Dying NEW YORK Villages Along The Ruins Of The Erie Canal

[@wyldmoonwoman]

I live in Little Falls. I relocated in 2010, sold my home in Saratoga for 300k, paid $40,500 cash for a beautiful Victorian with good bones. I did 50k in cosmetic renovations. My taxes are cheaper here, I live comfortably. It was the best move I ever made.

[@hyzercreek]

Saratoga? I bought a house there in 1994 for 92k sold it in 2005 for 250 k now its worth 560 k on zillow. Prices are going crazy there.

[@scooter5940]

It’s cheap because few people want to live in a decrepit town. And NY taxes and regs are ridiculous.

[@wyldmoonwoman]

@@scooter5940 Little Falls is a beautiful little town.

[@timothyantipodes7646]

I was about to suggest places like this would be good for what you have done. Good move. let the big places rot.

[@johnrcornell]

I thought Little Falls was so charming

[@annenyman678]

Upstate NY is really a beautiful area. So sad to see it in such a depressed state.

[@ChazTheYouthful]

Uh speak for yourself the Rochester metro area is doing great

[@BokBarber]

It's very hit and miss, and not any worse than most of America. Some towns are recovering better than others.

[@karencosta8913]

Blame your state legislators and senators. They are great at getting businesses to leave the state but lousy at attracting new businesses.

[@Skarmy762]

NYS has been suffering the consequences of NYC politicians

[@YAHSHAYA777]

Not true I'm at Bronx native upstate is not depressed as a whole! that's your opinion just like every other person that doesn't know any better has said. Upstate is very rich in history there's a lot going on in Saratoga syracuse ithaca and many more and many more

[@roberthubbard2684]

I was born in Herkimer, my moms parents were from Little Falls, We moved from Herkimer to Florida in 1966, I can remember that the down town was busy back then and there were lots of factory's too. I walked by the old jail on my way to school at L W Bills every day! You should have turned left after the school, the nice houses are to the west of there. I won my first science award in that school as a first grader; it took a while but I have received U S patents for medical device products! It all started there in that elementary school! Brings back memories,!!

[@bobs8353]

My mother was born in Herkimer, I have been to that jail many times as a kid. I was up there a few years ago for my aunts funeral. It is sad what has become of that town and the Mohawk valley in general.

[@somerandomvertebrate9262]

I'm European (Swedish), but I must say I love these American Victorian homes. Such amazing architecture.

[@jimdep6542]

True. You can take a look at a city like San Francisco, CA and see where they got their Victorian designs from.

[@scottlarson1548]

They were built by rich people who needed to have the most ornate house in town.

[@ronaldkonkoma4356]

​@scottlarson1548 unfortunately, many places don't have original work inside. They were split into apartments or taken over by businesses. Large houses now don't have the character. Back then the money went to material. Now material used is cheap and labor eats up the costs

[@Do2others132]

Unfortunately you missed the Victorian bed and breakfast days of the 80's & 90's. They're too difficult to maintain with the wood siding, so a great example is rare today.

[@scottlarson1548]

@@Do2others132 Yes. it's shame that there are absolutely zero houses with wood siding left today!

[@andrew8501]

The Erie Canal and the corridor really have great bones. No new boom-town can recreate a historic and walkable mainstreet.

[@MaryAnnMaher]

Thank you for bringing us this wonderful video! My father sailed on the Erie Canal and I was raised along the Hudson River. I absolutely love every single part of the flora and the fauna of New York. I miss the wonderful days when everything was thriving. This is like losing my best friend and it was important to see this video. Thank you!!!

[@garys1266]

Dated a girl that went to Utica College in the 80s when I lived in NYC and visited a few times. Central NY and the Finger Lakes region is stunningly beautiful. When the St. Lawrence Seaway opened, it killed every town situated on the Erie Canal.

[@Healthy_Toki]

Did she call hamburgers Steamed Hams?

[@garys1266]

@Healthy_Toki Ha, no she was from Brooklyn

[@JohnRoetzer]

Welland canal in Ontario allowed ships to bypass Buffalo which destroyed rail and canal shipping which harmed all of western and upstate NY😢

[@betz6507]

I live close to Little Falls on a country road with homes with 2-15 acres. It's a wonderful place to live. The basics are in place. The bane on the small towns in upstate NY are the out of area investers. They buy "investment properties" on the cheap and don't maintain the buildings. I'd say 50% of the homes are rentals owned by out of region folks. There is a lot of poverty. All the manufacturing jobs have left. Upstate NY is full of opportunity for manufacturing location -- inexpensive properties and lower cost lifestyle. Upstate is cursed by the taxes/obligations put on us by Albany and New York City. The grey building is an active bank -- Adirondack Bank. Little Falls also has a nice small hospital part of the Bassett system.

[@jasonsnyder7857]

??? You need to do a little research. NYC sends way more taxes upstate than you send our way. In fact without NYC paying for your social services everything west of the Hudson would be Sudan.

[@harmonizedigital.]

the Erie Canal was dug. It was a monumental engineering project that involved excavating a channel across the state of New York to connect the Hudson River with Lake Erie. The canal was constructed from 1817 to 1825 and was considered a remarkable feat of civil engineering at the time. The construction process was labor-intensive and required the manual labor of thousands of workers, including many Irish immigrants. They used shovels, wheelbarrows, and horse-drawn carts to dig the canal, which was originally 40 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The canal stretched approximately 363 miles (584 kilometers) from Albany on the Hudson River to Buffalo on the shores of Lake Erie. The project also involved the construction of numerous locks, aqueducts, and bridges to manage changes in elevation and allow for the passage of boats. The Erie Canal's success dramatically reduced the cost and time of transportation, spurred economic growth, and played a crucial role in the westward expansion of the United States.

[@RobOlgatree]

wow

[@benjaminperez6620]

My great great grandmother was a two year old when she came down the canal from Lockport where she was born. They went West of course.

