Quick Tour of Albany, New York

[emmp117]

i live here and i am a 13 year old girl.. i love it and violence has gone way down. hahaha i dont know why you people assume stuff.

[eddiewlynch]

Nice. Drove right by my Dad's office. :D

[nwachamp]

Albanys hood

[richardonstage]

I am originally from Albany and I return every holiday season.

Like most cities in this country, the City of Albany proper has seen better days. The same is even more true for Schenectady and Troy. But the Albany - Schenectady - Troy metropolitan area is a great place to live. There are some truly beautiful suburbs. Location is amazing, Adirondacks to the north, Berkshires to the east , Catskills to the south and Finger Lakes to the west. You are within 3 hours of New York and Boston.

[RetroTony1959]

Are you guys still together?

[PKingman]

@RetroTony1959 Yes we are.

[blaspid]

ahh..sometimes i miss this place alot.

[MrExit15]

i couldve without teh dialogue

[carlos1231691]

iam surprised when you were driving up Clinton ave you didn't say Hun i think we are in the hood !

[PKingman]

@carlos1231691 As far as hoods are concerned any so called "hood" in Albany does not hold a candle to some hoods that I have seen.  Try the southside of Chicago sometime or parts of the Dorchester section of Boston. Parts of New York City, at least a few decades ago.

[carlos1231691]

@PKingman albany per capita is more danger's then nyc

[PKingman]

@carlos1231691 Suprising. Why do you think this is so?

[OlderG0ds]

@PKingman It's actually true I heard it on the news a while back that Albany has a higher crime ratio than the Bronx.

Doesn't mean 'more' crime, means more per person.

[schildno5]

@PKingman I don't know about that. I was born here, so I know how Albany really is. This was Albany in 2001. Even before then, it was very dangerous. I had to move off the street you drove up, Clinton Ave, because of gun violence. Clinton isn't so dangerous now, First St, Third Ave, or Judson is. Crime & shootings have gone way up because of NYC moving upstate. Day or night, some kids are known to carry guns & use 'em on people. It's dangerous all over this city, even in Pine Hills.

[PKingman]

@carlos1231691 I remember getting lost in Spanish Harlem in my little red Toyota Corolla about 40 years ago in the middle of the night. I felt very out of place and probably unwelcome. I thought Albany was a relatively nice place. Nobody shot at us anyway. Nobody tried to hijack us at a traffic light.

[sonyfreak4069]

Did any one catch the Jerry sign??

[sarziee]

I'm from Albany but have been living in Gemany for almost a year. This video cured my homesickness a little (you nearly drove by my house at one point). thank you!

[kcirded11]

thumbs up for the flatulence at 5:02.

[PKingman]

@kcirded11 Flatulence is always good, especially in elevators or buses or closed up cars. Just about anywhere where the emitter can remain anonymous. But one should not be flatulent and then put out that fact on YouTube where everybody in the world can know.

[DanielJapikse]

lol i live here

[BPerone201]

I move there in January. I love that city- It has some pretty run-down shabby areas, but the center square/downtown areas have a vibe I couldn't get over, such beautiful architecture and people. Thanks for posting.

[PKingman]

@BPerone201 I live in Boston. We were just passing thru. I was very impressed with the looks of the place. It was suprising to see so many negative comments from people who live there. I get the same thing with a video of Bangor, Maine. Lots of places will start looking up if the economy ever gets back on track.

[glamcam23]

@BPerone201 cool my great friend invited me to check out the area

[BeaukLynch]

Albany has seen better days.

[twiteerr]

loved i liked

[bjsh55]

what a shit hole

[xxWWExFANATICxx]

ur retarded the capotal building is the big one

[PKingman]

@xxWWExFANATICxx People who have not been lobotomized spell it "capital".

[xxWWExFANATICxx]

@PKingman dude that was a mistake because when i type fast that happens alot cuz my fingers are big

[PKingman]

@xxWWExFANATICxx I think they make some of these devices for people with little tiny pointed fingers.

