What's wrong with Troy, NY? (New York, Albany: 2009, rental, hotel)

[lakegrglovr]

this is fascinating.I grew up in Waterford in the 70's,early 80's and Troy was always known as "the armpit of the great northeast"I live in Mesa,Az. now which is huge compared to Troy but not scary at all,although we're really starting to have sort of a "barrio" area to stay out of.I have visited Troy several times over the past few years and it's really run down and scary looking.I like the area around Emma Willard and Pawling Ave,my grandmother went there before the depression and my father's father ran a speakeasy in Troy during prohibition so I would love to do some genealogical research there,cemeteries ,churches,and whatnot but I'm actually pretty afraid to drive around.We have friends who live in Lansingburgh and they have a crack house right next door!

[peteandpuff]

Like I said, find ANY City that is over 100+ years that doesn't have some problems. So why beat up Troy? We are a great City to live in. Go visit Schenectady and see what it there...nothing...no business......nothing..but they do have a very corrupt Police Dept. Whose Chief just went to jail for drugs sales and transportation. TROY doesn't have those problems, YOUR family lived here for quite a while..didn't seem to be a problem then! And it wasn't quite as nice then.....and I know I have been here my whole life. So put your own Community on display. It is sad you don't know the best parts of Troy and only want to dwell on some problem areas. When you grow up you will see the bigger picture. Sorry for being so blunt, but when you covertly beat up my hometown you have to expect it. Give us the true picture where YOU live so WE don't go there......

[piperspal]

IMO, the most positive thing about Troy is the vision many of it's residents share. Tutunjian & company are bending over backwards to make Troy a first class city. I have never seen anything close to that in Schenectady; and the Albany mayor & his cronies are nothing but talk.

Anyone reading this thread who either has never been to Troy, or hasn't been in at least 5 years....do yourself a favor. This summer, make it a point to come to Troy on a Saturday. Check out the Farmers Market; wander through the antiques district; enjoy some of the free music & other festivals. Trust me, you will see Troy in a new, positive, and realistic light!

[BonnieParker]

Troy is really a hit or miss sort of area. If you are a single person or a student, it could work out great for you. Downtown has been making vast improvements due to Rensselaer Polytech Institute, tons of commercial and residential rehabilitations and police crack down on loitering bums in public parks, etc. However, there are some areas of Troy that are not even worth a second glance.

The main part of Troy you want to stay as far away from as possible is the stretch between the Hoosick Bridge and Lansingburgh (stay away from Lansingburgh all together!) This is a just a completely filthy area. Welfare ridden, drug infested, run down. The reason its still so heavily populated is because you can get very cheap and very large apartments with out hearing a peep from your landlord. This is obviously a preferrable situation for some that need not be mentioned.

At the same time, there are some neighborhoods literally right across the way from the bad spots that are quiet and family populated. It really is bizarre. My brother in law lives on one of these charming little streets that is a five minute walk from the nearest housing project! It amazes me.

But, bottom line: don't bring a family into Troy just yet. Despite the rocky issue of finding the right neighborhood, the school district is not at all up to par. It still needs a few more years of pumping out these improvements before it is a considerably nice area.

[Fearringtonflash]

For the money, I would consider Cohoes over Troy.

[jvriesema]

does anyone know if st. vincents avenue in troy ny is a safe neighborhood?
My daughter and son-in-law both graduated from RPI and just purchased a house there.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by jvriesema

does anyone know if st. vincents avenue in troy ny is a safe neighborhood?
My daughter and son-in-law both graduated from RPI and just purchased a house there.

It's looks kind of rural from this view on Google Maps:st. vincent's st., troy, ny - Google Maps

It just be me though.

[peteandpuff]

It is in the South End of Troy, running along the Postenskill Creek, sort of a connecting street to 2 more Main Sts. It is a very quiet area in there as is isn't a main Street.
Tina

[paulyt23]

The people dissing Troy are a bunch of frightened, uptight, elitist snobs. It's a great place to live if you're single, or a young family with toddler or pre-school-aged kids. It's also great for empty nesters and retirees since you're close to a lot of cultural activities and it's not completely car dependent. If I had kids I wouldn't send them to the city's schools, but 75 percent of households are childless, so it's a great place for 75 percent of people.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by paulyt23

The people dissing Troy are a bunch of frightened, uptight, elitist snobs. It's a great place to live if you're single, or a young family with toddler or pre-school-aged kids. It's also great for empty nesters and retirees since you're close to a lot of cultural activities and it's not completely car dependent. If I had kids I wouldn't send them to the city's schools, but 75 percent of households are childless, so it's a great place for 75 percent of people.

Are Troy City Schools that bad? I know there are quite a few private school options in the city of Troy. So, that might be an option for those with children or maybe the Lansingburgh School District.