Have you ever walked off campus, wondering what there is to explore in Schenectady, and ended up disappointed when you were met with the rising homeless population and tons of impoverished areas? Well, this is what I mean by the gentrification of Schenectady. The Union College campus is always maintained and kept beautiful, but what about the rest of Schenectady?
We have places like Jay Street, Mici, and Proctors that are heavily advertised. But have you ever walked out of these advertised areas and seen all of the beaten-down houses, homeless people, and pollution on the street? The “college town” areas of Schenectady are kept pretty to match the higher-income individuals who spend their time there, including Union College students.
But who supports the rest of the people living in Schenectady? The restaurants in the more gentrified areas of Schenectady are higher in price as well as more upscale to fit the incoming crowds. We see the appearances of “new age” tea and boba shops that do not appear in other areas of Schenectady. More commonly, you’ll find smaller convenience stores and pizza places. These are factors that add to the drastic difference between the lower- and higher-income locations in Schenectady.
Union College houses students from all over the United States as well as other countries, who must adjust to the area as well. But there is not much spatial separation between the areas. Sometimes you may find yourself walking down the wrong back street and end up on a dangerous road on your way home.
As a longterm resident of Albany, I see this stark difference very commonly. Advertisements often highlight the quality and history of the city’s nicer areas, but rarely highlight its negative aspects. The question is, how can we help to improve this without causing further division?
We can start by addressing the issue and acknowledging that there is a purposeful separation. From there, we can advocate for more equitable funding and work towards dissolving that divide. If even a fraction of the money used to maintain Schenectady’s “prettiest corners” were redirected toward neglected neighborhoods, we could restore balance and preserve the city’s rich history while uplifting the communities that have long been overlooked.
