New York State

In pictures: Albany wall art, ‘Agency’ buildings and Fall colours impress Kolkata boy

Missed train from Connecticut and a helpful ticket checker add to his adventures in NYC

By Arnab Nandy | Published 19.01.24, 01:51 PM

What’s the capital of New York State? If you answered “New York City, duh!”, guess what you are wrong! It's a city called Albany, around 250km north of NYC. I spent some 10 days in this quiet little place, home to the New York State Capitol, other important administrative buildings, and a beautiful university

All photographs by the author

Frustration is sitting inside a train, looking through the window at a second train (in picture) passing by and realising you were supposed to be on that. On my way to Albany from Stamford, Connecticut, I got on the wrong train. Thankfully, I a helpful ticket-checker didn’t charge me for getting on a train, of which I did not have a ticket, and also helped me figure out where I should get down so that I could get on the next train (of which I had a ticket) to New York City and then take another train to my final destination

I did not get into New York City this time. But I did get a fine view of its skyline from the train

New York State Capitol in Albany, the capital of New York State. It’s a quaint little city, which seems to be known more for the presence of SUNY Albany — State University of New York at Albany — than being the capital of the state

There were four identical ‘Agency Buildings’ — part of Empire State Plaza, a complex of several state government buildings — right across the Capitol. If you ask me, I found the architecture pretty precarious — they look sort of hanging!

Wall art on a building downtown

During a walk in Albany downtown one rainy evening, I came across this building. A plaque identified it as the “oldest bank in this city” and “the oldest building erected for and continuously used as a banking house in the United States”

While in Albany in early October, I looked up ‘Where to see Fall colours in Albany’. The leaves were just about starting to change colours and it seemed two good places were the Albany Pine Bush Preserve and Washington Park, which was right next to where I put up. The preserve was about an hour or so away. I took a bus, got down at the stop, and walked 20 or so minutes to reach it. I encountered these trees during my walk. This was the first time I was experiencing the Fall in the US and I was excited

At the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, even though they had some excellent trails, I realised I had to come a few weeks later to experience the best of the Fall colours. But I did see some leaves changing colours here and there

Trees changing colour behind a former boathouse at Washington Park in Albany; This tree with brilliantly yellow leaves took my breath away. Also at Washington Park

My friend, Atrayee, who is doing her PhD at SUNY Albany, showed me around the sprawling campus; Fountains are a recurring theme on the campus

Ilish (hilsa) on sale at a Bangladeshi store

The Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena can accommodate 4,300 for concerts and conventions and 3,600 for sports events. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Washington Avenue (Tenth Battalion) Armory and situated at the corner of Washington Avenue and Lark Street in downtown Albany, New York

Tags: New York State travel USA wanderlust globetrotter Connecticut New York City