[@CharlesCurran-m9p]

The canal as shown was reconstructed in the early 20th century to what it looks like today.

[@brianokeefe4602]

@@CharlesCurran-m9p Which is pretty amazing by itself. Pleasure boaters can travel from the Great Lakes, to the Finger Lakes, along the Erie Canal and to the Hudson...all the way to Ottawa if you want. Lockport, Brockport and other town have docking space with power and in some spots, even showers for the boaters to use. You can be docked 100' from restaurants and brewpubs. A true gem in NYS.

[@bultacowally]

Yeah man the Erie Canal was sooo successful it was abandoned in 1913 for its successor...The Barge Canal which is what you see these days that everybody calls the Erie Canal even though it IS NOT!

[@chipmctiernan4250]

Thank you! I was born in Little Falls in 1963. My parents were both born there. My grandparents on my moms side had emigrated from Poland just prior to WWI, And my dads from Ireland during the potato famine. My dad worked for the utility then known as “Niagra Mohawk”. We moved in the mid 1960’s to Glens Falls NY, as my dad was transferred by “NIMO” but traveled to LF quite a bit since we had family there. LF was still quite alive in the 60’s and 70’s. It’s claim to fame other than the NYS Canal System, was manufacturing. All those big old factories made items that were used in WWII. It is a beautiful place, and up on the hills where the mansions are, are homes that were owned by industrialists who built the city. The place still reeks of history so thank you for the video tour.

[@mamasinger49]

Beautiful little towns, and the houses are stunning. Makes me wanna cry about that old elementary school boarded up. Such a beautiful building, I hope something is done with it and it's not left to rot. I also love how graffiti is practically non-existent. Thank you again for the wonderful tour and history, beautifully filmed as always.

[@JohnR-gk7ch]

I agree. That elementary school is an architectural gem. The city officials need to submit a proposal to HUD or New York State to convert it into elderly or veterans apartments. It looks like it is still fundamentally sound.

[@horsebee1]

Im surprised at just how deserted the canal is. This seems like a tourist attraction being ignored. In the UK and Europe the canals are enjoying a major revival with many millions being spent restoring old channels and locks plus new marina developments which are seeing the revival of many dying towns.

[@At_the_Garden]

I agree, bring the long boat to the Erie Canal like in the UK. Tourist can enjoy and people can live on the boats.

[@phammond8155]

That's a great idea and I'm sure it would work.

[@alanpowell9886]

Living on the boats year around probably wouldn't work here given the winter weather. And the canal might be emptied during the winter.

[@horsebee1]

@@alanpowell9886 You seem to forget that in the UK the canals also regularly freeze in the winter and yes also under go regular maintains and yet there is a thriving community living on them as well as a major summer tourist fleet of rental boats

[@benriemersma8137]

Everywhere in th US looks deserted outside cities and suburbs. The Eerie Canal Historic Corridor is open to boats mid-May through mid-October. Places like Old Erie Canal State Historic Park exist. Parts have been turned into a park but in the 19th century they built the canal 3 times along different routes at parts so there have been abandoned sections for a long long time. And its over 350 miles. Thats farther than the widest spot on the Island of the UK.

[@anjaphoenix930]

we've done about 15 road trips all over the USA in the past 35 plus years and we remember staying in the Adirondacks in up state New York, what struck us back in 2006 was the the urban decay in some of the little towns dotted around the southern edge of the Adirondacks. It was obvious that prime industry had moved away or shut down in recent times. We're from the UK and have exactly the same issues over here as you guys have in the States. Keep up the good work, as so many videos you've shown are from exactly the same areas that we've visited.

[@tinamartina1801]

😊can not compare U.K with the U.S.A. it's different 🌎 worlds.

[@edithflood631]

If they were exactly the same, there would be no comparison.

[@perplexedbystander6203]

I think they might mean we have closed and boarded up buildings including factories and shops in the UK. There's a channel called the Wandering Turnip that features some of the British moribund shopping areas.

[@prophetmargin7497]

Upstate New York has so many beautiful towns!

[@DRAGONSsz]

Beautiful video. Watching here in herkimer NY . at 350 pm you almost showed my house. First time watching your KZbin. Just showed up on my screen.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Awesome!

[@lem01ne]

Nice! My mom lives just north of Herkimer, from Ilion originally.

[@SixDayWar67]

One of my cats is named Herkimer

[@staceyl618]

@@SixDayWar67 : )

[@Russell.Jolly.2023]

Remington Arms Company announced in February 2024 that it would be relocating its operations from Ilion, New York to Georgia after 200 years in the town. The company cited several reasons for the move, including: Cost The cost of running the historic plant, which includes maintaining and insuring about 1 million square feet of space in multiple buildings, many dating to World War I, was prohibitive. Legislative environment The company was concerned about New York's legislative environment, including the state's gun laws and gun industry liability law. In 2021, Remington officials referenced New York's post-Newtown ban on assault-style weapons as part of the reason for moving. Business climate Georgia is considered a more business-friendly state that is supportive of the firearms industry.

[@daleolson3506]

Thank your governor she’s an absolute disgrace

[@timliscum2861]

NY State knows how to kill off business..

[@spuds6423]

​@@daleolson3506She is still pushing for her Unconstitutional Quarantine Regulation...she learned "well" from her mentor, Andy "the Butcher" Cuomo!!🤬🤬🤬

[@KevinHall-ux9hn]

They could have stayed were it not for the political climate. They could have raised part of the building complex and thereby not have a high burden for insurance and maintenance. The NYS government, as dictated by NYC could care less about what is considered upstate NY. For years there had been rumor that NYS should be split into two states as NYC politics does not in large part represent that of the larger state.

