Jump to content

Albany, New York

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Inanthropomorphism (talk | contribs) at 01:32, 28 January 2006 (→Transportation). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:US City infobox

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.
Capitol viewed from the east.
Albany's four agency buildings in the Empire State Plaza as seen from State Street.
Albany skyline at sunset
File:AlbanyEgg.jpg
A glimpse of "The Egg"—the egg-shaped performing arts center at the Empire State Plaza—as seen from State Street.
Hudson River View


Albany is the capital of the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 95,658. It is the county seat of Albany County.

The City of Albany lies 145 miles (233 km) north of and slightly east of New York City, and slightly to the south of the juncture of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers.

History

Albany was one of the earlier permanent settlements in the thirteen original American colonies and is the second oldest chartered city in the United States. 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 company constructed Fort Nassau, its first fur trading post near present-day Albany. 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 Scottish King. The name is ultimately derived from Alba, the Gaelic name for Scotland.

Albany received a charter as a city in 1686.

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.

In 1797, the state capital of New York was moved from Kingston to Albany, about 50 miles north.

The City'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.

Geography

Albany is located at 42°39'35" North, 73°46'53" West (42.659829, -73.781339)Template:GR.

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 is water. The total area is 2.15% water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 95,658 people, 40,709 households, and 18,400 families residing in the city. The population density is 4,474.6/mi² (1,727.5/km².) There are 45,288 housing units at an average density of 2,118.4/mi² (817.9/km².) The racial makeup of the city is 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 are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 40,709 households out of which 22.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.3% are married couples living together, 16.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 54.8% are non-families. 41.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.11 and the average family size is 2.95.

In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $30,041, and the median income for a family is $39,932. Males have a median income of $31,535 versus $27,112 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,281. 21.7% of the population and 16.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 28.8% of those under the age of 18 and 12.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Education

See also the list of high schools.

Additional facts about Albany

  • Gerald (Jerry) D. Jennings is the 74th and current Mayor of Albany. He is currently serving in his fourth term of office, having been first elected in 1993.
  • 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".
  • In the southern part of Albany's downtown lies the Empire State Plaza, conceived by Governor Nelson Rockefeller and now named in his honor. The Erastus Corning Tower stands 589 feet (180 meters) high, the tallest building in New York State outside New York City. Four other smaller towers, the Legislative Office Building, 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 Empire State Plaza is based loosely on the National Congress complex in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia.
  • The University at Albany campus, sandwiched between Washington and Western Avenues in the western part of town and co-flagship of the SUNY system, is the second largest poured concrete structure in the world next to the Pentagon
  • The original native settlement at Albany/Fort Orange was called Penpotawotnot.
  • Several US Navy ships have been named USS Albany.
  • William Alexander, a general in the Revolutionary War, died there in 1783.
  • Noted industrialist and founder of the New York Central Railroad, Erastus Corning, 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.
  • Chester A. Arthur, 21st U.S. president, is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, north of the city.
  • 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.

Transportation

  • Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) provides bus service throughout Albany and surrounding areas (including Schenectady and Troy and provides management for the local airport and rail station (see below).
  • Albany International Airport, located in Colonie, serves Albany and the greater Capital Region with air service across the US and to one Canadian destination.
  • Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak station (located right across the river in Rensselaer) was Amtrak's fourteenth busiest station as of 2004 and serves as a connection point for many Amtrak trains.
  • Greyhound, Trailways, and Peter Pan/Bonanza buses are all served by a downtown terminal which is not far from most state office buildings and is convinent to most CDTA lines.

Culture

"Some cities, like wrapped boxes under Christmas trees, conceal unexpected gifts, secret delights. Some cities will always remain wrapped boxes, containers of riddles never to be solved, nor even to be seen by vacationing visitors." So wrote author Truman Capote to describe the cloistered allure of his native New Orleans, as well as other cities that possess such mysterious charm.

For a group of local artists, the Capital Region similarly cloaks an artistic world that, while active and fruitful, may not be well known outside its inner core. Under the moniker of the Hidden City, a group of area musicians, writers and visual artists formed a collective to bring to light some of the unexpected riches of the local arts scene.

Lark street area has many hole-in-the-wall shops like the daily grind, the lark street bookshop and the spectrum 8 film theatre.

Sports

Minor league teams

Defunct teams

NCAA Division I Schools

  • University at Albany: All sports (football is Division IAA)
  • Siena College: All sports (football discontinued as of 2003)
  • Nearby Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy and Union College in Schenectady are both Division I for mens and womens ice hockey

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Albany,_New_York&oldid=37025497"