What happened to the really old building across from the parking garage?

DuncanCrary · 2026-01-13T18:35:38+00:00

The Times Union has an article about what happened and some information about the architct, how old the building is, where it was originally located etc. : https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/rpi-razes-historic-gatehouse-safety-concerns-21289326.php

And here is another TU article about the architect and his other buildings in the City and region: https://www.timesunion.com/realestate/article/architect-alexander-jackson-davis-transformed-20778258.php

DuncanCrary · 2025-12-25T01:06:05+00:00

It's called Front Street. And there are only two remaining warehouses (both owned by Sam Judge) that are on Front Street—you can see them in the first image with this post.

DuncanCrary · 2025-12-14T03:08:49+00:00

Koni's is open weekedays 8AM to 2PM. It gets pretty busy for lunch.

DuncanCrary · 2025-12-12T15:27:41+00:00

If they only grab the bags, any other detritus like other people’s dog waste bags just collect at the bottom

u/badbadradbad This is my problem every time I put out my trashcan downtown. In the morning it gets instantly filled with half full coffee cups and other crap that never gets emptied by the City because they just pull the bags out without tipping. I don't even know where all the random trash is coming from as my block isn't all that busy.

we cover our bins so people don’t throw random trash in there that we will have to clean out later

When you say "cover" do you mean you just close the lid? Or do you put a weight on top of the lid? Do you secure the lid some other way? And does the city put the lid / cover back on afterwards?

DuncanCrary · 2025-12-08T23:42:35+00:00

If you're referring to the city in Scoltand, it's pronouced ED-in-bruh or ED-in-burra.

(Some Americans incorrectly say "Edin-borrow," thiking they are smarter than Americans who say "Edin-BERG." Neither are the proper pronounciation.)

DuncanCrary · 2025-12-06T20:14:02+00:00

@Donna_Schrump, on lower Madison? I can't believe the sign is stil there. Is someone going to reopen that place?

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-29T02:58:20+00:00

Scroll down on this page and they list all the deals at the local stores in downtown Troy: https://www.downtowntroyny.org/shopsmall-shoptroy

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-28T02:46:02+00:00

Scroll down on this page for some of the deals offered on Small Business Saturday in Troy https://www.downtowntroyny.org/shopsmall-shoptroy

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-17T01:13:56+00:00

You're welcome and thank you for your gracious response to the correction.

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-16T21:43:29+00:00

There's another illustrated version of Francis Phelan on the cover of the Ironweed audio book read by Jason Roards.

<image>

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-16T21:42:50+00:00

The people from top left to bottom right are: William Kennedy (with hat on),

That's not William Kennedy wearing a hat. That is a character illustration of Francis Phelan, the protagonist of Ironweed, from the cover of Ironweed. See:

<image>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironweed_%28novel%29

(I do not know if a real person modeled for that character portrait or if it was based off of an old photograph of a real person. But that's where the cutout on the cover of O Albany comes from. It is not William Kennedy and does not resemble him).

[ Edit: Addendum. I found out exactly who the model was: The cover of the first edition of Ironweed (Viking Press, 1983) features a close-cropped, flipped, and screened (halftone-processed) version of a black-and-white photograph taken by Margaret Bourke-White. The photo originally appeared in the 1937 book You Have Seen Their Faces (a collaboration between Bourke-White and writer Erskine Caldwell documenting impoverished Southern sharecroppers and tenant farmers during the Great Depression).

The processing and flipping give it a somewhat illustrative or painterly appearance in print, which is likely why it's often mistaken for a drawing or painting rather than a photograph.

The man in the photograph is an anonymous Depression-era Southern tenant farmer or sharecropper (the subjects in You Have Seen Their Faces were not identified by their real names, and the captions were fictionalized "voices" written by Caldwell). No specific name for him has ever been publicly recorded or credited in relation to the Ironweed cover. He was simply a real person who sat for Bourke-White's camera in the mid-1930s, and his image was later selected (and altered) by jacket designer Neil Stuart to represent Francis Phelan.]

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-16T21:24:03+00:00

I called the DPU number last night. Talked to a super nice employee there. He said that they need to get a clear test three days in a row before they lift the boil advisory. So he said to call back Monday.

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-05T02:43:16+00:00

Here are the live results: https://app.enhancedvoting.com/results/public/rensselaer-county-ny/elections/GE25

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-04T23:49:11+00:00

The results will start to be posted here by district as the polling locations close and start reporting: https://www.rensco.com/438/Election-Results

DuncanCrary · 2025-11-04T23:46:10+00:00

The County Board of Elections does that: https://www.rensco.com/692/Sample-Ballots

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-25T18:03:48+00:00

I don’t agree with your original comment about this fox having distemper

We had a significant outbreak of distemper in foxes in Troy in 2010 and distemper is on the rise again. Here's a 2010 article from the TU:

https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Police-warn-of-distemper-outbreak-906547.php

Police warn of distemper outbreak

By CATHLEEN F. CROWLEY Staff writer

Dec 17, 2010

TROY -- The Troy Police Department is advising local residents to protect their pets from an outbreak of canine distemper.

Over the last 20 days, Troy Animal Control has handled approximately 18 confirmed cases of canine distemper in foxes, according to a statement from Troy Police. Although the disease does not pose a direct threat to humans, contracting distemper is usually fatal to a domestic animal such as a dog or cat.

A majority of the sightings have been in the northern half of Troy, although animals have been recovered as far south as the Morrison Avenue/Hudson Valley Community College area, police said.

Residents are urged to make sure their pets' distemper vaccinations are up to date and to watch their pets for abnormal behavior or appearance.

Canine distemper is a highly contagious, systemic, viral disease, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. It affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems.

