by The Interloafer
njt/mnrrbuff wrote:How safe is the neighborgood around Schenectady?We went there in January and walked around looking at townhouses. It seemed just fine.
"Might as well travel the elegant way."
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njt/mnrrbuff wrote:How safe is the neighborgood around Schenectady?We went there in January and walked around looking at townhouses. It seemed just fine.
njt/mnrrbuff wrote:How safe is the neighborgood around Schenectady?Downtown around that area is decent I would say. It used to be way worse, but I consider its safe now. Your also less than 5000 feet I think from Schenectady PD's HQ and the rest of downtown.
korax wrote:I will "third" Boston's Back Bay.The logical solution to this is to electrify that part of the MBTA system.... which would save them money in the long run, too... but hoping for Massachusetts to make such an investment seems pretty hopeless.
(snip)
But waiting for a Washington-bound Amtrak train on the platforms can be an exceptionally awful experience. It's very dark and grimy down there, the air lacks proper ventilation, and is thick with diesel fumes from MBTA commuter locomotives.
Suburban Station wrote:worse than that, though, is St. Paul. It's a decent Amshack, as far as they go, but the experience of coming seeing the glittering downtown from the train, then you keep going and stop in the middle of nowhere behind some warehouse in the dark is a pretty big letdown.Agreed. Minneapolis/St. Paul is sort of a "Giant Amshack". I got great service there, but the station facilities reminded me of nothing more than the old airport in Ithaca, NY, before they built a modern terminal. Or an obsolete bus station.
neroden wrote:Luckily, there are serious plans to move Amtrak into St. Paul Union Depot, which St. Paul and/or Ramsey County have already bought. They're currently waiting for the Post Office to move out of it, which is taking forever, and they seem to be finishing all the environmental documentation while they're waiting; they're also actively pursuing funding (and kicking in some of their own money). I read they're actually developing the plans to the point where they hope to literally start construction as soon as the Post Office gets out. Whenever that may be.The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority has created a website for SPUD, where you can follow the progress of the restoration project:
Station Aficionado wrote:Well, they look set to do a better job than Kansas City anyway. I'm hoping that commuter rail between SPUD and Minneapolis Ballpark Station is completed soon after SPUD opens as well - Minneapolis also deserves good connections to high speed rail.neroden wrote:Luckily, there are serious plans to move Amtrak into St. Paul Union Depot, which St. Paul and/or Ramsey County have already bought. They're currently waiting for the Post Office to move out of it, which is taking forever, and they seem to be finishing all the environmental documentation while they're waiting; they're also actively pursuing funding (and kicking in some of their own money). I read they're actually developing the plans to the point where they hope to literally start construction as soon as the Post Office gets out. Whenever that may be.The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority has created a website for SPUD, where you can follow the progress of the restoration project:
http://www.uniondepot.org/index.html
neroden wrote:Given the other pressing needs for the MBTA I wouldn't see that happening even if the money was there. MBTA would have to go out and procure a set of electric locomotives plus additional cars since now you have trainsets that can only be used on certain routes and not on other parts of the south side system such as the Old Colony. To become diesel free at Back Bay you would need to electrify Needham, Franklin, Stoughton and the proposed south coast (Fall River / New Bedford). I'm assuming you could leave Framingham/Worcester as Diesel. With some of those lines you would have serious NIMBY issues. People in Stoughton and Easton are already going nuts with the proposal for FR/NB I can't imagine to their reaction at catenary poles as well.korax wrote:I will "third" Boston's Back Bay.The logical solution to this is to electrify that part of the MBTA system.... which would save them money in the long run, too... but hoping for Massachusetts to make such an investment seems pretty hopeless.
(snip)
But waiting for a Washington-bound Amtrak train on the platforms can be an exceptionally awful experience. It's very dark and grimy down there, the air lacks proper ventilation, and is thick with diesel fumes from MBTA commuter locomotives.
LI Loco wrote:Some other candidates:I live in the city next to Springfield. And to its defense. The amtrak station IS small, but for what it is, its a nice place. Staff is always nice, its always clean, its not in the best part of the city, then again, none of downtown really is the best. But the city is (still) in talks to restore the original Union Station into an inter modal facility including Amtrak, CTDOT and all local and intercity bus service.
Rochester, NY - a boxy standard Amtrak building that replaced a beautiful old NY Central station.
Springfield, MA - see above
Pittsfield, MA - an Amshack that replaced a beautiful old NY Central station.
P.S. When Amtrak served Roanoke, the station was an Amshack instead of the beautiful modern N&W station designed by Raymond Loewy.