We’re chatting with Ashley Kopf this week! She shares the story of her downtown engagement, the journey renovating an old Glens Falls home alongside her husband, and dreams for her new business, Abby’s Cookie Jar.
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Ashley Kopf, and I am the owner of Abby's Cookie Jar, named after my daughter, Abigail. My husband is a real estate agent and a soldier in the NY National Guard. We've now lived together in Glens Falls for three years.
On Life in Glens Falls
I originally grew up with my family in Connecticut, but ended up attending school in Oneonta, NY at Hartwick College.
I met my husband when a request for a long-term substitute was brought to my attention (we were both in education). While he grew up in Saratoga and lived in South Glens Falls at the time, we eventually ended up buying our first apartment building in Glens Falls not too soon after he returned from a three month military training in Missouri. I didn't know too much about the area, but we loved living so close to the restaurants and liveliness of downtown.
The first home that we bought was actually a duplex. We spent countless hours juggling our jobs as music teachers and giving that building some much needed TLC. We spent the first few weeks without any floors, ceilings, or walls. In fact, I remember looking down the side and seeing the grass through the wall. Dinners were microwaved steam veggies and probably a salad or pizza from Stewart’s while we were waiting for our appliances. It was an experience we will never forget.
In November 2018, my husband and I got married and, in the same month, moved into our current home. It's a beautiful old Victorian that was converted into a multi-family home. We have some of the greatest tenants that anyone could have ever asked for, and we are so thankful that we get to share this beautiful house with them.
I formerly taught music at Minerva Central School, which was a hefty 45 minute commute, but it was well worth it. Once I had Abigail, I realized that it would be too much of a commute while raising her, so I decided that it would be best to stay closer to home. I started baking for fun, and then before I knew it, Abby's Cookie Jar took flight.
Some Glens Falls Favorites
One of our favorite things to do is to walk to get dinner at Davidson Brothers and then snag an ice cream at Stewart’s on our way back home. We love the life that exists within Glens Falls, it has a great culture and there's always something to do with the kids or even just for a date night. Whatever you're looking for, be it a family event, hiking, the bike path, art festivals, or a romantic night out, you can be sure to find it in Glens Falls.
A Perfect Glens Falls Day (Post-Pandemic!)
One of our newest discoveries was Aroy Dee restaurant. My husband has an affinity for Thai food (I'm sure we'll be taking a trip to Thailand in the future), and we checked it out after it was suggested to us and have never looked back. The food is simply phenomenal.
We also have a sweet spot for the Bullpen and Davidsons. My husband proposed to me at the Bullpen on New Year’s in 2018, which ended up accidentally going viral because someone had taken a video of the proposal and could not figure out how to find us. What an adventure that was! We had our rehearsal dinner at Davidsons and just love the atmosphere and food there.
We also really enjoy how many places there are to take a nice stroll around Glens Falls. Lately, we have really fallen in love with the bike path that is conveniently located behind our house. We like to take Abby for walks on that during the afternoon, and we also really enjoy walking to Crandall Park. Glens Falls is great because it truly has it all.
On the Past
My favorite memory would have to be the night of my wedding rehearsal. We got married at Christ Church on Bay Street, so after the rehearsal, we all walked to Davidson's where we met our family for an awesome rehearsal dinner. Everything was just absolutely perfect, and then afterwards the younger crowd had a final hoorah together at the Bullpen in honor of our proposal there. Again, it was just wonderful. So many laughs were had, and I just won't ever forget that night.
On the Future
If I could bring something new to the city (while this might seem pretentious) I'd love to open up a storefront on Glen Street. It seems to be the only thing missing on that little strip, and I would just have the most fun seeing so many faces coming in for a cookie or two. Finishing up lunch or dinner at one of the great restaurants or after seeing a show at the Wood Theatre, and then being able to head over for a treat sounds like a perfect family night or date night to me!
Thanks Ashley! We’ll be on the lookout for that cookie shop ;)
P.S. Check out more from our My Glens Falls series here.