Albany is the capital of the State of New York and
the county seat of Albany County. Albany
lies 136 miles (219 km) north of New York City, and slightly to the south of the juncture
of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers.[1] The city has a population of 93,963 (July 2006 est.).[2]
Albany has close ties with the nearby cities of Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs, forming a
region called the Capital District. This area makes up the bulk of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) with a population of 850,957, making it the
fourth largest urban area in New York State, and the 56th largest MSA in the United States.[3]
The Albany-Schenectady-Amsterdam, NY CSA, consists of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA, the Glens Falls MSA, and the Amsterdam MSA. Using this definition, the area has
a population (as of 2006) of 1,147,850, making it the third largest metropolitan area in New York State, and aside from
New York City CSA, the only area that has shown any population growth. [citation needed] The Albany-Schenectady-Amsterdam, NY CSA is also the 36th largest in the nation.[4]
Albany is built on the site of the Dutch Fort Orange and its surrounding community of
Beverwyck. The English acquired the site from the Dutch in 1664 and renamed it Albany, in
honor of James II, Duke of Albany. A 1686
document issued by Thomas Dongan granted Albany its official
charter.
Today, the city is a center of government and education.
History
Albany is the fourth oldest city (behind Santa Fe, St. Augustine, and Jamestown) and the second oldest
state capital (behind Sante Fe) in the United States. The original native settlement in the area was called Penpotawotnot. Its colonial history began when Englishman Henry
Hudson, exploring for the Dutch East India Company on the
Halve Maen (or Half Moon), reached the area in 1609. In 1614, the Dutch company
constructed Fort Nassau, its first fur trading post near
present-day Albany and left Jacob Eelkens in charge. Commencement of the fur trade
provoked hostility from the French colony in Canada and amongst the native tribes, who vied to
control the trade. In 1624, Fort Orange was established in the area. Both forts were named
in honor of the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau. Nearby areas were incorporated as
the village of Beverwyck in 1652.
When the land was taken by the English in 1664, the name was changed to Albany, in honor of
the Duke of York and Albany, who later became King James II of England and James VII
of Scotland. Duke of Albany was a Scottish title given since 1398, generally to a younger son of the King of Scots. The name is ultimately derived from Alba, the Gaelic name for Scotland. Albany was formally chartered as a municipality by Governor Thomas Dongan on July 22, 1686. The "Dongan Charter"[5] was virtually
identical in content to the charter awarded to New York City three months earlier.
Pieter Schuyler was appointed first mayor of Albany the day the charter was signed.
New York State Capitol Building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million was
the most expensive government building of its time. Three teams of architects labored on it.
In 1754, representatives of seven British North American colonies met in the Albany
Congress. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania presented the Albany Plan of Union, the first formal
proposal to unite the colonies. Although it was never adopted by Parliament, it was an important precursor to the
U.S. Constitution. Albany native Philip
Livingston was one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence. William Alexander, a general in the
Revolutionary War, died in Albany in 1783. Several US Navy ships have since been named USS Albany in honor of
the City's historical and military importance.
In 1777, the state capital of New York was moved from Kingston to Albany, about 50
miles north. The State Capitol building was constructed between 1867 and 1899 and
inspired by the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) in Paris, France. Notable architectural
features include its "Million Dollar Staircase."
Albany's location on the Hudson River made it a center of transportation from the
outset. In 1807, Robert Fulton initiated a steamboat
line from New York City to Albany. On October 26,
1825 the Erie Canal was completed, forming a continuous water
route from the Great Lakes to New York City. The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad between Albany and Schenectady, New York opened on September 24,
1831 and subsequently became part of the New York
Central Railroad. Erastus Corning, a noted industrialist and founder of the
New York Central, called Albany home and served as its mayor from 1834 to
1837. His great-grandson, Erastus Corning II, served as mayor of Albany from 1942
until 1983, the longest single mayoral term of any major city in the United States.
Between 1965 and 1978, the Empire State Plaza was constructed in Albany's Midtown,
west of Downtown and south of the Capitol building. It was, and remains, controversial, in large part because it required the
demolition of several historical neighborhoods and the forced removal of Black and Latino inhabitants. The Plaza was conceived by
Governor Nelson Rockefeller and is now named in his honor. The Erastus Corning Tower stands 589 feet (180 meters) high and is the tallest building in New York
State outside New York City. Four other smaller towers, the Legislative Office Building, the Cultural Education Center (which houses the State
Library and Museum), the Justice Building, and the impressive performing
arts center known as "The Egg" make up the rest of the Empire State Plaza. The design
of the Empire State Plaza is based loosely on the National Congress complex in the Brazilian
capital of Brasilia.
