Albany, NY

[Recchia]

Has anyone got information as to what may be happening with the DeWitt Clinton Hotel? It seems as though it is not being maintained well...

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:D4M9M...el+Albany&hl=en

Wow that place has residents? When I walked by it I thought it was an old vacant rathole. I can't beleive people live in it... I have no idea what's goin on with it though.

[tombarnes]

If restored properly, it would be a great asset to Albany. It's a very solid and handsome building. I hope it won't be casually destroyed.

[rhuck]

Are those highways closed, or is Albany one of the few cities that actually doesn't experience traffic delays?

[Recchia]

Are those highways closed, or is Albany one of the few cities that actually doesn't experience traffic delays?

That highway in the pic is a connector highway from I-787 directly into Empire State Plaza. I took these pics just after lunch on a friday, that's why there's no traffic on it. Traffic does get backed up sometimes, especially on the northway (I-87 north of Albany) and anywhere there's tolls, but it's nowhere near as bad as other similar-sized cities.

[habitat67]

More Albany pics, this time from the observatory on top of the 42 story Corning Tower:

I didn't know there was an observation deck up there -- is it free? What is the interior like at the top -- is it modern minimalism or is it a Disnified observation deck?

It would be great if Albany could turn into a thriving little city like Providence -- I was really impress with Providence when i recently went there -- I could see similar developments and districts in Albany.

[Recchia]

Yep, theres an observation deck up there, with those crappy binocular things. It's free, you just have to show them your license at the desk on the ground floor, and then take the scary elevator that feels like its just gonna drop up to the top. The inside up there kinda sucks, it only gives you a view to the north, east and south, and almost all the views are interrupted by the cement pillars that jut out from the side of the building (as you can see from some of my photos). Pretty much there's nothing on the inside up there, two bathrooms, a lady at a desk and a bunch of blank walls.

I too hope Albany could turn out to be somewhat like Providence. It already has a stable employment base (being the capital of such a large and powerful state, although its role is not encompassing of the entire state) and a pretty vibrant downtown during the day at least. Empire State Plaza, although it did mow down an entire neighborhood and is kinda weird to me, is nonetheless packed during the day and a great place for events. The rest of downtown, down State St. and onto South Pearl, is also packed during the day and even a little bit at night.

One of the problems I can see with Albany is its colleges and universities are too far removed from the actual city. SUNY, where I go, is way uptown and isolated as a sort of suburban office park, as are the Harriman state offices. Although SUNY does have a downtown campus, hardly anyone goes there and the people that live downtown just commute uptown everyday. That and the mall is also on the fringes, as malls are, and steals all the retail away as is expected. Providence benefits tremendously from having its colleges right in the city (JWU, Brown, even PC and the URI downtown campus) and a major urban mall right in its downtown.

I think Albany can also capitalize on its riverfront like Providence has, and I can see this is already being done through its riverfront park and the concerts held there (alive at five). The nice new pedestrian bridge over 787 is key to this, since 787 has pretty much cut the city off from its waterfront.

So given time, I think Albany could definitely turn itself around. Right now I've noticed it is striving to become a national nanotech research center, and has built a huge complex of research facilities for nanotechnology, atmospheric sciences, etc., right next to the SUNY campus. Of course the major problem with this is, its wayy uptown, and far removed from the city itself. If they had built this facility (called CESTM) right downtown, it would have been a huge asset for the city.

Here is an aerial so people can see what I'm talking about:

As you can see, its blatant suburbanism about 4 to five miles west of downtown.

[habitat67]

Yep, theres an observation deck up there, with those crappy binocular things. It's free, you just have to show them your license at the desk on the ground floor, and then take the scary elevator that feels like its just gonna drop up to the top. The inside up there kinda sucks, it only gives you a view to the north, east and south, and almost all the views are interrupted by the cement pillars that jut out from the side of the building (as you can see from some of my photos). Pretty much there's nothing on the inside up there, two bathrooms, a lady at a desk and a bunch of blank walls.

I too hope Albany could turn out to be somewhat like Providence. It already has a stable employment base (being the capital of such a large and powerful state, although its role is not encompassing of the entire state) and a pretty vibrant downtown during the day at least. Empire State Plaza, although it did mow down an entire neighborhood and is kinda weird to me, is nonetheless packed during the day and a great place for events. The rest of downtown, down State St. and onto South Pearl, is also packed during the day and even a little bit at night.

One of the problems I can see with Albany is its colleges and universities are too far removed from the actual city. SUNY, where I go, is way uptown and isolated as a sort of suburban office park, as are the Harriman state offices. Although SUNY does have a downtown campus, hardly anyone goes there and the people that live downtown just commute uptown everyday. That and the mall is also on the fringes, as malls are, and steals all the retail away as is expected. Providence benefits tremendously from having its colleges right in the city (JWU, Brown, even PC and the URI downtown campus) and a major urban mall right in its downtown.

