City of Albany, New York
Downtown Albany as seen from the Corning Tower.
Motto: Assiduity
Location in Albany County and the State of New York
City of Albany, New York Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 42°39′35″N 73°46′53″W / 42.65972, -73.78139
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Albany
Founded	1614
Incorporated	July 22, 1686
Government
- Mayor	Gerald D. Jennings (D)
Area
- City	21.8 sq mi (56.6 km²)
- Land	21.4 sq mi (55.5 km²)
- Water	0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²)  2.15%
Elevation	200 ft (60 m)
Population (2000)
- City	95,658
- Density	5,488.1/sq mi (2,118.4/km²)
- Metro	1,147,850
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	518
Twin Cities
- Tula	Russia
- Nijmegen	Netherlands
- Quebec City	Canada
- Verona	Italy
- Nassau	Bahamas
FIPS code	36-01000
GNIS feature ID	0977310
Website: http://www.albanyny.org/

Albany is the capital of the State of New York and the county seat of Albany County. Albany is 136 miles (219 km) north of New York City, and slightly to the south of the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers.^[1] The city has a population of 93,963 (July 2006 est.).^[2] The name Albany is an ancient and literary name for Scotland, north of the Firth of Forth (east) and Firth of Clyde (west). ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 2. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1170x800, 79 KB) Summary Made using US Census Bureau Data. ... Location in the state of New York Formed November 1, 1683 Seat Albany Area  - Total  - Water 1,381 km² (533 mi²) 25 km² (10 mi²) 1. ... This article is about the state. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Red_pog2. ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      The political units and divisions of the United States include: The 50 states... This article is about the state. ... List of New York counties Map of the counties of New York State (click for larger version) Albany County: formed in 1683 as one of the original 12 counties. ... Location in the state of New York Formed November 1, 1683 Seat Albany Area  - Total  - Water 1,381 km² (533 mi²) 25 km² (10 mi²) 1. ... A Municipal Corporation is a legal defintion for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, and towns. ... is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1686 (MDCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Gerald D. Jennings (b. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, we list here areas between 10 km² (1000 hectares) and 100 km² (10,000 hectares). ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... The Eastern Standard Time Zone is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting five hours from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... Eastern Daylight Time or EDT is equal to: In North America, Eastern Standard Time + 1, or UTC − 4 hours. ... −12 | −11 | −10 | −9:30 | −9 | −8 | −7 | −6 | −5 | −4 | −3:30 | −3 | −2:30 | −2 | −1 | −0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... The red area is area code 518; the blue area is the rest of New York State. ... // This is a list of twin towns or sister cities — that is, pairs of towns or cities in different countries which have town twinning arrangements. ... , For other uses, see Tula (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Country Netherlands Province Gelderland Area (2006)  - Municipality 57. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Nickname: Motto: Don de Dieu feray valoir (I shall put Gods gift to good use; the Don de Dieu was Champlains ship) Coordinates: , Country Province Agglomeration Quebec City Statute of the city Capitale-Nationale Administrative Region Capitale-Nationale Founded 1608 by Samuel de Champlain Constitution date 1833 Government... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the city in Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... For other uses of Nassau, see Nassau (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Bahamas. ... Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the U.S. Federal government for use by all (non-military) government agencies and by government contractors. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... This article is about the state. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Location in the state of New York Formed November 1, 1683 Seat Albany Area  - Total  - Water 1,381 km² (533 mi²) 25 km² (10 mi²) 1. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The Mohawk River is a major waterway in north-central New York, United States. ... The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami, Muhheakantuck, is a river that runs through the eastern portion of New York State and, along its southern terminus, demarcates the border between the states of New York and...

Albany has close ties with the nearby cities of Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs, forming a region called the Capital District. This area makes up the bulk of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) with a population of 850,957, making it the fourth largest urban area in New York State, and the 56th largest MSA in the United States.^[3] Looking west down Broadway at downtown Troy. ... Schenectady (IPA ) is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. ... Saratoga Springs redirects here. ... The Capital District is an imprecise regional definition (much like Upstate New York) that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of New York: Albany County, Schenectady County, and Rensselaer County. ...

