Schenectady, NY

I drove around Schenectady for hours - twice - running errands and getting lost on purpose as a way to see the city, but all I saw was old, rundown, and un-maintained .... from the empty store fronts to the houses to the roads.  Even the houses in the Historic District, although better, were still in need of upkeep.  I just didn't find the "nicer" neighborhood you expect every city and town to have.

Typical intersection in Schenectady:

I drove to Little Italy in search of a "slice" but it was so rundown I didn't feel safe and didn't stay.  I have to make one more trip into Schenectady today .... maybe I'll find the pizza I imagined.  There is a two block "downtown" area for pedestrians that looked like a nice place to eat and people-watch, but parking was a horror story and expensive.

What I did find, however, everywhere I went was very nice people.  The rumor is that people from New York can be rude, pushy, abrupt .... that must be in "another" New York, because these new yorkers are not any of those things.  They have been friendly, kind, funny ..... and polite.

When I mentioned the lack of accent to the pharmacist as I was getting my prescription refilled, she laughed.  She said that was just a false rumor that people on the east coast "talked funny."

Tomorrow I leave New York for now and head to Vermont for 2 weeks. I will be spending one week with one of my "singles" RV groups and the second week at a rally and boot camp, and then onto Canada.

I am looking forward to the boot camp, but am nervous.  It is 3 days of everything I should know about living, driving, and maintaining my RV and don't.  Wish me luck!