This week we caught up with Ben Miller, who you’ll likely recognize from Park Street Hospitality (soon to include the new Park & Elm restaurant and market!). He shares what brought him back to Glens Falls after a decade abroad, his go-to spot for a nightcap, his vision for the future of the city, and more.
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Ben Miller. I am the Operations Manager for Park Street Hospitality, the company that operates The Park Theater and Doc’s Restaurant. We are currently expanding to include our new restaurant and market concept - Park & Elm. I am also involved with a number of my family’s real estate development projects across the city.
On Life In and Around Glens Falls
I grew up in Queensbury, but I left the area to attend university in Burlington, Vermont. From there I moved to the UK and then to Canada, living abroad for close to 10 years. I came back in March of 2020, just at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was something that I had been planning for quite awhile, but I didn’t really know when it would happen. The pandemic drove me to take a more active role in my family’s business ventures here in the city, and I am glad that it did. I have been rediscovering my hometown every day for the last two years.
For the last year I have been managing the development of a new mixed-use commercial/residential building at 15 Park Street. This building will host 10 residential units as well as our new restaurant and market. Part of that process has been designing my personal apartment. Overall, this has been a very challenging but rewarding project. Old buildings like this one have so much character, but certainly come with their challenges as well. Would it have been faster and cheaper to knock it down and start from scratch? Definitely, but in my opinion, these old buildings are one of the things that give our town so much charm. Hopefully these renovations will bring new life to this part of the city, so it can be enjoyed by generations to come!
Some Glens Falls Favorites
My favorite thing about Glens Falls has been watching this city grow. There was a point in my youth when I thought I would never want to come back to Glens Falls. I wanted something more exciting. Now, many of those amenities are right here at home - great restaurants, the arts, etc. We are also incredibly lucky to live just outside the Adirondacks. It can really feel like the best of both worlds.
A Perfect Glens Falls Day
My ideal day starts on Saturday night, right after getting out of work. If I’m lucky, it’s early enough for my wife and I to grab dinner at any one of the great restaurants that we have in town these days. A rising tide lifts all boats, as they say. We try to support as many of our fellow restaurateurs and restaurant workers as we can.
We follow this up with live jazz and a nightcap at the Bourbon Room. Regardless of who is playing, it is always a treat to see such talent coming out of this city. The cocktails don’t hurt either!
The next morning I cook brunch, or maybe we pop in to Kerrie’s Northway Dinner. You’ve gotta love that old-school hometown charm. The staff there really are the best too. Either way, a cortado from Kru Coffee and a walk up to Crandall Park is always a great way to digest all of that French toast. A lazy Sunday afternoon brings us right back to supper, and time to start over again.
On the Past
My favorite Glens Falls memories take me back to the dinner table, with friends and family at Bistro Tallulah. I don’t think there are many in the local food and beverage industry that don’t know that name. For me, Sean Whalen’s restaurant was a revelation. It redefined what I thought Glens Falls was capable of, and went miles in paving the way for the current generation of restaurateurs in the city.
I also have more than a few hazy memories from the old $2 Thursdays at the Bullpen. Everyone was home from college…there was cheap beer…and shots of peppermint schnapps…and dartboards… What could possibly go wrong? That’s a story for another day.
On the Future
We need people — young professionals, families, retirees, you name it! Glens Falls spent too many years as a city that many like me were anxious to leave. My friends and I turned 18 and couldn’t wait to get out. It has taken years to lift that stigma, but the tide is turning. Every day I meet new people who have chosen to make Glens Falls home, or like me, have returned after years away. We don’t need a magic wand. Let’s just keep working together to make Glens Falls a better place to live and work.
