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Albany is the capital of the U.S. state of New York . As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 95,658. It is the County Seat of Albany County . The City of Albany lies 145 miles (233 km) north of and slightly east of New York City , and slightly to the south of the juncture of the Mohawk and Hudson River s. Albany has close ties with the cities of Troy, New York and Schenectady, New York , forming what is generally known as the Capital District , which in turn makes up the bulk of the Albany-Troy-Schenectady Metropolitan Statistical Area . Albany was one of the earlier permanent settlements in the thirteen original American colonies and is the second oldest chartered city in the United States. Modern-day Albany is built on the site of the Dutch Fort Orange and its surrounding community of Beverwyck . The name of the city was changed to Albany when the land was taken by the English, in honor of the Duke of Albany. It was formally chartered in 1686 via charter issued by Governor Thomas Dongan . Albany is a major regional educational center, and is home to Siena College , Albany College Of Pharmacy , Albany Law School , Albany Medical College , College Of Saint Rose , Excelsior College , Maria College Of Albany , Sage College Of Albany and the University At Albany , part of the State University Of New York system. History Albany was one of the earlier permanent settlements in the thirteen original American Colonies and is the second oldest Chartered city in the United States. The original native settlement in the area was called Penpotawotnot . Its colonial history began when Englishman Henry Hudson , exploring for the Dutch East India Company on the '' Halve Maen '' (or ''Half Moon'') reached the area in 1609 . In 1614 , the company constructed Fort Nassau , its first Fur Trading post near present-day Albany. Commencement of the fur trade provoked hostility from the French colony in Canada and amongst the native tribes, who vied to control the trade. In 1624 , Fort Orange was established in the area. Both forts were named in honor of the Dutch House Of Orange-Nassau . Nearby areas were incorporated as the village of Beverwyck in 1652 . Building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million was the most expensive government building of its time. Three teams of architects labored on it.]] When the land was taken by the three months earlier. Pieter Schuyler was appointed first mayor of Albany the day the charter was signed. In 1754 , representatives of seven British North American colonies met in the Albany Congress . Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania presented the Albany Plan Of Union , the first formal proposal to unite the colonies. Although it was never adopted by Parliament, it was an important precursor to the U.S. Constitution . Albany native Philip Livingston was one of the signers of the Declaration Of Independence . William Alexander , a general in the Revolutionary War , died in Albany in 1783 . Several US Navy ships have since been named USS Albany in honor of the City's historical and military importance. In 1797 , the state capital of New York was moved from Kingston to Albany, about 50 miles north. The State Capitol building was constructed between 1867 and 1899 and inspired by the Hôtel De Ville (City Hall) in Paris, France. Notable architectural features include its "Million Dollar Staircase." The City's location on the Hudson River made it a center of transportation from the outset. In 1807 , Robert Fulton initiated a Steamboat line from New York City to Albany. On October 26 , 1825 the Erie Canal was completed, forming a continuous water route from the Great Lakes to New York City. The Mohawk And Hudson Railroad between Albany and Schenectady, New York opened on September 24 , 1831 and subsequently became part of the New York Central Railroad . Erastus Corning , a noted industrialist and founder of the New York Central , called Albany home and served as its mayor from 1834 to 1837 . His great-grandson, Erastus Corning II , served as mayor of Albany from 1942 until 1983 , the longest single mayoral term of any major city in the United States. Between 1965 and 1978, the Empire State Plaza was constructed in Albany's Midtown, west of Downtown and south of the Capitol building. It was, and remains, controversial, in large part because it required the demolition of several historical neighborhoods and the forced removal of their inhabitants. The Plaza was conceived by Governor Nelson Rockefeller and is now named in his honor. The Erastus Corning Tower stands 589 feet (180 meters) high, the tallest building in New York State outside New York City. Four other smaller towers, the Legislative Office Building, the State Library and Museum, the Justice Building, and the impressive performing arts center known as " The Egg " make up the rest of the Empire State Plaza. The design of Empire State Plaza is based loosely on the National Congress complex in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia . Chester A. Arthur , 21st U.S. president, is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands , north of the City. Mayors of Albany Main article: List Of Mayors Of Albany, New York From Albany's formal organization in 1686 until 1779, Mayors of Albany were appointed by the royal governor of New York, per the provisions of the original City Charter. From 1779 until 1839, mayors were chosen by the New York State's Council Of Appointment , typically for a one year term that began in September. After 1840, Albany's Mayors were directly elected by the City's residents. Albany has had 74 Mayors since its inception. Gerald D. Jennings is the current Mayor; he was first elected in 1993 and is currently serving in his fourth term of office. Geography Albany is located at 42°39'35" North, 73°46'53" West (42.659829, -73.781339). