We caught up with Molly Mattison this past week! She shares what brought her back to Glens Falls after growing up here (she bought a house a few doors down from the house she grew up in!), lots of Glens Falls nostalgia (including Boston Candy Kitchen and Barber’s Market), a bit about her little library, and more…
Tell us about yourself!
I’m Molly Mattison, a Glens Falls native. I live in Glens Falls with my 5 and 6-year-old boys, Rocco and Rex, and my husband Dale.
I work remotely as Chief Operating Officer for the International TEFL Academy. We certify more than 6,000 people a year to teach English abroad and online, and help them find jobs. Our alumni are in more than 80 countries worldwide - it’s a really amazing way to get paid to see the world!
I’m also the steward for my beloved GF Little Library. Come borrow a new read!
On Life In and Around Glens Falls
I grew up in Glens Falls on Lincoln Avenue. When I graduated, I went to college in Virginia, studied abroad in Italy, then spent several years living and working in Boston and Chicago. My husband is from Lake George, and we couldn’t imagine a better place to raise our family than Glens Falls. After 12 years away, we returned and bought our house — also on Lincoln Avenue, three doors down from my parents and the house I grew up in. Truly full-circle.
Our home was built in 1911. One of our neighbors grew up in our home as a child in the 1950s. She shared how they had a boarder who worked for the Post Star as a photographer and used a small room in our basement as his dark room. There also used to be sleeping porches on the back of our home. My most vivid memory of this house from growing up was the impeccably manicured lawn - a reputation known far and wide, and one we’ve definitely fallen far short of - ha!
On Community
Without a doubt, what I love most about Glens Falls are the people - they are salt of the earth, and truly a community. When our family has faced tough times, our neighbors have been there to shovel, to bring a meal, or just to check in. Likewise, we try to give back to our community and the boys’ schools as much as possible. It’s truly a village I’m so appreciative of. I also love holidays here - like the hundreds of trick-or-treaters on Halloween or enjoying breakfast on the porch with friends and family before the Memorial Day parade.
A Perfect Glens Falls Day
My perfect Glens Falls day would start with a walk downtown, and breakfast and a coffee at Kru. I’d then swing by Crandall Public Library with the boys, before getting fresh flowers from River ‘Rangements at the Farmer’s Market and/or from Oopsy Daisy Flower Farm and delivering a bouquet to my mom.
If our day isn’t dominated by birthday parties or sports, we love to check out the local event calendars or take a daytrip. For dinner, we would head back downtown. A newer favorite for us is Rocco’s on Glen. Great vibes, great food, and my son Rocco calls it “his place” and loves to greet the owner. We might top off our night with a trip to Rude Betty, a favorite with us and the kids.
On the Past
I had a pretty idyllic childhood in Glens Falls - my friends lived on the block, our bikes gave us the ultimate freedom, and we just had to make sure we were home by dark. I loved it as a kid, and I love it even more watching my kids as they’re just now taking off on their bikes - and their friends, too, live on our block.
Growing up, my Dad and I were both early risers and we would sneak out of the house early on weekends and go have breakfast together at the Boston Candy Kitchen (Downtown City Tavern now lives there). They made ribbon candy on site, and had a little chocolate and candy storefront at the front of the diner. Since I came back to town, my dad and I kept our morning time together, taking an hour-long walk to kick off the day.
We also loved Bill’s Ideal Diner and we go to Massie’s for every family birthday - a tradition that’s persisted in our family for more than 70 years. One thing I miss is Barber’s Market - it was a small neighborhood market on Shippey, and I would love to see something like that come back.
On the Future
It’s been amazing to see the transformation downtown over the past few decades - I’m excited to see the ways South Street and the downtown area can continue to grow, hopefully with more locally-owned, small businesses. Overall, I just love Glens Falls for what it is and hope it will keep its essence as it continues to evolve (though I wouldn’t say no to a Trader Joe’s!)
