The streets of
Albany,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
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* '' ...
have had a long history going back almost 400 years. Many of the streets have changed names over the course of time, some have changed names many times. Some streets no longer exist, others have changed course. Some roads existed only on paper. The oldest streets were haphazardly laid out with no overall plan until
Simeon De Witt
Simeon De Witt (December 25, 1756 – December 3, 1834) was Geographer and Surveyor General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and Surveyor General of the State of New York for the fifty years from 1784 until his death.
Life ...
's 1794 street grid plan. The plan had two grids, one west of Eagle Street and the old stockade, and another for the
Pastures District south of the old stockade.
Early colonial streets
These streets had their starts during the Dutch colonial era in the 17th century, some such as Broadway, State, and Pearl streets grew and continued to stretch out into the countryside, while some such as Van Tromp are short stubby streets one block long. Others are so narrow that today they are blocked off to vehicular traffic.
State Street
Albany's original "
main street". The original name was Yonker Street, it and Broadway are the two oldest streets in Albany. Three structures sat in the middle of the street, from east to west they were- the original Dutch Reformed church,
St. Peter's Anglican Church, and
Fort Frederick; by 1810 they had been demolished.
State Street west of Eagle Street was called Deer Street, today it is sometimes referred to as "upper" State Street to distinguish it from the older "lower" State Street. "Upper" State Street is a one-way street traveling east and goes from a Y-intersection with Western Avenue and continues east to Eagle Street. There are two other discontinuous sections of State Street, one is blocked from "upper" State Street by the downtown campus of the
University at Albany, SUNY
The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...
(SUNY Albany) and is a one-way street travelling west from Cortland Place to O'Leary Boulevard (Partridge Street) then is blocked by the downtown dorms of SUNY Albany, Albany High School, and St. Mary's Park. The next section goes from North Main to North Pine streets. State Street from Broadway to Eagle Street is part of
New York Route 5, though this is an unsigned part of the route.
Broadway
Called Handalaers Street on the Miller map of 1695. One of the original streets within the Dutch stockade, it and State Street are the two oldest streets in Albany. The intersection with Yonker (State) Street is where the original Dutch Church sat until 1806. North of State Street it became known as Market Street. The second oldest house in Albany, the
Quackenbush House
Quackenbush House is a historic building in Albany, New York. It is a house with a double-pitched gable roof that was built in about 1736. an''Accompanying five photos, exterior and interior, from c. 1886, c. 1920, 1969, and undated''/ref> It was ...
was built along Broadway. Handalaers Street was changed to Market Street, and then in 1815 Court Street became South Market and Market became North Market.
[ Broadway from Madison Avenue north out of the city was once ]New York Route 2
New York State Route 2 (NY 2) is a state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with Interstate 87 (I-87) and NY 7 in the town of Colonie to the Massachusetts ...
until the 1980s. The only portion of Broadway within the city of Albany that is part of a state or US route is a small section from State Street south to Hamilton Street is part of New York Route 5, though unsigned as such.
Pearl Street
Another early Dutch street today it is part of NY Route 32 (NY 32) and is a core of downtown Albany, lined with bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues such as the Times Union Center
The MVP Arena (originally Knickerbocker Arena, and then the Pepsi Arena and Times Union Center) is an indoor arena located in Albany, New York. It is configurable and can accommodate from 6,000 to 17,500 people, with a maximum seating capacity ...
, the Palace Theatre, and the Capital Repertory Theatre. The intersection with State Street was once called Elm Street Corner, where stood an Elm Tree
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of Nor ...
planted by Philip Livingston
Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposing economic sanctions upon Great B ...
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
. South of State Street the road was a path to the common pastures owned by the Dutch Church, it was one of many such paths referred to as "Cow Lane". After the Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
it was named Washington Street in honor of George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
. In 1814/15 Pearl Street north of State was renamed North Pearl while the street south of State was renamed South Pearl. In 1804 the Albany and Bethlehem Turnpike was chartered and constructed as a continuation of South Pearl Street through the hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of Kenwood to the hamlet of Bethlehem Center. In 1870 a portion of Kenwood was annexed to Albany and the city was involved in a lawsuit (''Harriet M. Elmendorf v. The City of Albany'') over its right to lay sidewalks along the turnpike (technically private property) and to levy an assessment upon property in order to cover the cost of the sidewalk.