[CommunistAfterparty]

I was in Albany a year ago, and I found it to be one of the greatest places I'd ever been. The people I met were some of the nicest I'd ever had the pleasure of meeting, and the city itself was a beautiful hybrid of small town and big city. I believe I was mainly on the downtown side near where the Victory Cafe' is, but I found it to be nice nonetheless.

[skizzery]

Albany is nice if u go to the right places, its not just albany that people dont reallize, albany-schenectady-troy is the 5th biggest metropolitian area in the country...says wiki

[hjgkvfchg]

shqip

[TheMeeshKeesh]

I'm from Albany, and back then it used to be SO much more than it is now. And the people there are really great! There are some places that aren't that bad, but it's still sad. They should take better care of it.

[known12]

I found the traffic lights really irrirating. they seemed to be set up so just as you clear one the next one which is rally close turns red

[sega31098]

Albany needs a commuter rail to bring back the population that's already shrinking like crazy.  For the love of a god, Albany is the capital of a major state and should be at least 100,000. Not to say that it sucks, but for a capital of a major state. No no to the <100,000 population here now.

[Indestructible229]

@sega31098 i 100% agree. Albany actually did have a population over 100,000 back in the 60s. i love albany

[stevostevie]

It's the capital because it's located closer to the center of NY, thus giving it access to the hudson river which also gives it access to the great lakes through the Erie canal.

Yeah, but I still think Manhattan should be the capital.

[tugster19]

Albany is certainly not the nicest city but its location is great. You have the adirondacks (adirondack state park is HUGE) up north along with the canadian border, saratoga and lake George close by, Boston 3 hours drive the east, NYC 3 hours to the south, The Green mountains (very beautiful) are very accessible, The catskills are directly south...Also uptown Euclid area is very nice and the museum is great and free! This city has so much potential. Id like to see it turn around.

[PKingman]

@tugster19 Nice to see somebody say something positive. Many cities and towns in this country have big problems. It's not just Albany. And lots of places have unrealized potential.

[SaLTLiFe4TL]

Dam i do not miss that place @ all moved from Clifton Park 15 minutes north of Albany to Orlando Florida and am so glad i moved, I hate the snow. I do however miss Saratoga Springs down town every one gets home from school and we all get sloshed in toga lol.

[WTNVA]

Albany is a good place to be FROM....ha ha.. it doesnt look like albany b/c there is no grey mounds of snow anywhere !

[countbloodula]

No I no longer live in Ny anymore

[countbloodula]

Let me set the record staright!

Albany aka capitol metro are SUX!

this includes the saratoga

New Yorkers put HICKS/HILLBILLLIES in charge of jobs

case in point, you get the redneck thinking

[OlderG0ds]

haha, Albany isn't all bad. sure some parts are shitty, and the hostile thug people are abundant, but it's cool place with a decent amount of things to do. Got some big city type of things (times union center, egg, palace threatre, museum, airport) without having the very big city problems, well mostly. sure it has it's fair share of crime.

I won't go pointing any fingers...

[MetalGearNaked]

Dude, almost all of Albany outside downtown is a fucking ghetto. Downtown is pretty cool tho, I'll give it that.

[OlderG0ds]

Can't say I disagree. Say I'll just say the non-ghetto parts is fun and semi-non dangerous to go to.

[mailman354]

You got in the other way around.

Western ave up here sure as hell isnt ghetto nor is new scottland.

[MetalGearNaked]

Well I mean the inner city of Albany. It's fucking run down and poor as hell.

[LittleEmoBoy001]

The only thing to do in albany is go to the mall and go drinking at some bar full of gay yuppies.

[censor48]

i lived at 13 bleeker place in albany back in 1967 bottom floor.

[firedragon365]

i spent 2 years in albany. I notice that whitehall road seemed to be the border of the nicer side and the less nice side. I lived on the less nicer side. It wasn't that bad though.

[CHEIFVERYCOOL]

i'm from the UK and I spent a year in Albany... mostly in WTs and The Partridge Pub. Its such a neglected city. NY state authorities should be ashamed. It is(or was) really beautiful but falling to bits. I think a lot of that is because of the fucking horrible Crossgates Mall which ripped the hub out of what is an otherwise great little city. Its a shame. Great pubs and people though.

