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Hi, I will be moving from Florida to the Albany area for school around May of next year. I'm looking for apartments within 20 miles of Albany, and I have narrowed potential locations to Menands and Delmar. I very briefly visited both areas a few months ago during a day of apartment hunting so I have a rough idea of what each town looks like. I'd like a resident's point of view of both places though. What I'm primarily interested in is safety (ex. well lit streets, snow removal), proximity to shopping and restaurants, and the commute to/from Albany. If there's anything else I should know or if there are other places I should consider, please let me know. Thanks!
These two places are quite opposites, so I wonder why you have narrowed it down to them. Menands has a seedy reputation, and Delmar has a hoity toity tight assed one.
I wouldn't live in either, but they're nothing alike.
These two places are quite opposites, so I wonder why you have narrowed it down to them. Menands has a seedy reputation, and Delmar has a hoity toity tight assed one.
I wouldn't live in either, but they're nothing alike.
Menands has a seedy reputation? Why is that? Is it more blue collar and in turn, could give it a rep it doesn't necessarily deserve?
Delmar definately has the hoity-toity reputation, however, I'm a snob (or a wannabe snob...) so I'm OK with that.
Try looking at the "Four Corners" area of Delmar (it's basically an intersection with a neighborhood grocery store, a coffee shop, laundromat, Chinese & a few restaurants...) which has a cute little vibe if you like that thing. Any of the complexes in Delmar should be safe, quiet, more grad-students, older people. My brother in law lived in Adams Station up until few years ago & liked it. I've heard OK things about The Mansions too (they're really nice but too expensive).
From "Four Corners" (which is a central landmark in Delmar) to downtown Albany is about 10-15 minutes along Delaware Ave. (not an interstate stop & go traffic) depending on traffic. Along the way you'd pass Delaware Plaza which has a bigger grocery store, a few banks, a cool magazine store.
For shopping you're probably 15 minutes from either Crossgates Mall or Colonie Center mall via I-85 then I-90. Stuyvesant Plaza is just as far (again, via I-85) & has decent food & shopping.
Delmar is safe. I live in Albany so I'm not sure about snow removal but I've never heard anyone complain about any city or town in the area. I'm sure it's fine? Buy good boots and your own shovel.
I'm assuming you're going to SUNY? It's about 15 minutes to the uptown campus (via I-85) and the same to the downtown (which is on Western Ave, you'd be better taking Delaware Ave.).
Now for my 2 cents... If you're worried about snow & like Delmar, live in Albany right off of Western Avenue between Allen St and I-85.
The #10 & #11 busses run along Western Ave & SUNY students ride free (that bus is mostly SUNY students, actually...). At one end of Western Ave is SUNY Downtown, in the middle is the SUNY Main Campus & at the other is Crossgates Mall. From one end to the other is a half hour bus ride or a 10-15 minute drive.
It's nice, residental area of Albany and maybe within walking distance (depending where you are) of restaurants, bars, post offices, a dingy but safe grocery store... It's a family environment (mostly single family homes, people keep their yards nice & walk to do errands) with well-lit streets with sidewalks, very little crime (if something "big" or chronic happens in this neighborhood it would make the news & I can't think of anything in the 4 years I've lived right here), big pretty houses... Stonehenge Gardens apartments are really nice & check out craigslist.
Downtown of Allen Street is a little more "college ghetto". It's hardly what I'd consider violent but it's not Delmar either.
Last edited by Iheartsailing; 12-21-2010 at 08:48 AM..
Menands has a seedy reputation? Why is that? Is it more blue collar and in turn, could give it a rep it doesn't necessarily deserve?
I wouldn't say blue-collar, I think of it more as post-industrial. But yeah, I don't know whether its reputation is deserved or not.
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