The Albany-Schenectady-Amsterdam, NY CSA, consists of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA, the Glens Falls MSA, and the Amsterdam MSA. Using this definition, the area has a population (as of 2006) of 1,147,850, making it the third largest metropolitan area in New York State, and aside from New York City CSA, the only area that has shown any population growth.^{[citation needed]} The Albany-Schenectady-Amsterdam, NY CSA is also the 36th largest in the nation.^[4] New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The Capital District is an imprecise regional definition (much like Upstate New York) that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of New York: Schenectady County, Albany County, Saratoga County and Rensselaer County. ...

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 its official charter. Fort Orange (Dutch: Fort Oranje or Fort Oranije) was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland. ... Beverwyck was a fur-trading community north of Fort Orange on the Hudson River in New Netherland that was to become Albany, New York when the English took control of the colony in 1664. ... James II (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701)[1] became King of England, King of Scots,[2] and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685. ... Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the youngers sons in the Scottish and later the British Royal Family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover. ... Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick (1634-1715), was a member of Irish Parliament, Royalist military officer during the English Civil War, and governor of the Province of New York. ...

[edit] History

Albany, from Van-Unsselaens Island, by John Howard Hinton (1846)

Albany is the fourth oldest city (behind Santa Fe, St. Augustine, and Hampton, Virginia), and the second oldest state capital (behind Santa Fe) in the United States. The original native settlement in the area was called Penpotawotnot. Its colonial history began when Englishman Henry Hudson, exploring for the Dutch East India Company on the Halve Maen (or Half Moon), reached the area in 1609. In 1614, the Dutch company constructed Fort Nassau, its first fur trading post near present-day Albany and left Jacob Eelkens in charge. Commencement of the fur trade provoked hostility from the French colony in Canada and amongst the native tribes, who vied to control the trade. In 1624, Fort Orange was established in the area. Both forts were named in honor of the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau. Nearby areas were incorporated as the village of Beverwyck in 1652. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 483 pixelsFull resolution (1593 × 962 pixel, file size: 436 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Date 1846 Author John Howard Hinton (1791-1873) Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 483 pixelsFull resolution (1593 × 962 pixel, file size: 436 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Date 1846 Author John Howard Hinton (1791-1873) Permission File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects... John Howard Hinton (23 March 1791–11 December 1873) was an English author and Baptist minister who published, along with many other works, The History and Topography of the United States of North America together with his brother Isaac. ... Nickname: Location in Santa Fe County, New Mexico Coordinates: , Country State County Santa Fe Founded ca. ... Nickname: Location in St. ... Motto: Americas First Location in the State of Virginia Coordinates: County Independent City Mayor Ross Kearney II Area    - City 352. ... Penpotawotnot was the original name of the Indian settlement near the site of the Dutch Settlement of Fort Orange, later Albany ... No portrait of Hudson is known to be in existence. ... This article is about the trading company. ... The Halve Maen (Half Moon) was the name of a Dutch East India Company yacht which sailed in what is now New York harbor on September 11, 1609. ... The name Fort Nassau was used by the Dutch in the 17th century for several fortifications, mostly trading stations, named for the House of Orange-Nassau. ... The fur trade was a huge part in the early economic development of North America. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Fort Orange (Dutch: Fort Oranje or Fort Oranije) was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland. ... The House of Orange-Nassau (in Dutch: Huis van Oranje-Nassau), a branch of the German House of Nassau, has played a central role in the political life of the Netherlands - and at times in Europe - since William I of Orange (also known as William the Silent and Father of... Beverwyck was a fur-trading community north of Fort Orange on the Hudson River in New Netherland that was to become Albany, New York when the English took control of the colony in 1664. ...

