Schenectady

Schenectady is an administrative city in Schenectady County in New York State, located at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers at about 74 meters (243 feet) elevation. The city spreads across both banks of the Mohawk and is crossed by several bridges linking older neighborhoods with newer residential areas to the south and west.

Dutch settlers established farms along the Mohawk in the late 17th century after purchasing land from the Mohawk people. The community was rebuilt after a fire in 1690 and grew during the 19th century into a center of railroad and electrical industry.

The name comes from the Mohawk language and means beyond the pines, referring to the original forests along the river. Today the city is still marked by descendants of Dutch and German immigrants, whose family names and traditions remain present in daily life and whose old brick houses still line the streets.

Most visitors use Albany airport about 30 minutes to the east or arrive by train at the Amtrak station in the city center. Public buses run by the Capital District Transportation Authority connect downtown with surrounding suburbs and operate at regular intervals during the day.

General Electric opened its first research and development center here, where engineers developed fundamental technologies for power grids and electric propulsion. In one of the laboratories a team invented the first practical turbo generator, which formed the basis for modern power plants.