A number of north-south streets in Albany are named after birds (for instance, lark,
dove, hawk, eagle,
partridge, swan, etc.) At one point the east-west streets were
named for animals, for instance- Lion (Washington Ave.), Fox (Sheridan Ave,), Deer (State Street west of Eagle), Wolf (Madison
Ave.); the only ones to keep their animal names are Elk Street in the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood and Beaver Street
downtown.
Modern day Albany consists of many neighborhoods with different characteristics.
-
Chester A. Arthur, 21st U.S. president, is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, north of the
city.
Geography
Geography
Albany is located at 42°39′35″N, 73°46′53″W (42.659829,
-73.781339).1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 21.8 mi² (56.6 km²). 21.4 mi² (55.5 km²) of it
is land and 0.5 mi² (1.2 km²) of it (2.15%) is water. The Pine Bush, located on the far edge
of the city with Guilderland and Colonie is the only sizable inland pine barrens and
sand dunes in the United States and home to many endangered
species including the Karner Blue butterfly. Four lakes exist within city limits, including
Buckingham Lake, Rensselaer Lake,
Tivoli Lake, and Washington Park Lake.
Climate
Albany has a humid continental climate, with cold, snowy winters, and hot,
wet summers. Snowfall is significant, with annually about 63 inches, but much less than the lake-effect areas to the north and
west. Albany is far enough from Lake Ontario to avoid significant lake-effect snows, but
does receive some. Albany is close enough to the coast to receive heavy snow from Nor'Easters, and the city gets the bulk of its
yearly snowfall from these types of storms. Winters are often very cold, with temperatures occasionally dropping below 0 °F (-18
°C). Summers in Albany can contain stretches of excessive heat and humidity, with temperatures above 90 F and dew points near 70.
Severe thunderstorms are common, as the city is located in a conducive area for severe
weather near the Mohawk Valley. Tornadoes are rare but not unheard of.
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Rec High °F (°C) |
65 (18.3) |
68 (20) |
89 (31.7) |
92 (33.3) |
94 (34.4) |
99 (37.2) |
100 (37.8) |
99 (37.2) |
100 (37.8 |
89 (31.7) |
82 (27.8) |
71 (21.7) |
| Norm High °F (°C) |
31.1 (-.5) |
34.3 (1.3) |
44.5 (6.9) |
57.3 (14.1) |
69.8 (21) |
77.5 (25.3) |
82.2 (27.9) |
79.7 (26.5) |
71.3 (21.8) |
59.7 (15.4) |
47.5 (8.6) |
36 (2.2) |
| Norm Low °F (°C) |
13.3 (-10.4) |
15.7 (-9.1) |
25.4 (-3.7) |
35.9 (2.2) |
46.5 (8.1) |
55 (12.8) |
60 (15.6) |
58.3 (14.6) |
49.9 (9.7) |
38.8 (3.8) |
30.8 (-0.7) |
20.1 (-6.6) |
| Rec Low °F (°C) |
-28 (-33.3) |
-21 (-29.4) |
-21 (-29.4) |
10 (-12.2) |
26 (-3.3) |
36 (2.2) |
40 (4.4) |
34 (1.1) |
24 (-4.4) |
16 (-8.9) |
5 (-15) |
-22 (-30) |
| Precip inch (mm) |
2.71 (68.8) |
2.27 (57.7) |
3.17 (80.5) |
3.25 (82.6) |
3.67 (93.2) |
3.74 (95.0) |
3.5 (88.9) |
3.68 (93.5) |
3.31 (84.1) |
3.23 (82.0) |
3.31 (84.1) |
2.76 (70.1) |
| Source: USTravelWeather.com [3] |
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 95,658 people, 40,709 households, and 18,400 families
residing in the city. The population density was 4,474.6/mi² (1,727.5/km².) There
were 45,288 housing units at an average density of 2,118.4/mi² (817.9/km².) The racial makeup of the city was 63.12%
White, 28.14% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 3.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 2.98% from two or more races. 5.59% of the population
were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 40,709 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.8% were
non-families. 41.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.95. The median home value in Albany, NY, is
$217,100. Home appreciation is 12.70% over the last year. The median age of Albany, NY, real estate is 63 years.[6]
In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 19.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from
45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,375,[7] and the median income for a family was $39,932. Males had a median income of $31,535 versus $27,112
for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,340. About 16.0% of families
and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those
under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Culture
Nightlife and entertainment
Albany's geographic situation as a "Crossroads City" (roughly equidistant between New
York, Montreal, Buffalo and
Boston) also makes it a convenient stop for nationally touring artists and acts. The
Palace Theatre and The Egg provide
mid-sized forums for music, theater and spoken word performances. The Times Union
Center, previously the Knickerbocker Arena ("The Knick") and the Pepsi Arena, serves as the city's largest musical venue
for nationally and internationally prominent bands, as well as trade shows, sporting events and other large-scale community
gatherings. The New York State Museum is a major cultural draw in Albany, focusing
on fine arts, natural history, and New York's economic, political and social histories.