[@Russell.Jolly.2023]

@@KevinHall-ux9hn Yes, Dems don't care too terribly much about rural areas dominated by Republicans. And sadly, they don't seem to care about landlords, retail, and any business that doesn't support their ideology.

[@rodnokken7759]

Thanks for being honest, Joe. What you say is true; the place is beautiful but economically done. My wife and I grew up in Little Falls in the 50's and 60's when it was a beautiful place. Then we moved around for a few years and settled in Herkimer for 30 years and watched the village fall apart. We have moved to a new location of relative prosperity and refer to the Mohawk Valley as the place where everything is rusty, dirty, or broken. As other commenters have noted, taxes are killing our beloved state.

[@critterscute3642]

Beautiful natural areas and those homes are gorgeous! Great job Joe 👍

[@everydaypresent444]

Beautiful little towns in upstate NY. Thank you for another engaging view of places I will likely never see in person.

[@suegeib5696]

My daughter lives just outside of Albany in the beautiful little village of Castleton On Hudson (on 9J south of Rensselaer). We drive down from Ontario Canada every few weeks to visit. I love the entire drive along the 90 to their place & I always get so sad to leave

[@harmonizedigital.]

Yes, the Erie Canal is still in use today. It continues to serve as a valuable waterway for recreational boating and some commercial traffic. While its role in commercial shipping has diminished compared to its peak in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the canal remains an important part of the New York State Canal System, which also includes the Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals. The Erie Canal now primarily supports tourism and recreational activities. Many pleasure boats, kayaks, and canoes travel along its waters, and the canal is a popular destination for tourists interested in its historical significance and scenic routes. The canal's towpaths have also been converted into trails for hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities, enhancing its value as a recreational resource. Furthermore, the canal is maintained by the New York State Canal Corporation, which ensures its continued operation and preservation as a historical landmark and a functional waterway.

[@ArtSpencer-z1g]

It is called the Barge canal.

[@kc9scott]

@@ArtSpencer-z1g I live in Rochester and can only speak for the section nearby, but it was called the barge canal when I moved here in 1984. I think the local name got changed from Erie Canal to Barge Canal when they relocated it away from downtown Rochester in the early 20th century. But sometime since then, they officially renaned it back to Erie Canal.

[@ArtSpencer-z1g]

@@kc9scott It is called the Barge canal and I live near Utica. Parts of the old Erie Canal exist around Rome,and out towards St Johnsville There is a cool old Erie Canal lock near there by the canal trail. .

[@kc9scott]

@@ArtSpencer-z1g The official renaming was in 1992, and nothing is called “Barge Canal” any more. Even where the routes have been changed, the current waterways now go by their original names, such as “Erie Canal”. As described in Wikipedia under “New York State Canal System”.

[@ArtSpencer-z1g]

@@kc9scott New York State calls it the Barge Canal. I know I live in New York!

[@dustinstaires8935]

Utica, NY is close to these areas and on the Erie Canal as well. It has tons of history, a decent sized population, is culturally diverse, and the food scene out there is ridiculous! For anyone that doesn't know... Utica, NY is an old Italian run Mafia town and it is home to some of the best Italian American food in the world. Chicken Riggies (Riggies is short for Rigatoni), Utica Greens (The greens are Escarole), Mushroom Stew, and Tomato Pie (it's like a cold pizza with no mozzarella) are all foods that are native/indigenous to this area and are a must try! Utica is also home to O'SCUGNIZZO PIZZERIA aka (OH-Ska-NEETS) which is the 2nd oldest continuously running family owned Pizzeria in the United States. They've been serving pizza since 1914! Utica also has a beautiful train station, a world class art museum, a semi-pro hockey team that plays in the AHL, and they also have a pro indoor soccer team that plays in the MASL. It's also a little under an hour away from Cooperstown, NY where the Baseball Hall of Fame is and also the Adirondack Park. Do some research and make the trip! You won't regret it!

[@unad1]

We moved here from NYC in 2000 and never left. We raised our kids in the town of New Hartford. I love the Mohawk Valley!!!

[@Noname-ni1dy]

You are right about Oscognizzos.( I probably butchered the spelling) I remember waiting in the car while my father would go inside to pick up pizza to go. When he got in the car I smelled the most amazing smell ever! This would have been over 60 years ago and I can still smell that smell. I live about a 3 hour drive from Utica and always go to Oscugnizzos to get their amazing pizza.

[@yvesfrancoisritmo]

The idea of such a beautiful city like Little Falls with such low rates of both crime and cost makes me wonder why aren't people moving here, esp in this age of working remotely. It's stunning

[@TwoDollarGararge]

Ny the land of high taxes bad winter and corruption

[@curtandoscar]

The remote working thing is fast disappearing. Many, many employers including my own are calling people back to the office.

[@thomasrengel5577]

Decayed houses are elsewhere!

[@JohnRoetzer]

Lack of jobs, high taxes and long winter

[@TwoDollarGararge]

@@curtandoscar or the job is just completely gone

[@jeffhennings6579]

Very interesting video life long resident of Mohawk and now little falls and yes very sad about Remington I was a 3rd generation employee there with nearly 33 years still in shock 😡😥

[@purplesprigs]

What is really killing these towns is the taxes. Not only are income taxes high, but the property taxes are insane. My family has lived in New York state since before the civil war. My 90 year old father is the last one not in a cemetery.

[@matthewb3725]

Not only that, in New York taxes are handled differently for villages than it is for towns and cities. Villages get to keep very little of the taxes they produce - and it's impossible to become a city. The last city incorporated in NY was over 80 years ago because no one wants to share the tax revenue.

[@didiscores]

Zero taxes and thousands of poorly paid jobs is the solution.

[@martinfischer277]

I agree upstate needs to secede.

[@nunyabidness3075]

The taxes are high, but the government intrusion is the real devil. The voters support it even while complaining about it. Upstate New Yorkers really need to figure out their demands to get involved in their neighbor’s business is what’s killing their state. When you hear “This is our community”, to justify government gate keeping and involvement, think really hard about how it’s crushing investment.

