Schenectady, New York
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Schenectady (IPA /skəˈnɛktədi/) is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 61,821. Schenectady is the 9th largest city in New York State. The name "Schenectady" is derived from a Mohawk word for "on that side of the pinery," or "near the pines," or "place beyond the pine plains."
The City of Schenectady is in eastern New York State, near the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. It is in the same metropolitan area as the state capital, Albany, New York; Schenectady is about 7 miles north-west of Albany.
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[edit] History
The area that is now Schenectady was originally the land of the Mohawk tribe of the Iroquois Nation. When Dutch settlers arrived in the Hudson Valley in the middle of the 17th century, the Mohawk called the settlement at Fort Orange "Schau-naugh-ta-da", meaning "over the pine plains." Eventually, this word entered the lexicon of the Dutch settlers, but the meaning was reversed, and the name referred to the bend in the Mohawk River where the city lies today.
Schenectady was first settled in 1661 when the area was part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. Settlement was led by Arent van Curler of Nijkerk in the Netherlands, who was granted letters patent to Schenectady in 1684.
On February 8, 1690, the Schenectady massacre, led by France and its Indian allies, resulted in the death of all but 60 of Schenectady's inhabitants.
In 1765, Schenectady was incorporated as a borough. It was chartered as a city in 1798.
During the American Revolutionary War the local militia unit the 2nd Albany County Militia Regiment was active during the Battle of Saratoga and in fights against Loyalist troops.
Union College was founded here in 1795.
In 1887, Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works to Schenectady. In 1892, Schenectady became the headquarters of the General Electric Company.
Schenectady is home to WGY-AM, one of the first commercial radio stations in the United States. The station was named after its owner, General Electric (the G), and the city of Schenectady (the Y). General Electric also generated the first regular television broadcasts in the United States in 1928, when experimental station W2XB began regular broadcasts on Thursday, Thursday and Friday afternoons. This television station is now WRGB, for years, the Capital District's NBC affiliate, but more recently, its CBS affiliate. (see: 1928 in television).
Historic population of Schenectady: 13,655 in 1880; 31,682 in 1900; 92,061 in 1950.
The city was once known as "The City that Lights and Hauls the World"--a dual reference to two prominent businesses located in the city, the Edison Electric Company (now known as General Electric), and the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). GE has retained its administrative core in Schenectady, but many of the manufacturing jobs have been relocated to the Sun Belt and abroad. ALCO's operations slowly fizzled out as the company went through a series of acquisitions and restructuring in the late 1960s, and their Schenectady plant was closed in 1969. In the late 20th century, the city experienced difficult financial times, as did many upstate New York cities. The profound loss of employment opportunities has led to Schenectady's population decline by nearly a third since 1950. However, it should be noted that Schenectady is part of a larger metropolitan area which has better economic health overall.[citation needed]
[edit] North Pole Zip Code
Many children around the nation mail to Santa Claus their wish lists and put the zip code as 12345. That zip code really does exist, and it is in Schenectady. More specifically the zip code belongs only to the General Electric plant. A group of employees has for several years volunteered their time to answer this mail.
[edit] Geography
Schenectady is located at (42.804076, -73.929289)GR1. The altitude above sea-level is 211 to 275 feet.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.5 km² (11.0 mi²). 28.1 km² (10.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.27%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 61,821 people, 26,265 households, and 14,051 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,199.9/km² (5,699.0/mi²). There were 30,272 housing units at an average density of 1,077.2/km² (2,790.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.77% White, 14.77% African American, 0.36% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.52% from other races, and 3.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.88% of the population. There is a growing Guyanese population in the area.
There were 26,264 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.0% were married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,378, and the median income for a family was $36,458. Males had a median income of $30,869 versus $25,292 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,076. About 16.8% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.5% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
The current mayor is Brian Stratton.
[edit] Rail Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides regular service to Schenectady. Schenectady also has freight rail service from Canadian Pacific Railway and CSX Transportation.
[edit] Places of interest
- The Stockade Historic District, which features dozens of Dutch and English Colonial houses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, is New York State's first National Register historic district, designated in 1965. It is named after the stockade fence that originally surrounded the settlement. Another historic neighborhood, the GE Realty Plot, was built by General Electric Company executives in the early 20th century. "The Plot," as the locals call it, is known for its eclectic collection of grand homes.
