So this gentleman decided tour the entire state of New York and his first stop was Utica.  He’s heard it a zillion times: “Utica, why would you want to go there? There’s nothing happening.” Despite the gloomy opinions he’d heard about our town, he decided to fight the tide of naysayers and hopped on a train.  He arrived here and discovered Utica to be a city filled with untapped potential and promise.

 Utica is a city that has been struck by hard times.  But in my day, I tapped into energy, a revitalization that was simply contagious.  Folks here were so excited about the things that were happening.(ariandavidphotography.wordpress.com)

He was impressed by our town’s railroad heritage, a cute coffee shop with an amazing vibe, the beautiful architecture, and community residents with hearts of gold. He also visited a farmers market filled with delicious produce, and locals who were smiling, laughing, and brimming with hope. In fact, they were anything but melancholic.

He met up with Marci at the Oneida County Tourism office and this young lady had a lot of good to say about our community too: “I love the culture here. There’s a lot of history and tradition and it’s more inviting than New York City.” Throughout his stay, he met numerous kindhearted and upbeat individuals who were more than willing to express their optimistic outlook and share their hope filled opinions.

This particular Mohawk Valley tourist was especially astounded by the tenacious and relentless Utica spirit. He met many hardworking, loving people who were gleaming with hope and had a sparkle in their eyes. During his visit, he sampled some of our delicious food (the riggies!), visited the Stanley, hung out with the Comets mascot and admired the charm of the Stanley Theater just to name a few.

If you’re in need of a Utica faith lift, I encourage you to check out this guy’s article. After I read it, I was left wondering: “perhaps it’s only the people that have never been here that despise our hidden gem.”

Read the post here: Arian David Photography.

 

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