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Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul spent the entire day on Monday in the Mohawk Valley.

She was part of the dedication ceremony of Route 49 in Marcy as The Oneida County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.  She also spoke to students at SUNY POLY about 'Enough is Enough', the new state legislation passed in June to combat sexual assaults on college campuses.

Monday afternoon, one of her stops included a walk down Genesee St. in downtown Utica.

Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri led her on the tour and was proud to do so.

He took her on stops that included the new Landmarc Building and its rooftop restaurant called Ocean Blue.

She and Palmieri also stopped in to downtown's most recent addition, the cafe and bakery called 'Bite'.

Bite co-owner Jason Allen-Leonard says he and his husband wanted to open a cafe and decided to do so downtown because of all of the revitalization in that key part of the city.

Allen-Leonard was ecstatic to hear the Lt. Governor was making a stop at Bite.  He says downtown is where it's at, "I think it took a couple of pioneers to really set that first stone down where everybody could see that there is is potential and then everyone else just keeps coming.  If you build it they will come."

Hochul says she is amazed at the transformation of Utica's downtown and says it's a trend that's taking place in downtowns across the state, "Those of us that have lived in this Upstate area for a long time never thought there'd be the day that there's so much vitality and excitement that so many people want to move to downtown."

Allen-Leonard says his hunch that he picked the right spot was right on, "A lot of people in and out, it's constant traffic all day long.  We do have extended hours and we do see traffic right up until we close, which is great."

Lieutenant Governor Hochul said: “Today's ceremony was a powerful reminder of our continued obligation to remember and honor those who served during that difficult time in our nation's history. The message I heard today at the ceremony from many Vietnam Veterans was one of gratitude to the Governor, Senator Griffo and Assemblyman Brindisi for their leadership in trying to right the wrongs of the past generation. Fifty years late, these veterans finally received the welcome home they deserve from a grateful nation.”

- See more at: http://www.wktv.com/news/Lt_Governor_Kathy_Hochul_impressed_with_downtown_Utica.html#sthash.7QjNCx5N.dpu