11/2/2013 1 Comment Gathering at the RiverThere aren't too many places near me that have access to the Hudson River, and that 's probably a good thing. I would imagine safety issues are a big concern, as are property rights and liability issues. But it is great to be able to stand on the shore of the mighty Hudson River and toss a rock in, or take pictures. Down the road a bit from us, near Bella Napoli Bakery, there is an access road to the shore, probably used by a lot of people who have small boats. Local people come to fish, walk their dogs and take some time with their kids. It's low key, and kind of unpretentiously nice in a rural kind of way. There's no fancy park, no nothing really, just the remains of an asphalt road, a rocky shoreline, and the river.
It doesn't take much to fascinate me, and I love the river rocks in Troy. They are all round, or lumps with rounded edges. You can just imagine the millions of years it took them to get that way, ground under the glaciers for millenia and then rolled and tumbled around in water for centuries. It reminds me that this part of the Hudson may be a new discovery for me, but she's an old river, and perhaps there have been people standing on this shore for a thousand years. The surrounding land has all gone back to scrub, and is littered with century old bricks, tile, and the remains of industry. I looked it up, and there was a mattress spring factory near here. It's gone almost without a trace, just the remains of a loading dock or some kind of wall. Most of the empty land here, and there is quite a bit of it, has been used as a dump by road crews for a long time. The streets of Troy are dumped here by the river, in mounds of asphalt and concrete. They rise up above the burdocks and marsh grasses, and are perches for feral cats and river birds. This would make a fine park for the people of North Central. It would even bring people up from Downtown. There are acres of land here doing nothing.
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10/19/2013 3 Comments History at your fingertipsLast week my friend and landlady Debii and I met with Troy's City Engineer Russ Reeves and his assistant, Barb. The city is tearing down the long-abandoned building next door, and Russ wanted to go over the plans with us so we'd know what was happening.
The building, which is structurally unsound, needs to be shored up before being demolished, as it is only four feet from our house at the closest point. It is also partially sharing a party wall with the building on the other side, so great care needs to be taken in order to make sure that when the contractors take it down, it doesn't fall down on us, or take the other building with it. We really appreciate Russ' concern, and we greatly appreciate being informed. Let me tell you, that would not happen in New York City. There will certainly be more posts on the teardown as it happens. Meanwhile.... Russ and Barb were still in a meeting when we got there, so he asked us to wait in another office. Deb and I both noticed that there were large atlas-sized books on tables and shelves, and we asked if those were for Troy. Russ took down one for us and we spend a very short fifteen or twenty minutes looking at the books. We were in atlas heaven! 10/15/2013 0 Comments "Sellin' of Troy" AftershocksMy article about Troy was published last week, and the aftershocks are still being felt. The story in the NY Daily News was the talk of the town for a week. It was re-blogged by the Albany Times-Union, and called a "Love Letter to Troy." That was nice.
I was mentioning to friends about what a big deal the article had become, and Duncan Crary, who has made all things and all people in Troy his business, told me that there have only been four positive comprehensive articles about Troy in the last few years. That's why it's a big deal. Only four? Sheesh. Well, we'll change that, I hope. There is a lot going on here, and not just Downtown. That topic - the revitalization of Troy's neighborhoods, not just Downtown, was the subject of an article in the Times Union by Chris Churchill. He contacted me in the course of researching his article (Thank you Daily News!) and we had a great conversation. Bottom line - a revitalized city has to include the outlying neighborhoods, not just a vibrant central core. It's going to be hard, but I hope our communities will be able to rally, city and other money will be allocated wisely, and the new renaissance that Downtown in having spreads outward, especially into North Central, South Troy and Lansingburgh. All of Troy wants and deserves good and affordable housing, safe streets, good schools, jobs and economic opportunities. I'd especially love to see the many shuttered storefronts in our neighborhoods bustling with viable and long lasting neighborhood small businesses. Anyway, here is Chris Churchill's fine article. http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Advocate-Without-neighborhoods-center-won-t-hold-4891281.php Writing for Brownstoner.com for the last four years has resulted in a lot of fans in unexpected places. One of them is Matt Chaban, the new editor of the Real Estate section of the NY Daily News. He contacted me, and asked me to write a piece about somewhere Upstate for their special Fall Preview real estate section. He suggested Hudson, but admitted that it may have been played out. I know very little about Hudson, so I suggested Troy. He thought it was a great idea, and we ran with it.