When the land was taken by the English in 1664, the name was changed to Albany, in honor of the Duke of York and Albany, who later became King James II of England and James VII of Scotland. Duke of Albany was a Scottish title given since 1398, generally to a younger son of the King of Scots. The name is ultimately derived from Alba, the Gaelic name for Scotland. Albany was formally chartered as a municipality by Governor Thomas Dongan on July 22, 1686. The "Dongan Charter"^[5] was virtually identical in content to the charter awarded to New York City three months earlier. Pieter Schuyler was appointed first mayor of Albany the day the charter was signed. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... James II (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701)[1] became King of England, King of Scots,[2] and King of Ireland on 6 February 1685. ... This article is about the country. ... Duke of Albany is a peerage title that has occasionally been bestowed on the youngers sons in the Scottish and later the British Royal Family, particularly in the Houses of Stuart and Hanover. ... The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. ... This is a list of British monarchs, that is, the monarchs on the thrones of some of the various kingdoms that have existed on, or incorporated, the island of Great Britain, namely: England (united with Wales from 1536) up to 1707; Scotland up to 1707; The Kingdom of Great Britain... This article is about a name for Scotland. ... The Goidelic languages (also sometimes called, particularly in colloquial situations, the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) have historically been part of a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland, the Isle of Man, to the north of Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick (1634-1715), was a member of Irish Parliament, Royalist military officer during the English Civil War, and governor of the Province of New York. ... is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1686 (MDCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Pieter Schuyler ( September 17, 1657 – February 19, 1724) was the mayor of Albany, New York and the head the Albany Commissioners for Indian Affairs. ...

New York State Capitol Building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million was the most expensive government building of its time. Three teams of architects labored on it.

In 1754, representatives of seven British North American colonies met in the Albany Congress. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania presented the Albany Plan of Union, the first formal proposal to unite the colonies. Although it was never adopted by Parliament, it was an important precursor to the U.S. Constitution. Albany native Philip Livingston was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. William Alexander, a general in the Revolutionary War, died in Albany in 1783. Several US Navy ships have since been named USS Albany in honor of the City's historical and military importance. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 417 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 417 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... New York State Capitol The New York State Capitol is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. ... The Albany Congress was a meeting of representatives of seven of the British North American colonies in 1754 (specifically, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, & Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island). ... Benjamin Franklin (January 17 [O.S. January 6] 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the most well known Founding Fathers of the United States. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Albany Congress was a meeting of representatives of seven of the British North American Colonies in 1754. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Philip Livingston Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778), was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. ... The United States Declaration of Independence was an act of the Second Continental Congress, adopted on July 4, 1776, which declared that the Thirteen Colonies in North America were Free and Independent States and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to... For other persons named William Alexander, see William Alexander (disambiguation). ... The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Five United States Navy ships have borne the name Albany, after the city of Albany, New York. ...

In 1777, the state capital of New York was moved from Kingston to Albany, about 50 miles north. The State Capitol building was constructed between 1867 and 1899 and inspired by the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) in Paris, France. Notable architectural features include its "Million Dollar Staircase." Kingston is a city in Ulster County, New York, United States. ... New York State Capitol The New York State Capitol is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. ... The Hôtel de Ville houses the office of the Mayor of Paris. ...

Albany's location on the Hudson River made it a center of transportation from the outset. In 1807, Robert Fulton initiated a steamboat line from New York City to Albany. On October 26, 1825 the Erie Canal was completed, forming a continuous water route from the Great Lakes to New York City. The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad between Albany and Schenectady, New York opened on September 24, 1831 and subsequently became part of the New York Central Railroad. Erastus Corning, a noted industrialist and founder of the New York Central, called Albany home and served as its mayor from 1834 to 1837. His great-grandson, Erastus Corning II, served as mayor of Albany from 1942 until 1983, the longest single mayoral term of any major city in the United States. The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami, Muhheakantuck, is a river that runs through the eastern portion of New York State and, along its southern terminus, demarcates the border between the states of New York and... For other persons named Robert Fulton, see Robert Fulton (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Steamboat (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Erie Canal (currently part of the New York State Canal System) is a canal in New York State, United States, that runs from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. ... The Great Lakes from space The Laurentian Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad was the first railroad built in the State of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States. ... Schenectady (IPA ) is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... For the current company, see New York Central Lines LLC. The New York Central Railroad (AAR reporting marks NYC), known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States. ... Erastus Corning (December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872), American businessman and politician, was born in Norwich, Connecticut. ... The New York Central Railroad, known simply as the New York Central in its publicity and with the AAR reporting mark of NYC, was a railroad operating in the North-Eastern United States. ... Erastus Corning II was a mayor of Albany, New York. ...