The entire length of Pearl Street was part of NY 32 until the 1960s, today going north NY 32 leaves South Pearl Street at Interstate 787
Interstate 787 (I-787) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of New York. I-787 is the main highway for those traveling into and out of downtown Albany. The southern terminus is, per New York traffic data, at the toll plaza ...
(I-787) and returns to South Pearl at the intersection with Rensselaer and Morton streets.
Hudson Avenue
Originally called Hudson Street it laid along the southern edge of the stockade, the oldest building in Albany is at 48 Hudson Avenue and built at a time when Hudson Street was little more than a path along the outside of the stockade. Over time it was continued west as far as Washington Park. On the other side of Washington Park, Hudson Street started again along the same line. When the Nelson A. Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979), sometimes referred to by his nickname Rocky, was an American businessman and politician who served as the 41st vice president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. A member of t ...
Empire State Plaza was built a large section of Hudson Avenue disappeared. Today Hudson Ave is split into four sections. Hudson Ave exists from Broadway until South Pearl Street where the South Mall Arterial
The South Mall Arterial is a expressway in Albany, New York, in the United States. It begins at an intersection with Swan Street and runs eastward under the Empire State Plaza to the west end of the Dunn Memorial Bridge, where the highway ends at ...
and Empire State Plaza covers its route, then again from Swan Street to Willett Street where Washington Park stands in the way, then South Lake to Partridge where the College of Saint Rose
The College of Saint Rose is a private Roman Catholic college in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1920 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet as a women's college. It became fully co-educational in 1969; the following year, the college ad ...
sits, and then Hudson Ave continues from Main to Allen.
Maiden Lane and Pine Street
Maiden Lane and Pine Street are two parallel streets with an entwined history. Maiden Lane is the older of the two, it was one of the original streets within the stockade and was called Rom Street. Being one block north of State Street it was often used as a service road for the buildings fronting on the north side of State. Maiden Lane ran from Fort Albany and western edge of the stockade east to the Hudson River, where there was a ferry that crossed to the other side of the river. After Fort Albany and the stockade were removed Maiden Lane was extended west as far as Eagle Street where it met the Kings Highway from Schenectady (today Washington Avenue).[
Pine Street was originally a short two block street running west from Barrack Street (now Chapel) to the stockade and later as far as the Public Square (today Eagle Street).][ A proposal in 1831 to extend Pine from Chapel east to Broadway at a cost of $45–60,000 was defeated. In the 1970s an urban renewal project called the Hotel Ten Eyck Project destroyed Maiden Lane between Chapel and North Pearl streets, while Pine Street was finally extended east from Chapel to Broadway to take up the traffic that could no longer use Maiden Lane.
Maiden Lane between Eagle and Chapel streets has since been renamed Corning Place in honor of Mayor ]Erastus Corning 2nd
Erastus Corning 2nd (October 7, 1909 – May 28, 1983) was an American politician. A Democrat, Corning served as the 72nd mayor of Albany, New York from 1942 to 1983, when Albany County was controlled by one of the last classic urban political ...
, and the section between North Pearl and James streets is the only section named Maiden still open to vehicular traffic, the rest of the remaining sections being turned into a pedestrian mall. The Hudson River Way pedestrian bridge over Interstate 787 goes from where Maiden Lane meets Broadway and allows for access to the Corning Preserve and Hudson River.
Clinton Avenue
Formerly Patroon Street, named for being the dividing line of the city of Albany to the south and the patroonship of the Van Rensselaers to the north per the Dongan Charter
The ''Dongan Charter'' is the 1686 document incorporating Albany, New York, as a city. Albany's charter was issued by Governor Thomas Dongan of the Province of New York, a few months after Governor Dongan issued a similarly worded, but less det ...
. It was renamed in honor of DeWitt Clinton as Clinton Avenue.
De Witt streets
In the 1790s Simeon De Witt
Simeon De Witt (December 25, 1756 – December 3, 1834) was Geographer and Surveyor General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and Surveyor General of the State of New York for the fifty years from 1784 until his death.
