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Post by dgriffin on Mar 18, 2009 8:40:05 GMT -5
Press "reply," Fiona, and take it away!Below is the Olbiston, a similar building that was two stories shorter than the Genesee Flats. 
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Post by concerned on Mar 18, 2009 9:39:06 GMT -5
It looks clean in that picture. The place is a dump. It is currently for sale. I understand from people who live there( when I go to rite aid i get the bus back from there) and most are nuts or are drugs or have some form of wonderment about them, that the place is full of rodents, etc. one lady said to me she was ready to go to bed and three mice were on her bed. The place is full of dogs and cats and if ya stand outside you can smell it. One colorful Vietnamese refugie has lived there for years, he usually stands on the corner and plays his guitar and sings for the passer-bys!
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Post by Clipper on Mar 18, 2009 11:30:09 GMT -5
Great start Dave. I can't wait to see what Fiona posts. I hope she is able to bring most of the history that she had posted on CYN Forum over here. It was very interesting and it would be great to see the discussion continued on here.
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Post by fiona on Mar 18, 2009 22:29:42 GMT -5
I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL, THAT YOU MAY NOT LIKE THE BUILDING, OR APPROVE OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT, HOWEVER, "TRASHING THE BUILDING' AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE IS NOT AND WILL NOT BE THE FOCUS OF MY BLOG AND IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT RESPOND IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM TO ANY NEGATIVE POSTS. I HAVE BEEN ON WEBSITES WHERE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOM I BELIVE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER HAD ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT THE BUILDING. AS A MATTER OF FACT, "TRASHING THE OLBISTON ON LINE " HAS BECOME A BIT OF A NATIONAL PASTIME IN UTICA. I AM RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDINGS BUILT BY NUNN, NORTHRUP AND LATCHER BETWEEN 1890 AND 1900 AND WILL CONFINE MY COMMENTS TO THAT ASPECT ONLY. ALSO, MANY THANKS TO DAVE WHO IS MY RESEARCH BUDDY AND WHO HAS BEEN AN IMMENSE HELP TO ME IN THIS PROJECT.  DAVE, THE POSTCARD IS BEAUTIFUL, THIS SHOWS THE OLBISTON ABOUT 1912. THIS POST CARD I BELIVE WAS PRINTED IN GERMANY, I HAVE IT, THAT IS WHY IT SHOWS THE BUILDING AS GREY TONE. I WILL BEGIN MY BLOG TOMORROW AND HOPE THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC WILL BEGIN TO SEE WHAT FINE OLD BUILDINGS THESE ARE, WHY THEY WERE BUILT AND THE IMMENSE AMOUNTOF HISTORY SURROUNDING THEM. BEST WISHES TO ALL. FIONA |
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Post by fiona on Mar 18, 2009 22:34:50 GMT -5
SUPREME GALACTIC BEING: YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT THE VIETMANESE REFUGEE. HIS NAME IS RAINBOW, HE LIVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IS AN EXCELLENT AND DECENT PERSON. RAINBOW IS FROM KOREA AND QUITE A TALENTED MUSICIAN, A VERY KIND AND LOVING SOUL. PLEASE POST WHEN YOU GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT.
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Post by fiona on Mar 18, 2009 22:40:12 GMT -5
CLIPPER: SO GLAD TO MEET YOU. I AM GOING TO TRY TOMORROW TO TRANSCRIBE SOME OF MY MATERIAL TO YOUR WEBSITE. I THINK YOU WILL ENJOY MY THREAD AND I ENCOURAGE ANYONE WITH QUESTIONS TO ASK AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER. WHEN I BEGIN I WILL ATTEMPT TO AUTHENTICATE MY RESEARCH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH SITE PLACES, RESOURCES AND FOOTNOTES. MY RESEARCH COMES FROM VARIOUS PLACES, INCLUDING PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, INTERVIEWS, NEWSPAPERS, PHOTOS, ARCHIVES AND WEB SITES. SEE YOU TOMORROW. AND THANK YOU, CLIPPER, FOR A GREAT UTICA FORUM.
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Post by golden on Mar 18, 2009 22:48:33 GMT -5
Fiona,
Please turn the caps off.