[@65EVMPH]

It always amuses me listening to my upstate neighbors complain about taxes. Coming from Long Island the taxes up here are so worth it. I have three houses all roughly the same size property wise the upstate house is 10% of my total property taxes in the “high” city taxes area. Nobody likes taxes me neither It’s got it’s problems but it’s OK.

[@KatieDidsThirstForThrifting]

I grew up and raised 3 of our 4 sons in Ilion (ill-e-un), NY. It was a wonderful village to raise a family when I grew up....tree-lined streets, booming factories that kept families there, etc. A LOT has changed since then. Remington Arms closed in March (research it's local history). My Dad and many Uncles supported their families by working there. Downtown used to be the place to hang out when I was a kid...now it's non-existant... nothing for kids to do, as with many towns. As far as Herkimer, it got its name from General Herkimer. Main Street's stores used to all be occupied and taken care of. The old school is beyond repair. The Valley is full of some incredible history and architecture! Drugs are rampant everywhere, sadly. I now live just outside of Richfield Springs...come check Richfield Springs, Cooperstown, and surrounding countrysides, and several lakes - no matter where you travel in our state - beautiful!

[@zoidmo3388]

Really enjoy hearing from ppl that actually lived in these old towns.Thx. When industries pull out, the unemployed ppl eventually do too. It's sad. Gotta say though, buildings vacant & needing repair but no graffiti. I luv NOT seeing graffiti. And, luv seeing homes flying the red, white & blue flags. Cheers!

[@jimdep6542]

@@zoidmo3388 SAME here !

[@jimdep6542]

I sure wish that the passenger service from Utica / Binghamton over to Richfield Springs was never discontinued. It would be great to be able to travel there by rail, and then jump on another line down to Cooperstown.

[@Lightsngear]

Please check your spelling. "Remington Arms closed in March (research it's local history)." It's is wrong (should be "its"). It does not have an apostrophe in the possessive way you used it! "It's" is short for "it is".

[@KatieDidsThirstForThrifting]

@@Lightsngear it has been fixed. Thanks for the heads up!

[@thesearcher118]

I grew up in Amsterdam. I know the Mohawk Valley well. I have ancestors buried in all of those cemeteries, my wife does as well.

[@mrsh2167]

as do we

[@yankees29]

The Dutch have their finger prints all over NY. Most Americans don’t even realize. 90% of the streets in NYC have Dutch names.

[@Vchan21]

@@yankees29 @ 9:47 Gansevoort

[@RobOlgatree]

It's Saturday and Joe and Nicole are on the airwaves. So nice to see you today. Good news isn't always easy to find. Sadly, when people think of New York they think of the city, these beautiful old towns and villages were just as important. I love seeing history through your lens. Little Falls, New York is a real gem and seems lost in time. Thanks for taking us with you Joe

[@ottdog1952]

Sad to see the old factory buildings go to ruin. It certainly wouldn't be feasible to restore them all but perhaps a few could be propped up as "witnesses to the past". Thank you for doing a public service by showing us what remains of a most important period in the industrialization of the country.

[@PaulBCISSP]

I drove cross country from San Diego to Boston one July. Did Route 66. This part of New York was the prettiest part of the whole drive.

[@davidhand5538]

Could you please show the railroad stations on your journeys? Some of them must have been beautiful. Thanks.

[@matthewesberger3691]

Stayed in the Ilion & Herkimer area quite a few times back in the 80s & 90s when we would come up for the Baseball Hall of Fame inductions. Last time I drove through in 2008 both Ilion & Herkimer had a lot of boarded up buildings and was run down. I really hate to see the Mohawk Valley rust away because it is beautiful.

[@lanceladue2818]

Democratic run state... bottom line..

[@damonmusha6504]

@@lanceladue2818please move those types of comments to other sites. There are plenty of examples of dying towns in Republican governed states as well. The underlying reason often is because the lack of easy road access makes these communities remote and difficult to make ends meet. You have examples in every state, regardless of what political party controls the state house.

[@ladeseddy5994]

@@lanceladue2818 As a resident of Ilion, keep your comments to yourself.

[@LakesideAmusementPro]

Stupid me always forgets just how big the state of New York truly is. You got these little villages just dotted around and they look so quaint and welcoming.

[@bultacowally]

You should reword that statement to read..." How big of me to forget how stupid the state of NY truly is"...

[@dewolfish270]

The little towns aren't really "dotted" around the state. There are over 8 million people who live outside of the NYC area, which is a greater number than 38 other state populations. Yes, some of those little towns are indeed little; I live in a town with a population of around 5000. However, unless you're in the Adirondack region, the towns are actually pretty near to one another. There is a city 10 minutes South of us, and towns about 10 minutes to the East, West, and North. We don't all live in the middle of nowhere.

[@dancetothenight]

I lived in NYC for 20 years from 1998-2018. When zip car came out, my friends and I would pool our money together and take long rides all over upstate NY. These villages and towns are some are the most gorgeous places you will ever visit. Several are right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. American spirit and beauty all around. The land of the great Haudenosaunee Confederacy! History is felt in all these little towns and stretches of forest. If you visit NYC, take a short trip up the Hudson and you’ll see some of these beautiful towns.

[@KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH]

I agree. Upstate New York is absolutely beautiful and the towns are a testament to the past.

[@jimdep6542]

@@KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH and over to Western New York state too. ( if you can afford the trip these days )

[@dancetothenight]

@@jimdep6542 and western NY state! Absolutely gorgeous! I am sorry I am used to calling it all upstate and that is incorrect. Thank you!

[@jimdep6542]

@@dancetothenight Don't be sorry.........a lot of people call anything north of Manhattan " upstate". I remember taking a drive in September from the Southern Tier of NY , going through the Geneses Valley heading up to Rochester early in the morning around sunrise. Incredibly beautiful and serene.