Life ...
made a grid plan for future streets in Albany, one grid for west of Eagle Street and one grid for the Pastures. West of Eagle Street the east–west streets were named for mammals while the north–south streets were named for birds. The bird names were, in order from east to west- Eagle, Hawk, Swan, Dove, Lark, Swallow (Knox and Henry Johnson Boulevard), Snipe (Lexington Avenue, portion of New Scotland Avenue), Duck (now Robin), Pigeon (now Lake Avenue), Turkey (Quail), Sparrow (Ontario), and Partridge. The mammal streets were, in order from north to south- Hare (Orange), Fox (Sheridan Avenue), Elk, Lion (Washington Avenue), Deer (State), Tiger (Lancaster), Buffaloe 'sic''.html" ;"title="sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''">sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''(Hudson Avenue), Wolf (Madison Avenue), Otter (Elm), and Mink (Myrtle). Many of these streets were not brand new though the names were. Prior to the 1790s- Eagle was Duke, Swan was Boscawen, Dove was Warren, Lark was Johnson, Swallow was Gage, Snipe was Schenectady, Duck was Schoharie, Hare was Wall, Fox was Howe, Lion was King, "upper" State was Prince, Tiger was Prideaux, Buffalo was Quiter (Native American name given to Albany's first mayor), Otter was Pitt, and Mink was Monckton.[Tony Opalka (City Historian), "Why are so many streets named after birds?", ''Capital Neighbors'', Spring 2010, p. 3.]
With the exception of Elk Street all the mammal names were changed over time. Many of the mammal streets changed names to that of the older downtown streets as they were later connected, such as Buffaloe Street changing to Hudson (Street) Avenue, and Deer Street changing to State Street. A few of the bird streets were changed as well, such as Snipe to Lexington Avenue and Swallow to Knox; while some bird-named streets simply changed to a more respected bird; such as Duck to Robin and Turkey to Quail. Because of ravines, swamps, and other undesirable building ground some of the streets were not opened over their entire planned length, leading to large gaps in street numbering. Some of the undesirable land would in time be taken by parks or large institutions, forever splitting some streets into two, three, or even four parts.
Madison Avenue
Madison Ave was originally two separate streets in the De Witt plan, Lydius Street in the Pastures from the Hudson River to Dallius Street (Dongan Street), and named Wolf Street west from Eagle Street. As time went on and Lydius Street headed uphill from South Pearl that section came to be called "Lydius continued". Wolf Street would change to Lydius when the roads were connected at Eagle. What is now Madison Place was called Madison Avenue, Lydius would take the name Madison Ave and Madison Place would get its current name. In 1864 the state of New York passed Laws of 1864 Chapter 434, entitled ''AN ACT to amend an act entitled "An act to form a separate road district of all that part of the city of Albany lying west of Allen street, and to exempt the same from certain taxes."'', banned the city from improving, grading, or opening Madison Ave west from Allen Street to Magazine Street. Allen Street continues to be the western termination of Madison Ave, the street never being opened any further.
In the west Madison Ave meets Western Avenue at a wye-intersection, it is referred to as "The Point" and it was here that the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad, the first railroad in the state of New York, had its Albany terminal. The right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
of Wolf Street/Lydius Street was to continue indefinitely, and today East Lydius Street in the town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
of Guilderland continues down the same line of the original plan of Wolf Street. The same is true of Madison Avenue Extension and much of Washington Avenue Extension in the Pine Bush of the city of Albany. In 1994 the city sold the "paper street
A paper street or paper road is a street or road that appears on maps but has not been built. Paper streets generally occur when city planners or subdivision developers lay out and dedicate streets that are never built. Commercial street map ...
" of Madison Avenue Extension adjacent to Crossgates Commons
Crossgates Commons is a large shopping plaza in Albany, New York along Washington Avenue Extension. It is owned and managed by Pyramid Management Group, Inc., who also own and manage the nearby Crossgates Mall.
History
Crossgates Commons is ...
to the shopping center's then-owner Washington Commons Associates (today The Pyramid Companies
Pyramid Management Group (also known as The Pyramid Companies) is a development firm formed in 1968 in Upstate New York, by Robert J. Congel. It is the largest privately held shopping mall development firm in the Northeastern United States, wit ...
).
