urbanhermit
Milkshake
"Domine,miserere nobis"
Posts: 212
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Post by urbanhermit on Mar 18, 2011 17:55:32 GMT -5
This morning on WKTV, Don Shipman and Megan Koskovich were stating that Utica is ranked amongst the saddest cities in the country. Maybe they polled everyone on the day of a snowstorm, but I'd venture to guess that there are a few on this forum that disagree? Our weather may not be the best, but it's tiring always having to defend Utica and all that is good about living here!
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urbanhermit
Milkshake
"Domine,miserere nobis"
Posts: 212
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Post by urbanhermit on Mar 18, 2011 18:00:26 GMT -5
Actually, we had the "honor" of making the top ten of "saddest cities" We just happened to be #179 down the list of the "happiest."
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Post by stoney on Mar 18, 2011 18:31:54 GMT -5
I saw that, too. If I remember right, the list only included 185 cities/Metro-areas.  They considered economic, cultural, & education possibilities also, I believe. |
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Post by Ralph on Mar 19, 2011 1:49:32 GMT -5
And this surprises anyone?
Not to pop anyone’s bubble, but Utica is not all that and a bag of chips. Though we do have an awful lot here to offer, there are many “minuses” that trail along behind us.
Most of the great venues that we have left here to offer are those that were built when the city was flourishing YEARS ago, and if not brought about then, would stand no chance of coming to be now.
The food here? Well the local food is great, but so is the local food in other places. I can get better Italian food in the North end of Boston, hop in the van and drive into China town and have dim sum or walk over to the wharf and get fresh lobster.
We love it here because this is “home”, but travel far enough and dig in and you can make anyplace home. We have had good times and hard times here, but it is what it is.
I had to go down and catch up on my taxes Thursday……WOW, I needed to stop and get a tube of Preparation H on the way back! National Greed sucks us drier, not to mention the lessening of services that we receive from the city/county/state that we had become accustomed to over the years.
Alas, many of us would seek greener pastures, but due to financial constraints, employment concerns or family ties here we cannot.
When I was doing a lot of work in community organizing I realized that sometimes it is not sadness which encompasses folks here…..more often than not it is simply bitterness.
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Post by JGRobinson on Mar 19, 2011 6:27:01 GMT -5
Sad but true, The City is crumbling and most of the Money has left. We are now creating a place not unlike the Ghettos in Poland during WW2. Concentrated poverty will never spawn anything but cockroaches and rats. The City is now infested with desperado's and I don't see that changing because of a 2 million dollar traffic circle or a boarded up Has Been Hotel for the Rich.
Most of the Cash has left, last one out turns off the light...
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2011 8:07:58 GMT -5
A grant was given to busineses along the 100 and 200 block of Bleecker St as well as the busy corner so that they can do improvements. The busy corner only has the Cash Corner and New York Connection. The Bleecker St area has Keller's music store, a gay bar, nightclub called O2. The other side of Bleecker has side of APAC, the Business College and the 200 block is being turned into loft apartments with a coffee-martial arts cafe another nightclub. Who would rent an apartment on the top floor of a nightclub?
Generally speaking Utica is very sad and depressing. A person can't even get an ice cream cone downtown or a cup of coffee
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Post by Ralph on Mar 19, 2011 12:54:35 GMT -5
One of the problems has been just that type of sporadic grant “infusion”. Nothing is planned with a definite outcome where continued progress can be either seen or measured.
Even HOPE VI failed because of the poor implementation and the spreading of it around town.
Now we have a Master Plan that will again spur development farther away from Downtown and a roundabout that will further strangle the Square until it is complete and isolate the neighborhoods from each other when it is done.
Everyone will cheer for something new until they realize that the impact on the general populace of the city itself is just nil.
And time marches on.
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Post by stoney on Mar 19, 2011 14:38:23 GMT -5
A grant was given to busineses along the 100 and 200 block of Bleecker St as well as the busy corner so that they can do improvements. The busy corner only has the Cash Corner and New York Connection. The Bleecker St area has Keller's music store, a gay bar, nightclub called O2. The other side of Bleecker has side of APAC, the Business College and the 200 block is being turned into loft apartments with a coffee-martial arts cafe another nightclub. Who would rent an apartment on the top floor of a nightclub? Generally speaking Utica is very sad and depressing. A person can't even get an ice cream cone downtown or a cup of coffee The gay bar you're speaking of ( That Place) has been there for ages & is one of Utica's few successful long-time businesses. It replaced The Hub. Midnight Mary's is also gone & did a great business. I always had a ball in those bars!! ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2011 15:33:44 GMT -5
One of the problems has been just that type of sporadic grant “infusion”. Nothing is planned with a definite outcome where continued progress can be either seen or measured. Even HOPE VI failed because of the poor implementation and the spreading of it around town. Now we have a Master Plan that will again spur development farther away from Downtown and a roundabout that will further strangle the Square until it is complete and isolate the neighborhoods from each other when it is done. Everyone will cheer for something new until they realize that the impact on the general populace of the city itself is just nil. And time marches on. I would bet that after the roundabout is built and up and running for about 5 years along with all the complaining about the bad driving and water related problems in that area, the new Mayor will have a study done to somehow build ramps around the area to address weather related problems. Of course the Utica School District will be having major busing problems which will result to picking up students in that area and in Soutn Utica 45 minutes earlier. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2011 15:37:36 GMT -5
A grant was given to busineses along the 100 and 200 block of Bleecker St as well as the busy corner so that they can do improvements. The busy corner only has the Cash Corner and New York Connection. The Bleecker St area has Keller's music store, a gay bar, nightclub called O2. The other side of Bleecker has side of APAC, the Business College and the 200 block is being turned into loft apartments with a coffee-martial arts cafe another nightclub. Who would rent an apartment on the top floor of a nightclub? Generally speaking Utica is very sad and depressing. A person can't even get an ice cream cone downtown or a cup of coffee The gay bar you're speaking of ( That Place) has been there for ages & is one of Utica's few successful long-time businesses. It replaced The Hub. Midnight Mary's is also gone & did a great business. I always had a ball in those bars!! ;D I never heard of the last two bars and was never in the That Place. It is great that they have a good business. I wonder what impact The O2 Club and the new club that openned last we( I can't think of its name, sorry) |
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Post by JGRobinson on Mar 19, 2011 16:42:18 GMT -5
Ralphs got a point, hit and miss new awakenings 10.000 square feet at a time leaves hundreds of square miles in tough shape.
The brewery still looks and tastes awesome, even the train station looks good, a nice harbor for big boat fillerups, lunches and dinners will make a little loot 7 months a year but the price of fuel may dampen that as well.
The master planssssssss have had way too many cooks with way to little time spent in the kitchen!
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