Place Where You Live:

Utica, New York

I’m from a small city in the middle of Central New York called Utica. I live about 10 minutes outside of the general city area in a suburb called Marcy. Utica isn’t much of a city. There aren’t many big business that drive the city’s economy anymore. My parents have told me all about how Utica used to be a great bustling city filled with entertainment and big business, but those days are long gone now. Since General Electric left the city has really gone downhill. When I was younger, I always thought my Grandpa and my dad would have to close down the family business and move somewhere else to get by. It never came to that though, and that business remains a major reason we live in the area still.
Another reason is family. Everyone from my mother’s side is from this area, and my father’s side lived in this area until about 20 years ago when my grandmother moved to Tampa, FL. But even if nothing was connecting me to this area, I don’t think I would leave. It’s been my home since birth. It’s where all my best friends and family are. It’s hard to make another place feel like home when you’ve had one home for your whole life. Even though Utica isn’t all that great now, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about it.
To start, two years ago the American Hockey League decided to establish The Vancouver Canucks farm team in Utica, bringing professional back to Utica after a long absence. The people of Utica immediately got behind the team, the Utica Comets, and it was refreshing to see the people of the city so excited to be involved in something again. On top of that, new nanotechnology plants are being constructed and will create many more jobs in the area. That will surely add more value to the area and boost the economy. If and when I become a successful business man, I plan to bring my business to the area to help build the city up even more.