Today, Madison Avenue from South Pearl Street west, forms part
Part, parts or PART may refer to:
People
*Armi Pärt (born 1991), Estonian handballer
* Arvo Pärt (born 1935), Estonian classical composer
*Brian Part (born 1962), American child actor
*Dealtry Charles Part (1882–1961), sheriff (1926–1927) a ...
of U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
. Madison Avenue forms the majority of the northern border of the Mansion Historic District, and has along its route Bleecker Park
Bleecker Park is a small urban park in Albany, New York. The park is triangle-shaped, bounded by Madison Place to the south, Madison Avenue to the north, and Eagle Street to the west. The Cathedral of Immaculate Conception is across Eagle Stree ...
, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Empire State Plaza, New York State Museum
The New York State Museum is a research-backed institution in Albany, New York, United States. It is located on Madison Avenue, attached to the south side of the Empire State Plaza, facing onto the plaza and towards the New York State Capitol. ...
, Dana Park, Washington Park, College of Saint Rose
The College of Saint Rose is a private Roman Catholic college in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1920 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet as a women's college. It became fully co-educational in 1969; the following year, the college ad ...
, and one of only two movie theaters in the city.
Washington Avenue
Originally King Street until the 1790 De Witt plan, it then became Lion Street. It was the beginning of the "King's Highway", a series of paths to Schenectady
Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
. Washington Avenue begins in the east at Eagle Street and from there it is New York Route 5 until the Y-intersection where Central Avenue splits to the north-east, NY 5 then follows Central. Washington Avenue from Quail Street to Manning Boulevard was in the late 1890s given by the state to the Washington Park Board of Commissioners to improve as a "speedway" or "public driveway". Today many important locations sit along Washington Ave such as the New York State Capitol
The New York State Capitol, the seat of the Government of New York State, New York state government, is located in Albany, New York, Albany, the List of U.S. state capitals, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The seat o ...
, New York State Education Building
The New York State Education Building (commonly known as the State Education Building) is a state office building in Albany, New York, Albany, New York (state), New York. It houses offices of the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and was ...
, the Alfred E. Smith Building, One Commerce Plaza
One Commerce Plaza, also known as the Twin Towers, is an office building located at 99 Washington Avenue in downtown Albany, New York. At 20 floors and , it is the thirteenth tallest structure in Albany. Although it is a privately owned office to ...
, downtown campus of SUNY Albany, the Albany High School, the W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus, and the uptown campus of SUNY Albany. At Fuller Road, Washington Avenue becomes Washington Avenue Extension (NY Route 910D), to New Karner Road ( NY Route 155). The extension is a four-lane divided highway with at-grade crossings and access roads flanking the road hosting office parks and Crossgates Commons
Crossgates Commons is a large shopping plaza in Albany, New York along Washington Avenue Extension. It is owned and managed by Pyramid Management Group, Inc., who also own and manage the nearby Crossgates Mall.
History
Crossgates Commons is ...
. Crossgates Commons is home to the largest Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. There is one limited-access exit, it allows access to and from Crossgates Mall
Crossgates Mall is an enclosed, automobile-oriented, super-regional shopping mall located in the Albany, New York suburb of Guilderland. It is the largest indoor shopping center in the Capital District, and the third largest in the State of New ...
in the neighboring town of Guilderland.
Lark Street
Lark Street
Lark Street is a historic street in Albany, New York, USA. It is part of the Arbor Hill, Sheridan Hollow, Center Square, Park South and Hudson/Park neighborhoods, and is located one block east of Washington Park. Lark Street is the site of man ...
is the main street of Midtown Albany, as well as the Hudson/Park and Center Square neighborhoods. Lark Street, like all the bird streets from De Witt's plan runs north–south. Lark runs north from Myrtle Avenue to Clinton Avenue, a second section starts on Clinton Ave just east of the first section and runs north to Manning Boulevard. On paper Lark Street still runs from Myrtle Ave south to the intersection of Morton Avenue and Hackett Boulevard though this section is not currently built, with the exception of a short common access for a Walgreens
Walgreen Company, d/b/a Walgreens, is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, an ...
and McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
on Morton Ave. From Madison Ave to Clinton Ave, Lark Street is US Route 9W
U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...
.
Knox Street/Northern Boulevard/Henry Johnson Boulevard
Swallow Street (whose name was Gage prior to 1790) was one of the few bird streets whose name was not kept, its name being changed to Knox Street in 1809. Knox Street would stretch north from Myrtle Avenue to Clinton Avenue, and eventually to Livingston Avenue. In 1896 Northern Boulevard was built from that intersection of Knox and Livingston north to Van Rensselaer Boulevard, including a 653-foot-long bridge over Tivoli Hollow and the New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...