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 21.8 Mi&2 (56.6 Km&2 ). 21.4 mi&2 (55.5 km&2) of it is land and 0.5 mi&2 (1.2 km&2) of it is water. The total area is 2.15% water. The Pine Bush , located on the far edge of the city with Guilderland and Colonie is the only sizable inland Pine Barrens and Sand Dunes in the United States and home to many endangered species including the Karner Blue butterfly. Four lakes exist within city limits, including Buckingham Lake , Rensselaer Lake , Tivoli Lake , and Washington Park Lake . Albany is the hub city of the Capital District , which itself is a large component of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which was ranked the 56th most populous in the United States Of America in the 2000 Census , with a total population of 825,875. Transportation
Sister cities
People and culture Demographics As of the Census of 2000, there were 95,658 people, 40,709 households, and 18,400 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 4,474.6/mi&2 (1,727.5/km&2.) There were 45,288 housing units at an average density of 2,118.4/mi&2 (817.9/km&2.) The racial makeup of the city was 63.12% White , 28.14% Black or African American , 0.31% Native American , 3.26% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 2.15% from Other Races , and 2.98% from two or more races. 5.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 40,709 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.3% were Married Couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.8% were non-families. 41.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.95. In the city the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 19.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,041, and the median income for a family was $39,932. Males had a median income of $31,535 versus $27,112 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $18,281. 21.7% of the population and 16.0% of families were below the Poverty Line . 28.8% of those under the age of 18 and 12.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Performing and Fine Arts While an oft-discussed "Smallbany" mentality may lead locals and visitors alike to conclude that Albany's culture is lacking or provincial when judged against that of New York City or other large metropolitan areas, the city does indeed possess an active and fruitful artistic community which may be rated as being of equal or superior quality when compared to cities of similar size, despite its not being well known outside its inner core. Over the past decade, the City has invested effort and advertising resources to cultivating venues and municipal zones that can attract after-hours business once the large commuting worker population has left Albany for the day. Pearl Street, Broadway and Lark Street now serve as the most commercially active arts and entertainment areas in the City, and summer concert series are sponsored by the City and local businesses at the Corning Preserve, Tricentennial Square and the Empire State Plaza . Albany's independent and underground artists, musicians and writers actively work in a variety of clubs, bars and coffee houses located throughout the City, many of them outside of those more commercially active areas. '' Metroland '', the alternative newsweekly of the Capital Region, has generally provided a central focal point for previewing, reviewing and interviewing independent local artists and performers for much of the past quarter century. "—the egg-shaped performing arts center at the Empire State Plaza —as seen from State Street.]] The Albany Symphony Orchestra Capital Repertory Theatre [http://www.capitalrep.org/ and Albany Insitute of History and Art [http://www.albanyinstitute.org] provide major outlets for both locally composed, created and curated works, as well as traveling exhibitions and shows. The recently renovated Palace Theatre and the and College Of St. Rose . Sports NCAA Division I College Athletic Programs
Minor league professional teams
Defunct professional teams
Education
See also the List Of High Schools . Media Newspaper Albany is served primarily by the Albany Times Union which in 2006 celebrated its 150th year in publishing. The newspaper ranks among one of the most influential in the state. In some markets within the Albany metropolitan area, it competes with the Daily Gazette, which is published in Schenectady. The Business Review, which was formerly titled The Capital District Business Review, covers the Albany business community.
Television stations Radio stations AM stations FM stations Fringe FM signals which do not necessarily target Albany include: The Albany market currently lacks a radio station with the Urban Contemporary or Smooth Jazz format, although the Albany market has had stations with these formats within the past 20 years. External links
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