I think Albany can also capitalize on its riverfront like Providence has, and I can see this is already being done through its riverfront park and the concerts held there (alive at five). The nice new pedestrian bridge over 787 is key to this, since 787 has pretty much cut the city off from its waterfront.

So given time, I think Albany could definitely turn itself around. Right now I've noticed it is striving to become a national nanotech research center, and has built a huge complex of research facilities for nanotechnology, atmospheric sciences, etc., right next to the SUNY campus. Of course the major problem with this is, its wayy uptown, and far removed from the city itself. If they had built this facility (called CESTM) right downtown, it would have been a huge asset for the city.

Here is an aerial so people can see what I'm talking about:

As you can see, its blatant suburbanism about 4 to five miles west of downtown.

Thanks so much for all the info!!

Even thought he observation deck does not sound like the most exciting place in the world I think I'd love it -- it's cool that it is even there and still getting funding to remain open!

From what I remember, Albany is not a very cosmopolitan city -- arts and culture are not as readily available as in Providence. Would you agree?

[Recchia]

Thanks so much for all the info!!

Even thought he observation deck does not sound like the most exciting place in the world I think I'd love it -- it's cool that it is even there and still getting funding to remain open!

From what I remember, Albany is not a very cosmopolitan city -- arts and culture are not as readily available as in Providence. Would you agree?

Absolutely. What Albany really lacks is the "quirky" ethnic/cultural neighborhoods that are abundant in Providence. Providence has Thayer Street for the so-called "hippy" artsy type, Atwells Ave for Italian culture and restaurants, Broad St. for Spanish goods and bilingual services and of course downtown for the arts, especially the performing arts. While Albany has Lark St. as its sort of artsy street, it is nowhere near as much of a destination as Thayer or Atwells is in Providence. And the Egg is a great performing arts center, but its reputation in the performing arts scene is nowhere near as much as PPAC, Trinity Rep or the VMA in Providence. And as far as restaurants go, I don't know, Providence has tons and tons of excellent unique restaurants, whereas Albany has ??

Albany does have Providence beat as far as a sports venue goes, however. The Pepsi Arena is miles ahead of Providence's Civic Center (oh wait it's the Dunkin Donuts Center now...); it seats more, has ground level retail, is newer, etc. This may change however, since the Dunkin Donuts Center is now up for a major rehab.

My recommendations for Albany:

1) Move the main SUNY campus to the downtown campus. Level the uptown campus and redo it as a traditional urban neighborhood. Currently around the downtown SUNY campus there is tremendous potential for redevelopment. A lot of students currently live around it anyway (its known as the student ghetto), and there are a number of vacant housing units available that could either be torn down to build new educational buildings for the school or for student housing, etc.

2) Level the Harriman state office campus and turn it to into a traditional urban neighborhood. Put in BRT down Washington Avenue to supplement this, and maybe turn part of the campus into a nice uptown park.

3)Stop building CESTM way uptown, and instead build it in medium sized skyscrapers downtown, preferably along 787 or decking over 787.

4)Implement the proposed BRT along Central Avenue from Albany to Schenectady, this would be a major boost for a rundown corridor. Concentrate some redevelopment along this corridor and make it into an ethnic neighborhood, not a hooker-pawn shop-nail salon street.

5) Continue to capitalize on the Hudson River. Right now there is the rivefront Park as well as a bike path. Have more events down there and build more connections to the river from the downtown area over 787. Also level the elevated highway from 787 into Empire State Plaza. It's a horrible eyesore and reminds me more and more how ESP is one big slab of concrete urban renewal.

6) Move the train station from Rensellaer into downtown Albany. Why in god's name they put it over the river in Rensellaer is a mystery to me, it makes absolutely no sense. You HAVE to drive to it, so it is useless to those without cars. Make it a focal point downtown, maybe near the Pepsi Arena, where it would be highly accessible by the bus system.

Now of course, none of what I've said is practical really (except maybe 1 and 4), but it doesn't hurt to dream...

[vanshnookenraggen]

words

These are great ideas. It's a shame there is no vision for this area.

I was at the bus station in Albany going back to Boston and I must say it was frighteningly surreal. It is in a sea of parking lots under the 787 interchange and the ESP off in the distance. Great place for a movie but horrible for a downtown.

[Recchia]

These are great ideas. It's a shame there is no vision for this area.

I was at the bus station in Albany going back to Boston and I must say it was frighteningly surreal. It is in a sea of parking lots under the 787 interchange and the ESP off in the distance. Great place for a movie but horrible for a downtown.