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Post by dgriffin on Mar 18, 2009 23:21:14 GMT -5
Hi Fiona, glad you made it here. I'll second Golden's suggestion ... the caps are very hard to read. Don't let Concerned bother you, He's mad at the world this week. This month. Anyway, Rainbow sounds like an interesting person and I'd like to meet him sometime. We have quite a successful Korean community across the river and down a bit in Poughkeepsie. We know a few of them ... one is my orthopedist ... and they have a truly pleasant and varied culture, having been invaded by so many nations over the centuries. At an event held at their Methodist church especially for non-Koreans a few years ago, where we sampled different foods, some exotic, others not, I remember being especially moved by their music, which was very western to the ear. (They may have played only those pieces on purpose, of course.) They're not only very hardworking people, but extremely loyal and helpful, those I've met at least. I always laugh when I visit my orthopedist (even when I'm in pain), because he learned his social manners in a very Christian environment and he greets everyone with a big hug. I've never been hugged by my doctor before.  |
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Post by dgriffin on Mar 18, 2009 23:24:15 GMT -5
These postcards are prints of early photographs of the Olbiston, a 5 story building that replaced the 7 story Genesee Flats after that structure burned to the ground in 1896. Early photos were often colored with paints by a skilled artist.  |
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Post by fiona on Mar 19, 2009 0:19:10 GMT -5
Dave: Thanks for the 2nd beautiful postcard. I have already moved beyond "concerned". I felt the need to establish some professional parameters and rightly so. Will begin tomorrow. Please post date of this postcard if you have it. To all others out of town, he address of the Olbiston apts shown on the card is 1431 Genesee street, Utica NY. The building was constructed in 1896 out of red medina sanstone and currently has 160 apts. Best to all. Fiona
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Post by dgriffin on Mar 19, 2009 8:03:23 GMT -5
Dave: Thanks for the 2nd beautiful postcard. I have already moved beyond "concerned". I felt the need to establish some professional parameters and rightly so. Will begin tomorrow. Please post date of this postcard if you have it. To all others out of town, he address of the Olbiston apts shown on the card is 1431 Genesee street, Utica NY. The building was constructed in 1896 out of red medina sanstone and currently has 160 apts. Best to all. Fiona Fiona, Wow! upper and lower case makes your writing come into focus as though I'd adjusted a pair of binoculars! How easy it is to read now. The file name is "obliston1916.jpg", so I assume the postcard owner believed that's when the photo was taken. I lifted the digital image from eBay, if I remember correctly. (I love the Internet; I hope it doesn't ever get me arrested. ) Today, if I get down in my lair, I'll make a first attempt to scan the terrific large photo you sent me of the building. I wish my scanner was large enough to do it in a single scan, but I'll try to match up two scans and we'll see what we get. I'll also scan the Opera House, about which I'd like to know more. I'm finishing up a story or two today. It's raining this morning, a perfect day to write. |
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Post by concerned on Mar 19, 2009 10:26:36 GMT -5
Please turn off the caps, makes you appear mad. Rainbow appearence goes well with that area. Hopefully the Obleston will be sold and cleaned up. It is a disgrace. I'd rather view fountain elms.
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Post by fiona on Mar 19, 2009 10:29:17 GMT -5
OK. Dave, as I am going to begin with the history of the Genesee Flats and only a very small handful of people know that the building ever even exhisted, no less what it looked like. When I had the print made, the printers eyes popped out. "wow" he said " what city is this in?" History is a timeline, time per se is an artificial concept, invented by man to rationally order his days, so, for all practical purposes, the building " still exhists". It survives as a hologram imprinted over the Olbiston. I know because I see it every day. Will be on line later with beginning posts. thanks, Fiona
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Post by concerned on Mar 19, 2009 10:49:29 GMT -5
I don't see the hologram but the picture is beautiful. Too bad the area couldn't be restored to reflect it. That old building on the corner of Oneida street( around the Grocery Store) must have been a grand building as well.
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Post by Clipper on Mar 19, 2009 11:00:21 GMT -5
Well, hopefully we can calm down and get to the real purpose of the thread, and that is to bring some of Fiona's wonderful historic research and facts to the forum for us to enjoy and discuss. It is a sad coincidence that Dave invited her here to bring her wonderful history talents for us to enjoy, when the CNY Forum was sold and shut down, and then to have Concerned come on line with the very first comment a negative one.   The forum is about "opinion", and we all have one. Concerned is certainly entitled to his opinion, and perfectly within his right to post it. It is just ironic, that it had to be in answer to Fiona's first post. We have all learned to a certain extent to tolerate each others opposing opinions and to remain civil and actually become friends. Fiona, you will find Concerned to be extremely well educated, witty, and also outspoken and opinionated, as am I. You WILL grow to enjoy his wit as well as his wisdom. Once again, welcome to the forum Fiona. Don't take personal offense. It is a great place, and seldom gets hostile in any way. We more or less all fall into an attitude of civility, and true respect for each other. When things get heated, we manage to agree to disagree, or to not take it personal. Personal attacks are not permitted and have not been a problem since the beginning. We all basically get along, and learn to tolerate and even like, some of those that we are not in agreement with. You will learn who is who, and what is what, and will find your own comfort level. You will find that the forum itself, pretty much moderates itself, simply through mutual respect for each other. We ARE a big family, and as such, we don't always agree. I have observed a phenomena here that is different from some forums. On some forums, people find the chink in one's armor, or the buttons that can be pushed. They take every opportunity to push the buttons and inflame others. Here on this forum, it seems that over time, we have learned each other's "buttons" and the major difference is that we have made note, and try NOT to push those buttons, and try NOT to promote hostility or escalate negativity. Take a deep breath, and bring the rest of your wonderful research and history to the forum for us to enjoy and discuss. Today is a brand new day, and even with an eye opening start, you will enjoy the forum and the people immensely. |
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DAVE, THE POSTCARD IS BEAUTIFUL, THIS SHOWS THE OLBISTON ABOUT 1912. THIS POST CARD I BELIVE WAS PRINTED IN GERMANY, I HAVE IT, THAT IS WHY IT SHOWS THE BUILDING AS GREY TONE. I WILL BEGIN MY BLOG TOMORROW AND HOPE THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC WILL BEGIN TO SEE WHAT FINE OLD BUILDINGS THESE ARE, WHY THEY WERE BUILT AND THE IMMENSE AMOUNTOF HISTORY SURROUNDING THEM. BEST WISHES TO ALL. FIONA
The forum is about "opinion", and we all have one. Concerned is certainly entitled to his opinion, and perfectly within his right to post it. It is just ironic, that it had to be in answer to Fiona's first post. We have all learned to a certain extent to tolerate each others opposing opinions and to remain civil and actually become friends. Fiona, you will find Concerned to be extremely well educated, witty, and also outspoken and opinionated, as am I. You WILL grow to enjoy his wit as well as his wisdom.