In recent years, the city's government has invested marketing and financial resources to cultivate venues and neighborhoods
that can attract after-hours business, as well as public art installations. Pearl Street, Broadway and Lark Street now serve as the most commercially active entertainment areas in the City. Lark Street is most
closely identified with the City's contemporary cultural identity, and is often noted as being "Albany's Greenwich Village". Technically the westernmost border of the Center Square neighborhood and located
one block east of Washington Park, Lark Street is home of many independent shops, coffee houses, restaurants, art galleries,
antique shops, bars, and a tattoo parlor. Although the Southeastern most strip was rebuilt in 2002-2003 to place new roadways,
trees, and sidewalks in front of the new shops in the active portion of Lark Street, some local residents have protested the
neglect of the northwestern side of the street (crossing west of Central Avenue), which runs down into the less-affluent Arbor
Hill neighborhood.
Summer concert series are sponsored by the City and local businesses at the Corning Preserve, Riverfront Park, Washington
Park, Tricentennial Square and the Empire State Plaza. Metroland, the alternative newsweekly of the Capital Region, generally provides a focal point for
previewing, reviewing and interviewing local artists and performers, as well as traveling events that pass through Albany.
Last call is at 4:00 AM in Albany, unlike the earlier 2:00 AM in most areas of the nation.[citation needed] This is often attributed to the
historically high density of industrial facilities and the demand of second and third shift patrons. New York law allows bars to
be open until 4:00 AM (However, local municipalities can override it to an earlier time.) This law was designed to accommodate
the thriving late nightlife of New York City, but Albany has adopted it as well.
Festivals
- The Tulip Festival, or the Tulip Fest as it is locally known, is set in Albany’s
Washington Park. This traditional Albany event marks the beginning of spring as thousands of tulips bloom in the Park in early
May. Tulip Fest is a celebration of Albany’s rich Dutch heritage, and draws both local and regional attendance.[8]
- Lark Fest is an annual community festival that includes painters, photographers, jewelers, sculptors, ceramicists, glass
artists and live shows on several stages. The event has an average attendance of 55,000 people, with peak attendance of 80,000 in
2006.[8]
- Alive at Five is a concert series held downtown on Thursdays throughout the summer. The concert series features local,
regional and national artists and hosts different genres of music each week.
- The African American Family Day Arts Festival takes place in early August and provides musical acts, cultural cuisine, and
family entertainment.
- Latin Fest offers Latin music, food and crafts every year in Washington Park.
- The Albany Jazz Festival is held at the end of summer every year in the Albany Riverfront, Park Amphitheater.
Artistic community
Albany possesses an active artistic community and culture that is often regenerated by students at the region's colleges and
universities, the region's many nonprofit cultural organizations, and by former residents of regional megalopolii such as
Boston and New York relocating to take advantage of Albany's affordable, historic housing and
commercial spaces. The Albany Symphony Orchestra, Capital Repertory Theatre
[4], Albany Institute of History & Art and Palace Theatre provide outlets for locally composed, created and curated works, as well as
traveling exhibitions and shows. There are several small, private art galleries and antiquarian book shops in Albany, mainly
clustered around Lark Street between Washington Avenue and Madison Avenue. Also on Lark
Street there is the annual Art on Lark, an outdoor sidewalk gallery featuring artists exhibiting and demonstrating their original
work. This annual Sidewalk Art Show and Sale celebrates local artists and musicians.[8] Albany also has one independent film theater (the Spectrum 8), one
chain theater (The Madison)[5], as well
as performing and fine arts venues associated with the University at Albany and College of St. Rose.
