Random Thought: Albany, NY

If you didn’t already know, I went to college upstate New York in Albany- the state’s capital- and graduated almost 4 years ago. Ever since completing my final steps from adolescence into adulthood, I collected my diploma in 2005 and never stepped foot back into the city of Albany. It’s not that I was unappreciative for the opportunities I had while in school, but it was a means to end and in my opinion, never a place I could call home. But this past weekend I put all of those ill feelings aside and decided to take a roadtrip to Troy (just a few miles outside of Albany) to visit a friend of mine who was celebrating a birthday and her final days Upstate. I know, I make Upstate NY seem like prison, but trust me- that’s how it feels while you’re up there sometimes and it’s partly why my friend was moving back to NYC. While I enjoyed spending time with friends submerging ourselves into the environment that initially brought us all together, I must say- some things never change. Now don’t get me wrong, by no means am I referring to my friends- they’re all still the same; instead, I’m referring to Albany. There was once a time prior to my collegiate experience when I thought Albany was going to be a “spectacular city” not only because that’s where major laws were passed, but historically it was the Capital of New York. Boy was I in for a rude awakening when I started my freshman year and realized Albany wasn’t all that I thought it would be. Granted, the historical state office buildings that I knew would be present were, but they were a stone throw away from the hood and were amongst inhabitants who didn’t seem to even know its significance or even bothered to utilize the resources. In my perspective, Albany was a “city” yearning to be like NYC, housing a few nice buildings, homes and reputable instiutions, but all thrown into one large ghetto. There’s still a large homeless population, mentally and physically disabled individuals walking the streets, entire blocks filled with dilapidated and abandoned homes, babies still having babies, and sadly enough- just an underdeveloped mindset of the masses. It’s almost as if they’re zombies stuck in the same mindframe or time warp- simply trying to get by. It’s a perfect example of the downward spiral we all try to avoid for ourselves, for the future of our children, and the overall future of humanity. Years ago, it saddened me to experience the real Albany and not the picture-perfect image I painted in my head, and today I’m still saddened to witness that not much has changed. They say change is good, but for Albanians it’s almost as if they have to move away from the lives they once led before seeing any real progress. And while all situations aren’t the same, I still can’t totally grasp their way of life. I still haven’t gotten to the root of the problem and it pains me to see all of these great opportunities underutilized by the constituents they were established for. And while I’m saddened by the fact my friend is leaving a wonderful apartment and an affordable cost of living to move back to the hustle & bustle of NYC, I’m certain she’ll be more progressive, feel a lot more broke, have less freedom, but ultimately, she’ll be a lot more happier. As for the inhabitants of Albany, I would love to help get them get back on track- even if it happens one person at a time, but similar issues are prevalent in my own hometown of Brooklyn and I’d prefer to fix things at home first. Nevertheless, there will always be a special place in my heart for the diversity and potential the city of Albany has to offer.

This entry was posted on March 30. 2009 at 21:30 and is filed under Not random, but random. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.