Albany, New York

Additional facts about Albany

• Gerald (Jerry) D. Jennings is the 74th and current Mayor of Albany. He is currently serving in his third term of office, having been first elected in 1993.
• The State Capitol building was constructed between 1867 and 1899 and inspired by the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) in Paris, France. Notable architectural features include its "Million Dollar Staircase".
• In the southern part of Albany's downtown lies the Empire State Plaza, conceived by Governor Nelson Rockefeller and now named in his honor. The Erastus Corning Tower stands 589 feet (180 meters) high, the tallest building in New York State outside New York City. The transmitters for the radio stations WKLI (100.9 FM) and WAJZ (96.3 FM) are based on top of the Corning Tower. Four other smaller towers, the Legislative Office Building, the State Library and Museum, and the impressive performing arts center known as "The Egg" make up the rest of the Empire State Plaza.
• The original native settlement at Albany/Fort Orange was called Penpotawotnot.
• Several US Navy ships have been named Albany.
• William Alexander, a general in the Revolutionary War, died there in 1783.
• Noted industrialist and founder of the New York Central Railroad Erastus Corning called Albany home and served as its mayor from 1834 to 1837. His great-grandson, Erastus Corning II, served as mayor of Albany from 1942 until 1983, one of the longest single mayoral terms of any major city in the United States.
• Chester A. Arthur, 21st U.S. president, is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, north of the city.