's tracks, a modern bridge still carries Northern Boulevard at that location. In 1898 a 759-foot-long bridge was built to carry Knox from Central Avenue over Sheridan Hollow to Sheridan Avenue, and again a modern bridge is there today. When Washington Park was being created, Knox Street between Madison Ave and State Street was purchased in 1880 and all buildings were removed. Knox Street in the park is now a pedestrian mall
Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town reserved for pedestrian-only use and in whi ...
, called the Knox Street Mall; it is the only straight path in the park. Later, Knox Street from State to Livingston would be changed to Northern Boulevard to match the street it met up with, this left the name Knox Street as only the three blocks between Myrtle and Madison in the Park South neighborhood. In 1991 Northern Boulevard from Livingston to State along with its extension within Washington Park to Madison Avenue at Willett Street was renamed Henry Johnson Boulevard in honor of an African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
hero. The name Northern Boulevard remains from Livingston to Van Rensselaer Boulevard.
Turnpikes
Starting with the Great Western Turnpike The Great Western Turnpike was a series of east–west toll roads that crossed part of New York in the United States. The toll roads that carried this name were:
*The First Great Western Turnpike, extending from Albany to Cherry Valley over a path ...
in 1799, turnpikes began to radiate out from Albany into the countryside and also formed long distance routes across the state. Often they were built by private corporations with state charters, they originally had tolls. Over time they would be bought out by the city and become city streets, and they would be designated as state and US highways.
Central Avenue
Central Avenue was first called "the Bowery", it was at the Albany end of the many Native American trails linking Albany to Schenectady that would come to be called "King's Highway". Though incorporated as early as 1797 the Albany and Schenectady Turnpike Company did not construct the Albany and Schenectady Turnpike (also known as the Schenectady Turnpike) until 1802 which continued the line of the Bowery straight to Schenectady at State Street. In 1867 Albany changed the name of the Bowery to Central Avenue. Central Ave, which is also New York State Route 5, travels northwest from a Y-intersection with Washington Avenue to the border with the neighboring town of Colonie, just west of the CSXT
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
railroad bridge. Central Avenue is Albany's current Main Street, and is home to Westgate Plaza the Capital District
A capital district, capital region or capital territory is normally a specially designated administrative division where a country's seat of government is located. As such, in a federal model of government, no state or territory has any poli ...
's first "suburban"-style shopping plaza. The section from Washington Avenue west to Watervliet Avenue is more urban with adjacent buildings and on-street parking. While the section from Watervliet Avenue west to city-line tends to be more suburban,[ with little or no on-street parking, large parking lots, shopping plazas, restaurants, large car-dealerships, ]big-box stores
A big-box store (also hyperstore, supercenter, superstore, or megastore) is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a chain of stores. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that operates the store. The te ...
and fast food.
Delaware Avenue
Originally called the Delaware Turnpike because it was built over a Native American trail. The Delaware Turnpike was built by the Albany and Delaware Turnpike company, chartered in 1805 by the state of New York to build a road from Albany to Otego (which then was within Delaware County). The turnpike company had abandoned the road in 1868,[ and the name was changed to Delaware Avenue. Delaware Avenue runs from the intersection of Madison Avenue and Lark Street south and south-west to the city border with the town of ]Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
. Some important locations along the road include Hackett Middle School, Lincoln Park, the Spectrum 8 movie theatre, a public library branch, the City Square Plaza (shopping plaza), and Graceland Cemetery. Delaware Avenue was also part of New York Route 43 until the 1970s when NY 43 was truncated to the intersection of Third and Broadway in the city of Rensselaer, Delaware then became New York State Route 443
New York State Route 443 (NY 443) is an east–west state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. The route begins at an intersection with NY 30 in the town of Schoharie and ends later at a junction with ...
. Delaware Ave is also US Route 9W
U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...
from its intersection with Madison Avenue south to the intersection with Southern Boulevard where 9W leaves for that boulevard.
