Everything about Utica New York totally explained
Utica (
Yunę́ˀnare•θ in
Tuscarora) is a
city in the American state of
New York, and the
county seat of
Oneida County. The current mayor of Utica is David Roefaro.
The City of Utica is situated within the region referred to as the
Mohawk Valley and the
Leatherstocking Region in Central New York State. Utica has an extensive park system, with winter and summer sports facilities. Utica and the neighboring city of
Rome are principal cities of the
Utica–Rome, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Oneida and
Herkimer counties.
Like many industrial towns and cities in the northeastern
Rust Belt, Utica has experienced a major reduction in manufacturing activity in the past several decades, and is in serious financial trouble; many public services have been curtailed to save money. Suburbs in Utica have begun to experience
suburban sprawl; this is common in many
Upstate New York cities, which are suffering from what the
Sierra Club termed "sprawl without growth," although recently notable efforts have been made to revitalize the Downtown and Oneida Square areas of Utica by planning the construction of quality apartment housing.
The arrival of a large number of
Bosnian immigrants over the past several years has stanched a population loss that had been steady for more than three decades. Bosnian immigrants now constitute about 10% of the total population of Utica. The city's economy is heavily dependent on commercial growth in its suburbs, a trend that's characterized by development of green sites in neighboring villages and does little to revitalize the city itself.
Utica was first settled in
1773, on the site of
Fort Schuyler which was built in 1758 and abandoned after the
French and Indian War. The city's name was said to have been picked out of a hat; it's named after
Utica, Tunisia.
During the
American Revolution the original settlement was destroyed by
Tories and
Native Americans. General
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben turned General
George Washington's
Continental Army volunteers into a more professional fighting force. The settlement was eventually rebuilt. Utica was incorporated in
1832.
Utica's location on the
Erie Canal stimulated its industrial development. The middle section of the Canal, from
Rome to
Salina, was the first portion to open in 1820. The
Chenango Canal, connecting Utica and
Binghamton, opened in 1836, and provided a further stimulus for economic development by providing water transportation of
coal from Northeast Pennsylvania.
The
Utica Psychiatric Center, the first psychiatric center in New York State, has been open in Utica since
1843.
F. W. Woolworth opened his first store in Utica in 1878, but the store failed within a year
(External Link
).
By the late 19th century, Utica had become the home of the textile industry of the United States, but, by the mid-20th century, virtually all of the textile mills closed and migrated to the American South. In the wake of the demise of the textile industry, Utica became a major player in the tool and die industry, which thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eventually declining in the late 20th century. Like the textile industry before it, the machine tool industry largely forsook Utica for the American South, with one notable example being The Chicago Pneumatic Company, which shuttered its extensive manufacturing facility in Utica in 1997 and relocated to
Rock Hill, South Carolina.
In the early and mid-20th century, Utica had become a major manufacturing center for radios, manufactured by the
General Electric company, which, at one time, employed some 8,000 workers there, and was once known as: "The radio capital of the world." However, by the mid-1960s, General Electric had moved its radio manufacturing to the Far East. In the early 1990s, GE's Light Military Electronics operation in Utica was sold to
Lockheed Martin and soon closed altogether. In 1996 the former Lockheed facility was purchased by Oneida County's Industrial Development Association for lease to ConMed Corporation (founded by Utica local Eugene Corasanti) for use as a manufacturing facility and the company's worldwide headquarters, bringing 500 new jobs to the area
(External Link).
In the 1930s through the 1950s Utica became nationally if not internationally known as "Sin City" for the extent of its corruption and control by the political machine of Rufus P. Elefante.
Because of the decline of industry and employment in the mid to late twentieth century, Utica became known as "The City that God Forgot." In the 1980s and early 1990s, some of Utica's residents could be seen driving cars with bumper stickers that read "Last One Out of Utica, Please Turn Out The Lights," clearly taking a more humorous stand on their city's rapid population loss and continued economic struggles.
Geography
The
Erie Canal, the
Mohawk River, and the
New York State Thruway pass through the north part of the city. The city is adjacent to the border of
Herkimer County, New York.
Utica is located at (43.096569, -75.231887) in the
Mohawk River Valley region of New York State.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6
square miles (43.0
km²), of which, 16.4 square miles (42.3 km²) of it's land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²) of it (1.57%) is water.
Snowfall
Average Season Snowfall : 98.9"
2004-05 Final Snowfall Total: 93.4"
2005-06 Final Snowfall Total: 106.8"
Demographics
| Historical populations(External Link) |
Census
year |
Population |
|
| 1840 |
12,782 |
| 1850 |
17,565 |
| 1860 |
22,529 |
| 1870 |
28,804 |
| 1880 |
33,914 |
| 1890 |
44,007 |
| 1900 |
56,383 |
| 1910 |
74,419 |
| 1920 |
94,156 |
| 1930 |
101,740 |
| 1940 |
100,518 |
| 1950 |
100,489 |
| 1960 |
100,410* |
| 1970 |
91,611* |
| 1980 |
75,632* |
| 1990 |
68,637* |
| 2000 |
60,651 |
| 2003 |
59,947 (Est.) |
| * Source document from Oneida County, not Census Bureau. Document here. |
As of the
2000 census, there were 60,651 people, 25,100 households, and 14,231 families residing in the city. The
population density was 3,710.0 people per square mile (1,432.3/km²). There were 29,186 housing units at an average density of 1,785.3/sq mi (689.2/km²). The
racial makeup of the city was 79.42%
White, 12.92%
African American, 0.28%
Native American, 2.21%
Asian, 0.05%
Pacific Islander, 2.16% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 5.79% of the population.
