At the end of December I will be moving to my new position up in North Albany, in a non-descript suburban office building. After years of working in various downtown buildings — One Commence Plaza, 625 Broadway, South Swan Street Building, Legislative Office Building, Alfred E Smith Building — I will be moving back out to the suburbs for work. North Albany maybe not as remote as the Pine Bush or Clifton Park, it will be a transition to move away from working in the hub of the city. But it’s an industrial part of the city, away from bustle and dense urban life of downtown.

I have many different feelings about it. The new office is a typical suburban office complex, with acres of parking. Driving there is relatively easy, it’s not far from the expressway. But I really don’t want to be an auto commuter, after so many years of just taking the bus downtown and getting door to door service. Parking is free at that new office, unlike downtown, but I probably will continue to bus my way to work, transferring to a second bus or taking the shuttle over to the new office in North Albany. The new office is surrounded by industrial sprawl, not a whole lot near it but at least it’s only a block away from the Blue Bus Plus Express service to downtown and a free shuttle back and forth to the Empire Plaza.

Moving to the new office is good for my career. It’s a major leap forward, a big jump in pay and prestige, moving from a Deputy Director position to being a unit Director. The new position taps my unique skills, things I’ve worked over the years so hard to develop. And I can still ride my bike to work, if I so choose, and I won’t have the big State Street hill to climb. Yet, somehow riding in an industrial zone seems even less appealing then riding through the South End and the Madison Avenue Hill.

But alas, in some ways working downtown had grown old. As I get into my forties, I might look forward to the option of easy parking at the new suburban office campus. It will mean if I choose to drive to work, parking is easy and free. I can then choose to buy land and house out in the country, and know I can drive each day right from home to the parking lot right next to my office. I don’t have to deal with all the urban problems, the pan handlers, the dirt and grime of downtown. But still I will miss having the Empire Plaza Concourse to walk in during lunch, the Farmers Market and the ease of a single-bus quick ride back and forth downtown.