View PDF: WomenBusinessesRelease 4.9.19

April 9, 2019

For Immediate Release

WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES PROVIDE MOMENTUM FOR LARK STREET CORRIDOR

The Lark Street BID honors the contributions of over 30 women-owned or operated businesses in the Corridor.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Apr. 9, 19) — This Thursday, April 11 at 1 p.m., at the corner of Willett Street and Madison Ave., the Lark Street BID will host a ceremony celebrating the continued revitalization of its Madison Ave. block, which has seen five new businesses open or expand in the past year, the majority of which are women-owned. Small businesses owned or operated by women comprise over thirty of the businesses throughout the ten blocks of the Lark Street BID Corridor, providing vital contributions to recent growth.

Starting Tuesday, April 9, the BID will begin a five-week social media count-down to Mother’s Day, highlighting the women at the forefront of Lark Street’s business community.

“Women business owners have always played a key role in Lark Street’s growth and success as a destination. We are fortunate to have one of the most diverse business communities in the Capital Region, which is a major factor contributing to our Corridor’s strength and resilience. That’s why we’re taking some time to fully recognize the impact women business owners have had in terms of bolstering and growing our unique business and living environment,” said Shauna Collins, Executive Director of the Lark Street BID.

Marilyn Lupo of Kanters Deli has been in business at 196 Lark Street since 2014. She owns and operates the business which is now a neighborhood standby for breakfast and lunch.

“As business owners, we are only as strong as the community surrounding us, and Lark Street’s community is a beautifully diverse and supportive one. We all contribute to each other’s success by choosing to join together in our efforts to continually give back to our community in the spirit of being good neighbors and stewards,” said Lupo.

Last year, Lupo organized “Malcolm X Park Family Fun Day,” a community-based event providing hot lunches and family fun at Malcolm X Park on the corner of Lark Street and Clinton Ave., and donated food to the Albany PAL’s Fifth Annual Taste of the Holidays event. Lupo, along with Jennifer Miller of Lark Street Yoga and Emma Fullem of 3Fish Coffee is slated to speak at the ceremony on Thursday.

Fullem opened 3Fish Coffee at 466 Madison Ave. in January of 2017, after a fire damaged the building which was being used as a workshop for The Downtube Bicycle Works. After months of construction and renovation, 3Fish opened its doors to the public. The restoration efforts by the Fullem-Kaplan family earned a Preservation Merit Award by the Historic Albany Foundation, and now 3Fish is expanding to include beer, wine and cider service.

Miller came to Lark Street in 2017, when she and her husband purchased 351 Hudson Ave., which is home to her business Lark Street Yoga, Lark Hall, and the Lark Street Flower Market. Lark Hall is currently undergoing renovations and will become a live concert venue.

For more information about the Lark Street BID, its recent activities, and events, visit larkstreetbid.org. To contact board members, email bid@larkstreet.org or call (518) 248-9770.

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