Thanks to a lot of invaluable help from new friends like Duncan Crary, who put me in touch with all of the people quoted or spoken of in the article, the article was written, edited and re-edited, and then photographed. The News loved my work, and published our Troy story. I never expected it to be such a large story, and I certainly never expected the excitement it generated here in Troy and the Capital District. More on that later. Here it is: (much easier to read on line, although the print version looks much better) http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/urban-renovations-uncover-riches-troy-article-1.1472989#commentpostform Part Two of my story on Kate Mullany, as seen on Brownstoner.com: http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/10/walkabout-kate-mullany-a-troy-story-part-2/
Here's Part One of an article I wrote recently for Brownstoner.com on Troy's own Kate Mullany.
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/09/walkabout-kate-mullany-a-troy-story-part-1/ The city of Troy was one of the wealthiest cities in the entire United States by the end of the 19th century. It was blessed by a number of favorable factors, including location and natural resources. Located near the meeting of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, Troy was a major nexus of the Erie Canal. Goods came from the Midwest and Canada along the Mohawk, which basically was the Canal by that point, and then crossed to the Hudson, and down to New York City, much of it ending up in Brooklyn’s Red Hook warehouse facilities. Produce and meat also came west from Vermont and the New England states. .. I wrote another Troy Story for Brownstoner.com. This one is about George Post, the architect of the Troy Savings Bank and Music Hall. Please read about this talented architect and his wonderful buildings. The Music Hall was one of his earlier buildings, and he gave us a beauty.
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/07/walkabout-mr-posts-perfect-pitch-a-troy-story/ 7/17/2013 1 Comment Troy Pig Out, July 13 and 14, 2013It was as hot as a skillet on a coal fire here in Troy, the weekend of the 6th Annual Troy Pig Out, and anyone who attended in the middle of the afternoon either day, knows what bacon feels like. But the barbeques were cooking, the bacon was sizzling, the cool drinks and ice cream were selling out like crazy, and it was a lot of fun. Food, drink, music, nice people and the Hudson River. Who could ask for more? Last year, we were up here in Troy the weekend of the Pig Out, but we didn't know about it. We were in the process of moving DJ's stuff up here, and it was hot that weekend, too. When we were crossing the Green Island Bridge out of town, we saw the tents and the signs, and said, "Next year!" Well, this was next year, and we are all settled into our apartments, we've got a garden, and we went to the Pig Out. There were a lot of people there, but compared to a NYC crowd, this was nothing. Thank goodness. One of the things about New York City I really hated was the crowds. People there are so used to standing in line for the simplest things that when they see a line, they stand on it, just in case. Troy gets enough crowds to make events like this fun, but not so many people you can't stand it. Love it! We had some great food, saw things with bacon on them that you wouldn't believe (cotton candy??) and had fun. Next year, we're bringing a crowd. Many of our city friends want to come. Pig out! Well, it's been a long time since I posted. So much for being consistent. Must make more effort to do this!
I've started to bring Troy to Brooklyn by posting about our very cool architecture and history. I'm only going to do it once in a while, as I was hired to write about Brooklyn, but my first topic was a fun one - the history and architecture of one of Troy's most iconic buildings: "The Fortress." Originally built as the United Waste Manufacturing Company, in 1902, this huge castle-like warehouse in South Troy can be seen for miles, especially from across the river, on I-787. What is it? I wanted to know, and here's what I found out: http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/06/walkabout-troys-fortress-of-shoddy-part-1/ http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/06/walkabout-troys-fortress-of-shoddy-part-2/ (Photo by bilfazjr on flickr) 3/28/2013 1 Comment Welcoming Troy I’ve lived in Troy for about six months, and am still getting to know the town. Like most former New York City people, I did not own a car before moving up here, and it took me about three months to get one. Before having a car, my friend Debii and I took a city bus to get downtown. Troy’s buses are a part of the Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA) system, which operates buses in Albany, Troy and Schenectady, both in those cities, and between them.
New York City’s subways and buses just went up to $2.50 a ride. The CDTA is $1.50. Yay! Their buses are more comfortable, and best of all, the coin machines take dollar bills! Yay x 2! They’ve got a transit card system too, but I’ve only used cash, since I don’t ride the bus every day or often enough to get a card. If you are new to a city, one of the best ways to get the long view is to hop on a city bus and take it to the end of the line and back. If you are directionally challenged, you won’t have to worry about never making it back home, the bus, like a faithful steed, knows the way home. We rode all over in the buses, so much so, that when I finally had the car, I already knew my way around many parts of Troy. It’s not that big, anyway, it’s just long. |
AuthorMy name is Suzanne Spellen. I've been many things: a writer, historian, preservationist, musician, traveler, designer, sewer, teacher, and tour guide; a long time Brooklynite and now, a proud resident of Troy, NY. Archives
February 2019
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