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My DD will be attending RPI in fall of 2011 (she is taking a gap year first). She has lived all her life in greater DC, and while she has spent most of her time on academics and friends, she is to some degree used to big city living. As an Arch major at RPI, who is interested in several on campus activities, I do not expect she will have lots of time for off campus stuff, but it would be nice to know that the area is at least somewhat lively, and more on the upswing than Troy looked when we visited (we did drive around several of the central city Troy areas on our second visit, and had dinner at a restaurant in the restored area near the river)
I am not looking so much for things like theaters and concert venues (thats easy to find) but broader economic, demographic and social trends, that sort of thing.
There are lots of bars & restaurants to try in the area, a lot of music & art venues, festivals, outdoorsy things, like hiking, skiing, etc. After she's done w/looking around Troy & Albany, she'll have Schenectady, Ballston Spa, Saratoga to check out. On longer weekends it's not too far to check out Vermont, Boston, Lake George, NY and even Montreal. There will be plenty to explore on weekends. She'll be busy w/her studies, RPI is a great school, & architecture is a demanding program in general, she should have a good time there and end up w/a good job when she graduates.
thank you, there are certainly many things to do in the capital area, and it is well located for outdoors recreation (the outdoors rec club seems to be one of the largest and most active student groups at RPI) and also for trips to larger cities (DD is quite excited about Montreal, and we have family in NYC)
I was however, hoping more for something about the future of the area - new venues, new developments, things that will improve the area in the next few years.
Howe Caverns is working on plans to build a water park. Still in the planning stage, but in five years or so, they're expecting to have dinosaurs a la Jurassic Park. Designed and built by the same people who made them for the movie, in fact.
In addition to the chip fab plant, the College of Nanoscience Engineering on the University of Albany campus is expanding. Not really sure how much either of these are truly going to change the area. There has been this push for the last twelve years to redefine the Hudson Valley and Capital Region as the new Silicon Valley. Having lived in the real Silicon Valley for a very long time I can tell you it won't happen here. There isn't a core of intellectual ferment here that can compare to the Bay Area, the Research Triangle, Boston, or Austin. There are many interesting individuals but they are geographical disperse and there remains a paternalistic, archaic and inward focus here that is not stimulating of new ideas and energy. In other words, if you are looking to invest in a dynamic region with lots of promise, this isn't it.
IHaving lived in the real Silicon Valley for a very long time I can tell you it won't happen here. There isn't a core of intellectual ferment here that can compare to the Bay Area, the Research Triangle, Boston, or Austin. There are many interesting individuals but they are geographical disperse and there remains a paternalistic, archaic and inward focus here that is not stimulating of new ideas and energy. In other words, if you are looking to invest in a dynamic region with lots of promise, this isn't it.
I completely agree. The country is replete with "technology corridors" and areas wanting to be the next Silicon Valley, but they are missing the most important ingredient: the people. Richard Florida has written a few related books coining the term Creative Class to describing the type of people that live in tech-rich and tech-emergent areas:
I think the potential is there due to the location of the Capital Region and there are some great institutions of higher learning in the area too.
With that said, I do think there are other areas of the state that would be better suited for similar reasons, but also due to having such institutions in higher volume close by. Take a look at NY's Creative Core website as an example of an area that could be that new hot spot, if that area can think outside of the box enough.
In other words, if you are looking to invest in a dynamic region with lots of promise, this isn't it.
I am mainly investing in my DD's education I am looking mainly for things to help us all feel better about her being in Troy for her college years not for the next silicon valley.
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