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Albany, NY


Recchia

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I figured it was about time we got some Albany pictures on the site so I set out today with my camera to get a few.

CDTA bus #12, note the nice wide handicapped doors and no step up entrances:

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Along Washington Avenue:

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In and around Empire State Plaza:

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New York State Capitol from Empire State Plaza:

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The Corning Tower in Empire State Plaza, the tallest in NY outside of NYC:

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Thanks for the compliments. I'm becoming more and more impressed with Albany's buildings. Although Empire State Plaza sort of makes the skyline less dense looking (its buildings are really spread out), the plaza itself is really nice and other streets with dense highrises make up for it. Here's a good pic I found online showing the whole skyline:

http://www.nyla.org/content/user_4/NYLA_Albany_Skyline.jpg

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I'm at once facsinated and terrified by Empire State Plaza.

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You know, I have the same feeling. It's so damn nice looking that I have to be impressed with it, but at the same time it just doesn't seem right. The buildings are all spread out and "office parky" and they mowed down acres of homes to build it in the first place, all because Rockefeller wanted a state office campus better than the Harriman one (thus is why the Harriman campus never filled up completely and now is a mix of massive parking lots, empty buildings, and a 6 lane ring road with barely any traffic on it...) Plus, they built and elevated highway from I-787 directly into a set of parking garages underneath the plaza, so basically you can completely avoid the rest of the city and drive right into this island of fake city.

Nevertheless, it is full of people during the day at least and is pretty nice to look at, if you can get over all the concrete which Albany seems to have an obsession with (anyone ever been to the SUNY campus....?). I was very impressed with some of the other buildings farther downtown (the real downtown) along State Street and by the river. Some cool Dutch architecture and little nook and cranny streets that have a lot of character. And the riverfront park is awesome, as is the ped. bridge they built over the highway into it.

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It's a shame that Albany is such a second rate city even though it has so much history, such a great location, and such amazing architecture.

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Absolutely... It's a terrible shame. Albany is dripping with history, and you drive around its streets with the great architecture and dramatic vistas and think, "This place should rock." Unfortunately, it doesn't.

It's now been several years since I've been there, and like with many cities, I've heard it's getting better, but not at the rate of its fellow Northeastern cities on the coast, but maybe faster than Buffalo and Rochester. Again, not having been to that part of the state since, maybe, 2000 or so, it's hard for me to say...

The NY Times just did a recent article on how Albany gets almost none of the expected economic, political, or prestige benefits from being a capitol city since its a "virtual capitol." They reviewed how almost all the State elected officials (even those from upper and Western NY) are usually in their offices in NYC, as are many of the state political reporters! Even Pataki is usually in NYC or at his home in Garrison, NY (an area which I just recented posted pictures of here) in Putnam County.

- Garris

Providence, RI

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When I went to Albany I thought at first I would hate ESP (being that I normally hate traditional urban renewal and modernism like that) but I actually kind of liked it once I walked around. I think maybe because it is now viewed as historic architecture & planning from an optimismic space age time of thinking big.

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Thanks Recchia. In the third pic up from the bottom, I'm trying to remember, is that a convention center, or an arena there? If it's an arena, who plays there?

- Garris

Providence, RI

That's the Pepsi Arena. As far as I know, the only real team that plays there are the Albany River Rats (minor league hockey). They do have a lot of shows there though. It's a really nice arena, and it has ground level street fronting retail (hint hint Dunk...).

I wish I didn't have to take these pics through glass, you can see the damn reflection in almost all of them. Plus almost every pic shows the damn concrete that juts out of the building around each window...

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nice pics, but you're missing some of the most architectually interesting parts of the city: south end and arbor hill. Or any of the neighborhoods for that matter--there are some absolutely amazing homes in albany; even some brownstone neighborhoods that rival New York City's

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nice pics, but you're missing some of the most architectually interesting parts of the city: south end and arbor hill. Or any of the neighborhoods for that matter--there are some absolutely amazing homes in albany; even some brownstone neighborhoods that rival New York City's

Don't worry my friend, next week I'll be doing the south end, and the area between Lark St. and Washington Park (really, really amazing brownstones). Arbor Hill will come too, I walked through there the other day but my camera was full. Also I'm going to try and get some of the nice old houses off Western Ave and along Manning Blvd.

Any suggestions for good streets in the south end?

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for south end, there's the obvious streets: madison avenue, south pearl

try the streets parallel to the south of madison--very, very nice. When I say south of madison, I'm speaking of madison to the east of the plaza; to the west, its not quite as interesting off the main strip.

But definately try ten broek place of clinton avenue in arbor hill. You'll be suprised at how nice the neighborhood is. And if you want to get some nice larger homes, you absolutely have to get shots of the houses on manning between western and new scotland avenues. But even just go to random places anywhere in the city. Each neighborhood has something distinct to offer.

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What a visual treat! Garris, you must be the hardest working person on UrbanPlanet... you've taken me to places that I wouldn't normally be able to go.

Albany is truly a beautiful city. Another one of those Northern treasures.

Those are Recchia's! I haven't been to Albany for many years now... Maybe soon!

- Garris

Providence, RI

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for south end, there's the obvious streets: madison avenue, south pearl

try the streets parallel to the south of madison--very, very nice. When I say south of madison, I'm speaking of madison to the east of the plaza; to the west, its not quite as interesting off the main strip.

But definately try ten broek place of clinton avenue in arbor hill. You'll be suprised at how nice the neighborhood is. And if you want to get some nice larger homes, you absolutely have to get shots of the houses on manning between western and new scotland avenues. But even just go to random places anywhere in the city. Each neighborhood has something distinct to offer.

Thanks. I walked along Clinton Ave from South Pearl a few weeks ago, definitely some nice old brownstones, although a lot of them are in decay. I definitely have to check out Madison down the hill from the museum, all I've ever really seen as of now is west of it. I ran downt Manning yesterday, from Western to Washington, very impressed. It reminded me almost of a small town in New Hampshire or something, with huge old Victorians set way back from the street, etc., definitely very unique. I gotta get some shots...

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