[PKingman]

New York state was represented in the U. S. Senate by Hillary Clinton, and Albany is the capital city of that state. One would think that she might have taken better care of the place.

[jeaniii134]

thanks for some of the good stuff you said about albany because some people just get one look and tare it apart.

[buddyboy75]

You're right...no downtown life after 5pm or on weekends. Everything is in Latham or Colonie (the burbs) now. No wonder kids are lining up to leave. Every year at graduation time it's the biggest fucking traffic jam as the exodus to greener pastures begins.

Albany actually looks pretty good in this video from ten years ago. It's even worse today.

[LittleEmoBoy001]

Albany sucks so badly. All it is is a bunch of middleaged homosexual guys and preppies with shaved heads...

[jeaniii134]

actually no i live in albany and its the best. we are a city so we DO have stuff like that. maybe you need to get youself exposed to citys sometime. and there really is no preppoes with shaved heads that makes no sense......

[LittleEmoBoy001]

um I grew up in new york city. albany just sucks, there is no diversity there. just a bunch of arrogant hostile thugs.

[jeaniii134]

um no 75% of my high school is black and so many filipinos in albany and its so diverse. You obviously haven't really seen all of albany and maybe you should. You really cant just judge it like that

[LittleEmoBoy001]

um diversity is a lot more than what skin color you have. true diversity comes from the inside, how you think and act. everyone in albany thinks the same thus acts the same...

[LittleEmoBoy001]

I lived there temporarily with my aunt on state street and I couldn't stand it. Rows upon rows of brownstone buildings, okay fine, nice concept, accept for the idiots who live in them. The only place in albany worthh living in is the area at the very very beginning of state street, where all the old office buildings are, within a about 2 or 3 blocks of the greyhound station, and it is very very quiet at night. I lived around state and dove, which ugh, I couldn't really stand.

[MetalGearNaked]

Agree, Lark/Dove is full of annoying weird people AND a dump, when the rest of Albany except downtown is a dump and filled with annoying wannabe gangsters.

[joeallina]

Albany is my Home but this Place is a shit hole,pot holes everywhere,police give out tickets just because they can ,the mayor only cares about his hair do. Party town that all it is.

[meta4realest]

yall passed the capital. its the building with the red roof. :) man i miss my city

[blackrob2001]

lol is that the capitol,

[PKingman]

Yup. Capital of New York State.

[bombasticmon]

albany is not a shithole that would be, troy schenectady, utica, syracuse, rochester and last but not least buffalo. and ive lived here all my life and its crime is really not bad compared to alot of other upstate cities. and our buildings are old and have nice architecture

[censor48]

ha ha ha

"do they have a subway?"

We've got lots of SUBWAYS restaurants.

[FELLA2K8]

why cant i see the video

I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO WO

[theone2225]

albany's "downtown" area isnt very fascinating at all. just a bunch of ugly buildings.

[dirtyclothes131]

You guys are weird albany ny is a shithole

[syou1516]

We've got David Soares, have hope.

[DeerParkCarWash]

Albany was a fun town to attend university in the early 1980s. Shame about all the violence now. That poor kid from Long Island who wanted to be a cop was gunned down while on his own, walking in a not-bad area. Shot in the head and killed. I can't imagine why someone did that. Now Albany is as bad as the south bronx or southside of Chicago, or the slums of Mexico City. We need a real superhero to clean up the scum, like Hancock!

[theone2225]

When you were looking at City hall, the Capitol Building was to your right, and the man sitting on the bench in boston that you spoke of is a statue of late Boston Celtics Head Coach Red Auerbach.

[mujjuman]

capital was right behind you. that building in front of you was suny administration building.

[morphiouss55]

I've lived in Albany, Oneida, Oneonta, Troy, Utica, and Auburn NY.