The Empire State Plaza

Between 1965 and 1978, the Empire State Plaza was constructed in Albany's Midtown, west of Downtown and south of the Capitol building. It was, and remains, controversial, in large part because it required the demolition of several historical neighborhoods and the forced removal of Jewish, Italian, Black, and Latino inhabitants. The Plaza was conceived by Governor Nelson Rockefeller and is now named in his honor. The Erastus Corning Tower stands 589 feet (180 meters) high and is the tallest building in New York State outside New York City. Four other smaller towers, the Legislative Office Building, the Cultural Education Center (which houses the State Library and Museum), the Justice Building, and the impressive performing arts center known as "The Egg" make up the rest of the Empire State Plaza. The design of the Empire State Plaza is based loosely on the National Congress complex in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 763 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1080 × 849 pixel, file size: 591 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Empire State Plaza I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 763 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1080 × 849 pixel, file size: 591 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Empire State Plaza I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... A glimpse of The Egg—the egg-shaped performing arts center at the Empire State Plaza—as seen from State Street. ... A glimpse of The Egg—the egg-shaped performing arts center at the Empire State Plaza—as seen from State Street. ... Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was an American Vice President, governor of New York State, philanthropist and businessman. ... The Corning Tower is the tallest building in the Empire State Plaza. ... The Cultural Education Center is attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, New York. ... The New York State Library, located in Albany, New York, was established in 1818 to serve the government of New York State. ... A destroyed firetruck in the museums 9/11 exhibit The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, adjacent to Empire State Plaza. ... A glimpse of The Egg as seen from State Street. ... Bras lia is the capital city of Brazil and is located in the center of the country in a federal district created in the state of Goi s. ...

A number of north-south streets in Albany are named after birds (for instance, lark, dove, hawk, eagle, partridge, swan, etc.) At one point the east-west streets were named for animals, for instance- Lion (Washington Ave.), Fox (Sheridan Ave,), Deer (State Street west of Eagle), Wolf (Madison Ave.); the only ones to keep their animal names are Elk Street in the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood and Beaver Street downtown. For other uses, see Lark (disambiguation). ... Subfamilies see article text Feral Rock Pigeon beside Weiming Lake, Peking University Dove redirects here. ... Genera Accipiter Micronisus Melierax Urotriorchis Erythrotriorchis The term hawk refers to birds of prey in any of three senses: Strictly, to mean any of the species in the bird sub-family Accipitrinae in the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis, and Megatriorchis. ... Genera Several, see below. ... For other uses, see Partridge (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Swan (disambiguation). ...

Modern day Albany consists of many neighborhoods with different characteristics.

Main article: Neighborhoods of Albany, New York

The city of Albany, New York, consists of many neighborhoods with different characters. ...

[edit] Economy

The economy is heavily dependent on the state government, with much of Albany's population being employed by various state departments and legislators. Another top employer is Golub Corporation, the family-owned operator of Price Chopper supermarkets, which is headquartered in nearby Rotterdam, New York. Rotterdam, New York may refer to: Rotterdam (town), New York Rotterdam (CDP), New York This is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

Albany is increasingly seen as a leader in nanotechnology, with the University at Albany's nanotechnology program leading the nation. Buckminsterfullerene C60, also known as the buckyball, is the simplest of the carbon structures known as fullerenes. ...

