Albany County

Albany County (/ΛˆΙ”ΛlbΙ™niː/ awl-bΙ™-nee) is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England (James VII of Scotland). As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204.[1] As originally established, Albany County had an indefinite amount of land, but has only 530 square miles (1,400 km2) as of March 3, 1888. The county seat is Albany, the state capital.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albany_County,_New_York

A 3D “Drone” Tour of the Eastern Albany Pine Bush in 1952

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Our tour starts at Fuller Road and Western Avenue overlooking what is now Stuyvesent Plaza and I-87/I-90 Thruway. We head west on Western Avenue, passing along the current site of Crossgates Mall and Lawton Terrace (under development).

We head up old Rapp Road to the former Rapp Road Hog Farm and the Historic Rapp Road Neighborhood. We look east towards the Crossgates Mall site, then head northeast over several large dunes, now SUNY Nano Tech and Thruway to Rensselear Lake.

We head northwest over Upper Rapp Road and the landfill site and then follow the Kings Highway up to where it meets Old Karner Road and Overlook Dune then turn out and head south towards the Upper Kiakout Ravine on Old Karner Road. We head northeast across Blueberry Hill East and 350 Washington Avenue site, following Old Lydus Street (now Washington Avenue Extension) back to Rapp Road, then south on Rapp Road.

We follow Rapp Road south to Western Avenue, then turn around and look northwest, pausing briefly at current landfill site, then pull back on the frame to see a portion of the Pine Bush that is developed today, between former Lydus Street (now Washington Avenue) and what would become the Thruway and the landfill.