One of the "good" things to happen in the MV is the addition of the ethnically diverse immigrants to arrive here in the last 20 years. I coach soccer and whenever I am at Proctor Park in Utica, there will be dozens of Somali, Sudanese, Burmese, Thai, Bosnian etc. boys and young men looking to play some pick-up soccer. Drive around Utica and you will see many restaurants and shops that reflect this cultural influx. I love to stop in to restaurants like the Pho Mekong Noodle House, the Balkan or the Lotus Garden, and talk to the shop owners, and to try some of their favorite "picks".
Above a couple of soccer players from Proctor Park
