Utica, NY station

[Chatter163]

I am going from NYP to Utica soon, my first time in Utica. Upon arrival in the afternoon I will be taking a cab to Cooperstown. The next evening I will be leaving Utica for Chicago on the Lake Shore Limited. Any hints about the Utica Station, or getting a cab or Uber there? Thanks.

 

[PaulM]

I am going from NYP to Utica soon, my first time in Utica. Upon arrival in the afternoon I will be taking a cab to Cooperstown. The next evening I will be leaving Utica for Chicago on the Lake Shore Limited. Any hints about the Utica Station, or getting a cab or Uber there? Thanks.

I don't know anything about Utica except that you will have plenty of room to wait.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Make sure you prebook your return ride. Uber/Lyft are limited in this area. Taxi cab might be your option that works. The station is nice, but in a sad part of town. The restaurant is reopened, but did not check the hours. Cooperstown is doing well, parking is enforced again. Nice place to visit for about 3 days. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The Utica Station is a Gem, but there's nothing to do around the Station, as was said Utica is a City that has seem better days.

Last time I was there( waiting on a Late LSL, which is usually), Pre-COVID, the Cafe( mostly Italian) in the Station was Open and was Very Good.

The Station serves as a Bus Station too, and the Lake Placid Tourist Railroad operates out of it also.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

The hospital is building downtown Utica. Route 5S thur the area has been rebuilt. The Harbor area recently was rebuilt. Several new construction zone in the area too. Utica has a breath of fresh air, what it does to it, is still to be determined however.

 

[jis]

The Utica Station is a Gem, but there's nothing to do around the Station, as was said Utica is a City that has seem better days.

There are several nice eateries on Genesse St. SW of the station about a half mile walk along sidewalks. These are near the Doubletree Hotel (Seneca and Lafayette), which itself is another restored gem. During one of the OTOL Fests, we stayed at that hotel and ate in various eateries near it.

 

[jiml]

Unless there's a function in the main area, the station is well worth a look around and the restaurant is excellent. The Amtrak desk is tucked away in one corner, but access to the remainder of the station is open during operating hours. There are two hotels - one from each of the majors - within walking distance, although walking alone at night was not recommended. We did manage to walk back late to one of them from a concert at the arena near the station, although accompanied by several hundred other people. If the area near the station was to get redeveloped it would move Utica up on the list of great Amtrak stations.

 

[Manny T]

I had a great 2 night stay in Utica at the Delta Hotel on Genesee Street. I walked there from the station and also returned there on foot -- of course, had to follow a map, the route is a little circular. There was a small crowd waiting for the LSL, not much to do in the station but admire it. At departure, the Amtrak attendant took us to the train and boarded us. Btw across from the Delta Hotel is a great restaurant, Ocean Blue, that is worth a detour.

 

[jis]

I had a great 2 night stay in Utica at the Delta Hotel on Genesee Street. I walked there from the station and also returned there on foot -- of course, had to follow a map, the route is a little circular. There was a small crowd waiting for the LSL, not much to do in the station but admire it. At departure, the Amtrak attendant took us to the train and boarded us. Btw across from the Delta Hotel is a great restaurant, Ocean Blue, that is worth a detour.

Yup. Delta is two blocks further on from the Doubletree. Ocean Blue is between the Doubletree and the Delta around the corner of Seneca and Columbia.

 

[jiml]

What Utica needs is restored passenger service on the NYS&W - tracks and platform are already in-place and there were tourist excursions out of there before the pandemic. Not practical, of course, but it's nice to dream.

 

[jiml]

Yup. Delta is two blocks further on from the Doubletree. Ocean Blue is between the Doubletree and the Delta around the corner of Seneca and Columbia.

We walked over to the Delta during renovations leading to its rebranding. It showed great promise and people we knew were staying there for the same concert. Occupancy was limited booking in advance due to the renovations, so we stayed at the Doubletree - as noted a very classy reno itself. The band we were seeing was also staying there, so kept running into members in the tiny elevator. They, of course, took a limo the few blocks to the venue.

 

[jis]

What Utica needs is restored passenger service on the NYS&W - tracks and platform are already in-place and there were tourist excursions out of there before the pandemic. Not practical, of course, but it's nice to dream.

Are you sure you are not confusing Syracuse with Utica?

Utica hosts the Adirondack Railroad.