[TonySoprano6]

i live in new york city. albany, schenectady, troy, all those places suck. only city worth living in in new york state other than NYC is probably buffalo and thats about it lol

[Tigertony67]

I felt like a fly on the seat of their car. Should have got out when the window was down.....oh well.

[saluteyourcorpse]

all i could think of the last 30 seconds or so was the theme from all in the family

[robinwjr]

Don't brow beat me.

[bikenola]

Hey Deer...Just FYI,your going to get your ass handed to you if you keep using that word. The one you were wrong in explaining what it ment. It is racist remark made about blacks. Loose it before you get your ass beat

[DeerParkCarWash]

Bikenola, I 100% absolutely was NOT using that term with reference to black people. In fact, I was specifically thinking of the white trash hillbilly (white) family that lived next door to me on Quail street, near State St. They were all obese and hairy. The son had a motorcycle he used to ride with his shirt off with all the hair on his back visible. He and his family used to sit on the porch drinking Genny Cream Ale. (cont'd)

[DeerParkCarWash]

(con'td) The term "porch monkey" was NOT meant to suggest race in any way. I used that term because, like monkeys, my hairy, old neighbors used to spend hours on their porch, with their hairy backs exposed (except for the wife, who used to dress like a tart from Texas). So bikenola, no offense meant to blacks, only to hillbillies who drink Genny Cream Ale on their porch all nite. Does that term have a specific rascist meaning on Albany? If so, no offense intended.

[DeerParkCarWash]

Look at all the porch monkeys (townies who sit on their porch - Albany's version of social networking) who sit on their steps with their shirts off, hair covering their backs, drinking Genny Cream Ale! Without the SUNY students, Albany's average IQ would be about 63. There was a cool local music scene in Albany though. Bands like the ADs, the Verge, Lumpen Proles, the Misfits, etc, were quite good.

[wobrien007]

DeerPark - sounds like we were both there at the same time. I remember (barely) hanging out at the Chateau seeing Fear of Strangers, Blotto, the Rockin' Dakotas and lots more. JB Scott's was great when bands like the Pretenders, Elvis Costello and REM played there for a few bucks when they were just getting going. I saw Nick Lowe there on St. Patty's Day 1981 (I think) and he was dynamite.

[DeerParkCarWash]

Wobrien, I was there from 1980 to 1984. I saw a lot of those same bands. I remember seeing U2, The Stranglers, Black Flag, Joan Jett, and others at JB Scotts for $7 or less! Saw the Circle Jerks, the ADs, the Indivduals, and others at the Chateau Lounge. It was a fun place and you didn't need a lot of money to live and have a good time. I remember a pitcher of beer at Frank's was only $2.50. I loved that bar, and lived there too. There's a Frank's Living Room page at Facebook if you're on it.

[ayoooodildo]

how does the suny students hire albanys iq...almost all the college students go out and get shit faced at bars with daddies money and start fights...locals dont do that they chill at there apartments minding there buisness and working to afford a place to live because they dont have the money to go to a suny college

[mujjuman]

i've lived in albany for about 1 year and i agree with you. the suny albany students are fucking assholes who ruin this city. the locals however are now starting to fight, rob, shoot, stab the students because theyre getting tired of their shit. so its both that are ruining this city and increasing crime rates. every week i hear of a stabbing or shooting of a student by a local. last year it was rape.

[DeerParkCarWash]

That WAS the State Capitol building on your right, across from the State Education building. Hey, did he roll the window down because he cut the cheese while driving?  I heard her say "did you do that?" Pretty funny, heh heh.

[DeerParkCarWash]

And I remember the Friehoffers cookies! They were good. and Pop's Pizza (Quail St). But the best was the bar Frank's Living Room on Quail St.  It was the best ever.

[wobrien007]

Frank's was the craziest bar I ever lived in. I spent the better part of 3 years in that joint, and I think my liver will never recover.  If only I could remember all the fun I had there.....

[PKingman]

I used to live in bars myself. Gave that up about 25 years ago. Total waste of time talking ragtime with people. Not to mention the brain cells that I killed with the juice.

