Ask Me Any Question About Downtown Albany (New York, Schenectady: home, unemployment rate)

[DontKnowIfImComingOrGoing]

I lived in center square for 5+ years.

I've left and have a fairly unbiased opinion.

[Jman130]

What's unemployment looking like? Higher than anywhere else?

[DontKnowIfImComingOrGoing]

Originally Posted by Jman130

What's unemployment looking like? Higher than anywhere else?

Unemployment in Albany is relatively low but a single figure masks a complex
situation.

Look at Unemployment Rate: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area, New York; Percent; NSA
to see the tri-city unemployment rates.

Remember that many people in Albany work in public service which is very stable.
So if you land one of those jobs, then your golden.
The unemployment rate is quite low (it was 3.5% back in 2005) because if you
didn't get work, then people often left. This also explains the lack of substantial
growth in the area.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by DontKnowIfImComingOrGoing

Unemployment in Albany is relatively low but a single figure masks a complex
situation.

Look at Unemployment Rate: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area, New York; Percent; NSA
to see the tri-city unemployment rates.

Remember that many people in Albany work in public service which is very stable.
So if you land one of those jobs, then your golden.
The unemployment rate is quite low (it was 3.5% back in 2005) because if you
didn't get work, then people often left. This also explains the lack of substantial
growth in the area.

but the area has actually seen some slight growth. So, it evens out in terms of unemployment and population.

[Rumblebelly]

How is the revitilization going? Any new activity?

[DontKnowIfImComingOrGoing]

Originally Posted by Rumblebelly

How is the revitilization going? Any new activity?

Good question.

When I bought in Center Square in 2001 believe it or not my home had bars on
the inside of the windows! That area gentrified very quickly. By center square
I mean the official neighborhood boundaries (South Swan to Lark, Washington
to Lancaster). The Hudson park neighborhood started to gentrify in 2002 and
so did the Mansion district but not to the extent of Center Square.

There was always hope that Arbor Hill would gentrify (it actually has a better
housing stock than Center Square) but it hasn't at all.

Why do some areas gentrify and others don't? I think a key piece is a strong
neighborhood association. Center Square's was strong when I got there and
even stronger now. Look at Center Square Association : HomePage.

It is not common knowledge that Center Square was on the block to be bulldozed
and be part of the Rockerfeller Plaza. But Harold and Ruth Rubin and Claire
Yates and a few other people fought to keep it and that formed the center
square neighborhood association.

So look for a neighborhood with a strong neighborhood association, I believe
its the key to gentrification.

[teppo]

I am looking at Brownstone on State St by Washington Park. is that considered part of Center Square/ Any advice or info?