One of the things that bothers me, the more it starts to leak out about Proctor's, the more you see articles in the paper about how great some new venture down there is working out. What is the point? Do they think there is going to be some kind of imminent "recovery", if they just hang on a little longer?
You know what will save the whole mess? Having the village idiot come on this board and call me names for noticing what is right in front of my face. That will work.
Even if Proctor's was on firm footing, it does not alter the unassailable fact that downtown was largely empty on a key shopping weekend, because all this money poured into downtown, our money, has not resulted in any benefit to us. The one place that was busy last weekend was the library, and they are suffering from budget cuts. Why does the library, which is for all of us equally, have to have its budget cut, if downtown is bringing us all this economic benefit?

Quoted from bumblethru

Businesses (the ones that are there) are barely making it....EVEN THO THEY ARE TAX EXEMPT!!

Which ones are barely making it?

There is more activity there with the SCCC campus and other schools along with the Y but the area seems to be all about restaurants and not practical stores for residents. But I would not say business is hurting there and the buildings are mostlynew and shiny.

Quoted from Jaystreet

There is more activity there with the SCCC campus and other schools along with the Y but the area seems to be all about restaurants and not practical stores for residents. But I would not say business is hurting there and the buildings are mostlynew and shiny.

True, the buildings are becoming mostly new and shiny.

But occupancy is still below 50% for State St from the bridge to the bottom of the hill and all of Erie Blvd.

Keep in mind also that when a giant daytime only corporation replaces ten small businesses, we have a net loss of 9 businesses.

The damm Woolworth's building is even empty again, after bribing company after company to move there.

An area with corporate buildings and some bars and restaurants to feed and entertain them, is basically a corporations park.

Downtown has completely lost any type of actual retail shopping businesses except for a couple art dealers.

After 5pm downtown is just a giant food court with bars for Proctor's and the colleges.

The Metroplex board members are corporate welfare heroes.

  

The area around the post office, city hall, library and police station is always bustling on weekdays, but that doesn't mean business is booming, either. Sometimes the people who are downtown because of the government supported businesses do stop in to some of the Jay Street stores, but underwriting a business so that some of the workers might make a few purchases in the area from time to time does not make economic sense to me. In fact, it sounds like a more perverse form of money laundering.

Do you think the LAZ larking helps or hurts? Seems ridiculous to have guys sitting out there in those little booths when thefirst two hours are free. Maybe just make everything free or have easy electronic slip parking like they have in big cities.

Downtown Schenectady began declining in the late 1960's and early 1970's -- a downward slide that went on for 30 years until the early 2000's.  The best 10 years has seen a steady improvement in Downtown.  Is it perfect?-- no one said it is.  Does it need more stores, offices and residents (living within Downtown)? -- yes.  But it clearly has more businesses and has much more positive activity than it did in the late 1990's.
BTW - Downtown Schenectady is a great place to do your Christmas shopping.  Some very good and interesting stores on Jay Street.

DVOR, you dunce, that doesn't cut it, where are the specifics? In the 70's we had Barney's, Imperial, Jo-Ann Co., Woolworth's, Carls, Wallace Armer....
we also had Jay Street stores. Anyone who doubts me, pick up a December issue of the Schenectady Gazette, and look at all the advertisements for downtown stores. Lying liars depend on other people taking their statements at face value. You'd think Mr. History would know that we can check the record. What decades was Proctor's closed for, DVOR?
With all the money pouring in, why did the library have its budget cut? I thought the new and improved downtown was somehow generating benefits to the city and county. The library is so egalitarian, why isn't that a priority? I see poor people, bringing their kids in there to have access to all that knowledge, all time. People who care about getting their kids started out right, able to think for themselves. Maybe that there is the reason the budget has been cut, we can't have parents raising educated kids.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Downtown Schenectady began declining in the late 1960's and early 1970's -- a downward slide that went on for 30 years until the early 2000's.  The best 10 years has seen a steady improvement in Downtown.  Is it perfect?-- no one said it is.  Does it need more stores, offices and residents (living within Downtown)? -- yes.  But it clearly has more businesses and has much more positive activity than it did in the late 1990's.
BTW - Downtown Schenectady is a great place to do your Christmas shopping.  Some very good and interesting stores on Jay Street.

It's great what taxpayer's money and tax exempt status can do....eh?

And it's STILL the highest taxed in the state!!!!

There were families who did not want to lose the ice at center city, that was an expensive draw to downtown. Sine we subsidize all the stuff down there anyway, I'd just as soon have had improvements made to what was there. Why all the cuts to family venues, in favor of places that serve booze?

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

Downtown Schenectady began declining in the late 1960's and early 1970's -- a downward slide that went on for 30 years until the early 2000's.  The best 10 years has seen a steady improvement in Downtown.  Is it perfect?-- no one said it is.  Does it need more stores, offices and residents (living within Downtown)? -- yes.  But it clearly has more businesses and has much more positive activity than it did in the late 1990's.
BTW - Downtown Schenectady is a great place to do your Christmas shopping.  Some very good and interesting stores on Jay Street.