Funny you should say this, because just last weekend I had to pick up one of my friends at the bus station downtown, and when I saw it I was shocked at its atrociousness. It is exactly how you describe it, a massive sea of cracked asphault all underneath an elevated highway interchange (787 and the ESP connector highway). It's isolated, dark and scary, exactly what a bus terminal shouldn't be. I wish they would move the train station over to this site and throw in some ground floor retail on Hudson St. to bring some activity to the area. It's weird right now cause it's right behind a huge area of activity (State St.) yet it is so dead feeling.

Now I know someone is thinking "you can't have the train station here cause the main line is on the other side of the river." Well I don't care, move them. Train stations should be at the center of the city, not over a highway and a wide river from it.

[vanshnookenraggen]

You don't have to move anything. The main line crosses the river just north of the city center at a junction under 787 which makes it PERFECT for a train station. Also the land around it is parking lots and an abandoned warehouse.

The green area is where the station would be built, the blue lines are the tracks. The yellow arrow represents how the station would connect dowtown with this section of the city and the park along the river. This is really a perfect location, not only located near the dowtown but also great highway access, and the great redevelopment opportunities.

Edit: Sorry for hugeness

[Recchia]

wow, thanks for the map. I knew there was a rail line on Albany's side of the river but I assumed the entire length of it was just a freight line. I always thought the trains going west crossed the river up farther from Rensellaer (I've only taken Amtrak from Albany going south).

Now why in the hell didn't they do this in the first place, instead of building it across the river? It'd be the perfect intermodal center. You could have Amtrak, Greyhound and Bonanza buses, and even connect the propsed BRT on Central Ave down to one convenient spot in the center of the city.

[vanshnookenraggen]

Now why in the hell didn't they do this in the first place...

For the same reasons Albany isn't Provedence.

[Recchia]

I took a walk around the South End last Friday, and I have to say I was very unimpressed with all the buildings. I think tomorrow I'm going to get some pictures of Arbor Hill and the Washington Park area brownstones. Next week I wanna get Schenectady too, definitely some amazing underated neighborhoods around there, including the downtown and the Stockade.

[Recchia]

Okay, finally took some pictures of some Albany neighborhoods. Some of them suck cause of the lighting, others came out pretty good. These are all around Washington Park:

The park itself:

Pedestrian walkway to the riverfront park:

[Frankie811]

Recchia, do you have any photo's of Troy? How's the nightlife in downtown Albany? I usually hang out on Central Ave.

[Recchia]

Recchia, do you have any photo's of Troy? How's the nightlife in downtown Albany? I usually hang out on Central Ave.

None of Troy, I'm workin on gettin some of Schenectady. Nightlife is decent for one main reason: the bars don't close til 3 or 4am. Downtown on South Pearl Street there are some nice clubs and bars (Jillians, Mad River, Skyline) , and they actually aren't swarming with underage kids like the college bars in and around Quail Street are. Getting a ride back can be a real beotch though, since the bus stops running at midnight and the cabbies are, well, just stupid.

Never really been to bars on Central Ave except Pauly's and Sneaky Petes, both primarily underage bars swarming with hookers in the making.

[Recchia]

The condo craze is finally hitting Albany. Just heard on the news that condos are being planned for 733 Broadway in an old office building and around the corner at Quackenbush Square. More details once I can actually find any...

[Recchia]

Here we go on one of the developments. Queri Development, of Syracuse is planning an 11 story tower next to the Quackenbush House on Broadway. It'll have apartments, offices, shops and underground parking. Construction will start in the spring and be completed 2008.

Times Union Article

[vanshnookenraggen]

With housing prices just ridonkulous in the city I know of a few people that are going upstate. This might be the thing that could rejuvinate the area.

[Recchia]

With housing prices just ridonkulous in the city I know of a few people that are going upstate. This might be the thing that could rejuvinate the area.

Definitely. I think they said the max price of these condos would be $400k, which is expensive for Albany but very cheap compared to downstate. Albany remains extremely affordable.

I walked by both these sites yesterday, talk about the perfect location. 733 Broadway is right on the river and will get rid of an old delapitated eyesore of a building. Both locations have signifcant infill potential and are adjacent to downtown. I hope they happen.

[Recchia]

I was thinking the other day really how great the CDTA is in Albany. I'd like to say its one of the best transit authorities in a small city in the northeast. Nice clean buses, late night service til 2:30am on some routes, free ride for college students, excellent connections to the government buildings and the mall on the outskirts. It really is a model for other small cities.

CDTA.org

[tombarnes]

Any news on the DeWitt Clinton or the Wellington?

[Recchia]

Any news on the DeWitt Clinton or the Wellington?

Hmm no clue, I moved from Albany back to RI in January. I'll be visiting in two weeks though and I'll try and get some info and maybe some pics.

[chuck!]

Don't forget about the "Convention Center" They're planning to build. It seems the politicians are determined to build it. It will be located on a 30 acre area including the bus station.

The reason the train station is located in Renssalaer is I think partly due to the Great Strike of 1877. The station was moved there to avoid disruption in Albany.