There were 25,100 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were
married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,916, and the median income for a family was $33,818. Males had a median income of $27,126 versus $21,676 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $15,248. About 19.8% of families and 24.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 38.0% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
Cultural venues
Utica contains several different music venues. Utica Monday Nite features exceptional blues and jazz musicians from the area. Utica is also home to the Utica Symphony Orchestra.
Utica is the home of the Stanley Theatre for the Performing Arts, a 2,945 seat Mexican-baroque movie palace, built in 1928, and designed by prolific theater architect Thomas Lamb, that's fully restored and serves as the premier cultural showcase for the region. The theatre is undergoing a major renovation in 2007 to enlarge the stage area and attract large productions.
Utica is the home of the
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Museum of Art, housed in an imposing International-style building, built in 1960, and designed by noted architect
Philip Johnson, who considered it to be his finest work.
Utica is the home of the Utica Memorial Auditorium, a 4,000 seat multi-purpose area, built in 1959, and was fully renovated in the 1990s. The "new" Madison Square Garden, in New York City, was modeled after the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The
Utica Devils, one-time farm affiliate of the NHL
New Jersey Devils, featured several future stars.
Utica has an impressive public library which was founded and funded locally, and isn't a
Carnegie library. The Utica Public Library was founded in 1838, and its current home, a handsome structure on Genesee Street, was dedicated in 1903, and extensively renovated in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Open throughout the year,
The Children's Museum of History, Natural History, Science and Technology attracts local visitors and global tourists.
The
Utica Zoo is home to the world's largest watering can. The 2,000 pound can is 15 feet 6 inches in height and 12 feet in diameter.
Utica is home of the Hotel Utica, a Renaissance Revival structure, built in 1912, that was meticulously restored in 1999-2001, and was patterned on the restoration of The Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., at a cost of $13 million, by Joseph R. Carucci and Charles N. Gaetano. It is currently part of the Clarion Collection hotel chain.
Annual events
Utica is the site of the annual
Boilermaker Road Race (the largest 15K road race in the United States), and the
National Distance Running Hall of Fame. Universities in Utica include
Utica College,
State University of New York Institute of Technology, Pratt at
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute,
Mohawk Valley Community College, and
Utica School of Commerce. Nearby colleges include
Hamilton College in
Clinton, New York,
Herkimer County Community College in
Herkimer, New York, and
Colgate University in
Hamilton, New York. The
Stanley Theater of Utica is one of the best known theatres in the eastern U.S.
In the winter, Utica hosts Central New York's largest winter festival,
Snowfari. The event draws thousands of winter recreational enthusiasts while raising funds for the
Utica Zoo. Snowfari offers regional qualifiers for Winter Empire State Games events, SBX (snowboarder cross), mountain bike races, and The Cardboard Sled Race, to name a few events.
Throughout the summer, Utica has a celebration of Visual Arts, Performing Arts, History and Heritage, called Utica Monday Nite.
Education
Utica's sole remaining public high school is
Thomas R. Proctor High School, its original public high school, Utica Free Academy, founded in 1814, having shuttered its doors in 1987. Utica is also home to Notre Dame High School, a small parochial high school, founded in 1959 by the Xaverian Brothers. Utica is also the home of
Mohawk Valley Community College, which was founded in 1946 as the New York State Center of Applied Arts and Sciences at Utica, and was the first community college established in New York State.
Utica is the home of
Utica College, founded in the 1946, as a four-year college affiliated with
Syracuse University. While Utica College became fully independent from Syracuse University in 1995, its undergraduates still receive Syracuse degrees. Utica College was originally an urban campus in the Oneida Square area of the city. In 1961, it relocated to a modern 128-acre campus on the west side of Utica. Currently a new science wing and additional buildings are being added to the campus.
Music and art
Utica is also home to a thriving art community, largely due to the existence of the
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Museum of Art and community art space The Resonance Center, as well as the Central New York Community Arts Council. The music scene in Utica is also the birthplace of noted musicians such as
Joe Bonamassa.
Utica in popular culture
- In an episode of The Office, Michael, Jim and Dwight drive to Utica, where Karen is the Regional Manager of the town's Dunder-Mifflin branch. Although they didn't film this in Utica, locals from there had to send in objects to decorate the set in order for it to look like an actual Utica-style office. The Utica branch is one of a handful of the fictional company's satellite offices, and has been mentioned sporadically throughout the show.