[@j.d.1488]

Living in the city it's just down state and upstate. North of Westchester is all upstate generally speaking. NY is a gorgeous state.

[@retiredcorpsman6663]

Thanks Joe love your videos. I’m a current Texan but lived in Ilion NY for 20 years…watching my old town made me sad. Thanks again.

[@DRAGONSsz]

From herkimer here . hello to you in texas.

[@retiredcorpsman6663]

@@DRAGONSsz thanks ☺️

[@johnspitler3214]

I live in western New York. I worked in sales and went through those towns. Nice people, all the businesses I called on are gone. Same all over upstate NY. Yes house prices are low , but where do work? Upstate New York is getting emptied more every year. The government makes it worse.

[@thiaguinhooitodois2211]

Upstate NY overall is struggling. Young kids leave as soon as they graduate, taxes are ridiculous, and crimes policies from NYC made it’s way to State law. Sad cause NY is immensely rich in natural resources

[@DanBowles]

Well the YT algorithm got it right. Love learning about my home state and have always been fascinated by these little towns along the Thruway. We drive through Amsterdam, NY regularly and this video gave me a good idea of what happened there as well. Really love the pacing of the video too, very relaxing.

[@charlesallen1874]

I’ve made the boat trip from Lake Ontario to the Hudson River 3 times. 33 locks to go through from Oswego to Troy. Great trip to make. Lock keepers are great people to talk to about the history of the canal.

[@suzannewillis817]

In a way it's like we all are traveling on all of these trips with you to share in on the fun.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you, that's what I'm going for!

[@suzannewillis817]

@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip yeah no problem !keep up the good work and stay safe.🤘

[@dougdillenbeck-jz1gd]

Crazy Ottos diner has had a lot of very famous people eat there many pictures of them on the walls!😊

[@danyoutube7491]

As he passed by it sounded like it was quite busy, must be doing good trade :)

[@Troublemaker1022-r9c]

Spent many hours fishing and hiking along the canal in my younger days. Honestly, if it weren't for the poor economy, bad winters and high taxes in upstate NY, I might consider moving back there someday. It really is a beautiful place once you get out into the farm land and wilderness areas.

[@jimdep6542]

Me too ! I lived in many states and Upstate NY is the only place that feels like home. That's really important to me these days.

[@KevinHall-ux9hn]

Until the politics in this once great state changes I would stay away. I live in NY but am looking to relocate out of the state due to the political climate, taxes and crime.

[@Avalk9724]

Little Falls has most beautiful homes, and inexpensive too. A lovely little town fading away, so sad! Thank you, Joe. With your help and dedication I'm able to visit places almost impossible to see otherwise. I'm living in Turku, sw Finland

[@andrewlawrence6357]

50 is for a fixer upper isn't inexpensive!

[@LynneSmith133]

Love your videos. I grew up in Little Falls, NY. It was a fantastic place to grow up. But as you can see now - it isn’t anything like it was when I grew up there. It’s still a beautiful city. Many are trying their best to preserve what’s left and obtain grants, etc. I was surprised to see you were in LF. Thanks for sharing ❤

[@davidj.steiger3178]

Does anyone recall from the earliest of your school days the song, “Erie Canal?” “Low bridge, everybody down, low bridge as we’re coming into town. And you’ll always know your neighbor, you always know your pal if you’ve traveled on the Erie Canal.” Something like that. Guess that didn’t work out too well!

[@Neilsowards]

We took a trip on the Emita II back in the 80's along the canal. I read Roots, while my husband soaked up the history as we glided along. It was a great trip.

[@frankjoseph4273]

Yes

[@slackjawedyokel1]

I remember Mr Greenjeans singing it on captain Kangaroo

[@richardbause2453]

I've got a mule her name is Sal! She's a good old girl and a good old pal, 15 miles on the Erie Canal. Low bridge, everybody down. Low bridge for your comin town. You'll always know your neighbor, you'll always know your pal, If you ever navigated on the Erie Canal 😮😂😄😄😄😊. The one song you had to know by heart ❤ in order to graduate from kindergarten to 1rst grade 😁. Not this stupid rap crap 😒 😓

[@dancingnature]

OMG does that bring back memories. We had a kid‘s records with that song . I don’t know what my mother did with them when we moved .

[@RobinGerhart]

Taxes and politics have hurt the entire state of NY. Lived in Lockport almost 7 years, came back to Ohio. Thank you!

[@wb9293]

Joe & Nicole, you guys are way cool! Thanks for sharing your journey with the rest of us. Your presentations are smart, clever and insightful with your total respect for the towns and cities you visit.

[@WhittyPics]

Yea they are

[@zoidmo3388]

They're the best! Totally agree with you.

[@maryflaherty7096]

Yes, they are

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thanks so much!

[@josepharcuri8693]

Should of came the 9 miles to Utica. Italian church feast.

[@edwil111]

Upstate New York is underrated. Very pretty, nice country. But really gloomy ,snowy, winters usually.I went thru Jamestown (Comedy Museum), Buffalo, and Syracuse last fall. Then to Albany and over to Mass.

[@cindybasile]

Glad to hear you stopped in Jamestown. Until the past 3 years, we had very few homeless. We try hard in Jamestown!

[@dennispowell-g4o]

In so many of these old towns, the owners of these properties would rather let them sit vacant and take the tax write off than lower rent to get commercial back on main street. Ive seen old schools turned into beautiful multi unit apartments/senior housing

[@paulross9287]

It's their property.

[@calliecooke1817]

Really nice video. Most Americans don't even realize that Philadelphia was our biggest city and the major destination for most immigrants before the Erie Canal opened. The canal was the gateway to the west. It made New York City what it is.

