{"id":16109,"date":"2015-01-02T16:07:51","date_gmt":"2015-01-02T21:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.albany.com\/buzz\/2015\/01\/looking-back-thinking-ahead-on-central-avenue.html"},"modified":"2017-11-08T11:36:13","modified_gmt":"2017-11-08T16:36:13","slug":"looking-back-thinking-ahead-on-central-avenue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.albany.com\/buzz\/2015\/01\/looking-back-thinking-ahead-on-central-avenue\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking back, thinking ahead on Central Avenue"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

I love this time of year. It’s a time to take a deep breath after the bustle of the holiday season. It’s a time to regroup. It’s a time to clean out the office fridge. And it’s a time to reflect on the year’s accomplishments and look ahead to the next year.<\/p>\n

This year, our agency accomplished a lot!<\/p>\n

We firmed up our calendar of events, and can now say definitively that we host seven annual events on Central Avenue–making this one rocking street. The public can visit us any time–and we really mean that–but events like “Drawing Up Central” and the annual “Scarecrows on the Avenue” contest represent a great time to come to the Avenue and see what our businesses have to offer. We also launched “ArtTV” this year, an innovative public art program that shows artists’ work inside five busy bus stations on Central Avenue.<\/p>\n

\n
We also got a lot of press. And while I never tire of seeing my own name, “Confidential Sources” come up in the news, what I really get excited about is seeing “Central Avenue” pop up on my Google News Alert. That happened a lot this year, with stories on everything from our restaurants to Westgate Plaza, proving that Central Avenue is one dynamic, happening place to be. And as if to shore up that point, we welcomed a bumper crop of new businesses to Central Avenue this year, including:<\/div>\n
\n
\n
    \n
  • Jacqueline’s Dominican Style Beauty Salon, 132 Central Avenue<\/li>\n
  • Champy’s Jamaican American Cuisine, 56 Central Avenue<\/li>\n
  • Irie Vybez, 313 Central Avenue<\/li>\n
  • Parkside Apartments, 260 Washington Avenue<\/li>\n
  • Posigen Solar, 997 Central Avenue<\/li>\n
  • Nicolas Morales State Farm Agency, 142 Central Avenue<\/li>\n
  • The Low Beat, 335 Central Avenue<\/li>\n
  • New York State Preservation League Resource Center, 44 Central Avenue<\/li>\n
  • ATAX, 979 Central Avenue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \"\"<\/div>\n

    This year, we continued to plug our businesses, seeking out opportunities to raise awareness about the district’s diverse offerings both on and off-site. We printed another 1,000 copies of the Central Avenue Dining Guide, which we distributed at visitor destinations across the region. We also took our goody bags, packed with materials from our district businesses to conferences and expos across the region. We also coordinated with restaurants and grocery stores to provide samples of our food to several dining events, giving people one more reason to visit Central Avenue the next time they’re eating out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \u00a0\"\"<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    This time of year is also a time to plan for the future.<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    In 2015, we can look forward to several new programs on Central Avenue, including An International Affair, a new dining and cultural series presented by the International Center of the Capital Region at The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio. The first, which will focus on Japan, will take place on April 23, with subsequent evenings focusing on India, Kenya, and Brazil.<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    We will also launch a re-branding campaign for our arts and entertainment district. While many of you have probably noticed the increasing number of cool things taking place around Quail and Central — witness, for example, “Sunday Funday” and “Rockin’ Brunch” events at The Low Beat, or “Food for Thought” film screenings and “Nitty Gritty Slams” at the Linda, or “Word Fest”-related events and world-class blues acts at Pauly’s Hotel — we will be looking to really push that more into the public eye this year.<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    In 2014, we created a new brand for this mini-district, and in 2015, we will launch that brand, complete with a signage, programming, and streetscape enhancements.<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    Stay tuned. We can’t wait to make this year great!<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I love this time of year. It’s a time to take a deep breath after the bustle of the holiday season. It’s a time to regroup. It’s a time to clean out the office fridge. And it’s a time to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":21035,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[35,36,55,118],"class_list":["post-16109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-central-avenue","tag-central-avenue-business-improvement-district","tag-dining","tag-retail"],"yoast_head":"\r\nLooking back, thinking ahead on Central Avenue - The Albany Buzz: Albany Businesses, Events & Happenings<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.albany.com\/buzz\/2015\/01\/looking-back-thinking-ahead-on-central-avenue\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Looking back, thinking ahead on Central Avenue - The Albany Buzz: Albany Businesses, Events & Happenings\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I love this time of year. 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