Poughkeepsie, 70 miles north of New York City along the the Hudson River, had a glorious past that included whaling, lots of timber, grist and textile mills. It's where Scrabble was invented. People came from all over to visit its department stores and opera house.

Now only the opera house remains. By the mid 20th century there was white flight and migration out to the suburbs, and crime thrived.

A June report from the US conference of mayors found that the value of local goods and services was the worst of all of the top 100 metropolitan areas in the country. And the city is struggling with a heroin epidemic.

"Small town politics has about killed this city in the last 40 years," said Chris Petsas, who was born in Poughkeepsie and is in his first term on the common council. By day, he's a bartender at a local social club.

Petsas believes the arts community could change the city. He said New York artists priced out have moved to other riverfront communities nearby, like Peekskill, Beacon, Kingston and Hudson. "We have failed to catch on. This is the time," he said.