Acclaimed vocalist and composer Chloe Louise Brisson will bring her soulful blend of jazz, folk, blues, and Americana to two Capital Region stages this August. She performs at The Moon and River Café in Schenectady on August 29 and at Bye I Brewing in Cohoes on August 30 for the Starlight in Cohoes event.

Meanwhile, neighborhoods in Schenectady like Hamilton Hill, Mont Pleasant, and Bellevue were left behind. As property values fell and landlords stopped investing in upkeep, public resources followed the people who had left. Schools became overcrowded and underfunded. Public transportation deteriorated. The once-thriving city became a symbol of what many officials came to call “urban decline,” though much of it was the result of policy-driven displacement.

It’s important to remember that white flight was not just about race. It was about opportunity being unequally distributed, and entire communities being systematically written off. Today, these effects remain deeply visible. Niskayuna has one of the highest-performing school districts in the state. Bethlehem ranks high in median income and quality of life. Meanwhile, Schenectady continues to struggle with concentrated poverty, aging infrastructure, and a lack of investment in working-class neighborhoods.

The classroom of the future will not be phone-free. It will be tech-integrated. It will require digital fluency, critical thinking, media literacy, and ethical online behavior. These are not optional skills. They are essential to participating in the world students will graduate into.

By removing phones instead of rethinking how to use them, we are choosing short-term control over long-term preparation. While other countries are building digital citizens, we are building fear of the digital world itself.

Imagine a modern trolley system that connects downtown Schenectady with Mont Pleasant, Uptown, Scotia, Hamilton Hill, Niskayuna, Bellevue, and Rotterdam. Imagine workers getting to their jobs without paying for parking. Students commuting safely to school. Seniors riding to Central Park or the farmers market. Small businesses finally seeing steady, predictable foot traffic. Not as a luxury but as a lifeline.

A new Starbucks with a drive thru has been quietly approved for Erie Boulevard, one of Schenectady’s busiest streets, without input from residents or local businesses. Despite being denied twice in previous years, developers returned in 2025 with a new legal argument, claiming the city's zoning laws were vague. The Board of Zoning Appeals accepted this interpretation in May, with support from Metroplex officials. No members of the public were present to oppose the project.

The fact that unelected business leaders can work in concert with city officials and power brokers from the county to totally bury the fact that—with close to $500 million spent on downtown Schenectady—the so-called revitalization effort has so viciously failed the people of Schenectady that have been here…

Upstate New York rapper, producer, and innovator Kerell returns with his 2025 album People Still Dance to Hits — a high-energy, genre-blending project that taps into something rare in today’s music: pure, unfiltered movement. Fusing Jersey Club, R&B, drum & bass, and hip-hop, Kerell crafts a sound that feels nostalgic yet forward-pushing. This isn’t music made to follow trends — it’s made to move people, the way real hits always have.

The long-running Belmont Pop Warner football team will receive city funding for the first time after the Schenectady City Council reached a compromise Monday, approving a one-time $25,000 grant.

As someone who’s spent the last decade taste-testing and obsessing over the best hidden food gems, I can tell you this: the Capital Region’s food scene isn’t just having a moment — it’s sparking a quiet revolution. And if you’ve seen your FYP lately, you know what I’m talking about.