Cobblestones Provoke Controversy in New York's State Capital

In Albany, NY, a number of the intersections in the old part of the city have cobblestones inside the box (inside the crosswalk perimeter). Although the cobblestones look historical, they have actually only been there for a few years - they were installed in the 1990s to bolster the historic look of the downtown.

Construction on one of the city's major thoroughfares, Central Ave, has revealed many more cobblestones underneath the asphalt. An Albany resident wrote to the Times Union to ask, "Why not bring back the cobble stones at the intersections to beautify the area, which definitely needs some beautification, much like has been done on Lark Street in Center Square?

If there are no plans to do that, why not pull out stones and sell them to the residents? I'd bet those stones are worth at least $5 each on the market, and millions of stones could be sold and reused. I would love to put in a stone driveway and have a bit of history on my property."