Albany is home to a large and important collection of modern art. The Empire State Plaza Art Collection, which belongs to the
public of New York State, includes works by Alexander Calder, Robert Motherwell and Jackson Pollock. Much of the collection
features the work of artists who practiced in New York in the 1960s and 1970s, who were known as the New York School. Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern
Art in New York City, has called the collection "the most important State collection of modern art in the
country."[9]
Albany is sometimes referred as "Smallbany," with varying degrees of affection or derision.[10] Local media have reported on the "Smallbany mentality" and its effects, both
positive and negative, on the local arts and music communities.[11] The Smallbany concept may be reinforced by common derisive references to Albany as a provincial
backwater in sitcom or film scripts. (See Albany in Popular Culture).
Civil Rights Movement
The Brothers group was organized by Leon Van Dyke, a civil rights activist who tended to the needs of Black communities.
Publishing "The Liberator," a local newspaper from 1967-1972, The Brothers were active before and during the Black Panther
Party's Albany chapter. Both groups shared offices on the same street. The Black Panther Party opened a chapter on 170 North
Diamond, November 10, 1969. The Party emphasized a free children's breakfast program, lead poisoning testing, as well as free
clinics, clothing and food drives for all poor communities. The Black Panther Party was active in Albany from 1969 through 1971
and influenced city officials to adopt all of its survival programs after noting its success within the community.[12]
Notable residents
- Philip Livingston was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence.
- Peter Gansevoort was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American
Revolutionary War who withstood St. Ledger's siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777.
- Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States
Senator from New York
- Philip Henry Sheridan was a career U.S. Army officer and a Union general in the
American Civil War.
- Bret Harte was an American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of
pioneering life in California.
- Joseph Henry was a scientist who pioneered several theories of electromagnetism. The SI unit of inductance, the henry, is named after him.
- Erastus Corning II served as mayor of Albany from 1942 until 1983, the longest
single mayoral term of any major city in the United States.
- Andrew Rooney is an American radio and television writer. He became most famous as a
humorist and commentator with his weekly broadcast "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney", a part of the CBS news program 60 Minutes since 1979.
- William Kennedy is a Pulitzer
Prize-winning author whose works feature much of the city's history and its Irish
American culture.
- William Devane is an American film and television actor.
- Stephen Hannock is a top American landscape painter, with work in Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY, the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, CA, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA and the National Museum of American Art in Washington, DC.
- Gregory Maguire is an American author whose novels include Wicked.
- Leon Van Dyke was a Black Albany civil rights activist who organized "The Brothers" group in 1966 to combat the cities racist
policies towards Blacks. The Brothers published a newspaper, The Liberator from 1967-1972. [13]
- Florence Auer was a pioneering early American film actress.
Government and politics
-
From Albany's formal organization in 1686 until 1779, mayors of Albany were appointed by the royal governor of New York, per
the provisions of the original City Charter. From 1779 until 1839, mayors were chosen by the New York State's Council of Appointment, typically for a one year term that began in September. After 1840,
Albany's mayors were directly elected by the city's residents. Albany has had 74 mayors since its inception. Gerald D. Jennings is the current Democratic
mayor; he was first elected in 1993 and is currently serving in his fourth term of office. He is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition[14], a bi-partisan group with a stated goal
of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
No Republican has been elected since 1921. 60.68% of the people in Albany are registered as Democrats. 37.28% are registered
Republican. Remaining are independent: 2.04%.[15]
Albany has been dominated by the Democratic Party since the 1920s,
although the local branch was more moderate than the national party, being made up of mainly working-class Catholic families.
Daniel P. O'Connell established a political
machine in the city with the election of William Stormont Hackett in 1922. O'Connell's operation survived well into the
1980s, as the machine put forth candidates which the electorate dutifully voted for. Mayor Gerald D. Jennings' shocking upset in
the 1993 Democratic mayoral primary over Harold Joyce, who had the Democratic Party’s formal endorsement and had only recently
been its chairman, is often cited as the end of the O'Connell machine era in Albany. More recently, David Soares' 2004 election as District Attorney has similarly been seen as a breaking of the mold, as
Soares was not the favored candidate of the local Democratic Party. Although its founding base Catholics have shifted toward the
Republican Party in recent decades, Albany continues to be dominated by
the Democratic party.
Architecture
- The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza (commonly known as simply
the Empire State Plaza or The South Mall) is a large complex of several state-owned buildings downtown, including
The Egg, Corning Tower, and
Cultural Education Center (home of the New York State Museum).
- Albany City Hall is the city's seat of government. It houses the office of the
mayor, the Common Council chamber, and the City and Traffic Courts. Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson in his trademark
Richardson Romanesque style, the granite building was constructed between 1880
and 1883. Albany City Hall is known for its pyramidal-roofed clock tower, which contains the nation's first municipal carillon.
