Let's Talk About Albany!

One of the things I’ve most enjoyed since launching CMR Communications is getting to tell Albany’s stories. Shortly after I started the business, I began to hear rumblings of a new website that was aiming to fill the void left by the demise of All Over Albany.

I was a huge fan of All Over Albany, and, for a brief time, even toyed with the idea of launching a similar site. The idea rose from my work with Albany’s Heritage Tourism Working Group, convened by Mayor Sheehan.

A small subset of the group hatched a plan to develop a mobile-friendly blog, maintained by Albanians, with a focus on what makes Albany special – whether you lived here or were just passing through. We dubbed it The A-List, and determined that the blog would have a personality, a voice, enthusiasm ... people would want to invite The A-List out for a drink.

Unfortunately, despite early enthusiasm, the effort fizzled for want of content.

So, when I heard about CivMix, I was determined to provide all the content they could use!

The founders of the site say that:
this region not only needs news about local happenings, the arts, government and community events, it deserves to have that information delivered in the most thoughtful, engaging way possible.

And how did they land on the name?
It turned out to be more straightforward that we feared. We wanted something that spoke to the amazing blend that makes up our rich community. The phrase “community blend,” translated to Latin, is “civitas mixtio,” or CivMix, for short.

CivMix launched in early June, and my first article ran on June 5. Since then, I’ve written some 20 articles about everything from a Revolutionary War Gossip Tour at Fort Ticonderoga to a mural of a sturgeon painted on a building in Troy. But the beat that I’m staking out is cool and quirky – or thought-provoking and compelling – stories about Albany.

I’ve included links to several of them below. Get yourself a beverage and poke around some of these articles. And as you’re reading, I hope you’ll think of ways that I can help you tell your story! Drop me a line and we can talk!

• Make a New Plan, Stan (For Old Buildings)
• Albany’s Renaissance Man, Giacomo Calabria
• Lights for Liberty – Recap
• Love Your Library
• Schuyler Sisters Invade Albany Institute
• Getting a Grip on Panhandling 
• The Dough Also Rises – 197 Lark Street  
• Frajee’s Ribbon Cutting 
• People of NY Tour Review 
• Fallbany and Other Downtown Delights 
• Bird Sleuth – Carolina Wren 
• Hops + Harvest