- Union College, located adjacent to the GE Realty Plot, is the oldest planned college campus in the United States. The Union campus features Jackson's Garden, with eight acres (32,000 m²) of formal gardens and woodlands, and the unique 16-sided Nott Memorial building, built in 1875.
- Schenectady County Community College is located in downtown Schenectady. The school was started in the former Hotel Van Curler and is known for its technical, culinary, and music programs.
- Central Park is the crown of Schenectady's numerous parks. Central Park is the highest elevation point in the city. The Common Council voted in 1913 to purchase the land for the present site of the park. The park features an acclaimed rose garden, Iroquois Lake, and a stadium tennis court that is home to the New York Buzz of the World Team Tennis league.
- City Hall is the focal point of government in the city. It is often remarked that Schenectady City Hall is one of the more beautiful city halls in New York
- Located in Schenectady is its Municipal Golf Course. It is an 18-hole championship facility nestled amongst stately oaks and towering pines.
- The course was designed in 1935 by Jim Thompson under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) program. The Schenectady Municipal Golf Course stretches to 6600 yards (6000 m) and features fast, undulating greens and tight fairways blanketed within grasses and native vegetation. The course was ranked by Golf Digest "Best Places to Play in 2004" and earned a three-star rating.
- Proctor's Theater is the major arts venue. Built in 1926 as a vaudeville/movie theater, it was refurbished and is now home for live stage events. It is home to "Goldie," a Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. Proctor's was also the site of one of the first public demonstrations of television, projecting an image from a studio at the GE plant a mile [2 km] away.
- Jay Street, located between Proctor's Theater and City Hall, is a short street completely closed to motor traffic. It features a number of small, independently operated local businesses and eateries, and is a popular destination for many in the area.
[edit] Trivia
- A timeline of Schenectady's long history.
- It has been suggested that science fiction author Kurt Vonnegut-- a onetime Capital District resident-- has portrayed Schenectady in his novels (notably "Player Piano") through the name "Illium". However since Ilium is the Latin name for Troy, it seems more logical that the name refers to nearby Troy, NY.
- The tulip is the City of Schenectady's designated flower. Symbolic of the Dutch origin of the city, the tulip is a flower extensively cultivated and nurtured in the Netherlands, although also extensively grown in North America.
- Schenectady is featured in Dr. Seuss's I Can Read With My Eyes Shut.
- Schenectady is featured in a poem by Eve Merriam called "Schenectady."
- Schenectady is featured in a poem by Medora Addison called "Names."
- Schenectady's General Electric plant has the ZIP Code 12345.
- Schenectady is the hometown of the character Grace Adler on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace.
- Schenectady is also the hometown of the character Marc St. James on the ABC sitcom "Ugly Betty."
- There is a collection of science-fiction short stories by Barry Longyear entitled It Came from Schenectady. The title is from Harlan Ellison's reply -- often repeated -- when people asked Ellison, "Where do you get your ideas?"
- Schenectady is the former home of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. In 2005 the Hall moved to Amsterdam.
- The fictional comic book character Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man is from Schenectady.
- Schenectady introduced the first commercial television station with the creation of WRGB in 1940.
- The world's first commerical TV station, WRGB still broadcasts each day from its Balltown Road studios in Niskyuna, just outside the city line, but still in Schenectady County.
- The title character of Henry James' novella Daisy Miller is from Schenectady.
- The official song of Schenectady, entitled "Our Schenectady," was composed by John Van Laak and was sung by Judi Merriam. It was adopted by the Schenectady City Council on January 30, 1995. Its lyrics are:
- In Schenectady
- Our Schenectady
- What a warm and friendly place it is to be
- Nestled among plains and hills
- With a beautiful river that always gives us thrills
- And stores and shops with all that one might need or wish to see
- And legends and tales and lots of history
- Oh Schenectady
- Our Schenectady
- Let us now plan and help to make it grow
- If we will all do our best
- Then others can do the rest
- For places to study and learn in
- Places to work and earn in
- Places to live in happiness
Source: Daily Gazette January 31, 1995 p. B1
- In the fall of 1972, director Sydney Pollack filmed for two weeks on the Union College campus for the flashback sequences of the movie The Way We Were, starring Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand.
