One Thing to Improve Downtown Albany

This week I’m going to talk a lot about Downtown Albany. Why? There’s a lot going on.

Right now, as we speak, it is Downtown Albany’s Restaurant Week. And there are actually a few really good menus out there. Wellington’s looks especially appealing, but I always get a hankering for the traditional red-sauce Italian-American spreads V&R offers during this promotion.

Tomorrow, I’m heading out to the Warehouse District for an Official Yelp Event at Albany Distilling Company’s new bottle shop and bar. Ama Cocina is going to get in on the action. Unfortunately, if you aren’t already on the guest list, the event is all filled up. However, I’m looking forward to trying some of the distillery’s signature cocktails and maybe discovering a new favorite.

But I also have tales, and a few pictures, from the brand new Historic Downtown Albany Food Tour which will be booking public tours soon. Plus theREP is putting on what seems like a delightful show, and I’ve got something fun lined up to go with that too.

That said, I think we have to back up just a second, and ask a fundamental question. Does Albany even have a downtown? And if so, where is it?

Technically, the lower part of a city is its downtown. And since Albany descends towards the river, we’ve got one. But as far as a main business district goes… it’s a bit of an open question.

I would suspect that the city’s critics might suggest Albany lacks a concentrated business district as enterprises have left the urban core and scattered around the region.

There are definitely pockets of economic activity scattered around the city of Albany itself. When I hear people talk about local hubs of restaurants and nightlife, they generally are wistful about Lark Street’s past, scornful of Pearl Street’s rowdy present, and optimistic about the Warehouse District’s ascent.

Here’s my argument. All of that? That’s all Downtown Albany.

Now, sure. Technically it’s not. The Downtown BID certainly doesn’t consider this to be the case. Lark Street has its own BID. And the Warehouse District feels a bit too far afield for some. But hear me out.

I contend that downtowns are defined by their walkability. I’ve walked all around Manhattan and San Francisco. They are great walking cities. And in each, even with good reliable public transportation, I would regularly walk thirty minutes to get where I needed to go.

In California, I would take the train into the city, and walk up to whatever ad agency I was working in at the time. All except the one across the street from Pier 39 I’d consider to be downtown, even if some might have been on the periphery.

And in New York City, I hoof it from Penn Station to Central Park South. That’s a thirty minute walk.

It feels good. There’s no waiting for an Uber or Lyft. There’s none of the claustrophobia that comes from being jammed in a train or on a bus. It’s a great way to get exercise. And you get to experience the sights and smells of a city. Even here in Albany, there is remarkable architecture to appreciate, small parks that are easily missed, historical sites which are overlooked, public art many have never seen, all because people don’t walk.

Seriously. I sometimes think I’m the only one.

Last month I hoofed it from the shadow of the New York State Capitol—after a quick stop at The City Beer Hall—to Nine Pin Ciderworks all the way out in the Warehouse District. Do you know how long that took?

24 minutes. And it was lovely.

Granted, my motivation came from the fact that I had overeaten and felt the need to move before consuming anything further. Plus, I had to get my biweekly cider fix for my 26er card.

Yes. There is one small stretch that’s less than lovely, where you have to pass under the railroad bridge. But that’s going to change. Hopefully. And we’ll talk more about that later this week.

Let’s take the Warehouse District out of the picture for a moment. My extended view of Albany’s downtown creates a 4.3 mile perimeter. When I thought about my walking routes in and around Manhattan and San Francisco, I happened to draw areas with perimeters of identical length.

Clearly, the Manhattan map isn’t of the borough’s downtown. The maps are meant to be illustrative of what I consider to be “walking distance”. Steven Wright famously said, “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” And there’s some truth to that.

But I don’t think that people avoid walking around Albany because they are pressed for time.

There are lots of reasons. Some are more valid than others. But people are social creatures. We like to do things when we see other people doing them. And right now, it’s mighty hard to see people walking around Albany at night. Or, for that matter, during the day.

If there is one thing that you could do to help make Downtown Albany a better place, it’s get out there and enjoy it on foot. At least give it a try. Should you get tired, there’s always Uber or Lyft to take you to your destination, and plenty of places to pop into for a bite or a sip of something invigorating along the way.