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Greetings. As the subject line says, we're a retired professional couple thinking of moving to Troy. We'd welcome ALL opinions, whether from current residents or those who've moved away; people from the nearby area; those who've moved to Troy and like it or don't, etc.
My wife and I both grew up in NYC, are in good health and used to walking to shopping and riding the bus. We're also used to being involved in our community, stopping to talk to neighbors on the street, and all the other pleasures of living without being entirely dependent on a car. Since the late 70s we've lived in the New York City borough of Staten Island (pop. approx. 500,000), which compared to the other boroughs is like a small town.
While we like the pleasures of good restaurants and other amenities, night life is not a major attraction --- the occasional play, performance or film is just fine. Our passion is late 19th- and early 20th-century urban architecture, which seems to be one of Troy's particular strengths. We would want an old house --- downtown, or wherever the action is --- in moderately good condition with at least one and perhaps two rental units.
(We now own a 5,000-square foot Victorian with four rental units, so we're used to being landlords.)
Are we and Troy a good match? Where should we look for housing? What do you think? We'd appreciate any comments you'd like to make. Many thanks!
I appreciate the tip, ckhthankgod, and will keep it in mind. It'll take me a while (and a trip or two) to see how the neighborhoods lay out, etc. I'll probably check back here from time to time, seeking informed comments. Many thanks for yours.
My sister lives in Troy and I have been visiting for the past 9-ish years. Honestly, Troy does not strike me as a place where one would want to retire. It's definitely more of a college town and is rough around the edges in alot of areas. But if architecture is your fancy, Troy definitely has that. As for the downtown area, the majority of houses are old brownstones converted into apartments. My sister lives right in downtown in a brownstone that is 3 apartments - she's on the second floor. I agree with ckh - you may want to look in the areas closer to RPI or even in the outskirts up the hill on Congress St or surrounding areas.
Just for what it's worth - everyone I know that lives in Troy wishes they lived somewhere else. It's a fun little city for someone like me who's in their mid-20's for bar-hopping and visiting friends. I do enjoy going there, but I also enjoy coming back home And there is much to do in Troy and the surrounding areas, especially if you hop over the river to Albany. But it is sometimes described as a "black hole" for those that are college aged and can never get out of the area. To me, Troy has always been a college town, not really a place where people want to spend their lives. Just my opinion!
Thanks, Becca. I hadn't understood Troy as a college town, though I should have (RPI, Russell Sage, etc.).
I'm encouraged by the presence of a BID (Business Improvement District) in the downtown area, which seems fairly active --- and by the nature of the businesses themselves. And I've heard that, like Hudson and Beacon, Troy is starting to attract artists because of its abundance of cheap housing and studio space, as well as its funky charm. But that's just what I've heard.
I'm grateful to be able to balance out the cheerleading with a less starry-eyed view. Many thanks for sharing your opinion. It's exactly what I wanted.
I guess what may make us a bit different from more, uh, retiring retirees is that we're city people, born and bred, who are used to living in fairly dense neighborhoods with all kinds of people. I take a look at a lot of the Troy streetscapes in the real estate listings on Zillow, the online real estate information source, and I feel right at home. Brick rowhouses, corner stores, a place developed when the industrial city, not the quasi-bucolic suburbs, was the future.
Another thing I discovered (I'm a Jew) is that Troy's Reform synagogue, Berith Shalom, didn't run away from the city after World War II, when the suburbs developed courtesy of the GI Bill and many urban Jews in city after American city pulled up stakes and headed for the burbs. But Berith Shalom didn't, it seems. They stayed in their beautiful 19th-century building on Third Street. That's unusual for a Reform synagogue. It speaks volumes about the values of their congregants.
Troy is turning out to be interestinger and interestinger. Thanks again for this conversation, Becca!
Well it sounds like Troy may work for you after all, especially since you're used to city living. From what my sister tells me, the areas you want to stay out of are south Troy and anything around or north of Hoosick Street. I do love brownstones, but unfortunately there aren't too many of them here in Syracuse. There is always a rental market due to the colleges, so if you decide to rent out apartments, you shouldn't have any issues finding tenants.
I'm not too familiar with the art scene there, so I can't give any advice in regards to that. You may have better luck with plays and such by going to Albany. As for what goes on in Troy - there's alot of local bars that host brewery and/or band nights, so there's always live music going on somewhere. RPI has a hockey team if you're into that - that's popular in the winter. There is a weekly farmers market that's down on River St during the summer and in a building during the winter time (I forget what it's called, but I know there's a CVS attached to it). Best pizza in town is I Love. Dinosaur BBQ opened there last year. And if you like beer, support Brown's, the local brewery down the street from Dinosaur, next door to Ryan's Wake and Rev Hall - on River Street
Just so you know, Albany's Center Square neighborhood has brownstones too. Schenectady might have some too.
Another thing about Upstate cities, big and small, is that you can find a synagogue. For instance, Syracuse has the 9th oldest synagogue in the country and it is literally a few blocks from Syracuse University: Temple Concord, Syracuse, NY - Home So, you might be pleasantly surprised when you come up here.
Check out Saratoga Springs, which is small but urban and far more vitalized than Troy, IMO. I believe there are a fair amount of Jews up there and its a lively, funky town. If I lived in the Capital District, that's where I'd want to be.
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Thanks for the fast reply!
And there is much to do in Troy and the surrounding areas, especially if you hop over the river to Albany. But it is sometimes described as a "black hole" for those that are college aged and can never get out of the area. To me, Troy has always been a college town, not really a place where people want to spend their lives. Just my opinion!