[@stevetessier8532]

As always , your videos are insightful, educational, and most entertaining..Happy Trails to you Joe & Nicole.❤❤

[@bobt5778]

As a Rhode Islander my wife and I will occasionally visit Newburyport MA. Their town was on the verge of collapse in the 1960s, but they've since turned things around to make it a great day trip destination. Lots of small shops and restaurants. Outdoor fairs in the summer. It's one of a number of small New England towns that have turned things around. The buildings here look like they're already in fairly good condition too.

[@nancysimpson4246]

Joe&Nic thank you for this video. Love the water the rocks, beautiful sceneries.😊

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you, Nancy!

[@mm5478]

Your videos are simultaneously fascinating and poignant. Thanks!

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Wow, thank you!

[@lancejohnson7253]

The business on the left at 16:49 was started by my grandfather in 1954 and carried on by my father until he retired in the 2010's. The business is still operating under new owners since 2017... Herkimer and the Mohawk Valley were my childhood home, but due to the sharp economic decline in the 1980's I moved away.

[@6AM_YT]

The fact NY State basically ran Remington out of the state is so disgusting to me. None of the state politicians care about any place other than NYC.

[@reidwhitton6248]

NY State did not run Remington out of town. The company under new ownership had been in trouble for years and the workforce had been reduced dramatically. They were also sued over the Sandy Hook school shooting which took place in Connecticut. That cost the company 73 million. Remington chose to relocate to Georgia where guns laws are less stringent.

[@dukeburns3284]

@@reidwhitton6248 AAAAHHHH no NY was hostel to them and they moved to a more friendly state if you were in business you would do the same

[@reidwhitton6248]

@@dukeburns3284 "Friendly" means lenient gun laws. Remington is where they belong. In the south.

[@jasonmb6960]

@@reidwhitton6248 Yup, just run all business out of NY. Why don't you just move to California?

[@peterkilbridge6523]

​@@reidwhitton6248Ironic considering that Sandy Hook was a US Government black op and that Remington was in no way responsible.

[@AmazingChinaToday]

Gorgeous towns, scenery, and architecture, combined with interesting narration! Great video! 👍

[@brandyhood8284]

The second town you went to looks like an place I grew up in. I am from a small town in Texas but live in Dallas now it's sad to see all of these towns going down. Thank you for the videos love you and nic

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you, Brandy!!

[@suesue5708]

Really sad that the Remington plant CLOSED. Such beautiful homes, that all will be a thing of the past thanks to a selling out of the American people by the very politicians that swore to uphold our way of life.

[@buckodonnghaile4309]

Love this part of the world. I spent much of my youth crossing the border from Canada and just cruising and hiking the towns and backwoods. Canadians have a reputation of being nice, but i found the people in that part of new york state to be much friendlier.

[@gatorgogo2742]

Love the quirky, boxy homes in Little Falls. Cute as can be! The town reminds me of a beautiful aging lady. It's easy to see what it has been. It was nice to see the kitty on the banister. The light pole in the middle of the sidewalk in Ilion has GOT to have some interesting to tell. LOL It was good to see the Erie Canal. It's much wider than I ever expected from the drawings in my history books long ago. Thanks for the tour, Joe. Going to watch again and look closer at the boxy houses!

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

"Beautiful, aging lady"...I like that! I may have to steal that occasionally. :)

[@MarkReynolds-z1v]

Will be driving up there with wife and our 5 fur babies to see Niagra Falls and the Erie Canal!

[@David-v2t8h]

I live in Utica and work in Herkimer/Little Falls. It is a beautiful region with lots of history - and I love living here. Though the towns are often faded, they are affordable, friendly and in a lovely region. When I go to other places where the economy is booming - I find expensive real estate, and traffic jams with lots of ugly sprawl.

[@salgaltrixie8265]

@@David-v2t8h I read that Utica had really good Italian food. Is that still true today? Is there an ITALIAN neighborhood , like a "little 🇮🇹 Italy" area, any bed n breakfast inns ? Or a Marriott Residence Inn ? Am going to visit to consider relocating away from NYC/Westchester County ,the politics , traffic jams, high cost of living & need info NOT from Google but someone who actually lives there. Appreciate different types of food but cannot live w/out the cuisine of my heritage!! lol . Any info from a resident would be greatly appreciated. Am lucky I saw your posted comment; Ciao for now 😊 .

[@jlohmann13]

What a wonderful journey. Beautiful architecture. I especially like your simple and low key narrative. Let the beauty of the towns speak for themselves.

[@rvierra7235]

You missed Canajoharie!! ( 20 miles south of Little Falls, off the 90 fwy. ). Known for the founding location of Beech-Nut foods (baby food??) and the "last" traffic light in America that is mounted in the middle of an intersection, though I dont know if that is true, when I first passed through, a local lady told me that. Beautiful during the warm months, dark, dreary, and miserable during the cold (winter) months!!😂

[@Dee-x9f]

I was waiting for that one, too! 😆

[@cdeschrevel5341]

Dutch citizen here, I saw a lot of Dutch names,streetnames etc(Roosevelt, van Gansevoort street, etc) nice 👍🏻

[@naptime0143]

New York has the most Dutch names (streets, towns, and cities) of any other state. New Amsterdam before it became NYC, Fort Nassau before becoming Albany, Staten Eyelandt (Staten Island), Lange Eyelandt (Long Island), Breukelen (Brooklyn), Yonkers, Vlissingen (Flushing NY), Heemstede (Hempstead) etc.

[@KevinBalch-dt8ot]

The early settlers in the 1700 were largely of German and Dutch extraction. Herkimer was named after Nicholas Herkimer who was of German ancestry.

[@nekto34]

Wasn't New York a Dutch colony at some point? Then the English took over.

[@judydoyle1124]

The Hudson Valley has even more Dutch influence.