Yeah, the book store where you pay higher prices AND pay for parking on top of it.

Yeah, a bunch of flea market stores, i.e, USED stuff!


Where on Jay St can you buy the latest DVD and CD's ???
Where on Jay St can you buy children's toys ???
Where on Jay St can you buy clothes  ???
Where on Jay St can you buy jewelry  ???
Where on Jay St can you buy the latest electronic gadgets and those small but much desired household things like a Kitchen Aid  ???
Etc.


Of coruse, no response.

We had stores on Jay Street in the late 1990's. I don't know what he's talking about, and neither does he.

The parking downtown used to be easy, with the free lots, now it is annoying, with the booths, which were necessary because some were hogging the lots meant for visitors to downtown. Also, try using one of those lots when there is a show at Proctor's. Maybe some of Proctor's patrons will see a used couch in a window, and return downtown when the store is open to buy it for someone as a Christmas gift.

Quoted from Madam X

We had stores on Jay Street in the late 1990's. I don't know what he's talking about, and neither does he.

The parking downtown used to be easy, with the free lots, now it is annoying, with the booths, which were necessary because some were hogging the lots meant for visitors to downtown. Also, try using one of those lots when there is a show at Proctor's. Maybe some of Proctor's patrons will see a used couch in a window, and return downtown when the store is open to buy it for someone as a Christmas gift.

Everyone has a unique view of how schenectady used to be vs how it is now. My father was born in a house on schenecta dy st.   If you look at 151 clinton street you will find a parking lot where my grandfathers barber shop used to be. ( next to Baums news room ).

My grandmothers cousins began leaving schenectady in the early 50 s- along with my uncles , who went to cut hair in Hollywood. My father and his friends lleftoo.  Then all of my cousins. According to them this place was dead. DEAD ! I stayed in yates village for many years.



most of you werent born here. You came here - what ? 20 - 30 years ago.. did you come back to inherit your family ' ESTATE '.  if you had been a little smarter you would have given it away and move on - like our familily did.

Quit blaming political leadersship. Schenectady has cancer.  Changing doctors wont help.
When most of you came here, I think you missed the first part of the movie, honest to God. The part where people were leaving.. madam x when you have brain cancer syptoms dont show for a while. By the 90 s what you were looking at was residue.  Now it is residual residue

Ther are no more JOBS ( I hate that word )  jobs come from people that are innovators ? The only innovators are down the street at the GE Global research facility down the street ( where half of the 3600  employees have a Phd.)  Yep more brain power than union college. But they arent creating jobs for anyone living in schenectady.

most of the 4o something posting here have basicly stopped a little short somewhere in there in their thinking and regretfully you are behind the power curve. The citizens of schenectady are banged up- innovation and ambition are no where to be found.

oh and bout myself- im an innovator.  I was inspired melting crayons on the radiator in my bed room at B-14. There is more to life than having a CAREER- like- love, health and being able to meet your financial obligations

schenectady is for old people- like my mom.

It is about leadership, and also about people like you, sombody, with their attitude of contempt for people who choose to live in a city. Schenectady's problems are not so different from a lot of other cities, as we have discussed on this website at length. This area is not poor, what job loss, other areas are much, much worse off, one needs to look at why so many cities have become holes in the affluence doughnuts. It is not because Schenectady is tainted by voodoo, or its citizens are stupid. I don't know what your point is, except to be insulting.
It is not necessary to be employed at GE to live here and pay taxes here. Our taxes are not going where they should go, that's the problem, the government can't save us if it is the government doing the damage. Government does not create jobs. I have a job, you say there are no more jobs, where is all this affluence in this area coming from, then? How is Billy Fucillo selling all those cars, how do the malls keep expanding, how does Saratoga County keep growing?
I'm not a snob, let people think they are better than me because they moved a few miles down the road, I don't care. I'll just remain here, by CHOICE,and try to help people like Vince Riggi, who is SMARTER than all the entitled snots currently plundering our city while people like you provide cover.

Quoted from Sombody

...

Ther are no more JOBS ( I hate that word )  jobs come from people that are innovators ? The only innovators are down the street at the GE Global research facility down the street ( where half of the 3600  employees have a Phd.)  Yep more brain power than union college. But they arent creating jobs for anyone living in schenectady.

...
.

And those that do have the PHd's not only are they not creating any jobs, they are NOT owning a house, nor even renting an apartment IN the city of Schenectady.  You'll find them in Nisky, perhaps Glenville, Guilderland, Altamont, Saratoga Co, Loudonville, buy NOT IN the city of Schenectady.  

If anyone believes otherwise, I trust they can provide proof, names, titles, proof of employment (at GE), and the tax roll showing their name an owner-occupant exemptions such as STAR