[DeerParkCarWash]

You don't have to be a mutant to live in Albany, but it helps. I went to University there, and it really is a ripe pimple on the butt of NY state. BUt the chicken wings are good!

[chmkla]

I grew up in Albany and we always thought the SUNY students were drunken assholes who trashed the city when school was in session. Imagine that. Albany is a great city to visit and a great place to live in spite of the drunk students. I have very fond memories of being there.

[DeerParkCarWash]

The SUNY student didn't trash the city, it was already trashed when we got there. In fact, they brought money into the city (supporting the locals who were ambitious enough to get a job - at places like Subway and Friehoffers (time to make the donuts)). Without SUNY, Albany would look like Schenectady. Now THAT town is really an armpit. (cont'd.)

[bobisbear]

u guys were cute. sound like me n my hubby when we go on trips

[PKingman]

We left ourselves pretty vulnerable to the masses on YouTube with our cutesy chit chat. Of course there was no plan when we recorded this to ever put it out there for the world to listen to. But what the heck.

[TheNewYorkTony]

Mayor Jennings is a complete drunk asshole.

[reprobacious]

While we're on the subject of drunken assholes, whatever happened to Whalen's worthless brat? I was up there for a little bit about 15-20 yrs ago when he got so #^%$& wasted he was clearcutting all the trees from the SUNY campus with his car.

[TheNewYorkTony]

The crime is getting out of control. There has been a murder every week for the last 2 months. The roads also suck ass

[flipgangsta17]

to bad theres only been 4 murders this year not including that crazy college kid that killed all his roomates

[TheNewYorkTony]

I live in Albany and YES Albany is a SHITHOLE

[jusguyz]

I have only been away from albany for about 6 months and have not yet forgoton how junky it is. THIS is the CAPITOL of NY?? To bad the crooks of the democratic machine ran albany for so long. Shame on YOU ny'ers

[PKingman]

One would think that Hillary would look after the capital city of the state she represents, or does Hillary just look after Hillary. Biggest phoney in the world and so many people fell for her jive. They want a woman for President. 135 million women in the US and they pick this weasel.

[RicoNuko]

I live in Houston now, I have been here for about a year. My hometown is Saratoga Springs, NY which is about 40 minutes north of Albany. I miss it a lot, Upstate New York is so beautiful.

[PKingman]

I agree. Very beautiful.

[MSICF]

From 8:54 till the end is tha hood...they on clinton ave....alot has changed since 01 tho..its more landmarks now

[ioriorioriorio]

Great..thanks...I always loved albany, if you turned where the couple was reading the news, you would have hit the famous knickerbocker(pepsi) arena , where the Dead played in the 80's...these were funtimes. Drive thru new haven , ct sometime soon

[highroller12208]

yeah they hit the palace theaterand started speeding up lmao, lucky its sunday morning

[PKingman]

The whole place didn't look all that bad. But then you folks know Albany better than us. I've been to the Southside of Chicago and the South Bronx and nice places in Brooklyn and the lovely parts of Boston so nothing in a little town like Albany looks that bad really. But you know it better than I. Are you saying that I couldn't take a peaceful stroll thru certain areas on a Saturday night? Nah. You wouldn't be saying that.

[obmax1212]

Even though the population is much smaller, Albany has a higher crime rate than NYC. But, it is still a nice city...except for the winter.

[PKingman]

Why the high crime rate?

[obmax1212]

The criminals that Giuliani got rid of came here, basically. Fortunately, the crime tends to be confined to the north and south ends. In this video the neighborhood you made a point not to stay long in was the north side.

[highroller12208]

lol he farted

[reprobacious]

OH MY GOD!!!!! That rotted out "gray" 1966 Continental convertible (behind what looks like a green truck?) on your left at 2:31-2:33 is STILL THERE (as of 2001 at least)!! It was there in that same spot when I went to school up there in the mid-'80s and was still there when I went back to visit in 1991! And it looked like it hadn't moved in years THEN!!! Thanks for the memories! :-)

[PKingman]

Somebody must be driving that thing.  Otherwise wouldn't the city tow it away? Looks ancient.