[edit] Geography

The Albany skyline as viewed from across the Hudson River

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1770x1168, 852 KB) retouched version of Image:Albany8. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1770x1168, 852 KB) retouched version of Image:Albany8. ... The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami, Muhheakantuck, is a river that runs through the eastern portion of New York State and, along its southern terminus, demarcates the border between the states of New York and...

[edit] Geography

Albany is located at 42°39′35″N, 73°46′53″W (42.659829, -73.781339).^GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.8 sq mi (56.6 km²). 21.4 sq mi (55.5 km²) of it is land and 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) 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. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... Pine Bush is a globally rare ecosystem, located between the cities of Albany and Schenectady in the Capital District region of New York. ... Guilderland is a town in Albany County, New York, USA. The population was 32,688 at the 2000 census. ... Colonie is a town located in Albany County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 79,258. ... The Sopranos episode, see Pine Barrens (The Sopranos episode). ... This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... The Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, is a small, blue butterfly found in small areas of New Jersey, the Great Lakes region, and eastern upstate New York. ... Sunset over Buckingham Lake Buckingham Lake, also referred to as Buckingham Pond, is a body of water located in a residential area of Albany, New York. ... Rensselaer Lake is a body of water in Albany, New York. ... Tivoli Lake is a body of water in Albany, New York. ... Washington Park Lake is a body of water in Albany, New York. ...

[edit] Climate

Albany has a humid continental climate, with cold, snowy winters, and hot, wet summers. Snowfall is significant, with annually about 63 inches, but much less than the lake-effect areas to the north and west. Albany is far enough from Lake Ontario to avoid significant lake-effect snows, but does receive some. Albany is close enough to the coast to receive heavy snow from Nor'Easters, and the city gets the bulk of its yearly snowfall from these types of storms. Winters are often very cold, with temperatures occasionally dropping below 0 °F (-18 °C). Summers in Albany can contain stretches of excessive heat and humidity, with temperatures above 90 F and dew points near 70. Severe thunderstorms are common, as the city is located in a conducive area for severe weather near the Mohawk Valley. Tornadoes are rare but not unheard of. The humid continental climate is found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. ... Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, USA, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... A rolling thundercloud over Enschede, The Netherlands. ... For other uses of Tornado, see Tornado (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 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/sq mi (1,727.5/km².) There were 45,288 housing units at an average density of 2,118.4/sq mi (817.9/km².) 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. Image:1870 census Lindauer Weber 01. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... Hispanic Americans (Spanish: Hispano Americano) are Americans of Hispanic ethnicity who largely identify with the Hispanic cultural heritage. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

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. The median home value in Albany, NY, is $217,100. Home appreciation is 12.70% over the last year. The median age of Albany, NY, real estate is 63 years.^[6] Matrimony redirects here. ...

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 $33,375,^[7] 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 $20,340. 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. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

[edit] Culture

[edit] Nightlife and entertainment

The Egg, a performing arts center in the Empire State Plaza, is a major cultural attraction in Albany.

Albany's geographic situation as a "Crossroads City" (roughly equidistant between New York, Montreal, Buffalo and Boston) also makes it a convenient stop for nationally touring artists and acts. The Palace Theatre and The Egg provide mid-sized forums for music, theater and spoken word performances. The Times Union Center, previously the Knickerbocker Arena ("The Knick") and the 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 is a major cultural draw in Albany, focusing on fine arts, natural history, and New York's economic, political and social histories. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 1020 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 1020 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... A glimpse of The Egg as seen from State Street. ... A glimpse of The Egg—the egg-shaped performing arts center at the Empire State Plaza—as seen from State Street. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Nickname: Motto: Concordia Salus (well-being through harmony) Coordinates: , Country Province Region Montréal Founded 1642 Established 1832 Government  - Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area [1][2][3]  - City 365. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State Coordinates: , Country State County Erie Government  - Mayor Byron Brown (D) Area  - City 52. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... The Palace Theatre is an entertainment venue in downtown Albany, New York. ... A glimpse of The Egg as seen from State Street. ... The Times Union Center is an indoor arena located in Albany, New York, with a maximum seating capacity of 17,500 for sporting events. ... A destroyed firetruck in the museums 9/11 exhibit The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, adjacent to Empire State Plaza. ...