New Scotland Avenue
The section of New Scotland Avenue from Madison Avenue to Myrtle Avenue was part of the original De Witt "bird-named" street of Snipe Street. The Albany, Rensselaerville, and Schoharie Plank Road would be chartered in 1850 and would build what is now New Scotland Avenue. The plank road would travel to the west and northwest to connect Albany to the hamlet of Hurstville
Hurstville is a suburb in Southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is 16 kilometres south of the Sydney CBD and is part of the St George area. Hurstville is the administrative centre of the local government area of the Georges Riv ...
in the town of Bethlehem, a hamlet that has since been annexed to Albany and no longer exists. The plank road then continued southwest to the Normans Kill (the present-day boundary of the city of Albany) where it crossed on a bridge and continued out to the hamlet of Slingerlands and beyond. The company was allowed to erect toll gates in 1861. New Scotland Avenue was part of New York State Route 85
New York State Route 85 (NY 85) is a state highway in Albany County, New York, in the United States. It is in length and runs from CR 353 in Rensselaerville to Interstate 90 (I-90) exit 4 in Albany. It also has a loop ...
from 1930 until the mid-1960s when the Slingerlands Bypass was constructed and NY 85 was rerouted on to it and the Crosstown Arterial to end at Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
.
Today New Scotland Avenue has many colleges, hospitals, office buildings, and commercial/retail businesses. Albany Medical Center
Albany Medical Center (AMC) is the name of the umbrella organization over the Albany Medical Center Hospital and Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. Though the name Albany Medical Center referring to the two institutions on their shared c ...
, Albany Law School
Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at A ...
, Albany College of Pharmacy
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (formerly Albany College of Pharmacy) is a private, independent college with campuses in Albany, New York and Colchester, Vermont. ACPHS was named the #1 Value-Added college or university in the cou ...
, Sage College of Albany
Sage College of Albany, SCA for short, was located at 140 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, New York, 12208. Along with Russell Sage College and the Sage Graduate School, it was one of the three colleges that made up The Sage Colleges. It was also ho ...
, a public library branch, a public elementary school and several private schools, St. Peter's Hospital, Maria College, and the Capital Hills At Albany (city-owned golf course) are all along New Scotland Ave.
Other historic streets
Melrose Avenue
This short street bisects the Melrose neighborhood next to the Averell Harriman State Office Campus, it stretches from Winthrop Avenue northwest to Brevator Street. Melrose sits on the right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
of the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad which went from the Y-intersection of Madison and Western avenues to the city of Schenectady.
Manning Boulevard
Originally called Northern Boulevard the first section built in 1876 by the Board of Commissioners of Washington Park at the same time as Washington Park.[ It was also referred to as Boulevard. That first section constructed was just east of the toll-booth on Western Avenue, north and east to intersection of Central and Clinton avenues, at what would be called Manning Square. South of Western Avenue, Manning Boulevard was named Hawkins Avenue. In ''Stvdies for Albany'' (1914) which was commissioned by the city, it was proposed that Manning Boulevard be extended through Hawkins Avenue and continued to New Scotland Avenue and eventually to Delaware Avenue which it would then form a semicircular parkway around the city.] The boulevard received its current name in honor of Daniel Manning, a former park commissioner and Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
under President
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Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
.
Manning Boulevard today extends from Whitehall Road northeast to Western Avenue and then northeast and east on to the intersection of Central and Clinton avenues. The boulevard then travels along the western edge of Swinburne Park. It then turns east to Tivoli Park. On the other side of Tivoli Park, Manning Boulevard continues alongside Livingston Middle School to Northern Boulevard. Manning Boulevard starts again to the south where Northern Boulevard turns southwest to join Henry Johnson Boulevard but the road continues southeast as Manning Boulevard. Manning Boulevard finally ends at Livingston Avenue across from Ten Broeck Street. Between Western and Washington avenues, Manning Blvd is unusual for an Albany city street for the houses along that section are along frontage roads on either side of that boulevard. There are four intersections for access to and from the frontage roads, including one that is also an intersection for Lancaster Street.
Southern Boulevard
Southern Boulevard is a major arterial in Albany connecting the city to Thruway exit 23 and further south to the suburbs in Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
. Construction of Southern Boulevard was authorized by the state in Chapter 295 of the Laws of 1913 as a highway starting in the city at Delaware Avenue through what was then part of Bethlehem, over the Normans Kill gorge and meeting the Albany-Bethlehem Turnpike (also referred to as the Bethlehem or Stone Road) at what is today the intersection of Corning Hill Road and US Route 9W
U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...
