Old Albany on top of new
This is good: an 1877 map of Albany streets as an overlay of a Google map of the modern street plan. Bonus: the map includes a slider to adjust the transparency of the old map.
The map appears to be the creation of the mysterious Albany Bagel Co. From the blurbage for the project:
We're a new bagel company that will be bringing delicious bagels to Albany soon. All of the profits we make will be reinvested in the Albany community. We also love Albany history (hence our work on projects like this one).
We first heard about the project when it started following AOA on Twitter about a month or so ago. We're intrigued.
By the way: If you're interested in local history, you should be following @AlbanyArchives on Twitter. (For a while we thought @AlbanyArchives and Albany Bagel were the same person, but they assert that to not be the case.)
screengrab: Albany Bagel Co / Google Maps
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Comments
Oh I dream hard that Albany will get a decent bagel place! Oy Vey!
... said King T Supreme Love on Jan 3, 2013 at 2:29 PM | link
Uncommon Grounds has very decent bagels, though they're more like mega-bagels. I'd like a place that would make slightly smaller ones, and where I could buy them without having to wait for all the coffee orders ahead of me to be filled.
Best bagels I ever had in Albany were from B. A, Gels on Lark St. until they closed without warning or explanation.
... said Eric Scheirer Stott on Jan 3, 2013 at 3:02 PM | link
This map overlay is SO cool!!
... said Ellen on Jan 3, 2013 at 3:23 PM | link
I'm fine with Bruegger's. Sure, they're somewhat larger than the Brooklyn-made bagels I've had, but I think they compare well.
... said Bob on Jan 3, 2013 at 3:40 PM | link
Eric - B.A. Gels was the best. Their cream cheese was the whipped kind and it was so, so good. It was also a great spot to meet up on Sunday mornings for coffee and breakfast. I have a lot of fond memories of going there as a kid. I think it would still be a great addition to the Lark Street 'hood.
... said jess on Jan 3, 2013 at 5:25 PM | link
The map overlay is very cool, but the idea of a good bagel place in Albany* is much cooler.
If this Albany Bagel place ends up really happening, and is delicious, and is located downtown and only open Monday through Friday during lunch hours, I maaaaaaaaay have to go on a city-destroying rampage. So, future Albany Bagel people, if you happen to read this... have hours for residents and not just state workers, please.
*(Besides Bruegger's. I really have nothing against Bruegger's bagels but they are a lot different than the 'NYC bagel' And people shouldn't hate on a company that started in Troy just because they are a big chain now!)
... said Paul on Jan 3, 2013 at 7:10 PM | link
OK, something non-bagel-related: What are those two blocks of Hamilton and Hudson doing in Washington Park? Were there houses there?
... said Paul on Jan 3, 2013 at 7:24 PM | link
@Paul - Yes, there were houses there. Here's the detailed image from the same atlas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WashingtonPark1876.jpg
... said Tim on Jan 4, 2013 at 9:17 AM | link
@Paul, I believe those properties (row houses) were slowly acquired and raised to expand the park sometime between 1870-1880. I believe this topic had even been covered by @AlbanyArchives not too long ago. I remember reading a book that highlighted the controversy surrounding the process, because each time they would acquire a parcel of land, neighboring parcels escalated in price, costing the City more than it should have if they had just purchased all the land at once.
... said Rich on Jan 4, 2013 at 9:17 AM | link
@Tim and @Rich thanks for the info - I was curious about those streets as well.
@Paul in my mind bagels are the ideal breakfast food, *especially* for those lazy weekend mornings. So we're in agreement about hours. We also have no problem with Bruegger's, just want to do something a little different.
@Ellen awesome, glad you enjoyed it! I put the project together to scratch my own itch but I'm happy some other people find it interesting as well.
@KTSL and @Eric I hope ABC bagels will prove more than satisfactory to you guys!
... said Mike (Albany Bagel Co) on Jan 4, 2013 at 12:20 PM | link