Talk:Albany, New York/FAQ

Is Albany really "one of the oldest surviving settlements from the original Thirteen Colonies and the oldest continuously chartered city in the United States"?

Yes. While not the oldest surviving, continuously settled, settlement of the original Thirteen Colonies, the French fort of 1540 (see History section) is the oldest European settlement that was then resettled and is currently inhabited; the phrase "one of the oldest surviving settlements" is used so as to avoid confusion (claiming "oldest" strictly leads some to believe the article is making claims it is not). Albany is also the oldest continuously chartered city, based on the fact that it is definitionally a city (not just a settlement referred to as a city); New York City is the oldest chartered city, however it forfeited its original Dongan Charter in Leisler's Rebellion (1689). While New York City did in fact reestablish itself under its original charter, for two years the charter was not in effect, making Albany's charter the longest-lasting, continuously active charter (see History and Government sections). Furthermore, New York City consolidated in 1898 and adopted a new charter, which was further revised in 1938.

Nobody really knows what the "oldest" settlement in America is. Are you counting places where Native Americans lived? That's in the American Southwest. Are you saying it had to be "continuously settled"? Well define that, and find proof that at least one person lived there since the given date of settlement. It just can't be done. So we'll live with the "one of the oldest surviving settlements from the original Thirteen Colonies" claims, because, hey, it works.

The description of Mayor Corning's (a Democrat) term seems partisan and biased, especially with what seem to be kudos going to Governor Rockefeller (a Republican) for his effort in development during the same time. Should this be rewritten?

No. While the two may be of different parties politically, there is no refuting the fact that Corning's tenure was known for its efforts in sustaining the status quo. Rockefeller, however, was known for his want to always develop. These are well-known and agreed-upon facts, as are the outcomes due to these policies that have become clear in the recent decades. Note also that major portions of the history section of this article were based on a book by Paul Grondahl (political affiliation unknown), which is generally fair but somewhat critical of Corning; other portions are based on a book by John McEneny (D)—a self-proclaimed Corning idolizer—which is also generally fair but somewhat supportive of Corning.

Facts are facts: Corning hated change and Rocky loved it. That's not to say this article praises or criticizes what Corning or Rocky did. Many are still unhappy that I-787 took over the waterfront (a Corning blunder) and many still dislike hate detest the architecture of the Empire State Plaza (a Rocky blunder in their eyes). But you don't see that commentary in the article.

I heard/saw a McDonald's commercial that claimed that Albany was originally known as Kayderosseras (KI-yuh-DARE-uh-STARE-us), but it also said Beverwijck (BEH-ver-vike) was acceptable. Which is more correct, if either?

Beverwijck was definitely the first name of the settlement that eventually became the city of Albany. The community settled around Fort Orange (later Fort Albany) and incorporated as a village in 1652. This map shows what the small community looked like at the time; the village was within the protective stockade.

Kayderosseras was a large land patent dating to the early 18th century essentially making up the land north of the Mohawk River and west and south of the Hudson River (yes, south: the Hudson turns west as one travels closer to its source). The land was not within the borders of present Albany County (though it was back then since Albany County made up most of upstate New York) and it was not within Albany's city limits. This idea is false. Locals may recognize the name due to the creek in Saratoga County. Others will notice the distinct resemblance to the vanilla ice cream-orange sherbet swirl, Kaydeross Kreme, sold at Stewart's Shops; the name is not a coincidence, coming from the Saratoga Springs-based company.

Don't trust a marketing campaign, at least not completely.

There's not much mentioned about literature and film. I remember a book/movie/poem/etc. that had to do with, was written/produced in, etc. Albany. Why isn't it here?

Admittedly, the main authors of this article aren't 100% versed in the literature and film of Albany. If you know of something relating to this subject, please start a new thread below with the proposed content addition and someone will respond. Your content should meet the following criteria:

1. It should be reasonably notable, even to someone that doesn't live in Albany.
2. It needs to have a reliable source, preferably something online to link to (please include the link with the content).
3. It can't be too long. Two to three sentences, maximum.

Looking forward to the suggestions!

We can add stuff, but it must be relevant, interesting, and sourced. And it can't be too long; this article is already long as it is.

Why isn't there a section on arts?

Good question. The main authors of this article admit they are not very familiar with the art community other than knowing that Art on Lark and the Albany Institute of History and Art exist. Before rewriting this article, there was a section in Culture called "Artistic community". We have no problem including it (in fact, we wish we could!), however we don't know where to find the sources necessary to verify the claims. The verbiage can be found here. If you have sources (preferably online ones), feel free to update the draft and leave a comment on this talk page mentioning the change. Not until the section is complete will it go live, however.

We aren't trying to disenfranchise anyone, we just don't have verifiable sources to back up the original claims. And... we don't really know what we're talking about when it comes to this subject.