Syracuse has the platform that was once used by NYS&W at the Carousel Mall. The plan to extend that track all the way to Syracuse Amtrak station AFAIR was never completed, but a clear ROW still exists waiting to receive the track again AFAIR.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The hospital is building downtown Utica. Route 5S thur the area has been rebuilt. The Harbor area recently was rebuilt. Several new construction zone in the area too. Utica has a breath of fresh air, what it does to it, is still to be determined however.

Good to know, I like old towns with Character and History that come back from the dead, there are far too many in this country where " Newness" is worshiped!

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Syracuse and Utica are both served by the NYS&W both lines head south and connect just north of Binghamton, NY. Not sure if there was a tourist train south from Utica, but the former owner was not hostile towards passenger operations.

 

[jis]

Syracuse and Utica are both served by the NYS&W both lines head south and connect just north of Binghamton, NY. Not sure if there was a tourist train south from Utica, but the former owner was not hostile towards passenger operations.

I think the owners of both links is the same outfit today - Delaware Otsego AFAIR which I understand is 80% privately owned, 10% owned by CSX and 10% by NS.

I don't think they (i.e DO owned NYS&W) ever ran passenger service of any sort except maybe occasional tourist train to Utica. They did have a regular scheduled passenger service at Carousel Mall in Syracuse for a while, called "On Track".

 

[jiml]

Are you sure you are not confusing Syracuse with Utica?

Utica hosts the Adirondack Railroad.

Syracuse has the platform that was once used by NYS&W at the Carousel Mall. The plan to extend that track all the way to Syracuse Amtrak station AFAIR was never completed, but a clear ROW still exists waiting to receive the track again AFAIR.

I know both well, but was definitely thinking Utica - connecting track and spare platform to the west. I believe what's left of NYS&W still has a small yard and shop there too with some very interesting equipment stored. That may be Adirondack property - not sure. Their consist was parked on the northernmost platform. I did some research awhile ago regarding the possibility of Utica as an origin for an upstate NY Auto Train based largely on the storage and maintenance possibilities there and the ability to go south without having to deal with NYC tunnels, etc.

 

[jis]

Incidentally after DO's founder Mr. Rich died, the new President Mr. Feno shut down all passenger service in 2007, and sold off the entire fleet. Additionally the Utica Line was out of service from 2006 due to flood damage, which was finally repaired with the help of NYSDOT and reopened in 2017.

The only passenger service that has been mooted on the NYS&W since 2007 is at the other end of NYS&W in NJ. It is for a DMU service, ostensibly NJT operated using trackage rights, between NJT served Paterson and Sparta in NW NJ to relieve traffic congestion on Rt. 23. When the idea initially came forth, NJT even put in a switch and a new CP called Sascon on its Main Line (the line to Suffern via Paterson) to connect to the NYS&W line which passes over the NJT line at that point. But then it all went moribund until it was mildly revived in 2017, and has been sputtering along slowly building political support. It might yet materialize. The new proposal is to run it on NYSW all the way to an interchange station with the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail in the vicinity of its current northern terminus at Tonelle Ave., instead of getting it onto the Main Line to run it to Hoboken. Time will tell what if anything comes of it. And also this could be split off into a separate thread if there is interest.

Of course, it would be almost trivial to do the Sparta - Paterson- Secaucus - Hoboken as far as tracks go irrespective of what happens to the Tonnele Ave. plan. But then Hackensack might be a bit miffed if they do not get the service. In NJ people actually want service while NJT works hard to find many excuses not to provide it.

 

[jiml]

The section south of the Utica station involves a fair bit of residential street running IIRC - probably okay for a one-a-week freight, but less desirable for daily passenger service.

 

[Chatter163]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[jiml]

Thanks, everyone!

One thing you can always be assured of is a detailed response... in some cases a very detailed response.

 

[neroden]

Incidentally after DO's founder Mr. Rich died, the new President Mr. Feno shut down all passenger service in 2007, and sold off the entire fleet. Additionally the Utica Line was out of service from 2006 due to flood damage, which was finally repaired with the help of NYSDOT and reopened in 2017.

The only passenger service that has been mooted on the NYS&W since 2007 is at the other end of NYS&W in NJ.

Reactivating passenger service on the Syracuse -Binghamton line has been proposed several times, including by Senator Schumer. Nobody has suggested reactivating passenger service on the Utica Line.