'Small-bany' Reporter's Journal

Growing up in Albany my entire life, I feel like I know the city inside and out...every neighborhood (although some are obviously more familiar than others) and I can picture the layout of the streets, important landmarks and businesses, etc. in my head. When thinking of a listening post there were so many to choose from it was difficult to pick just one. I chose a Dunkin' Donuts located on a major street with a bunch of landmarks and other major streets situated around it. I worked here for three years so I know first-hand that it is a place where you see and hear everything...it encompasses the very essence of Albany, on a much smaller scale. I have never observed the atmosphere when I'm not working, so I thought I would be able to get a much different experience and pay attention to more happenings.
I went home for the weekend and sat in an inconspicuous table near the back. I had always been very aware of when young kids, high school age or a little younger, came in because they were always really annoying and loud and made a mess. I used to listen to what they had to say to each other because it entertained me, but I couldn't pay that close attention because I did have a job to do. Listening to them talk was like watching a TV show, seriously...I learned all the "gossip" going on at my old high school, heard all about their relationship problems and what they did over the weekend...it was quite amusing.
I know all the regulars and a bunch of the hospital staff and police officers that come in, so after watching them for a little bit, I had conversations with them, got hugs, did a little catching up...I never realized that you do learn a lot about what's going on in their lives just observing, you dont have to know them. I heard my cop friends talking about the calls they had that day and about what they had done over the weekend, what bars they had went to, etc. Heard a lot about Albany High School, which gives me some ideas for stories for the future. I always learned these things from talking to them while I made their orders, but an innocent bystander could learn the same information if they paid attention. I always speculated about the relationships the hospital staff had with each other and the things going on inside the hospital...if you pay attention you will learn all of this too, they lay their personal lives, confrontations they had, doctor-nurse 'relationships', right out their for everybody to hear if they choose. This is why when I worked there I knew everything about everybody.
Some of the regulars that come in are middle-class citizens while others are important members of society and others basically live on the street and talk to you about their life story if you give them the chance. I sat and listened to them talk to each other and heard veterans tell stories about being in the war, complain about not getting their government money, talk about people they didn't like and why they didn't like them, heard about the weather, issues they had at some state office they went to, and so much more.
It doesnt seem like this store would generate so much information and mirror the community outside of it, but it does. All levels of society are in there at some point, together. Everything that happens in the community is brought into the shop in some form, whether it is through the customer, a situation, or a story. I didn't include any quotes in my story because I didnt like how it interrupted the tone and flow of the article, but I did talk to some of the customers and got a list of people that I could use for information for other stories. One of my cop friends gave me his cell phone number, a few of the hospital staff didn't give me their information, but they said that I could get in contact with them if necessary. A few employees and owners of the local businesses on the block of New Scotland said they would be more than willing to talk to me about anything I needed information about. Because I know so many people that come in, I didnt get specific contact information, I just got an idea about who I could talk to and they are from a lot of different areas of the community. I thought it was more effective to sit back and listen more than interact extensively with customers.
A few story ideas:
There is a lot of discussion lately about the quality of the healthcare in our hospitals...we have three or four around the city, but two major ones. My dad works for the NYS Health Department and has a lot of connections so I could utilize him for administrators and use my own connections with the staff for further information if I were to do a story exploring this issue.
Any issue related to crime in the city or crime within the schools would be interesting and have a lot of depth. I have many connections at the high school and within the school district itself. I also have connections within the police force, officers, detectives, and the police chief.
Controversy is going on about some development that is set to occur in a semi-residential area. I'm not sure exactly how easy it would be to talk to people directly involved in this but if I do a little digging I might be able to come up with something solid.
I have family friends that live in Albany but right on the border...almost into the suburb beside it. I was thinking that doing a story contrasting the inner city life versus the basically suburban environment they live in might be interesting. Why they live where they do but still send their kids to public schools? Are they adverse to living in the middle of the city?
Anything having to do with politics/government or history would have a range of topics to choose from because all of downtown Albany is filled with both of these things.