Remembering Downtown A nostalgic look at the "good old days" in
Albany, Troy and Schenectady, will take you on a tour of the sights as
they were in the 40's 50's and 60's along with a look at today's
revitalization efforts.
Award-winning producer Steve Dunn and regional author Bob Cudmore return to the heyday of Albany, Schenectady and Troy's downtown areas, taking a nostalgic look at theaters and businesses that were at the center of town and community life.  Brought to you by our exclusive corporate sponsor, The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation.
Return to Productions page. QUIZ 
In the '40s, '50s and '60s, downtown was where you shopped, met your
friends and let the hustle and bustle banish loneliness. Just for fun,
test your memory with these questions about the golden age of downtown
in Albany, Schenectady and Troy.
1. Which department store was in downtown Schenectady: a. Frear's b. Myer's c. Macy's d. Carl's e. Gimbel's 2. People in downtown Troy used to meet at: a. The clock at Union Station b. The lobby of the Palace Theatre c. The staircase at Frear's d. The RPI Dome e. National Shoe Store 3. Albany's B. Lodge and Company: a. Sells baked goods b. Sells clothing, including underwear c. Has a branch at Crossgates Mall d. Opened in 1995 e. Closed in the 1960s 4. Downtown Schenectady stores used to stay open late on: a. Monday b. Tuesday c. Wednesday d. Thursday e. All of the above 5. Troy's three major department stores were Frear's, Peerless and: a. Denby's b. Gimbel's c. Carl's d. Whitney's e. Lodge's 6. The Famous Shoe Store is on: a. Jay Street, Schenectady b. State Street, Albany c. North Pearl Street, Albany d. Broadway, Troy e. Second Street, Troy 7. The oldest continuously operated family business in downtown Schenectady is: a. Famous Shoe Store b. Paul's Restaurant c. Rudnick's clothing store d. Wedgeway Barber Shop e. Graubart's jewelry store 8. Which city never had a Proctor's Theatre: a. Albany b. Schenectady c. Troy d. All of the above e. None of the above 9. Which street was once called the "Great White Way": a. State Street, Schenectady b. River Street, Troy c. North Pearl Street, Albany d. Clinton Street, Schenectady e. Fourth Street, Troy 10. According to Troy native Karen Fatone, Paul's Restaurant was so popular with teenagers that the restaurant's waitresses used to: a. Lock the doors when school let out b. Time their young customers - allowing 15 minutes for one Coke c. Only allow 20 young people in at one time d. Only allow Troy residents inside - with photo ID! e. Close early on the nights of high school basketball games 11. During a portion of his interview not aired in Remembering Downtown, Famous Shoes' Art Smuckler says: "I delivered two pairs of shoes twice a year to him, andÂ…I can tell you that no matter what you believed about him, the man was a gentleman!" Who is Smuckler describing? a. Governor Nelson Rockefeller b. Congressman Sam Stratton c. Mayor Erastus Corning d. Governor Averill Harriman e. Mayor Thomas Whelan 12. As a teenager in Schenectady, Linda Tolokonski was a regular customer of a certain music store. She says: "As a kid, the cat's meow was to go there…because we used to have the 45s!….they used to be on hooks, but…. You could put them on in little booths and hear if you wanted to buy the song." What was this music store? a. Borders Books and Music b. Apex Music Store c. Acme Music Store d. Records 'n' Such e. Hermies Music Store 13. In Remembering Downtown, WTEN reporter John McLoughlin recalls visiting a store at holiday time. He says: "They had this giant staircase…Santa Claus is up on the [first] landing, and they had all these wonderful decorations.…. it was just a great place to go." What store was this? a. Denby's b. Peerless c. Frear's d. Carl's e. Whitney's 14. In his interview, veteran Times Union reporter Marv Cermak says that there was a cop on every corner in downtown Schenectady years ago, and adds: "The big crime in Schenectady in those days was…." What was the crime? a. Identity theft b. Speeding c. Embezzling d. Jaywalking e. Insider stock trading 15. Jack Rosenstein, the founder of Jack's Oyster House in Albany: a. Didn't like to eat oysters b. Tried to open an Automat in the 1920s c. Saw none of his children enter the family business d. Considered opening a clothing store to compete with Lodge's e. Took frequent vacations 16. Troy's Famous Lunch is famous for its: a. Three-and-a-half-inch hot dogs b. Sushi c. Spaghetti and meatballs d. Make-your-own sundaes e. Nouvelle cuisine 17. Linda Tolokonski says this Schenectady department store catered to the upper crust "carriage trade": a. Carl's b. Wallace's c. Barney's d. Whitney's e. Peerless 18. In 1965, the Rolling Stones performed one of their first American concerts, sponsored by radio station WTRY, at this location: a. The RPI Fieldhouse, Troy b. The Palace Theatre, Albany c. The Pepsi Arena, Albany d. Proctor's Theatre, Schenectady e. The Atrium Mall, Troy 19. Daisy Baker's is a: a. Restaurant and bar on Second Street, Troy b. A boutique on Jay Street, Schenectady c. A flower shop on Maiden Lane, Albany d. A bakery at Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany e. A movie shot in Troy 20. The Wedgeway Building is in which city and contains which businesses: a. Troy: The Wedgeway Tavern and Famous Lunch b. Albany: Lodge's, Famous Shoes and OTB c. Schenectady: The Wedgeway Barbershop, Grog Shoppe and former State Theater d. Schenectady: Proctor's Theatre and the former Carl Company e. Albany: The State University of New York System Administration Quiz Answers
1. d Carl's 2. c The staircase at Frear's 3. b Sells clothing, including underwear 4. d Thursday 5. a Denby's 6. c North Pearl Street, Albany 7. e Graubart's jewelry store 8. e None of the above 9. c North Pearl Street , Albany 10. b Time their young customers - allowing 15 minutes for one Coke 11. c Mayor Erastus Corning 12. b Apex Music Store 13. c Frear's 14. d Jaywalking 15. a He didn't like to eat oysters 16. a Three-and-a-half-inch hot dogs 17. c Barney's 18. b The Palace Theatre, Albany 19. a Restaurant and bar on Second Street, Troy 20. c Schenectady: The Wedgeway Barbershop, Grog Shoppe and former State Theater Return to Productions page. |
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