A Small American City

Reclamation

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Vic & Heather, Troy
Photo by Tonya Massey

“Troy is better than Brooklyn.” — Vic Christopher, Brooklyn native

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TROY, N.Y. — It’s been almost 10 years since Vic Christopher, 37, and Heather LaVine, 35, landed in Troy. They came here to recharge a minor league baseball team.

But they fell in love with the city and with each other. Their “office” romance was not allowed, though. So they got hitched and left professional sports. Today, they’re working to revitalize the city, instead.

Last year, the husband-and-wife team opened The Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar at 12 Second St., a building they own and live in. It was an instant hit in town, with its eclectic décor of reclaimed materials and Troy ephemera.

Just over a week ago, the couple purchased an adjoining property described as “one of the most endangered buildings in downtown Troy.”

In this rolling and sometimes outrageous conversation, Duncan Crary speaks with Christopher and LaVine about love, marriage, urban renewal, gentrification, economic development and The American Dream.

(Photos of The Charles F. Lucas Confectionery & Wine Bar, at 12 Second St., and adjacent The Clark House, at 207 Broadway.)

At the start of this episode, Crary reads a personal essay “So you think you own this?.

Play/Download:
SAC_07.mp3
(44 MB | 55:30)

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MUSIC IN THIS EPISODE

mount mole“Untitled #9”

by mount mole

from “MMX” (2010).*

* Courtesy of mount mole.

 

 

 

Sean Rowe“Downwind”

by Sean Rowe

from “The Salesman and the Shark” (Anti, Inc. 2012).*

* Courtesy of Sean Rowe.

 

 

 

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Comments

14 responses to “Reclamation”

  1. Johnny

    Another fabulous podcast! Keep up the good work.

    Reply
  2. Chas

    Gotta be honest… wish you and these guys were psyched on Sch’dy instead. But still you win we all win … great show, very interesting interview. Congrats to Vic and Heather can’t wait to see what they have in store next.

    Reply
    1. Duncan Crary

      Thanks Chas. You know I was a big Schenectady proponent years ago, before I moved to Troy. I went to Union over there and loved it. Some of the characters I used to hang with over in the Electric City made the move over to Troy. I’m lookin’ forward to checking out “The Place Beyond the Pines,” soon. …. Now can we get some light rail to link our small American cities or what? 🙂

      Reply
  3. Pete

    Very interesting. I got a vivid sense of what Vic and Heather bring to the reclamation, though I wanted a bit more specificity about what makes Troy Night Out so special. I don’t see info or links — did I miss them?

    Reply
  4. Pete

    Oh yeah–also really appreciated the photos. Great work all.

    Reply
  5. Duncan Crary

    Thanks Pete.

    Troy Night Out does have some websites (I’ll post below). But it’s really something you just have to come check out to see what it’s all about. And what it’s all about is seeing a small American city being used as it once was in its fully activated heyday. And you do get a glimpse of what this city…and all small cities should be like all the time. Most of the downtown shops stay open later than usual, and the bars and sidewalks are packed with people. There’s street entertainment as well.

    The best thing to do is hop from place to place. But if you’re going to drink, please take a cab or rent a hotel room downtown and move on foot. … And on Saturday you can wake up and go straight to the farmer’s market, which is equally exciting.

    http://www.troynightout.org/

    https://www.facebook.com/troy.n.out

    There’s a Troy Night Out app for phones that you can find out here:

    http://www.downtowntroy.org/

    (And you can also find out more about the special events, like Rockin’ on the River, the Troy Pig Out.)

    Here’s info on Victorian Stroll:

    http://www.victorianstroll.com/

    And keep your eyes peeled for info about the River Street Arts Festival.

    Reply
    1. Pete

      Duncan,
      Thanks for posting this. I’ll check with these sites. I asked because I’ll be traveling in mid-May, and have hoped I’d have a week or so to look around my old stomping grounds in Dutchess County and stop by Troy as well. (Now I’m not so sure about that week.)
      Pete

      Reply
  6. Aaron

    I’m in town for business for the week (I’m from Connecticut) and after hearing the podcast decided to check the place out. I have to say I was very impressed! Heather and the rest of the staff are super nice, the beer selection is excellent, and the atmosphere is really cool and hip.

