State Street And The New York State Capitol

I'd begun Sunday morning by driving across the Hudson River to have breakfast at the Miss Albany Diner. It was closed, so instead I began a walking photographic tour of downtown Albany. After a while, I became fatigued and got back into my car. Thus began a driving photographic tour. I began driving up State Street from Broadway. State Street is the old business district and the buildings are large but mostly old. That steeple/spire was covered with a green cloth which looked very much like a condom. I was sure that I wasn't the first to chuckle at that:

Many Christmas decorations were still up but thankfully, almost all the snow was gone:

A few old buildings were empty and possibly coming down. Albany is so historic that often a building will be rebuilt instead of tearing it down. But who has the money? Also, any new construction in such a historic place now requires an archeological dig. These often unearth fascinating Dutch artifacts. This old building was only a facade, but apparently the city was determined to keep that facade standing:

A very large white building. I think it's an old hotel:

And at the top of State Street is the New York State Capitol. It was very much under construction as restoration was being done. That large crane is visible almost as far north as Troy. I can see it on my way home for lunch every day:

A closer look at the State Capitol:

And just beyond the old buildings is the modernistic Empire State Plaza. This tower is a part of it and is visible from my bedroom window across the river:

The Albany City Hall is a distinctive brownstone building with a carillon tower. It was built in 1883:

The State Capital was not looking very impressive with all the construction equipment, but I did walk over to see the statue. That square marble building on the left is part of the Empire State Plaza:

The statue, according to the sign, was of Philip Henry Sheridan, an Albany native and Union general in the Civil War: