😱 People are leaving New York State in droves

Today in The 518

• New Yorkers are fleeing the state by the hundreds of thousands

• What you really think of Albany’s proposed pro soccer stadium project

• A charming 1852 townhouse in Center Square is our Home of the Week 🏡

• Plus, all the music listings you need to know

People are fleeing New York State in droves

It’s an exodus of biblical proportions. OK, maybe not quite, but close…

New York’s population is shrinking faster than any other state in the union, driven by families turned off by the fourth highest cost of living in America. They’re seeking out cheaper locales in places like Florida, Texas and Idaho (lots of red states, not coincidentally).

More than 630,000 people have left the state since 2020, including more than 100,000 who have departed in just the last 12 months, according to Molly Burke’s lengthy look at this troubling trend in the Times Union.

In fact, 8 in 10 New York cities have lost population since 2020. The one notable bright spot? Albany! It’s the largest upstate city to avoid a population drop, although we added only 2% more residents during this time. Still, a win is a win, baby 💪 

Another important caveat to note here: Much of the decline is coming from New York City, which saw 546,000 people leave. Undoubtedly, many of these families moved upstate rather than out-of-state in search of more space and lower cost of living.

The TU story quotes one Albany resident with a rather intriguing name—Siegfried Isidrio-Cloudas—who moved to Burlington for a new job, but quickly moved back to the Capital District because he found it too expensive.

“I now live comfortably in Albany and have been enjoying it a lot more, partially because the cost of living is much cheaper than pretty much everywhere else I can imagine living,” he said to the Times Union. Tell them, Siegfried!

We posted this story on Reddit and it provoked some rather 🔥 reactions (357 comments and counting). Give us your take 👇️ and we’ll publish the results later this week!

"That's what the American odyssey is really about: Leaving home. Leaving home and coming home, and trying to understand the difference.” —Tom Bodett

It’s looking good for July 4th 🇺🇲 🎇 Hot with a slight chance of afternoon showers. The evening should be clear for fireworks!

Fire destroys beloved Lake George amphitheater

Just hours before a scheduled concert, the amphitheater in Shepard Park was gutted by fire on Sunday and later demolished. The venue hosts live concerts and other popular events in the village, which has vowed to rebuild it and continue its summer concert series in the park. You can see the charred remains of the bandstand in this video.

New indoor pickleball courts open in Menands

The pickleball craze is heating up in the Capital District. The Picklers Pickleball Court is pleased as pickle to open for business at Mid-City Plaza in Menands. The 18,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility at 90 Broadway features six indoor courts, and is a family-run business started by a former UAlbany administrator. “We are excited to promote pickleball in the Capital Region as an indoor, year-round sport,” Gary Miller told the Times Union back in February.

What y’all really think of the pro soccer stadium proposed for downtown Albany

Drumroll please… The results of our soccer stadium poll are in. The naysayers won out, casting 16 of the 36 votes (44%). Meanwhile, the pro-stadium crowd garnered 11 votes and the wait-and-see folks came in at 9 votes.

“Soccer is the future, let’s get on board,” wrote Brock from Troy. Another supporter gave us this lovely image: “Anyone who’s actually against this doesn't want Albany to thrive as a city and has a huge dump in their pants.” 💩 😁

One proponent said, “It’ll rarely be used and end up being forgotten.” Well, it would be hard to forget about a $300 million development, but point taken: There are many open questions about the economic benefits of mega stadium projects like this.

More to explore: So your city wants to build a stadium. Here’s what to know.