In one city, there is great optimism.

A corner of the city is seeing a booming business with a growing retail niche as a center for antique shoppers. Along what was once a largely vacant street, with a City Hall positioned in the center, most storefronts are now full.

A developer, with two successful projects already restored and thriving, is in the midst of restoring five connected buildings he hopes will one day host upscale retail on the first floor and a thriving banquet hall business in the former ballrooms upstairs. Already, the brick façade has been painted a dark but vibrant maroon.

Another developer, a Hollywood producer no less, has bought five other buildings. While many of them are occupied, he already is sprucing them up, placing planters on the sidewalks, and painting their facades.

The merchants in these properties are an enthusiastic bunch. They regularly coordinate their activities, holding Las Vegas and other theme nights to draw shoppers. Their retail stores offer candles, jewelry, and upscale clothes.

Up on the hills of the city, a revered university is investing more than $100 million in new structures. There will be a biotechnology building on the campus, a massive performing arts center with a concert hall, theater, and several smaller theaters. The building is expected to become a signature one for both the city and the college once complete.

Clearly, this is a city on the move.

And there is that other community.

Its school district is in turmoil. Both the middle school and high school have been listed as among the worst in the state. After a 24.7 percent tax increase and a new utility tax, the school board still sliced after-school activities from the budget. Students might not be able to stage the annual musical or drama. Parents are struggling to raise the funds to save the programs, but it’s an uphill battle. Its acting business manager is leaving and no replacement has been named.

More budget woes could be on the horizon. Pension costs are on the rise; it is possible the district will face another crisis when budget time comes around this spring. And the state, which bailed out the district twice now, might not be in the position to do it again.

Down at City Hall, the politicians are endlessly nipping at each other. It’s an election year, and in this city either side can win. It makes politics ugly, a continual yapfest. Fiscal problems may be looming here too, but the mayor is being cagey. He won’t say exactly what is about to occur. His political opponents are wary; they suspect they are being set up. Both sides fight for the latest headline, spun their way, and they paint, unintentionally or not, a portrait of a city far different from the one seen by the merchants, developers, and university leaders.

You recognize both of these cities, of course. They are Troy.