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. Lark Street is most closely identified with the City's contemporary cultural identity, and is often noted as being "Albany's Greenwich Village". Technically the westernmost border of the Center Square neighborhood and located one block east of Washington Park, Lark Street is home of many independent shops, coffee houses, restaurants, art galleries, antique shops, bars, and a tattoo parlor. Although the Southeastern most strip was rebuilt in 2002-2003 to place new roadways, trees, and sidewalks in front of the new shops in the active portion of Lark Street, some local residents have protested the neglect of the northwestern side of the street (crossing west of Central Avenue), which runs down into the less-affluent Arbor Hill neighborhood. Lark Street is a historic street in Albany, New York known for being the unique Greenwich Village of the city. ... The Washington Square Arch Greenwich Village (IPA pronunciation: ), also called simply the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern) Manhattan in New York City named after Greenwich, London. ...

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. A glimpse of The Egg—the egg-shaped performing arts center at the Empire State Plaza—as seen from State Street. ... Metro-land was a magazine published annually by the Metropolitan Railways publicity department for the railway that went through the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex to the North West of London. ...

Last call is at 4:00 AM in Albany, unlike the earlier 2:00 AM in most areas of the nation.^{[citation needed]} This is often attributed to the historically high density of industrial facilities and the demand of second and third shift patrons. New York law allows bars to be open until 4:00 AM (However, local municipalities can override it to an earlier time.) This law was designed to accommodate the thriving late nightlife of New York City, but Albany has adopted it as well.

[edit] Festivals

• The Tulip Festival, or the Tulip Fest as it is locally known, is set in Albany’s Washington Park. This traditional Albany event marks the beginning of spring as thousands of tulips bloom in the Park in early May. Tulip Fest is a celebration of Albany’s rich Dutch heritage, and draws both local and regional attendance.^[8]
• Lark Fest is an annual community festival that includes painters, photographers, jewelers, sculptors, ceramicists, glass artists and live shows on several stages. The event has an average attendance of 55,000 people, with peak attendance of 80,000 in 2006.^[8]
• Alive at Five is a concert series held downtown on Thursdays throughout the summer. The concert series features local, regional and national artists and hosts different genres of music each week.
• The African American Family Day Arts Festival takes place in early August and provides musical acts, cultural cuisine, and family entertainment.
• Latin Fest offers Latin music, food and crafts every year in Washington Park.
• The Albany Jazz Festival is held at the end of summer every year in the Albany Riverfront, Park Amphitheater.

It has been suggested that Tulip Time Festival be merged into this article or section. ...

[edit] Artistic community

The Albany Institute of History & Art

Albany 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, Capital Repertory Theatre [4], Albany Institute of History & Art and Palace Theatre 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. Also on Lark Street there is the annual Art on Lark, an outdoor sidewalk gallery featuring artists exhibiting and demonstrating their original work. This annual Sidewalk Art Show and Sale celebrates local artists and musicians.^[8] Albany also has one independent film theater (the Spectrum 8), one chain theater (The Madison)[5], as well as performing and fine arts venues associated with the University at Albany and College of St. Rose. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 506 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1011 pixel, file size: 521 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 506 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1011 pixel, file size: 521 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation... The Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA) is a museum in Albany, New York dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley region.[1] The museum is located at 125 Washington Avenue in downtown Albany. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... The Albany Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a professional symphony orchestra based in Albany, New York. ... The Albany Institute of History & Art (AIHA) is a museum in Albany, New York dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and promoting interest in the history, art, and culture of Albany and the Upper Hudson Valley region.[1] The museum is located at 125 Washington Avenue in downtown Albany. ... The Palace Theatre is an entertainment venue in downtown Albany, New York. ... Lark Street is a historic street in Albany, New York known for being the unique Greenwich Village of the city. ... The University at Albany, (formerly known as Albany State University until the early 1990s) located in Albany, New York, in the USA, is one of four university centers of the State University of New York. ... The College of Saint Rose In Tuo Lumino Videbumus Lumen (In Thy Light We Shall See Light) The College of Saint Rose is a private, independent, co-educational college in Albany, NY, United States of America, founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. ...

