Some Albany pics

[kz1000ps]

took these back in late March on a gorgeous Saturday morning - the light couldn't have been better.

Courthouse opened last year, fashioned in the "Chicago School" style

Albany is rather unique in that its downtown core is remarkably devoid of parking lots, yet the entire southern end is one huge sea of them. My focus for this last set was to document the wasteland as it currently exists before any major changes happen, e.g. the proposed Convention Center starts getting built here.

Aerial, showing the core (middle and top) and the parking lot southern section

late '50s-vintage bus station

the current '70s-vintage bus station

and to continue with this auto-centric theme, here is Albany's skyline as seen from the highway

THE END

 

[Patrick]

cool.

 

[PerfectHandle]

While some of the buildings there are beautiful, Albany looks like a tired city. It's pretty much devoid of people on the street too.

 

[Patrick]

I think most places are like that.

 

[Waldorf]

Egads! Albany is a strange place. It looks more 'Massachusetts' than New York, minus the Empire State Plaza.

It does look like a tired city.

 

[Ron Newman]

so what's the story with that large expanse of parking lots? Demolition for an urban renewal project that wasn't ever built?

 

[Patrick]

so what's the story with that large expanse of parking lots? Demolition for an urban renewal project that wasn't ever built?

In some places, the parking lots are the renewal.

here's a link for a brief ur history

http://www.albany.edu/heritage/Monumental Visions.pdf

 

[kz1000ps]

..Albany looks like a tired city. It's pretty much devoid of people on the street too.

First, about the lack of people: like I said, these were taken on a Saturday morning - between 8:30 and 10:30 am to be exact - so don't be misled into thinking downtown is always like that. A solid nightlife scene has come about in the last five years that keeps people on the street past the typical 5 PM exodus, but obviously downtown is still a ways away from being a true 24-hour neighborhood.

And about it looking tired.. yeah, that's more or less spot on. Compared to other upstate NY cities (Utica, Binghamton, Buffalo, ect.) it's in absolutely phenomenal shape, but on the other hand it's not exactly experiencing explosive growth, nor is it competing particularly well in any areas. So yeah, you could say it looks tired. But hey, at least we're not Buffalo!

 

[bosdevelopment]

It's like a Hybrid of Downtown Lawrence (without the mills) and NYC

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

<---

Maaaaaaaaan.... Albany. That brings me back. Did you get to check out the Empire State Plaza up close? I know many people hate it but I love that place.

There are actually some beautiful neighborhoods in Albany. But then there are the tired, working class areas. I'm more concerned with the hideous new office buildings built there. Quite the juxtaposition.

The last time I was in Albany I had the fortune of taking a bus back to Boston. That bus station is frightening at night. Literally in a sea of parking lots.

And of course, to quote They Might Be Giants:

"The Egg, exciting and old, the Egg
You'll do what you're told, the Egg
The Egg, no corners for you.

The Egg, permission to land, the Egg
Where should I stand? The Egg
The Egg, no corners for you.

Poured concrete flowing into organic shapes
Carpet, wood trim, and some velvet drapes
Combine to make one perfect place.

From the outside I am thinking
I'm a number, not a man.
From the outside I am thinking
What were they thinking?!

The Egg, when will it hatch, the Egg
Please leave off the latch, the Egg
The Egg, no corners for you
The Egg, no corners for you!"

Edit: I knew I recognized this building:

James Howard Kuntsler flipped his shit over it...along with a million other buildings. But I remember this in particular.

 

[kz1000ps]

^ Van, on this photo venture I didn't make it up the hill to the Empire State Plaza/Capitol area, but I've done those before. Once I have some time I'll dig up the imageshack links and repost there here. And eventually I'll host them on good ol' Flickr.

so what's the story with that large expanse of parking lots? Demolition for an urban renewal project that wasn't ever built?

That's a good question, and as far as I know it was all cleared out when they were building the highway connector to the ESP, with the intention that development would eventually come along..

Here was the street grid in 1950

and today. Everything within the red outline was, you guessed it, cleared out in the mid 60s

 

[kz1000ps]

The Empire State Plaza, taken back in November..

The Egg

 

[Cojapo]

Albany could be so much better. Beautiful old brownstones, great old architecture. The Empire State Plaza is ugly. 1960's concrete. The view from the top is great, but the city is old, with lots of vacant structures. Troy to the north is the same and Schenectady is just ugly.