. An original proposal for the route of the highway was down Van Vechten Street between Delaware and McCarty avenues. The road was finished in 1916.
Southern Boulevard begins at an intersection with Delaware Avenue opposite the City Square Plaza, US 9W turns onto Southern from Delaware. Southern proceeds southeast to meet McAlpin Street, at which point McAlpin takes the name Southern and the US 9W designation. Southern continues east and after the intersection with the southern terminus of Interstate 787
Interstate 787 (I-787) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of New York. I-787 is the main highway for those traveling into and out of downtown Albany. The southern terminus is, per New York traffic data, at the toll plaza ...
(I-787), the name Southern Blvd/US 9W turns south while the street continues east as McCarty Avenue. Southern at this point becomes a 4 lane highway and passes over I-787. Exit 23 of Interstate 87/NYS Thruway has entrance and exit ramps meeting Southern Blvd and I-787 has a northbound entrance ramp accessible only for the northbound Southern Blvd lanes. The Thruway Authority headquarters are on the west side of the street before the boulevard leaves the city on a viaduct over the Normans Kill.
Numbered streets/avenues
There are three sets of numbered roads in Albany, a set of four avenues in the South End, a set of three streets in Arbor Hill, and another set of three streets in North Albany. Second, Third, and Fourth avenues in the South End were until 1873 named Whitehall Road, Van Vechten Street, and Nucella Street. Second and Third streets in Arbor Hill were Elizabeth and John.[ ]Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
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Daniel P. O'Connell was born at 1 Second Ave on the corner with South Pearl Street, where a historical marker has commemorated the spot since 1986.
Limited-access highways
Starting with the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway in the mid-1950s Albany has had several limited-access highway
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
s planned for connecting it with other cities in the Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States, also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast, is a geographic region of the United States. It is located on the Atlantic coast of North America, with Canada to its north, the Southe ...
and beyond. Many of these highways were never built, while some were only partially built.
New York State Thruway
In 1952-3 Albany's portion of the Thruway was built, connecting Albany to the other major cities of the state- New York
New York most commonly refers to:
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, Schenectady, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester
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, and Buffalo. It is at Albany that the north-bound highway from Downstate turns west. The highway enters Albany from Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
over the Normans Kill
The Normans Kill is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 creek in New York's Capital District located in Schenectady and Albany counties. It flows southeas ...
. Shortly after entering Albany is exit 23, the second busiest exit in the Thruway system, which connects the Thruway to Southern Boulevard (US Route 9W
U.S. Route 9W (US 9W) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the states of New Jersey and New York. It begins in Fort Lee, New Jersey, as Fletcher Avenue crosses the US 1–9, US 46, and the Interstate 95 (I-95) approache ...
) which is a surface street, and to Interstate 787
Interstate 787 (I-787) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of New York. I-787 is the main highway for those traveling into and out of downtown Albany. The southern terminus is, per New York traffic data, at the toll plaza ...
. The Thruway then turns northwest and passes under Delaware and New Scotland avenues before briefly leaving the city right before reaching the Slingerlands Bypass ( New York Route 85). The Thruway again reenters the city after a short stretch in Bethlehem to pass under Krumkill Road before leaving the city once more by way of a bridge over the Krum Kill. The Thruway enters Albany one last time by passing underneath Washington Avenue Extension from Guilderland. Exit 24, the busiest exit on the Thruway, is here at the western end of Albany where the Thruway changes from being Interstate 87 to being Interstate 90. The Thruway then parallels Washington Avenue Ext as it leaves the city one last time.
Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
enters the City of Albany in its western panhandle, as a toll road, the New York State Thruway
{{Infobox road
, state = NY
, type = NYST
, alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway
, maint = NYSTA
, map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...
. However, soon after entering the city limits, the Thruway switches onto Interstate 87, with I-90 becoming a six-lane freeway. This portion of I-90 runs through the north side of Albany, near its border with the neighboring town of Colonie. The highway provides access to SUNY Albany's Uptown Campus (via interchanges with Fuller Road and Washington Avenue), as well as a direct connection to the W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus. Meanwhile, just east of the state office campus interchange, I-90 represents the northern terminus of the Crosstown Arterial (signed as New York State Route 85
New York State Route 85 (NY 85) is a state highway in Albany County, New York, in the United States. It is in length and runs from CR 353 in Rensselaerville to Interstate 90 (I-90) exit 4 in Albany. It also has a loop ...
