Albany is the capital of the State of New York and the county seat of Albany County. As of the 2000 census, Albany had a population of 95,658.
The City of Albany lies 136 miles (219 km) north of New York City[1], and slightly to the south of the juncture of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers.
Albany has close ties with the cities of Troy, New York and Schenectady, New York, forming what is generally known as the Capital District, which in turn makes up the bulk of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of 825,875, making it the fourth largest urban area in New York State.
Albany is built on the site of the Dutch Fort Orange, and its surrounding community of Beverwyck. The English acquired the site from the Dutch in 1664 and renamed it Albany, in honor of James II, Duke of Albany. A 1686 document issued by Thomas Dongan granted Albany an official charter.
Today, Albany remains a center of government and education.
Mayors of AlbanyFrom Albany's formal organization in 1686 until 1779, mayors of Albany were appointed by the royal governor of New York, per the provisions of the original City Charter. From 1779 until 1839, mayors were chosen by the New York State's Council of Appointment, typically for a one year term that began in September. After 1840, Albany's mayors were directly elected by the city's residents. Albany has had 74 mayors since its inception. Gerald D. Jennings is the current Democratic mayor; he was first elected in 1993 and is currently serving in his fourth term of office. No Republican has been elected since 1921.
GeographyAlbany is located at (42.659829, -73.781339)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.8 mi˛ (56.6 km˛). 21.4 mi˛ (55.5 km˛) of it is land and 0.5 mi˛ (1.2 km˛) of it (2.15%) is water. The Pine Bush, located on the far edge of the city with Guilderland and Colonie is the only sizable inland pine barrens and sand dunes in the United States and home to many endangered species including the Karner Blue butterfly. Four lakes exist within city limits, including Buckingham Lake, Rensselaer Lake, Tivoli Lake, and Washington Park Lake.
Albany is the hub city of the Capital District, which itself is a large component of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy-Saratoga Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which was ranked the 56th most populous in the United States of America in the 2000 Census, with a total population of 825,875.
TransportationAs of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 95,658 people, 40,709 households, and 18,400 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,474.6/mi˛ (1,727.5/km˛.) There were 45,288 housing units at an average density of 2,118.4/mi˛ (817.9/km˛.) The racial makeup of the city was 63.12% White, 28.14% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 3.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 2.98% from two or more races. 5.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 40,709 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.3% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.8% were non-families. 41.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 19.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,041, and the median income for a family was $39,932. Males had a median income of $31,535 versus $27,112 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,281. About 16.0% of families and 21.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.8% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
CultureAlbany possesses an active artistic community and culture that is often regenerated by students at the region's colleges and universities, the region's many nonprofit cultural organizations, and by former residents of regional megalopolii such as Boston and New York relocating to take advantage of Albany's affordable, historic housing and commercial spaces. The Albany Symphony Orchestra [3], Capital Repertory Theatre [4] and Albany Insitute of History and Art [5] provide outlets for locally composed, created and curated works, as well as traveling exhibitions and shows. There are several small, private art galleries and antiquarian book shops in Albany, mainly clustered around Lark Street between Washington Avenue and Madison Avenue. Albany also has one independent film theatre (the Spectrum 8) one chain theater (The Madison), as well as performing and fine arts venues associated with the University at Albany and College of St. Rose.
Albany's geographic situation as a 'Crossroads City' (roughly equidistant between New York, Montreal, Syracuse and Boston) also makes it a convenient stop for nationally touring artists and acts. The Palace Theatre [6] and the The Egg provide mid-sized forums for music, theatre and spoken word performances. The Times Union Center (previously the Knickerbocker Arena and later Pepsi Arena) serves as the city's largest musical venue for nationally and internationally prominent bands, as well as trade shows, sporting events and other large-scale community gatherings. The New York State Museum [7] is a major cultural draw in Albany, focusing on fine arts, natural history, and New York's economic, political and social histories.
In recent years, the city's government has invested marketing and financial resources to cultivate venues and neighborhoods that can attract after-hours business, as well as public art installations. Pearl Street, Broadway and Lark Street now serve as the most commercially active entertainment areas in the City. Summer concert series are sponsored by the City and local businesses at the Corning Preserve, Riverfront Park, Washington Park, Tricentennial Square and the Empire State Plaza. Metroland, the alternative newsweekly of the Capital Region, generally provides a focal point for previewing, reviewing and interviewing local artists and performers, as well as traveling events that pass through Albany.
Albany has often been referred to as 'Smallbany' by locals and visitors alike, with varying degrees of affection or derision. [8] Local media have reported on the 'Smallbany mentality' and its effects on the local arts and music communities [9]. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch's dismissal of Albany as 'a city without a good Chinese restaurant' provides one nationally-reported example of the so-called 'Smallbany mentality' [10], which has also been reinforced by references to Albany in sitcom or film scripts as a provincial backwater. Albany's reputation for cultural mediocrity may also stem from its documented status as the 'most average city in America:' the region's demographics more closely mirror national averages than those of any other city, making Albany an ideal and popular standard test market for new business and retail products [11].
SportsThe Times Union Center (originally named the Knickerbocker Arena when it opened in 1990) is a major regional athletic venue located in downtown Albany. It has a seating capacity of up to 17,500 for sporting events. The Siena College Men's Basketball team plays its home games there, and the Center is also home to the Albany River Rats (AHL) and Albany Conquest (af2). The Times Union Center has hosted NCAA Division I hockey and basketball postseason tournaments, among many other sporting events. In May 2006, the Times Union acquired naming rights to the facility. Between 1998 and 2006, it was known as the Pepsi Arena.
EducationSee also the list of high schools.
MediaThe Albany Times Union is Albany's primary daily paper and the only one based close to the City; its headquarters have been located in nearby Colonie since the 1970s after a dispute over land needed for expansion with then-Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd. The newspaper celebrated its 150th year of publishing in 2006. Serving Albany to a lesser degree are the Daily Gazette (which focuses primarily on Schenectady) and Troy Record. Metroland is the most notable alternative newsweekly in the area, publishing each Thursday, while The Business Review (nee Capital District Business Review) is a business weekly published each Friday.
In terms of broadcast media, Albany is considered a medium market (Arbitron market 64 in radio, Nielsen market 55 in television), however the market has several traits which set it apart. The pionnering influence of General Electric in nearby Schenectady directly contributed to the area emerging as the birthplace of station-based television (WRGB) and one of the earliest FM radio stations (today's WRVE), in addition to a powerful 50,000 watt AM station (WGY). In addition, in the early 2000s the greater Albany market was considered to have the highest concentration of FM stations east of the Mississippi River.
The Albany Metro area has affiliates of many of the major television networks including WRGB-CBS, WTEN-ABC, WNYT-NBC, WXXA-FOX, WMHT-PBS,WCWN-CW, WNYA-My Network TV, and WYPX-i. In addition, the area has a cable-only news channel, Capital News 9, which features local news 24/7. On the radio side, the Capital Region has two News/Talk radio stations, WGY and WROW. Both feature a mixture of local and syndicated programming. There are also 2 Sports Talk stations, WOFX, which features some FOX Sports Radio programming, local programming, and Play-by-Play, and WTMM, an affiliate of ESPN Radio. In addition, WAMC, aka Northeast Public Radio, is an NPR affiliate which serves the Albany area. The market is one of the few that possesses a female-oriented talk radio station in WEEV, though that station has no local content.
Sister citiesAlbany has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):[1]