Albany is home to a large and important collection of modern art. The Empire State Plaza Art Collection, which belongs to the public of New York State, includes works by Alexander Calder, Robert Motherwell and Jackson Pollock. Much of the collection features the work of artists who practiced in New York in the 1960s and 1970s, who were known as the New York School. Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, has called the collection "the most important State collection of modern art in the country."^[9] For other persons named Alexander Calder, see Alexander Calder (disambiguation). ... Robert Motherwell, 1971 Robert Motherwell (January 24, 1915 – July 16, 1991) was an American abstract expressionist painter and printmaker. ... Controversy swirls over the alleged sale of No. ... The New York School (synonymous with abstract expressionist painting) was an informal group of American poets, painters, dancers, and musicians active in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s in New York City. ... This article is about the museum in New York City. ...

Albany is sometimes referred as "Smallbany," with varying degrees of affection or derision.^[10] Local media have reported on the "Smallbany mentality" and its effects, both positive and negative, on the local arts and music communities.^[11] The Smallbany concept may be reinforced by common derisive references to Albany as a provincial backwater in sitcom or film scripts. (See Albany in Popular Culture). For other uses, see Albany. ...

[edit] Civil Rights Movement

The Brothers group was organized by Leon Van Dyke, a civil rights activist who tended to the needs of Black communities. Publishing "The Liberator," a local newspaper from 1967-1972, The Brothers were active before and during the Black Panther Party's Albany chapter. Both groups shared offices on the same street. The Black Panther Party opened a chapter on 170 North Diamond, November 10, 1969. The Party emphasized a free children's breakfast program, lead poisoning testing, as well as free clinics, clothing and food drives for all poor communities. The Black Panther Party was active in Albany from 1969 through 1971 and influenced city officials to adopt all of its survival programs after noting its success within the community.^[12]

[edit] Notable residents

Philip Livingston

• Philip Livingston was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence.
• Peter Gansevoort was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War who withstood St. Ledger's siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777.
• Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York
• Philip Henry Sheridan was a career U.S. Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War.
• Bret Harte was an American author and poet, best remembered for his accounts of pioneering life in California.
• Joseph Henry was a scientist who pioneered several theories of electromagnetism. The SI unit of inductance, the henry, is named after him.
• Chester A. Arthur, 21st U.S. president, is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, north of the city.
• Erastus Corning II served as mayor of Albany from 1942 until 1983, the longest single mayoral term of any major city in the United States.
• Andrew Rooney is an American radio and television writer. He became most famous as a humorist and commentator with his weekly broadcast "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney", a part of the CBS news program 60 Minutes since 1979.
• William Kennedy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose works feature much of the city's history and its Irish American culture.
• William Devane is an American film and television actor.
• Stephen Hannock is a top American landscape painter, with work in Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY, the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, CA, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA and the National Museum of American Art in Washington, DC.
• Gregory Maguire is an American author whose novels include Wicked.
• Leon Van Dyke was a Black Albany civil rights activist who organized "The Brothers" group in 1966 to combat racism in the City. The Brothers published a newspaper, The Liberator from 1967-1972. ^[13]
• Florence Auer was a pioneering early American film actress.
• Trevanian the best selling author of "Shibumi" grew up in Albany and his largely autobiographical book "The Crazy Ladies of Pearl Street" is set there, showing the face of Albany in the 1930's in exceptional deta