We chatted with Melanie Weber this week! You might recognize her as co-owner of the adorable new kids store downtown - (g)row. She shares her recipe for a perfect Glens Falls day, the next business she’s dreaming up, and more…
Tell us about yourself!
Hi, I'm Melanie! I live in Glens Falls with my husband Christian, 16 month old son Oliver, and our dog Cooper.
I have two jobs right here in Glens Falls, I am the Co-Owner of (g)row- the new kids store on Exchange Street and I also work with the team at Fronhofer Design, an engineering firm that specializes in designing and manufacturing craft beverage equipment. Although these roles are very different, I feel fortunate to be in two awesome industries right here in our little city.
When I'm not working I am usually out adventuring with Christian and Oliver. We love hiking, spending time on the lake, walking through the neighborhoods, or grabbing a bite to eat downtown.
On Life In and Around Glens Falls
I grew up in Salem, so not far from Glens Falls. After living in Washington DC, Brooklyn, and Boston over the course of 10 years, I eventually made my way back upstate and settled in Glens Falls. It really had everything I was looking for; close to family, big city conveniences with small town charm, and walkability.
I don't know many other places where you can walk 10 minutes in one direction and be at the shops, restaurants and bars, and then walk 10 minutes in the other direction and be in the woods on lit cross country ski trails. Glens Falls really does have it all!
I have now lived here for 4 years and I can't imagine leaving anytime soon. I have fallen in love with this community and all that it has to offer.
My husband and I own a Colonial home right near Crandall Park that was built in 1900. Although it still has a ton of original charm, the previous owners did an incredible job renovating it. Before we moved into this house we practically gutted our old home on Crandall Street ourselves with the help of family and friends, so moving into a home without a lot of projects has been a treat.
We love our neighborhood and definitely take advantage of how close we are to Crandall Park. We are always headed there for a walk, the playground, the splash pad, or a round of disc golf.
Some Glens Falls Favorites
I know I keep bringing this up but truly, my favorite thing about Glens Falls is the walkability. I love that we can walk to the park, multiple trail systems, restaurants, bars, and even the grocery store. I love not having to get in my car and I have met so many people by just being out walking.
As for hidden gems, The Hyde Collection and the Children's World Awareness Museum top the list for me. Both are places that I need to visit more often and think they get overlooked when it comes to what our city has to offer.
A Perfect Glens Falls Day
This is a tough one and totally depends on the day of the week, so here is my ideal Sunday. It would start with taking our dog, Cooper, for a walk to Crandall Park and of course we’d have to stop at the swings and ducks for Oliver. We would then grab a coffee and breakfast sandwich at KRU and walk along the Feeder Canal towpath.
After that we would head to story time at (g)row, and then on a perfect Sunday my entire family would take a nap at the same time (I can dream, right?!).
For the evening we would get a babysitter and head somewhere serving Common Roots for a beer and dinner.
The ideal night would, of course, end with ice cream at one of our awesome soft ice cream spots!
On the Past
When I was little we went to see Sesame Street Live at the then Civic Center. To me it felt like we were in the big city! We are so fortunate to have a venue like the Cool Insuring Arena in our downtown, and I would love to see more shows and concerts filling that space.
On the Future
Dreaming up new businesses is one of my favorite activities! If I had to choose just one thing I think we could really benefit from, it would be a general store downtown; a place that sells basic hardware store supplies, a refrigerator stocked with local meat, cheese and produce, and maybe even fresh flowers. Something that you can walk to downtown to meet all of your basic needs. If anyone reading this is feeling inspired to run with it, come find me — I have already been brainstorming names!