[@gabrielapaulinho1luv]

And a suburb of Albany that's the second half of the name of a major Amtrak station: Albany-Rennsalaer.

[@robertshelton9881]

The canal is not in ruins. it is still used by pleasure boats to get from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic.

[@benriemersma8137]

I have discovered in my canal research that most of the youtube videos about the canal claim is was built by an ancient civilization the gubment doesnt want you to know about. I wish I was joking. Do not engage with youtubers.

[@giantgeoff]

​@@benriemersma8137ànd by ancient they mean before Cell phones

[@joebehrdenver]

That grand old school in Herkimer would make great apartments. A typical classroom is 900-1000 square feet, good size for a 1-2 bedroom unit.

[@suegeib5696]

I absolutely love upstate New York. (Except Watertown in December & January 😂 if you know, you know) We drive down 81 from Canada to the 90 at Syracuse to visit our daughter outside of Albany (Castleton On Hudson). It’s my favourite place to be. Every time we’re there, I forget about everything & just relax ❤

[@doreenbarnett4451]

I caught your video by chance only to see my home town. You drove past my house lol. Enjoyed the video very much! I love our old homes!

[@dongillette1777]

Chester Gillette was my great-great grandfather! Wow!! I always heard stories about him!

[@jimdep6542]

Great old local families. It's an honor to be related to some of these folks.

[@harrysweep5846]

So cool out there! I made a couple trips and along the way found the old Kodak building just being overtaken by nature a true sign of what was once! Also came across a botanic gardens/mansion tour as well as a lighthouse somewhere along the finger lakes… Happy exploring! Great video 🎉

[@flyonwall360]

Growing up in the Mohawk Valley, all I remember is a constant economic downhill slide. Politics has ruined upstate NY. I had friends and family that worked at Remington Arms. The gun grabbers ruined it for Illion. The taxes and lack of good paying jobs have been the reason for many New Yorkers leaving. I left in 2010 for Wisconsin and wish I had done it sooner.

[@danieltracy7136]

I grew up in WNY and remember my dad telling, when I was about 14 yrs old, to move out of NY state.

[@JonathonDenson]

Another great video. I think upstate and western NY has the most amazing small towns. The fading quality is fascinating and beautiful in its own right. Let me know if you ever visit Kittanning, PA!

[@carmine_]

Long Island does to

[@mr.wizard6891]

You should visit Schenectady, NY. Once one of the most important manufacturing cities in the world, its now a dying rust belt town.

[@GregoryWright-dh9rh]

My Mom was born and raised in Schenectady. My grandpa worked at the GE. Ginormous plant complex in its heyday.

[@maverihk]

That Diner : Crazy Otto's is wonderful. I'll bet the food is classic Americana cuisine. My kind of place. Thank you for taking us with you on your travels.

[@JohnBurdette-or7if]

I have thousands of fantastic memories of upper state New York while out, trucking around Hauling freight

[@eddiMURPHYSLAWyer]

I’m from the immediate area.. I built a second floor apartment in and lived in the Masonic bldg in herkimer. The old elm school is directly next to a hotel infested with drugs.. the whole area in fact has really gotten bad with drugs.. now I live in Ilion.. Remington arms just closed I live just up the hill from.. was cool to see a random video pop up with an area I’m 53 yrs very familiar with. I believe you filmed during Ilion days.. lol

[@susanr3560]

My 2 great grandparents came to Lafayette, Indiana on the Erie Canal. I really enjoyed this video. Imagining my relations standing on the sides of the canal waiting to board a vessel. Thanks for sharing.

[@kitrina63]

Fantastic video! I'm originally from Upstate NY.....not this area though. You are always very informative and you have a very nice calming voice. Thanks for taking us along!😊💞

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@seekn.knowlege3315]

The one point you failed to mention is that houses are dirt cheap but on a $100,000 house, in those areas, you’ll be paying between $2,500 and$3,000 in taxes per year. If you go to a place like Tennessee on a $250,000 house near Knoxville you’ll be paying $350 in taxes that’s why people move out of New York. Also, don’t forget the 10 ft of snow per year. Nice video. That area is beautiful.

[@M.TTT.]

exactly, NY politicians/laws are killing their own state.

[@westonstaufenberg7278]

@@M.TTT. The State is beautiful with all the mountains, rivers, valleys, lakes and more. But NYC politics ruins the rest of the state.

[@adamnichols3506]

@@M.TTT.Tennessee receives money from wealthy states such as ours. Maybe poor states should not be supported by us.

[@williamblance4587]

It’s more than that….

[@jlohmann13]

Reminds me of the Beatles song. "One for you and three for me".

[@genekelly8467]

Upstate NY is dying for many reasons: brutally long and cold winters; death of small manufacturing in the USA (we import all this stuff-from electric motors to can openers from Cina; outrageously high taxes (NYC is a giant spoange that sucks wealth away from upstate); corrupt state government and no jobs for young people. NY has an excellent state university system-but graduates all leave because firms like KODAK, IBM, CORNING Glass, GE have all left town

[@JohnR-gk7ch]

Globalization has destroyed manufacturing. These small factories just can't compete.

[@midnite22767]

Absolutely so true. The weather is definitely a factor. The loss of manufacturing jobs upstate has and will continue the downward trend. I wish the state would build greater dedicated high speed rail and bus transportation between NYC and the rest of the state. Most middle class city employees like fire fighters, cops and teachers either live on LI or in nearby upstate counties like Orange but limited home supply and rising prices are quickly making even these areas unaffordable. Making farther counties like Ulster, Delaware and Greene more accessible to these middle class municipal workers with faster transport routes would allow them to move farther upstate and boost these struggling counties with much needed tax revenue.

