This week we’re chatting with Melissa Seale! She tells us about the restoration of the Crandall Park house, pictured behind her, shares a bit about her work in pediatric psychiatry, as well as her go-to downtown events, and more…
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Melissa Seale. I own and operate a pediatric behavioral health practice, Well Child, on Broad Street. I work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, specializing in pediatric psychiatry. Prior to this, I worked in New Jersey as a hospital administrator in charge of a pediatric epilepsy center. When I moved to New York, I worked in emergency medicine at Glens Falls Hospital before starting my career as a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
My husband Michael and I have been married since 2014, and we bought our current home in Glens Falls in 2016. He is also a business owner in Glens Falls — he has owned Adirondack Car Wash for almost 30 years. We have three children, Dylan, Prysilla and Michael.
On Life In and Around Glens Falls
I grew up in Sparta, New Jersey and came to the Glens Falls area in 2008. My family would come to Lake George to vacation every summer, so it has always been my refuge and happy place. I did not know much about Glens Falls prior to moving to the Warren County area. When I started working at Glens Falls Hospital, I spent more time exploring Glens Falls and came to love this city and the people in it.
On Renovating a Glens Falls Landmark
I have always loved the beautiful Crandall Park Mansion, as many have called it. The architecture stood out among the other homes in the area. When I saw pictures of the interior, I knew that the home was special. Driving or walking by, I would always look at the exterior, imagining the rich history it held and saddened by its continued decay. The structure needed a lot of work, but something inside of me was telling me that this could be a beautiful home again. After speaking with my husband, and being realistic about the time, money and effort it would take for this home’s restoration, we decided to make the leap and take a chance on what we now know as Lang Rig. In doing research on the Crandall Park house, we found that the original owner, George Tait, named the home Lang Rig after his ancestral home in Scotland. The name stuck for us.
This home became part of a wonderful journey for us. We have been able to meet many people and help many charities through opening the home for fundraising events, but most of all, our family has become part of the Glens Falls community through this house. We feel blessed to be able to raise our family in such a rich, diverse city that offers so much.
We love being able to walk into Crandall Park, look at the beautiful homes in the surrounding neighborhood, have people that we know honk as we walk by, being able to walk into town to eat or for entertainment. We love it here!
Some Glens Falls Favorites
Glens Falls really lives up to its Hometown, USA vibe. You quickly will get to know many of the familiar faces in town, each with their own colorful stories. With a diverse population, full of many talented people, we have so much to offer in one city. I wish more people knew about our vibrant art community. We have many talented artists whose murals now adorn many of our buildings in Glens Falls. The Hyde Museum is a hidden gem, with our very own Rembrandt!
I love listening to music in Crandall Park or going to Spot on a Saturday to hear some jazz. Also, our restaurants are awesome! I love Radici and Farmacy. I am still waiting for the guys at Farmacy to open an ice cream shop — those that have been there know what I mean!
A Perfect Glens Falls Day
My day always starts at Kru Coffee! Love my morning latte and scone! My two shopping hot spots are Minky Mink and Laura’s Vintage. Spot and Juicin’ Jar are my favorites for lunch. For entertainment, you will usually find us attending one of the many activities around town! We love Take a Bite, the Food Truck Corral at the Shirt Factory and watching a good play at the Wood Theater! I also enjoy walking to the Farmer’s Market on a Saturday, seeing friendly faces and getting fresh, farm grown food!
On the Past
Glens Falls has such a rich history, so my comments about the past are not so much about me, but of the appreciation of where we live. I love to see the renovations of the beautiful homes in this area, I love to see us take pride in where we live by holding on to an appreciation of those that came before us. We are all fortunate to be a part of this vibrant city and community because of those that came before us.
On the Future
In the 13 years I have been in this area, I have seen so much change and am so optimistic about the future of Glens Falls. I hope to see more retail stores (with parking!) and more events to not only bring our community together, but to show visitors how much Glens Falls has to offer. I read someone else’s comment about getting a Trader Joe’s and I second that of course!
Thanks, Melissa!
P.S. See more of our My Glens Falls series by clicking here.
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