    I wish them the best of luck with the wine bar and with their newest endeavor The Grocery!

    Reply
  7. Frank Grill

    Duncan, thanks for another great episode! You have got me considering leaving the tragic sprawl of the Chicago suburbs for one of the small American cities of the midwest. I have made several visits to Peoria recently and have been surprisingly impressed. I hope to find my own American Brigadoon!

    Reply
  8. Duncan Crary

    Thanks Frank! We put on a good show here in town, so I hope you’ll swing by for a visit.

    Reply
  9. James Newlin

    There is a difference between “lifestyle enclave” and “community.” I see too much focus in this podcast on the lifestyle enclave part of Troy (the same thing happens when talking about other cities, like Austin, TX or Portland, OR). Most people in their 20s in Troy are below the poverty line, people who don’t have money to participate in this stuff you’re talking about. They are invisible to people in your lifestyle enclave. Also, a lot of people in Troy are rich kids coming from all over to temporarily live there while going to Rensselaer! This is such an artificial picture you’re painting of the place. Based on google maps, I count nine dollar stores, and a half dozen pharmacies in Troy, and I’m guessing this part of Troy is the part that’s really growing.

    This podcast is delusional, things are getting worse in small towns, not better. I live in a small northeast town as well, while there are good things (4000 seat symphony hall, library, playhouse, art institute), it’s getting worse here all the time — poverty, dollar stores, pharmacies, car-dependency. That’s the real story.

    Reply
    1. Aaron

      James, based on my experience roaming around Troy for a few days last year it seems pretty middle class. What you’re saying may be true of many small cities but there are glimmers of hope, Troy is one of them.

      Reply
  10. James Newlin

    The tuition at Rensselaer is about $180,000 for an undergraduate degree, one of the most expensive institutions in the country. Perhaps this is creating two cities — one with expensive cafes and places to go for these wealthy college kids, and then the things that poor people do. How is this podcast not just nostalgia mixed with promoting gentrification and segregation?

    Reply
  11. John Wolcott

    Hi Duncan why didn’t you answer me?
    Guess you are way ahead o fm on

    Imdereatj Troys South end. Apparently
    you were part tht IDA sutveys and
    archaelogy for the South End. Thne I
    assume you know abouthe sitances
    on very first map of Rensselaer Wyck
    being deliberately faked in order to
    enable the first Patreoon to gain more
    territory ? This effects Troy and
    and Watervliet about from near to
    the Poesten Kill north to Peebles
    Os;amd wjere tje bog ;oe pm tje ,a[
    os / O/e/ the fuly faked castle that
    never was. They thee’s the terrivic
    ta;e pf jpw tjos was omgempis;u
    dospverd kist ;ast uear amd tjat tje
    dothe story? scpver jas decoded mpt tp [iv;osj. Plese call me at518 465 8930.
    Pr are uou, possibly working on this
    wotj Don ? I had original resolved nto
    tp te;; pf tje fale mpm exostam fprt
    Bit bacl om Dec/ O s;o[[ed amd tp;
    tp;d jo, amuwau. I realy freaked over
    this and asked him not to krak it
    out until it could be publishd somewhere in a manner proectin the
    protecting th the privacy of my
    informfat. But I can write this up
    without indetifying the reaeearche
    except in a quai coded manner which
    they and all of ther freinds will
    recongnize.. I assume that you are
    on the IDA having located and
    indentfied the Menonies aslte. I discoved about 8 years ago by way
    pf a facomatomg
    catpgr[oc [sa;osst . This has enableld me to start working on elevated high
    angle view of the castle with preise
    outine and measurement of thecross
    shaped Mohian stle exra fortified
    vo;;age//

    ours truly,
    John

    s

    Cas;

    Reply

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