House Hunting... I've been thinking....

I've lived here 7 years...and on the 29th of this month... married for 5! I can't wrap my head around it.  In these last 7 years, I've learned a lot about Albany.  People are so negative.  They complain and complain and complain... or they make plans, get ideas, etc... but nothing is ever done (hint hint school system and city of Albany!).  I think we need to take back our school system but sending our kids through it!! Second, we need to stop abandoning these beautiful homes in our downtown area.  

This house is still waiting on an owner.  $130,000... its really pretty, but who wants to walk through a breezeway to get to the laundry machine??

$170,000

$105,900

$103,900

this one breaks my heart... at one time this was probably a beautiful craftsman style home.  I hate to see beautiful houses like this... 

Its hard to tell on this photo... but when I've driven by... this is a HUGE house.   We need something to bring people back to these homes.  Dad and I had a long talk about neighborhood revitalization and whats needed.  Honestly, if you've looked at other towns, other regions that have had the same abandonment of old homes... the one thing that draws people back is art.  Artist, musicians, creative minds (professors).  Look at Savannah, Augusta (not the best example, but it works), old neighborhoods in Atlanta... they all have one thing in common.. ART!  Dad  (and me too) has the strong opinion that Albany State should move its fine art department downtown.  Make a smaller version of SCAD right here.  We have the river (scenery), we have TONS of buildings (Space), we have the university (people)... we have the perfect recipe for a mini-Savannah.  Come on people... we even have a museum of art... what a perfect collaboration!! I don't know about you, but I've got a feeling I'm gonna live here for a long time... and I can't stand all the negativity.  We complain about our school system, yet we have 2 private schools? How does one make a school system better if all the good families pull their kids out?? Good parents, = make good students, = make good schools, = make great communities.  

I'm rambling.... I just get so annoyed that no one WORKS at making Albany better, they just talk about. 

~Betsy