[@YAHSHAYA777]

Very bad response for you to say that New York City is the one to be blamed for Upstate poverty number one New York City has a lot of poverty you just never happen to be there! I'm from the South Bronx and I know my city well and a lot of us like me are struggling everyday just to live so instead of you try to unify don't be throwing stones without you not knowing

[@giantgeoff]

You could get a brand new Vincent in Little Falls from the Vincent Manufacturing Company. If the town is struggling it means it hasn't given up. It's still fighting. You missed the school in Little Falls with separate entrances for Boys and Girls at opposite ends of the school . .

[@daveblock4061]

Not showing Lock 17 at Little Falls is a travesty. The Ilion Marina is a fun stop. The Hot Dog stand on the water and the short walk to Aldi is a great place to provision when transiting the Canal.

[@davidellis5141]

Little Falls looks like it was quite the town. Beautiful homes.

[@Yawndave]

Thanks for the virtual Mohawk Valley tour...I've driven through the area on 1-90 but didn't have time to linger. Love the shot at 1:30 with the brick buildings and the bridge in the distance--as Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there". Seeing the canal, the first thing that comes to mind is Pete Seeger singing 🎶I scarcely think we'll get a drink 'til we get to Buffalo.🎵. I had to smile at you calling the big brick house on Main St. a "fixer upper", I think possibly a more apt term would be "money pit" 🙂 Trivia tidbit about Crazy Otto's Diner -- it's a prefabricated unit, one of over 400 built in the 50s by Mountain View Diners Company of Little Falls. See you next time, happy trails!

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you for the great comment, YD!!

[@UncleJimsBand]

I'd long wondered why so many diners resembled each other. Google linked me to several Diner, Diner manufacturer fan pages, and more Diner data than I'll ever digest. Thanks!

[@boibruh1115]

Remington arms shutting down being pretty bad for Ilion is an understatement. Ilion NY was made from Remington arms the canal used to run right along and export the best guns to the rest of the country. Anyone who settled in Ilion NY in its open days settled for work at the factory. It was colts biggest competitor. Wars were fought with guns made from ilion NY. And won. It's sad.

[@Roikat]

There was also the Remington typewriter factory. Plus a lot of folks in Ilion worked at jobs in Utica. There was a Univac computer factory in Ilion that moved to Utica, then Tennessee, then China …

[@carolforrest649]

Joe and Nicole, I have been watching your youtube channel for about 3 wks now and I think it is great. I feel like I am visiting the cities and towns you tour right along with you! I find everything very interesting and I wish I could go to some of the ones I've seen so far. I only watch the news on TV and then I will watch your channel. I like the videos that are the longest. There is a whole lot to see in some of these places. I wanted to thank you for sharing. I know you are doing it to make money and I bet you are killing it with the number of viewers you get. More power to you and I look forward to the rest of your videos here in the US and then abroad if you do that as well. I am from Lubbock, TX and I am the one who wrote you and told you to do one on Lubbock and you said you had. I saw it but I wish it had been longer. Any way keep up the good work and I want to bid you safe travels while doing it. A fan Carol Forrest

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you, Carol!!

[@joenamherst]

These villages are nice places to live. Not many minorities, so not a lot of crime.

[@robertlawrence492]

The town of Little Falls and the surrounding area is beautiful. I would love to spend some time exploring that area of NY. Always was fascinated by the history of the Eire canal and its construction.

[@georgeburns7251]

Oh my, I could tell the ethnic breakdown just by looking at the condition of the first town. No trash on the streets, no graffiti. The way America should be. Contrasted this with Oakland, Ca. Even in decay the town is beautiful. Without your video I would never imagine towns like this. Thank you.

[@CraigVogel-e2s]

Different demographics makes all the difference i quality of life

[@tomtravis3077]

A podcaster called BlackPilled used a few clips of Joe's trip through E. St Louis to contrast exactly that.

[@KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH]

Thanks for the wonderful travelogue. The history of the towns along the Erie Canal and the canal itself are fascinating. It’s a trip that the original canal that was built was only a few feet deep and they used horses to drag the barges along the parallel tow path. My dad and I spent a lot of time exploring all this before he passed. Wonderful to see it again from afar.

[@BeachsideHank]

Town looks like a stealth campers paradise- Joe and Nic can make a $ide hustle doing those kind of segments since they are there anyway. ☺

[@Arjay192]

Thanks for the video, I used to live in little falls for a time and miss the small town charm. There’s an area called moss island thats a must see for anyone traveling along the Erie Canal near lock 17. Fun fact, the Main Street of little falls, and the interior of one of the pharmacies was used in the opening scene of the movie A Quiet Place.

[@GreggBennett-j3p]

I actually love this part of New York State. I’m even considering buying a house in this area.

[@scepticalbeliever]

In Europe they have river cruises and private boats along the canals

[@jefforceone]

I live in New York City, the Bronx respectively, I could never imagine in my life living somewhere in New York that you could not see a single person walking around then at 11:25. I saw the guy walking his dog.

[@YAHSHAYA777]

I'm from the Bronx and I'd rather them enough State because our city is so insane and it's to the point that I'm glad that I've been out of that life for 8 years now

[@universaljustice7376]

Rochester has 2 waterfalls on the Genessee River descending into Lake Ontario. A very unique feature.

[@fishobob61]

Great Videos everytime! I try to never miss a video. I came across an old video today that you must have put up close to 2 years ago with your 1st year update. I thought it was great because I always wondered what your backstory was and what caused you to start your journey. Did not know you were a Bartender and Nic a Server. Wishing you continued financial success with your videos and that you are still enjoying your travelling life.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you for the kind words!!

[@NYgcode]

I live 1hr from little falls on sacandaga lake. Theres a whole story on this lake. All of upstate NY is nothing as I remember it as a kid. It all started with the closing of paper mills. Now closings of the prisons there’s just not enough work to keep the population financially secure. We rely on downstate fleeing the city for tourism to survive. Taxes, regulations and other bureaucratic b.s leads us all to a sad story of impoverished communities continuing to struggle