Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Re rats: Buffalo has been very successful in combating its rodent problem by issuing plastic totes (large wheel garbage cans) to residences and requiring their use. Surprisingly, this program has nearly 100% compliance and, if it has not totally eliminated rats from residential areas, it has made them very scarce. It has been so successful that the suburbs surrounding Buffalo that provide municipal garbage services have gone or are going to the totes as well. I'd send a letter to the mayor and your council person about the rat problem and encourage Albany to look into the Buffalo program.
The place I moved from, with the Rat that broke through the wall and into my kitchen, was two doors down from an abandoned building. So my theory is that the Rat migrated from that building over to mine. The landlords scarce response kind of pissed me off, even though the maintenance guy did everything he could. The landlord actually had the gaul to tell me I didn't know the difference between a Rat and a mouse. I was like I'm from NYC, I think I know the difference pal. I refuse to be treated like that by anybody.
I will add that I think housing, especially apartments, is extremely pricey for what you get. It's ridiculous that all the apartments in downtown Albany cost $800-900K per month, when the Capital Region is small metro with run-down cities and not many jobs. For $900K per month, I can get a nice apartment in San Diego or for $1000K per month (only $100 more) I can get a nice 3 bedroom apartment in Brooklyn or DC.
My theory on that is that the people renting in this segment of the market are a combination of students from upper middle class families who have their parents credit cards and graduate students who are making a decent wage during internship. Like I said, the consistently good area of Albany is becoming very small. Whereas the rest is a sort of random grab bag.
I spent a few months in the UK years ago during the winter months, where the weather is similar to the PNW. The UK (and PNW) is just as cloudy, if not cloudier than Upstate NY, but the temperatures are also milder allowing the scenery to stay green all year round. Upstate NY is not green during the winter, making it more depressing IMO. Having greenery during the winter in overcast regions like the PNW and UK make feel somewhat more cheerier and bearable during the colder months. This was at least my experience.
I do notice a lot of native Upstate NYers complain about the economy in general (not necessarily the loss of manufacturing) even if they never lived or looked elsewhere for jobs. Might be what ckh mentioned in that Upstate NY seemed to get forgotten about or gets somewhat picked on by the rest of the country if mentioned. This is only speculation of course, as you said it's hard to say what are the true reasons behind it.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Even though there are good opportunities and nice places to live in North Jersey, I always prefer to come back to Philly / South Jersey because it just doesn't feel as bleak in the winter. Everything south of I-195 in NJ is a vast pine forest, right down to Cape May. That means it stays green in the winter. The scattered oaks turn brown but the overall feeling is greenery. People complain about winter in North Jersey all the time, but not nearly as much here. Even on overcast days, the green trees makes the area feel more bearable.
I think that also holds true for North Carolina, with the abundant pine forest in the Piedmont there. I spent many weeks this winter there and although it was 25 degrees out, it never felt cold and grey. Surprisingly, its also been cooler there than the miserable heat and humidity we've been having here. Go figure.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Even though there are good opportunities and nice places to live in North Jersey, I always prefer to come back to Philly / South Jersey because it just doesn't feel as bleak in the winter. Everything south of I-195 in NJ is a vast pine forest, right down to Cape May. That means it stays green in the winter. The scattered oaks turn brown but the overall feeling is greenery. People complain about winter in North Jersey all the time, but not nearly as much here. Even on overcast days, the green trees makes the area feel more bearable.
I think that also holds true for North Carolina, with the abundant pine forest in the Piedmont there. I spent many weeks this winter there and although it was 25 degrees out, it never felt cold and grey. Surprisingly, its also been cooler there than the miserable heat and humidity we've been having here. Go figure.
So true. The bleakness can really take a toll. I never knew about NNJ vs SNJ having the pine forest! I don't know if it's much different in NNJ, but while NYC/LI and Boston winters do lack greenery and can be just as cold, they also get a lot more sunshine during the winter compared to Upstate NY. Upstate NY and other parts of the interior Northeast unfortunately have that terrible combination of gray skies, frigid temperatures, and lack of greenery.
QFT. It is almost always the people who have never lived elsewhere who constantly whine about the economy and about taxes ... and who always have excuses as to why they're still hanging around here despite how much they hate it here like they have a good paying job here or they can't afford housing in their supposed Shangri-la.
I'll say that I do think Upstate NY can expand or diversify it's economy, but this seems to be an issue for Downstate NY as well. Long Island has hardly any private sector industries and primarily relies on public sector jobs and small law firms for employment. Even NYC is too heavily dependent on finance and arts. Bloomberg actually mentioned this and is looking into opening a tech park (at Columbia University I think it was?).
Also, while places like NYC and LA appear to have strong job markets (just do an indeed search and you'll find a gazillion different business or healthcare jobs), getting a job is MUCH more competitive as opposed to Upstate NY cities because you'll probably have hundreds of applicants for each job. The only place I know that may be that competitive in Upstate NY is some state government jobs, but then again you might be getting applicants from all over the state applying not just locals.
I notice there are seldom if ever pretty young women on most bus lines, outside of the 12 (crossgates mall, university).
I take the number 1 and 905 often, never see attractive females on these lines. Well, almost never. And any time even a remotely attractive woman gets on the bus people stare at them like they are dog meat. lol
Why is there such a shortage of attractive females in the ghetto?
Is it true that women get taken care of for just being good looking?
I notice there are seldom if ever pretty young women on most bus lines, outside of the 12 (crossgates mall, university).
I take the number 1 and 905 often, never see attractive females on these lines. Well, almost never. And any time even a remotely attractive woman gets on the bus people stare at them like they are dog meat. lol
Why is there such a shortage of attractive females in the ghetto?
Is it true that women get taken care of for just being good looking?
Short answer: Yes.
Its why you never see good-looking homeless people.
You are right in that Albany has a lot of seedy housing with slumlords, which is very unattractive. I will add that I think housing, especially apartments, is extremely pricey for what you get. It's ridiculous that all the apartments in downtown Albany cost $800-900K per month, when the Capital Region is small metro with run-down cities and not many jobs. For $900K per month, I can get a nice apartment in San Diego or for $1000K per month (only $100 more) I can get a nice 3 bedroom apartment in Brooklyn or DC.
To put a more positive spin on it in the area I live in the three largest towns have between 13,000 and 9,000 people and the surrounding towns are between 5,000 and 1,000 people. Yet to get an apartment that is not in a bad/dangerous area or falling apart you have to pay at least $800 and the average price for a decent apartment is around $900. Less than 5% of all rentals are at or below $600 per month without utilities.
Makes the prices in Albany not seem quite so bad when the area I live in has a hospital, a college, and a few tech companies and low paying retail jobs and similar prices for apartments in a much larger city with more amenities: shopping, entertainment (the egg). Just as a side note in the three towns I mentioned before subsidized housing is available for people making up to around 40,000 or 50,000 per year.
CDTA is great, and cheap also.. Also, I feel your comments on Black and White income's to be off. I think the white people in albany are poorer for white people, than the black people are in relattion to blacks in other areas of the country
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
