B’ville: the New Skaneateles?

Location(s)

Have you been to Baldwinsville lately? This town has really come a long way, and I’d highly recommend taking the short drive west on 690 to experience the new B’ville.

The center of B’ville has shops, antique stores, and Mercer Park, which has a free boat launch into the Seneca River. You’ll know you’re in the center of town when you see the brilliant lights along the bridge crossing the Seneca. They seem to add more and more lights to this bridge every time I see it. But I must admit, it’s quite beautiful at night.

Lock 24 Restaurant, which opened in 2001, has a large outdoor patio, covered with an awning and equipped with heaters for those chilly summer nights. You can eat your sea scallops while watching boaters on the Seneca River travel through the locks.

Blue Water Grill has landed in B’ville on the opposite shore of the river. Its original location is, of course, in Skaneateles. They too boast a large outdoor seating area, complete with bar and an awning for inclement weather. Live music on the weekends is common, and Thursday nights are now karaoke night at the grill.

Another Skaneateles transplant is Johnny Angel's Heavenly Burgers, now with their second location at the site of the former Gould’s Pumps warehouse at 15 E. Genessee St. It’s a great place for a quick but delicious burger after a long day of boating. Frog Alley Toys right next door has classic toys you wouldn’t find at the mall.

Lake Effect is a town favorite sports bar. This is the kind of everyone-knows-your-name bar that everyone has in their hometown. Play darts, watch the game, or sit outside on the patio and enjoy the sights and sounds of B’ville. Their wings are award-winning.

For the last several years, the town has been revitalizing its waterfront and downtown area, and I must say it’s working. The anchor of the improvements is Paper Mill Island, where the town built an amphitheatre, the first of its kind on the NY State canal system. Summer weeknights boast a variety of concerts from local musicians. See this summer’s schedule at www.island-fest.com. Admission to the amphitheatre is very reasonable, but you can also hear the concerts for free from the patios of the Lock 24, Blue Water Grill, Lake Effect, Mercer Park or just from the bow of your boat, docked along the Seneca River. Many Saturday evenings we wind down a day of boating with a cooler of beer, take-out from Lock 24, and a concert from the Paper Mill Island.

The newest addition is Red Mill Inn, built out of a renovated historic 1828 gristmill, originally erected by Stephen Baldwin, for whom the town is named. The developers saved every piece of original wood they could, and the new 32-room inn and conference center is now open for business.

If you’ve ever been to Skaneateles, you know what a pleasure it is to walk through the town, stop for a bite to eat, or find a cute little shop. If you’re a boater, you know Skaneateles as a great boating lake, and the town as a great relief from a day of water-skiing or tubing. Well, now you can experience all those things in Baldwinsville. The Seneca River is idea for boating, fishing or water skiing. The town is a pleasure to walk through, and there are plenty of choices for a wonderful bite to eat. Give it a visit!

For more information:
Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce