Thread by @Chris_arnade

Alll right Albany (Sorry, capital district), it’s me & you for the next 16 miles.

Last time I was here this was a drug trap in an abandoned building. Now it’s got ironic art

Albany has always had a weird juxtaposition of historical (in various states of repair), & then modern corporate government bleh (functional yet soulless)

I mean. These are literally across from each other

Again. View across the street from each other

Jane Jacobs ghost gonna haunt this place

Wait. Is that a bench in the center of that cement parking behemoth. It is. Fuckin sittin there. No way I am not

View from bench is 👍👍👍👍. Exhaust & noise from idling semi is only icing on the cake.

Both Proof I am sitting here AND triggering to the anti sock & sandal crowd.

Gotta give the design team their klout. Bench is actually oddly nice. When I die please put a little name tag on this bench: “In memory: Chris “turtle” Arnade (then add some random inspirational quote pulled from someone else)”

Hard to leave my nook. There is so much going on here. Like what is up with that rock?

Free Dorthy!!! (from her bureaucratic castle)

Then you get the historical stuff. Like. Which way Albany?

Ghostbusters!! (And the three architectural styles of governmental albany)

True sign state government is here. Lobbyist

Department of education, not surprisingly, has the most unfun smoking break table.

This is Albany. The juxtaposition

This is what $500 million buys you. Let’s get money out of presidential politics!

Amazing how quickly stuff can change, & how dramatically inequality reveals itself. Albany is one of the more jarring cities that way. Government right next to “the people” they claim to care about, & a lot of the people are struggling (but doing there best)

Like these houses always get to me. The ones right next to an overpass, busy road, or interstate. Ones clearly occupied by families trying their best to make a home where nobody else wants to make a home

The poverty right next to the institutions who want responsibility for not having poverty — is one of those things we just kinda ignore but is pretty damning

Walking down this street I was offered drugs, found piles of needles, talked down someone tweaking, got hit up by someone nodding.

Everyone was cool though. Usually are. Stereotypes are all wrong. Stuff still goes on. Majority of People just doing the best they can

Into this void (left by the government or created by it, chose your politics) comes churches. It is no different in Albany.

— Quick. We need a name.

— Uh, Landlord productions

👍

Mount discarded cardboard box

This is one of my all time fav McDonald’s. I actually physically wrote some of my book here. When I wanted a change of scene

You all can have your fancy grad school modern art — filled with self referential stuff that requires 8 years of study, emotional detachment, & post post post post post modern cynicism, to get — I will stick with just occurring because art

I know this fort looks impenetrable, but I think found a weakness around back.

Ok. This is extra cute. Well done. I continue to stan

Again. The juxtaposition in Albany is the thing

I also Stan T N T cuts. (And Charlie. Who got into pic by accident & wanted a better shot)

My fav thing about laundromats is finding the industrial vents, & this one didn’t disappoint

Ok. Albany deserves its upstate cred. Despite being all capital-y

There is a lot going on here.

Albany has by far the best bus game of any city I have recently walked. Amazing shelters & stops. Great easy to use system

Come on man! I mean I also have trouble moving on from holidays

Help! I am in car dealership hell, being constantly monitored by sentient multi colored balloons

Each from a different era of urban design

That is the other thing about Albany, how given over to cars the overall structure is. The Macro (massive tangles of toll roads & interstates bound the city) & micro. Hard to see in these pic, but the vast empty space cutting off residents is a submerged super busy road

These homes right up against a busy highway

Wish I knew more design history. This is very some period. Just not sure what period.

A libertarian is just a liberal who got their mango pods taken away.

(Just finished walking through tenured prof living in Victorian homes with BLM signs land. Now I think I am in student & grad student land?)

Olmstead designed park?

Absolutely the best named laundromat

Wherever you are near downtown Albany there are these 4 massive USB stick looking buildings looming over everything

If I wasn’t already spoken for (wolfs beer garden) I would so be with you elbow room

Pretty colors. Despite looming buildings

Play ground Time capsule ( I am sitting on the ancient bench & getting algae on my butt)

Back to my original theme. Albany is such a weird juxtaposition

Of course there is a historical mansion, right next to this, and this.

Albany, uh, rocks!

All looming over your all to sadly usual urban poverty.

Used to be one of my all time fav McDonald’s. Was dysfunctional as hell. But in a lovable way.

Don’t know if highways are structurally racist, but the way they been built in US is classist ( & so also racist) as hell. Walk any city in US & that is obvious, without needing any history to back you up

Albany downtown renewal is bright and loud. Please turn down your speakers!

This is a really lovely store.

Awwwww. Back to my special Albany spot. Semis still idling. Like nothing has changed.

Almost done. Time for a kolsch

On to Troy! (tomorrow). If I don’t die trying to cross this

Waiting for crowds that…

Ok. That’s a wrap. Only 13 miles, cut short by dying light.

Was fun. Now for beers at one of America’s best beer garden (really. Wolf’s is a great place. Take it from a guy who wears socks & sandals.)

Please subscribe to my Substack, where I write these walks up into more thoughtful essays. Hopefully they are more thoughtful!

intellectualinting.substack.com

Final thoughts on Albany. Despite jarring architectural styles, despite cold bureaucratic center, despite the inequality, despite being hemmed in by toll roads & expressways -- it is a remarkably relaxing & charming town.

Somehow it all works. Not sure how. Need to figure it out