Dear Chamber Members-

Apparently, the New York Post has discovered Utica.

A recent article named Utica the most affordable city in New York, then leaned into the familiar suggestion that affordability must somehow mean nobody wants to live here.

We see it differently.

Affordability is not the absence of value. Sometimes, it is the beginning of possibility.

That possibility shows up every day across Greater Utica: in the small businesses opening their doors, the nonprofits doing essential work, the families putting down roots, the restaurants feeding our neighborhoods, the employers creating opportunity, and the neighbors who still know how to show up for one another.

This week, my What’s New, Utica column in the Daily Sentinel responds to the article directly while celebrating the people and organizations proving that this region is not a punchline. It is a place people are still building.

Read the full column, share it with someone who loves this area, and say something good about where you live.

Let’s build a little Utica pride.

Sean