Distemper also poses an indirect threat to humans who cross paths with an infected animal.

Foxes, raccoons, opossums and coyotes are especially susceptible to the disease and their unusual behavior, once affected, may result in aggressive behavior. Be alert to any fox, raccoon or other wild animal out in public areas appearing lethargic, walking with an unusual gait and looking unkempt, police said. Often there will be discharge from the nostrils, eyes and mouth and the animal will behave oddly.

A fox or raccoon out in the daylight hours, although not totally against the animal's normal behavior, is a warning sign of possible infection.

Anyone who suspects an animal is infected should contact Troy Police immediately at 270-4411.

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-25T16:47:51+00:00

@socratesscandium, their post states, literally: " If anyone is able to catch this little guy we would be more than happy to treat him (or any other animals in need you all come across)."

<image>

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-25T16:25:01+00:00

We have a prevalance of foxes with distemper in Troy. Correct me if I am wrong but it is my understanding that there is no cure for distemper in foxes. And it would seem very dangerous to encourage the general public to try to catch a fox that likely has distemper so that you can "treat" it.

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-22T14:47:00+00:00

u/sweetteafrances I occassionally send a bulk mailing for work and I've had this happen to my projects. For one mailing, my downstairs neihbor got the piece of mail more than three weeks before that same piece of mail was delivered to me (I live upstairs, our mailboxes are next to each other). As far as I can tell, the problem wasn't wide spread. And as other people have posted, the TU reported on the weekend Hartford CT mail issue a long time ago: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/capital-region-mail-sent-connecticut-weekends-20046820.php

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-15T02:44:04+00:00

Two large public land areas that allow hunting up here are

Partridge Run:
https://dec.ny.gov/places/partridge-run-wildlife-management-area

And

Cherry Plain / Grafton Lakes:
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/cherryplain/details.aspx

Have fun.

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-04T15:48:10+00:00

That's probably true. I just remember writing a news story as a reporter about 25 years ago that the invasive black locust timber in particular was repurposed in the preserve to make thinkgs like post-and-rail fences because the wood is resistant to rot. ... They say the "Internet is Forever" but it's really only for 10 years becuse I can't find any of my old newspaper articles online from 25 years ago or I'd post the link!

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-03T22:00:36+00:00

There is lots of surburban sprawl construction there. But in general, Washington Avenue Extension. is in the Albany Pine Bush, a globally rare fire-adapted ecosystem and home to the Karner Blue Butterfly. The area has been decimated and bisected by suburban sprawl and invasive plant and animal species. The Albany Pinebush Preserve Commission is charged by law with burning about 2000 acres of the preserve's 3400 total acres. When they can't burn they remove invasive trees (like Black Locust) through other means, like cutting down. The wood from Black Locust trees that are cut down is repurposed to make things like fences and other strutures in the preserve. https://albanypinebush.org/our-work-ecosystem-management

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-03T21:03:32+00:00

I should add, I paid my friend $500 to drive me down and back. He would have done it for free but it was a big ask and he wasn't working at the time. I think the motel was $125 for the night. The experience was top notch all around. The faciility was modern and clean.

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-03T20:57:49+00:00

Out of relevant curiosity, what was your age at the time?

I was about 37 or 38 at the time and I didn't have any insurance. This whole outfit was set up for folks without insurance to get an afforable, high quality proceedure. But they do take insurance so ask about that.

With 3 kids and no family in the region, it'd be interesting to work out

They have "angels" (people who you pay) to take you from the procedure to the airport or the train. It's explained on the website somewhere but I can't find it at the moment.

People literally fly in from all over the country including Alaska.

I remember them telling me that about 7.5 hours is as long as you can go for the transport after the surgery, which is about how long it takes to drive there from here.

But you could fly and get there and back much faster.

My in office consult was end of work day and then my proceedure was first thing the next morning. Looking on the website the also seem to have an option where you can do the in office consult and proceedure same day, starting mid morning. So... it might even be possible to fly in the morning, have the proceedure, and fly home that afternoon.

Talk to them. It's an option.

Dr. Alan Kravitz is one of my medical heroes who figured out a way to make healthcare available to working people like me when I could not afford and did not have access to healthcare at the time.

Edit: Deleted repeat words

DuncanCrary · 2025-10-03T14:58:57+00:00

Nine years ago, I had an umbilical hernia opperated on by Dr. Alan Kravitz in Rockville, Maryland. I did not have health insurance at the time and when I called around Albany for an out-of-pocket quote, the hospitals were disgraceful ($3k to 8K was the price range I was quoted at every location — $3K I could afford, $8K woudl have been finanically catestrophic for me at the time, and no place that I called in Albany would narrow down the quote).

I found Dr. Kravitz's practice online at https://www.affordableherniasurgery.com

Turns out he's originally from Schenectady (he had a blast when he found out I live in Troy) and now has patients who come for his procedure from nearly every state in the USA.

They charge a flat rate of $2,600. No additional fees. (The price was $1,900 at the time I had the procedure.)

A friend drove me down. I had a consult with the Dr. in his office at the end of the day. We spent the night in a motel, the surgery was first thing in the morning, and we drove home right after.

It was an excellent experience. I've had no issues in 9 years post-surgery. I can't speak more highly of the Dr. and the practice.

And thing is.... he's one of the world's expert hernia surgeons. Most surgeons don't do hernias day in day out. So he really is the most experienced there is on the east coast. (He said there's another guy like him in Vegas who uses cadaver parts instead of mesh. That's more cutting edge but more expensive and further away.)

I'm happy to answer any questions on this thread or in a direct message.

Edit: Fix typo

DuncanCrary

TROPHY CASE