Yesterday my girlfriend Nicole and I saw Godspell at Proctor’s in Schenectady. Totally amazing show, and both of us appreciated the energy and emotion that the cast conveyed in the performance. And yes, I did get a smile out of one of the cast members making reference to The Place Beyond the Pines, which was…
Read MoreAll articles filed in history
Remembering Valle’s Steak House
How young was I went I saw that gigantic Central Avenue sign? You know… this one. See, back in the day, when Central Avenue was better known as Albany-Schenectady Road, Valle’s Steak House was a popular eatery and banquet hall. There were plenty of Valle’s Steak Houses around the Northeast; but the one in Albany…
Read MoreWhen “The War of the Worlds” played in Albany
[nggallery id=17254]Haven’t done the ‘When It Played in Albany” feature in a while, so this is a good time to restart. I’m going back to 75 years ago, when the Mercury Theater of the Air created a dramatic rendition of H.G. Wells’ classic War of the Worlds as a radio drama. Over those three-quarters of…
Read MoreRemembering The Children’s Digest…
A couple of years ago, I went to Crossgates Mall and saw The Adventures of Tintin. I look at it as my Christmas present from me to me. Great, great film, and the action scenes in it were breathtaking – including, about two-thirds of the way through the film, a 7-minute action scene without a…
Read MoreAnother Uneeda Biscuit sign bites the dust
There are several Uneeda Biscuit “ghost signs” in the Capital District. Ghost signs are vintage brickface advertisements that have survived for decades – even after the products they sold were no longer manufactured. They’re also a great photography subject. You never know when you’ll find one – and when you do, you should photograph it…
Read MoreMore on the WPTR “Ballad of Albany” song
A week or so ago, I posted a clip featuring an Albany-centric song called “The Ballad of Albany.” Sing along with me, now… But I wanted to find out more about the song. Why it was recorded, who the performers were on the song… Thankfully, my blog readers provided tons of info about the song…
Read MoreThe Black Bridge in a Polar Panorama
I heard the rumor. At first, I didn’t believe it. But apparently it’s true. A construction company is actually restoring the Black Bridge, the former Delaware and Hudson railroad span that once connected Green Island to Van Schaick Island. The tracks were removed many years ago, and the ties disappeared over time, creating huge gaps…
Read MoreCoxsackie-Athens High School on WRGB’s “Answers Please”
I’ve always considered it one of the greatest moments in my life when, in 1981, my high school, Street Academy of Albany, completely beat the snot out of Albany Academy, Keveny Academy and St. Mary’s of Hoosick Falls on WRGB’s “Answers Please” TV high school quiz show. I even wrote a blog post about the…
Read MoreRemembering Carnevale’s Supermarket
Between 1970 and 2010, my high school, the Street Academy of Albany / Harriet Gibbons High School, made its home in several different buildings. Beginning in ad hoc locations in South Pearl Street, spending a couple of years on Columbia Street, then over a decade in Arbor Hill at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and North…
Read MoreWhat amusement park would you bring back?
With the latest news that Hoffman’s Playland on Route 9 in Latham is offering their land for sale – and by the way, there’s a Facebook page dedicated to saving that amusement park – I started thinking about all the great amusement parks, zoos, getaway places that were so close to the Capital District. Just…
Read More
Chuck The Writer 
You must be logged in to post a comment.