Hattie’s & Cafe Lena

A Brief History: Located at 47 Phila Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.Hattie’s which is known for its fine Southern and Louisiana cuisine first opened it’s doors in 1938. It was opened by Hattie Grey and while it has a long history of being a 24 hour restaurant serving the night life of Saratoga, it was moved to its current location in the late 1960’s as a part of an urban renewal project. Hattie was known for helping her community giving jobs to people who had nowhere else to go. Now owned by Jasper Alexander, he strives to keep the Hattie’s tradition live on. Caffe Lena opened its doors in 1960 just above Hattie’s and is now a national music landmark, recognized by both the Library of Congress and the Grammy Foundation. It is America’s Longest Continuously Operating Coffeehouse. The owner Lena Spencer had fallen down the Caffe’s stairs and died in 1989.

Haunted History: It is said that both Hattie’s and Caffe Lena are haunted by their founders. Tales of Hattie and her practice of Voodoo, construction workers claimed to have found animal skeleton strung together during a remodel of the establishment. After Hattie passed away paranormal activity began to pick up, workers think she has a magical hold over the location. At Caffe Lena there are sightings of orbs and unusual mists caught on cameras. Witnesses have claimed to see the spirit of Lena standing at the bottom of the stairs.