). Moving further east, I-90 provides indirect access to Central Avenue via the Everett Road exit, a direct connection to the Corporate Woods office park, and closer to downtown, interchanges with the truncated Mid-Crosstown Arterial (signed as U.S. Route 9
U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...
) with access to Loudonville to the north and the Arbor Hill neighborhood of Albany. Finally, I-90 meets I-787, which passes through Downtown Albany to the south and the village of Menands to the north, before crossing the Hudson River and moving into Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the ...
.
Interstate 787
Interstate 787
Interstate 787 (I-787) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US state of New York. I-787 is the main highway for those traveling into and out of downtown Albany. The southern terminus is, per New York traffic data, at the toll plaza ...
connects the Thruway with downtown Albany and also connects Albany with points north in Albany County, such as Watervliet, Green Island, and Cohoes. Exits 2, 3(a and b), 4 (a and b), and 5 are within the city. The first stretch was constructed in the 1960s.
Crosstown Arterial
The Crosstown Arterial, signed as New York State Route 85
New York State Route 85 (NY 85) is a state highway in Albany County, New York, in the United States. It is in length and runs from CR 353 in Rensselaerville to Interstate 90 (I-90) exit 4 in Albany. It also has a loop ...
, is a four-lane divided highway serving western sections of Albany, particularly the Buckingham Lake and Campus neighborhoods. Although Route 85 signed as a west-to-east route, the Crosstown Arterial portion generally moves from northeast to southwest while in the City of Albany. The arterial begins at Route 85's eastern terminus, an interchange with Interstate 90. The westbound side of the Crosstown Arterial has interchanges with Washington Avenue, the State Office Campus, Daytona Avenue (providing access to US 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...
/Western Avenue), and Krumkill Road. Beyond Krumkill Road just prior to crossing the NYS Thruway, the Crosstown Arterial enters the town of Bethlehem, and in that town changes from a limited access highway
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
to a two-lane surface street, referred to as the Slingerlands Bypass. On the eastbound side, the Crosstown Arterial has slightly different exits, sharing the Krumkill Road and State Office Campus interchanges, but providing access to US 20 via Ormond Street, and lacking a Washington Avenue interchange. Instead, the final exit on the eastbound side of the Crosstown Arterial before its terminus at I-90 is an interchange with Lincoln Avenue, a surface road which terminates at the arterial. The Lincoln Avenue exit allows access to Washington Avenue via Colvin Avenue, and various side street.
Northway/Fuller Road Alternate
The Northway, the part of Interstate 87 (I-87) north of the New York State Thruway, was built in segments, which became I-87 as they were completed and linked to the pre-existing route. Construction began in the late 1950s on the portion of the Northway between the Thruway and NY 7 near Latham. This segment was open to traffic by 1960.
Fuller Road Alternate, the lone portion of the Adirondack Northway not part of I-87, was originally intended to be part of the Southern Albany Expressway, a proposed highway which would have connected the Northway to Interstate 787 and run parallel to the Thruway between exits 23 and 24.
Exit 1 of the Northway is the only exit on the highway that is within Albany, it connects the highway to Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
(I-90). The highway connects Albany to the suburbs to the north such as Latham, and Clifton Park; the resorts of Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...
and Lake George; and on to Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...
and Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
.
South Mall Expressway
The South Mall Expressway connects S. Swan Street with Interstate 787, and goes underneath the Empire State Plaza.
See also
*History of Albany, New York
The history of Albany, New York began long before the first interaction of Europeans with the native Indian tribes, as they had long inhabited the area. The area was originally inhabited by an Algonquian Indian tribe, the Mohican, as well as the ...
*Neighborhoods of Albany, New York
The neighborhoods of Albany, New York are listed below.
Arbor Hill
Arbor Hill is an historic neighborhood in northeastern Albany near the Hudson River. Arbor Hill encompasses the area from Clinton Avenue (formerly called Patroon Street) north ...
References
Further reading
* Joel Munsell (1869)
''The Annals of Albany''
Joel Munsell.
*University Art Museum(2002),
State Street Stories
', University at Albany, SUNY
The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...
.
James' Eights Albany
images of Albany streets from 1805 and 2005.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Streets Of Albany, New York
Albany
Transportation in Albany, New York
z