Schenectady | Capital Region of New York Real Estate

Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County , New York , United States , of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census , the city had a population of 66,135. The name “Schenectady” is derived from a Mohawk word skahnéhtati meaning “beyond the pines”. The city was founded on the south side of the Mohawk River by Dutch colonists in the 17th century, many from the Albany area. They were prohibited from the fur trade by the Albany monopoly, which kept its control after the English takeover in 1664. Residents of the new village developed farms on strip plots along the river.

Connected to the west via the Mohawk River and Erie Canal , the city developed rapidly as part of the Mohawk Valley trade, manufacturing and transportation corridor. By 1824 more people worked in manufacturing than agriculture or trade, and the city had a cotton mill, processing cotton from the Deep South. Through the 19th century, it developed nationally influential companies and industries, including General Electric and American Locomotive Company (ALCO), which were powers into the mid-20th century. The city was part of emerging technologies, with GE collaborating in the production of nuclear-powered submarines and, in the 21st century, working on other forms of renewable energy.

The city is in eastern New York , near the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. It is in the same metropolitan area as the state capital, Albany , which is about 19 miles (31 km) southeast.[ 1 ] In December 2014, the state announced that the city was one of three sites selected for development of off-reservation casino gambling, under terms of a 2013 state constitutional amendment. The project will redevelop an ALCO brownfield site in the city along the waterfront, with hotel, housing and a marina in addition to the casino.

The city was a manufacturing center known as “The City that Lights and Hauls the World” – a reference to two prominent businesses in the city, the Edison Electric Company (now known as General Electric ), and the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). GE retains its administrative core in Schenectady, but it relocated thousands of manufacturing jobs to the Sun Belt and abroad.

ALCO produced steam locomotives for railroads for years. Later it became renowned for its “Superpower” line of high-pressure locomotives, such as those for the Union Pacific Railroad in the 1930s and 1940s. During World War II , it converted to support the war, making tanks for the US Army. As diesel locomotives began to be manufactured, ALCO joined with GE to develop diesel locomotives to compete with the EMD division of General Motors. But corporate restructuring to cope with the changing locomotive procurement environment saw the slow downward spiral of ALCO. Its operations fizzled as the company went through acquisitions and restructuring in the late 1960s. Its Schenectady plant closed in 1969.

In the late 20th century, due to industrial restructuring, the city lost many jobs and suffered difficult financial times, as did many upstate New York former manufacturing cities. The loss of employment caused Schenectady’s population to decline by nearly one-third from 1950 into the late 20th century (see Census table). The early industries had left many sites contaminated with hazardous wastes. Such environmental brownfields have needed technical approaches for redevelopment.

In the 21st century, Schenectady began revitalization. GE established a renewable energy center that brought hundreds of employees to the area. The city is part of a metropolitan area with improving economic health, and a number of buildings have been renovated for new uses. Numerous small businesses, retail stores and restaurants have developed on State Street in the heart of downtown.

Price Chopper Supermarkets and the New York Lottery are based in Schenectady. In December 2014, the state announced that Schenectady was one of three sites selected for development of Class III casino gambling, under terms of a state constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2013 that allowed such gaming in off-reservation sites. (Several federally recognized Native American nations in New York have gaming on their reservations.)

The Schenectady project, to be called The Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor, will redevelop the old American Locomotive Company (ALCO) site, a brownfield along the waterfront. The mixed-use project will include a hotel and residential housing development, and a marina, in addition to the casino.This will help create a variety of uses and a 24-hour population center. Proctors Theatre is an arts center. Built in 1926 as a vaudeville/movie theater, it has been refurbished in the 21st century. 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. Its 2007 renovation added two theatres: Proctors is home to three theaters, including the historic Mainstage, the GE Theatre, and 440 Upstairs. The Stockade Historic District features dozens of Dutch and English Colonial houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. It is New York state’s first historic district , designated in 1965 by the Department of Interior and named after the historic stockade that originally surrounded the colonial settlement.[ 28 ] The Schenectady County Historical Society has a History Museum and the Grems-Doolittle research library. They are housed at 32 Washington Avenue in the Stockade District. It has adapted a house originally built in 1895 for the Jackson family. It was used by the GE Women’s Club from 1915 until 1957, when it was donated to the Historical Society. The History Museum tells of the history of Schenectady, the Yates Doll House, the Erie Canal, and the Glen-Sanders Collection, etc. The research library has many collections of papers, photographs, and books. It welcomes people doing local and genealogical research. The Mabee House in nearby Rotterdam Junction is owned and operated as a house museum by the Schenectady County Historical Society. It features the oldest house in the Mohawk Valley, with many events, school programs and exhibits scheduled for it. The General Electric Realty Plot , located near Union College , was one of the first planned residential neighborhoods in the US and designed to attract General Electric Company executives in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It features an eclectic collection of grand homes in a variety of architectural styles, including Tudor, Dutch Colonial, Queen Anne, and Spanish Colonial. The Plot is home to the first all-electric home in the United States. The Plot hosts an annual House and Garden Tour. Union College , adjacent to the GE Realty Plot, is the oldest planned college campus in the United States. The Union campus features the unique 16-sided Nott Memorial building, built in 1875, and Jackson’s Garden, eight acres (32,000 m²) of formal gardens and woodlands. Central Park is the crown jewel of Schenectady’s parks. It occupies 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 and Iroquois Lake. Its stadium tennis court was the former home to the New York Buzz of the World Team Tennis league (as of 2008). Central Park was named after New York City ‘s Central Park. Both Central Parks were designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The Schenectady Museum features exhibits on the development of science and technology . It contains the Suits-Bueche Planetarium. Schenectady City Hall is the focal point of government in the city. Designed by McKim, Mead and White , it was built in 1933 during the Great Depression . Schenectady’s Municipal Golf Course is an 18-hole championship facility sited among oaks and pines. Designed in 1935 by Jim Thompson under the WPA , the course was ranked by Golf Digest among “Best Places to Play in 2004” and received a three-star rating. Jay Street, located between Proctor’s and City Hall, is a short street partially closed to motor traffic. It features a number of small, independently operated businesses and eateries and is a popular destination. Schenectady Light Opera Company (SLOC) is a community theater group on Franklin St in downtown Schenectady. The Empire State Aerosciences Museum , in nearby Glenville, features extensive exhibits and materials on aviation. The Edison Tech Center exhibits and promotes the physical development of engineering and technology from Schenectady and elsewhere. It provides online and on-site displays that promote learning about electricity and its applications in technology.[ 29 ] Upper Union Street Business Improvement District, near the Niskayuna boundary, is home to almost 100 independently owned businesses, including a score of restaurants, upscale retail, specialty shops, salons and services. Vale Cemetery , listed on the National Register of Historic Places , includes more than 30,000 burials of noted and ordinary residents of the city. It includes the historic African-American Burying Ground, where city residents annually celebrate anniversaries of Juneteenth and Emancipation

The city is served by the Schenectady City School District , which operates 16 elementary schools, a middle school and the main high school Schenectady High School . Local private schools include Brown School (K-8) and Wildwood School (special , all ages). Catholic schools are administered by the Diocese of Albany .

Tertiary educational institutions include Union College (private) and Schenectady County Community College of the State University of New York.

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