Now that it's been five months, it's time to pass on some observations of Albany. New York's capital isn't what you might initially expect, but the sights fit it well.
This city has a stark contrast between ideal and reality. Sit across the Hudson River at night, and the Empire State Plaza is lit up in marbleous splendor. Stand at one end of the plaza and look down to see the ornate Capitol framed by four jutting agency buildings and the imposing height of the Corning Tower. Look at pictures, and the splendor of the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception or the Old D&H Railroad building stand out along with the green hills and tulips of Washington Park.
Then try to walk the streets or drive the roads. The disaster of the South Mall Arterial or the collisions of Washington Avenue, Western Avenue and Central Avenue will leave your head spinning while possibly crumpling your car the first time you drive here. Illogical urban planning has smeared the Capital Region with confusing roundabouts, bizarrely curving roads and a raised highway that blights the banks of the Hudson.
Those mystifying roads need repaved, too. Potholes and cracks look more like unattended sinkholes or giant canyons. Parking spots are so rare that they might as well be paved in gold to accentuate their value.
Different neighborhoods in Albany continue the contrasts. Like any city there are rich and poor areas, many of which are within a few blocks of each other. There is no rhyme or reason to their layouts. Above the mash of urban blight and renewal the concrete steeple of the corning tower stretches toward heaven.
That's the message of Albany: the importance of detail. So much of this city comes from great concepts. But for every terrific idea that has been realized in a building or business, there are streets and areas that blemish them.
The old saying goes "The Devil is in the details." And that's Albany. Every great idea and well-executed aspect is handicapped by technical demons in the fine print.
