Albany Map

I like maps. I was cleaning out my file folder today and came across my folder full of maps. I opened up the Albany map, got distracted, and felt that you should all know what the streets in downtown Albany look like.

787

This is a shot of 787 as is goes under the Empire State Plaza. The large white building is the Times Union Arena in the foreground and the Key Bank building in the background. If you ever look at a map of Albany you will see that 787 seems to stop abruptly under the Empire State Plaza. In reality the road just makes a curve and then loops you back away from the Plaza.

Summer At The Plaza Concert

Tonight featured Robert Randolph &The Family Band with special guests, Arrested Development and Danielia Cotton at the Summer at the Plaza Concert Series. This is a shot of Danielia Cotton from New York City. I first saw her in Camden, NJ at the WXPN All About The Music Festival. Overall the shows tonight were solid and had a large turnout.

Albany City Hall

Albany was a chartered city settled around 1624. The charter was granted by Governor Dongan on July 22nd 1686. The state's legislature has been held in Albany since 1797. There have been 4 buildings for the Albany City Hall, with the current building erected in 1883 and sitting on this site. This picture shows the Carillon of 60 bells as a gift from the citizens of Albany.

To learn more about Albany go here.

New York State Capitol

Capitol or Capital?

If you are from 'The City' (aka: NYC) and have never been to see your state Capitol, this is what it looks like. Seeing as how New York state seems to divide itself into two regions (NYC and Upstate New York) I recognize the fact that many folks from 'The City' would despise of making a trip to Albany. (That's right I just call you whippersnappers from NYC 'folks'). So why don't you venture north of I-84 and rent a car in Poughkeepsie. Drive the Taconic Parkway up the eastern side of the Hudson River one Sunday afternoon and make a visit to your state capitol. Let's all show some state pride.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday America!

Books!

If Elvis were still alive, I bet he sure would like this place. There is a great bookstore in downtown Albany that is very low key. The sign to the store only states "Books". No flashing lights or spiffied up exterior trying to lure you inside. From the looks of it, it seems to be a great place to find old books. Unfortunately it was closed when I went past. Maybe someday...

Passion Back to Albany

Spitzer sure brought the passion back. No further explanation needed.

The Future of Downtown Albany?

Hearing all this talk about the Albany Convention Center and the proposed redevelopment of downtown Albany got me thinking...what will all this look like? While I was downtown today I ran across the Albany Convention Center Authority and found these plans for the Convention Center, residential development, and the mixed use commercial opportunities. What is striking about these plans are the potential parking sites. I only see one potential parking site on this plan. Is that the best we can do? Every large city and college campus has parking problems. Why not put more parking...and make it free!

On another note, Rensselaer is putting a whole new face on their downtown with the new Rensselaer Waterfront Development. More photos of the Rensselaer development in future posts.

A Crude Awakening

Without getting into a lengthy debate about why the price of oil is so high and continuing to increase, let me say that when I fill up my vehicle it's the worst day of the month. The cheapest gas that I personally can remember was $0.99 back in the mid 90's. (I'm not that old if you can't tell from that previous statement) So to commemorate this fine rainy weekend, I have decided to conserve my gas use by taking an inside approach. I will be adding to the list of independent films I've seen by watching 'A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash' this weekend. It's accolades include winner of the Zurich Filmprize and official selection at over 40 film festivals worldwide including the SXSW Film Festival (Go Austin!). Enjoy your week, stay dry, and conserve gas.

SUNY System Administration

This is the System Administration building for the State University of New York (SUNY). It is a beautiful building with wonderful architecture. Don't know much more than that.