- Jenny McCarthy's character in Jenny was originally from Utica.
- Superintendent Chalmers of The Simpsons mentions to Principal Skinner in an episode that he's from Utica after Skinner says he's from Upstate New York
- Dick Clark got his start in a mailroom at Utica radio station WRUN
- In the film Poor Pretty Eddy, Leslie Uggams character is from Utica.
- Is mentioned in Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl.
- Bobbi Anderson, the protagonist of Stephen King's novel The Tommyknockers, is from Utica. Her family still lives there, and some small portions of the book take place in Utica. Ironically enough, Stephen King's daughter is a preacher in a church located in Utica, who also resides in Utica.
Local inventions
The "Union Suit"- a type of red-colored long underwear jumpsuit with a buttoned flap on the backside was invented in Utica.
The first color newspaper, "The Utica Saturday Globe" was published in Utica.
The Utica Crib was named for the
New York State Lunatic Asylum at Utica where it was heavily used in the 19th century to confine patients who refused to stay in their beds
(External Link).
Food and drink in Utica
Unique foods that are popular in the area include:
Halfmoons (a black and white pastry made with a large (5") dark chocolate cake style cookie iced on one half with white cream frosting and the other half with dark chocolate frosting) (External Link)
Tomato Pie (a rectangular thick-crust bread covered with a sweet tomato sauce, served cold)
Chicken Rigatoni (Chicken Riggies as called by the locals) Riggie Fest occurs every May in the city(External Link).
Greens (a generally spicy dish made of escarole with various ingredients (depending on recipe) such as potatoes, sausage, hot peppers)
Sausage and peppers on Italian Bread
Utica has many offerings of ethnic food, mostly Italian and Polish but also Greek and Lebanese. There are also many Vietnamese, Bosnian, Puerto Rican and Dominican stores and restaurants in the city.
Several widely distributed beers are brewed at the historic F.X. Matt Brewery including the Saranac line of beers, and Utica Club, a naturally-aged pilsner beer, which was the first beer to be sold in the United States after Prohibition was repealed. Other famous sites include Utica Zoo, Munson Williams Art Museum, Children's Museum, Baggs Square, the Oriskany Monument, and the Val Bialis Alpine Ski Area, located in Roscoe Conkling Park, right in the heart of Utica, which is one of the few municipal ski areas in the United States.
Notable Uticans
T.J. Allard, Television host (most notably from "Good Day Live" and "3 Men & A Chick Flick")
Vaughn Bodé, famed underground cartoonist, creator of Cheech Wizard
Joe Bonamassa, internationally touring blues musician and songwriter
Steven Brill, film writer/director
Dave Cash, Major League Baseball player (most notably of the Philadelphia Phillies - retired - member of first All-Black starting lineup)
Gary Chalmers, school superintendent on The Simpsons (fictional)
Roscoe Conkling, US Senator and leading Republican party leader in late 19th century
Robert Esche, NHL hockey player (Philadelphia Flyers/Team USA 2006)
Wayne R. Felton, Bishop
Annette Funicello, Former Mouseketeer, actress
Matt Hamill, UFC Fighter
Ward Hunt, Supreme Court Justice
Francis Kernan, United States Senator
Lech Kowalski, documentary film maker
Mark Lemke, Major League Baseball player (most notably of the Atlanta Braves - retired - World Series Champion, 1995)
Mark Mowers, NHL hockey player (Anaheim Ducks)
Ron O'Neal, actor
Tiffany Pollard, reality star ('New York' - I Love New York)
Horatio Seymour, 1868 Democratic Party presidential nominee
James Schoolcraft Sherman, 27th Vice President of the United States
Will Smith, NFL football player (New Orleans Saints)
Andy Van Slyke, Major League Baseball player (most notably of the Pittsburgh Pirates - retired - All-Star in 1988, 1992, 1993; 5 consecutive Golden Gloves; 2 Silver Slugger awards)
Steve Wynn, developer
Michael S. Zarnock, Published Author/Columnist and 2 Time Guinness World Record Holder
James Zogby, political advocate, founder of Arab-American Institute
John Zogby, pollster, founder/CEO of Zogby International
Media outlets
Television stations
WKTV-NBC NEWSChannel 2 - Central New York's NBC Affiliate
WUTR- Central New York's ABC Affiliate
WFXV- Central New York's FOX Affiliate
Newspapers
Observer-Dispatch - Utica's daily newspaper
The Daily Sentinel - Rome's daily newspaper
The Evening Telegram - Herkimer's daily newspaper
The Evening Times - Little Falls' daily newspaper
The Oneida Daily Dispatch - Oneida's daily newspaper
The Utica Phoenix - Independent news magazine
Educational institutions
Hamilton College
Herkimer County Community College
Mohawk Valley Community College
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
SUNY Institute of Technology
Utica School of Commerce
Utica CollegeFurther Information
Get more info on 'Utica New York'.
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