"O" is for "Ophelia"
Took a long walk around Cohoes with MAP on Thursday to scope out studio space. Found the Foundry, which is intriguing, exclusive, etc., and one or two other spaces to call for a look. There are exactly five businesses on Remsen St.: a knitting store; a wine shop; a Russian supermarket; Satchel - a purse/gift shop; and the Bread & Jam coffee shop. We met Sal at Bread & Jam and declared his coffee house amazing. He was wonderful and gave us instructions to one of the studio buildings we were scoping.
Cohoes itself has fallen apart in the most sad, beautiful way. It is a veritable slum/ghost town as people struggle economically in the houses and apartments built by their great-grandparents – structures made of ornately carved wood followed by bricks starting from the 1860’s forward. Then like everywhere else, there were a couple of wars, immigrants and a boom. And then there was a Depression. And then there was another war.
And then, recently, nearly everything disappeared. Word on the lips of local artists is that it’s ripe for a low-rent, artsy take-over. Let the transformation begin!
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