We caught up with Ryan Simpson this week! He shares some great ideas for the perfect Glens Falls region day (including a trip to a zoo and a local hike!), his pick for dinner downtown, and more…
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Ryan Simpson. I’m the COO of Slip Stoppers Epoxy. I’m married to Tori Torrisi and we have two lovely cats, Edward and Piper. I am a huge golfer. I’m not the best cook, but I’m a fantastic eater.
On Life In and Around Glens Falls
I actually grew up in Clifton Park and then we moved to Boston for a few years. Both of our families live in the area. When we came back a few years ago and went cherry picking at Hick’s Orchard, we just happened to go through Glens Falls to grab lunch (and watch Tiger win the Masters!!) and immediately fell in love. About a year later we found our dream house. We have been here for 4 years now and live on Coolidge Ave right by the park. You can catch us out running or playing tennis or over the winter skating and cross country skiing.
We own a Victorian, and we are just finishing a large kitchen renovation which is super exciting. We never plan to move so we really have tried to honor the history of the house and area with our renovations. Everything is super walkable here and our neighbors are amazing. We meet new people literally every day that we love.
Some Glens Falls Favorites
My favorite thing in Glens Falls is the atmosphere! It sounds a bit cliché but everyone seems to know and like each other and the culture is so supportive and laid back. It’s sort of like being on vacation, but all the time!
There are so many hidden gems here. In the downtown area we love Farmacy. The food is always amazing but the people are even better. If you go just a little outside the city, it’s worth going to the Dancing Ewe Farm for a really fun experience.
A Perfect Glens Falls Day
Obviously the perfect days are in the fall so we are right there!
One perfect day is going over to the Jungle Experience Zoo in Granville. It seems like nobody knows about that one, but it is awesome. You can go hang out with kangaroos and camels and feed otters and monkeys. You cannot have a bad day when you get to cuddle with a wallaby. And then grab a milkshake and a burger at Jen’s Pit Stop.
Another perfect day would be going on a quick hike somewhere local - maybe Sleeping Beauty - and then getting a bite at the cafe right there. We’d spend the middle of the day walking around and enjoying the sights with friends and then finishing the day with dinner outside at Farmacy with AJ and crew. I am a mocktail person and they make amazing drinks there too.
On The Past
I think my favorite memory is when we first moved in. It was during the winter and freezing! We had no furniture or anything yet but we really wanted to have friends over and check out downtown. We ended up going to a few places and ending our night playing pool at Downtown Social and then coming back to sleep on our outdoor furniture inside the house!
On the Future
I am sure hoping for changes on South Street! There is so much opportunity to expand there and continue making the city beautiful. It would be awesome to have a nice bookstore right downtown too. Somebody should definitely open up a rooftop bar as well. How do we not have one with our awesome views?!
