors will swap scripts, speed-design their costumes, choose their props, and ask the audience to accompany them on an adventure into the unknown.

🎪 More Notable Events

THURSDAY 8/15

518 Snug Day | 12-6p, free. Albany’s Washington Park. 518 SNUG is an anti-violence organization aimed at reducing gun violence. Join the community for music, food, a bounce house, games, crafts and storytelling.

Circus in the Park | 6:30p, $100. Prospect Park, Troy. For this fundraising event, Cirque Kikasse! presents SANTÉ!, a dynamic circus show with high-level acrobatics.

Beautiful, the Carole King Musical | Ends Sunday. Matinee and evening showings, $50-$95. It’s the final weekend to see what the Times Union called a “joyously tuneful and moving” musical. But hurry—tickets are selling out fast!

FRIDAY 8/16

Comedian Bianca Del Rio | 7:30p, $55. Universal Preservation Hall. See the “Joan Rivers of the Drag World” live and in person.

Circus in the Park | 6:30p. Tickets: $26; $8 for 12 and under. Prospect Park, Troy. Good Karma Studio presents their Circus Arts Student Showcase under the big top tent.

Bonsai Bar | 6:30-8:30p, $85 all supplies included, with future dates available. Bring home your very own bonsai from this beloved Bard and Baker workshop.

SATURDAY 8/17

18th Annual Clifton Park Elks Car, Truck & Bike Show | 9a-4p, free.

Averill Park Music Festival | Noon-10p, free. Butler Park.

Saratoga County Horse Farm Tour | 12-4p, free. Self-driven tours of horse farms open to the public.

Saratoga Arts Celebration | 10a-5p, rain or shine, free. Saturday and Sunday.

Brunswick Elks Car Show | 11a-3p, free.

Washington Park Farmer’s Market | 10a-2p, yoga at 9a, free.

Pericles, Prince of Tyre | 2-4p, free. Jennings Landing, Albany.

Troy Farmer’s Market | 9a-2p. Voted one of the top five farmer’s markets in the nation for good reason.

Shakespeare at the Farm with Hubbard Hall | 1p, free. Pitney Meadows Community Farm (rain location: Hubbard Hall).

Big Gay Family Bash | 12-9p, free. Willow Marsh Farm Store.

A Wrinkle in Time Movie Screening | 2-4p, free. Albany Library Washington Branch.

SUNDAY 8/18

Flora for Fauna Festival: With Native Plant Sale | 12-3p, free. Unity Garden, 1500 Western Ave, Albany.

Albany County Farmers Market | 10a-2p, free, plus Snap recipients get 2x benefits. Shop the best in produce, flowers and more at the MVP Arena.

Learn About Insects | 2-4p, free for members, $10 for non-members. Pine Hollow Arboretum.

Mindfulness / Forest Bathing Walk | 10 am. $10 suggested donation. Pine Hollow Arboretum.

Becky Robinson, The Entitled Housewife | 3-6p, $87.21 (including fees). Saratoga Springs City Center.

8th Annual Family Fun Day | 12-3p, free. Six Mile Waterworks Park, 1925 New York Rt. 203, 135 Fuller Rd, Albany. Hosted by the Flora E Kippins Foundation, this community event features free food, games, face painting, make your own sundaes and free school supplies.

🪲 FEEL GOOD FRIDAY THURSDAY

This little bugger sure is ugly, but will grow into a brilliant firefly!

Don’t you dare kill these insects!

Did you know that baby firefly larvae are carnivorous and their favorite meal is snails and slugs? Plus, adult fireflies are valuable pollinators! We love these fellas, and it’s disheartening to think that 15% of firefly species face extinction.

But don’t lose hope—you can be a firefly hero! One of the main reasons for their decline is habitat destruction. Preserve these precious little buggers for future generations by leaving leaf litter or tall grass areas alone, avoiding lawn chemicals and other pesticides, and turning off outdoor lights during the summer mating season. [WRRV]

More to explore: Read our coverage on declining firefly populations: Where have the fireflies gone?