[reprobacious]

Oops, I guess how I meant to phrase it was, I almost always saw it there when passing thru but occasionally saw it across the street. It always did have current stickers on it though (somehow) even though it looked close up like it had almost no floor left(!). The guy must've known someone who was a bit less than rigorous with his state inspections. Thanks.

[PKingman]

Somebody's pride and joy. Must know how to keep it running. With luck he won't fall thru the floor someday. I had a car like that once when I was a kid. All the crap from the road would come flying up in my face from the hole down by my feet. Those days are gone.

[PacERs143]

u shuld come check out my neighborhood..livingston ave..off of henry johnson blvd...you guys passed henry johnson..but yea thas where i live..livingston

[firefighter446]

Known as Midtown's bravest, Rescue 1 is the busiest paramedic company in the city, Engine 1 is the busiest engine company marking up about 15 calls a day, qualifying it for the top 50 busiest firehouses in the United States.  it's a great firehouse, truly a blast from the past inside, it's one of the few albany firehouses that still has firepoles that are still in use.

[firefighter446]

at 1:51 if you had turned your camera to the right, you would have seen one of the most historic and busiest firehouses in the nation, Engine 1 / Rescue 1.

[PKingman]

Will you tell us a little bit of the history, or where to find it?

[firefighter446]

Engine 1 was originally built in the 19th century. If you are coming down on the western ave side, you can still see the small green doors where the hay for the horses was kept. It underwent renovation in the early to mid 20th century. It is a fine example of dutch architecture if you pay close attention to it. The structure which stands tall on the point is the quarters to Engine 1 and Rescue 1.

[PKingman]

Thanks for the history.

[VMAM]

You must check out Lark St. next time you're in town. It has a very different feel from the rest of the city--and you could stop at Bomber's for gigantic burritos!

[PKingman]

Thanks for the tip.

[XJ1C3CX]

4:20 - that big building is the capitol building

5:40 - the church you pointed at is St.Peters Episcopal (my church)

9:00 - your in the bad part of town

[PKingman]

Thanks.

[horgom]

Thanks for that. You even filmed where my late grandmother used to live.  Brought back some memories, since I left Albany over 20 years ago.

[motorkola]

You missed the high school it was like 2 blocks back what gives?

[IntoGear]

The long building you thought was the captial was the SUNY building which is the old D&H railroad station.

The Key bank building you past is the old NYC railroad station. Nice seeing the old town.

[PKingman]

Thanks for the info.

[usascorpio]

...next time, at least get a tour map of the area..

[glapointe4]

yep they were in touching distance of the capital. missed the hospitals, colleges, and TU Center otherwise hit up everything

i was also amazed at how much dt has changed in 5 years

[primitivefilms]

These people literally toured and saw nearly everything in the city of Albany in a span of 10 minutes. Unfortunately they missed Lark St. I'm actually surprised they didn't see me walking around.

[hmsbackstroker]

Figured it's through the most boring part of Albany possible. :p

[animalhouser55]

hotel on the left and a couple different banks and when u stop were u seen them people reading the paper u could have taken a right to see the pepsi arena( i see u cut out the downtown ghetto part lol thats wrong but u did filmed up town ghetto) thatnks for the psoting of my "city" not town wish u did some more filming though

[animalhouser55]

u did some bad filming down Washington Ave and it wouldn't been good if u made that right were the cdta bus was "lark st" a little father down u went was a building called the ny york state education building the Big white one with them colums on the right hand side was the state capital building and there is no university down town lmao wat u were seeing was a big

[animalhouser55]

U know u could of filed albany high i meen it up the street in the beging

" uptown boyt"

[animalhouser55]

lol i love albany and Albany High ha ha

[PKingman]

You must be a rocket scientist. You know where the capital is in your own town.

[reprobacious]

Haha good one.

[YesYesYup]

omg they couldnt find the capital...it was the first building they noticed!!!

[krojek]

Wow Albanys even more boring on youtube than it is in real life

[Reis482]

They're readin' the paper for heaven's sake!

[inhaler]

Thank you for posting!