The largest of the instrument's 60 bells weighs 11,200 pounds, and the carillon is still played regularly.
- The New York State Capitol is the capitol building of the state of New York.
Housing the New York Legislature, it is located in on State Street in Capitol Park.
The building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million (roughly half a billion current dollars), was the most expensive
government building of its time. It is a National Historic Landmark. The
Capitol was constructed between 1867 and 1899 and inspired by the Hôtel de Ville (City
Hall) in Paris, France. It is one of only ten capitol buildings in the United
States that does not have a dome.
- The Alfred E. Smith Building, officially known as the Alfred E. Smith State
Office Building and sometimes called simply the Smith Building, is a structure located in downtown Albany across the street from
the New York State Capitol and One Commerce
Plaza. The building's namesake, Alfred Emmanuel Smith, was a four-term governor of New York State and the Democratic
Party's nomination for the 1928 Presidential Election. The Art Deco skyscraper has 34 stories
and at 388 feet (118 meters) is Albany's second tallest structure (after the Erastus
Corning Tower). Completed in 1928, it houses offices of the New York State government.
The building underwent an extensive renovation that began in 2002. This modernization, which cost at least $103 million, is now
finished. Perhaps one of the most notable features of this building is the carving of all of the state's counties' names
scrolling around the entire building.
- The Home Savings Bank Building and One Commerce Plaza are among downtown Albany's other high-rises.
- The Quackenbush House is Albany's oldest standing building (circa 1736), when built it actually sat just outside the city
limits (which was at Clinton Ave.). Schuyler Mansion is the popular, modern-day name
for a large brick edifice built just inside Albany's southern boundary line in 1761. Situated on a large and commanding stretch
of land, this Albany landmark was the home of General Philip John Schuyler. Other
historic mansions include the Ten Broeck in Arbor Hill and the Cherry Hill on South Pearl Street.
- Originally an Army National Guard armory, the Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention
Arena is a mid-size venues for sports, entertainment and business. It is home of the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball
Association and United States Basketball League.
Recreational areas
Winter in Washington Park
- Washington Park is recognized as one of New York State's oldest city parks.[16] The Park was officially organized in 1809, but its current location has been used as a
recreational site for well over 300 years.[17] Washington
Park's current layout was designed in 1868 by Frederick Law Olmsted. It was opened
for the public use in 1871.[18] Frederick W. Brown's Lake
House was added in 1876.[16] Previously it had been a
cemetery and when the made it into a park they moved the graves to Albany Rural.
- Lincoln Park was organized in 1886. It was originally known as Delaware Square and later as Beaver Park. [19] Today, the park has a pool that is open to city residents during the
summer months.
- The Pine Bush is the only sizable inland pine barrens sand dunes in the United States, and
is recognized as a unique pine barrens ecosystem. It contains over 300 species of vertebrate animals, over 1,500 species of
plants, and over 10,000 species of insects and other invertebrate animals. Many of them are rare and restricted to the Pine Bush
habitat. The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is sung by the Indian brave from the Vale of Tawasentha located in
the Pine Bush. George Washington wrote of the Pine Bush in his diaries while traveling
in upstate New York during the Revolutionary War. In Moby Dick, Herman Melville describes the dark beauty of the Pine
Bush in a long account of a stage coach ride from Albany to Schenectady.
- Albany Riverfront Park at the Corning Preserve is home to an 800-seat amphitheatre
which hosts numerous events from Spring through Fall. In addition, a visitors center houses an explanation of the Hudson River’s
tides. The park also features a bike trail and boat launch.
- Buckingham Lake Park contains a pond with fountains, a footpath, a playground, and
picnic tables.
Education
The Albany City School District enrolls about 10,000 students. It
includes Albany High School, the city's public high school. The
district also includes the Abrookin Vo-Tech Center High School and Harriet Gibbons High School for 9th Graders.[20] The district also has 11 elementary schools and 3 middle
schools. Albany public schools spend $9,227 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about
13.7 students per teacher in Albany.[21] The city is also
home to six charter schools. [22], with three more planned in the coming years.
- Albany Free School – Founded in 1969 by Mary Leue, is the oldest inner-city
independent alternative school in the United States.
- The Harriet Tubman Free School – The high school program of the Free School of Albany was
founded in 1969. HTFS states that they are "built upon principles of autonomy, respect, and personal responsibility".