- Episode 224 of "This American Life" entitled 'Middlemen' features a story on then Mayor Al Jurczynski's campaign to draw Guyanese immigrants from the Bronx to Schenectady
- Schenectady is jokingly mentioned in the popular Magazine "Mad" as "100% Celine Dion Free".
- When asked where he got his ideas, Jim Davis, creator of Garfield, replied "Schenectady."
- The Schenectady Art Show is mentioned in the Stephen King Novel "Firestarter"
- Schenectady is featured in the 1995 Steven Pressfield novel The Legend of Bagger Vance.
- Schenectady is mentioned in the theme song of the TV series "VeggieTales."
[edit] Notable residents
- Kurt Vonnegut, lived in Schenectady while working for GE in the early 1950s.
- Charles Proteus Steinmetz, the most famous electrical engineer of his era.
- Samuel S. Stratton, who served as Congressman for 30 years after his tenure as mayor.
- Stephen Alexander, (1806-1883), noted astronomer, mathematician, and educator[1]
- Horatio Allen, (1802-1889), born in Schenectady, noted railroad engineer and inventor[1]
- Paul "Legs" DiCocco, the capital district's link to organized crime was a well liked, prominent business owner. He owned a luncheonette with his brother Duilio that was renowned for its Italian cuisine. Paul died in 1989 after a heart transplant. His son, Paul Jr., now is a driver for actor Tom Hanks and has acted in a few films himself. http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0962882/
- Director John Sayles was born and raised in Schenectady; the Schenectady High school of fine arts is named after him.
- Shirley Muldowney, the First Lady of Drag Racing was born and raised in Schenectady.
- Basketball Coach Pat Riley was born and raised in Schenectady. The Schenectady High School athletics wing is named after him after he donated a substantial amount of money for its creation.
- Sir Charles Mackerras, the famous British conductor, was born in Schenectady while his father was taking an electrical-engineering course. See Medallion man
- Don Rittner, historian, environmental activist, and author of 23 books lives in Schenectady.
- Mickey Rourke was born in Schenectady
- Ann B. Davis (Alice on The Brady Bunch) was born in Schenectady
- Patrick Thompson, Writer/Musician, lived in Schenectady.
- George H. Wells (1833-1905), though Northern-born was a Confederate States of America officer, attorney and member of the Louisiana State Senate
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- City of Schenectady (official website)
- Schenectady County Historical Society
- Visit Schenectady (tourist information)
- Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce
- City of Schenectady Info
- Schenectady City Court information
- Schenectady/Nijkerk Council
- Central Park Rose Garden
- Daily Gazette, the local newspaper on line
- Proctor's Theatre
- Leading Global Premix Manufacturer
- Schenectady Blue Jays who Made the Major Leagues
- Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium
- Schenectady Museum Amateur Radio Association
- Stockade Historic District
- New York State Heritage Areas
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
| Capital District, New York |  |
|---|---|
| Central Communities: Albany • Schenectady • Troy Largest communities (over 20,000 in 2000): Bethlehem • Clifton Park • Town of Colonie • Glenville • Guilderland • Niskayuna • Rotterdam • Saratoga Springs Medium-sized communities (10,000 to 20,000 in 2000): City of Amsterdam • Brunswick • Cohoes • East Greenbush • North Greenbush • Schodack • Watervliet Small communities (5,000 to 10,000 in 2000): Town of Amsterdam • Ballston Spa • Cobleskill • Village of Colonie • Delmar • Duanesburg • Kinderhook • Loudonville • Mechanicville • New Scotland • Rensselaer • Sand Lake • Scotia • Slingerlands • Town of Stillwater • Town of Waterford Counties: Albany • Saratoga • Rensselaer • Schenectady • Columbia • Washington • Montgomery • Greene • Schoharie |
 |
County Seat: Schenectady |
|---|---|
| Cities |
Schenectady |
| Towns |
Duanesburg | Glenville | Niskayuna | Princetown | Rotterdam |
| Villages | |
| Hamlets and CDPs |
Alplaus | Duanesburg | Duane Lake | East Glenville | Mariaville Lake | Niskayuna | Pattersonville-Rotterdam Junction | Rotterdam |
