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I'd look for something in Watervliet over Troy, Schenectady or Albany. It's the next city north of Albany (the village of Menands is between them). Crime rate is lower than both, and at least in the neighborhood where I live, you don't have to worry about listening to ghetto-blasters either in cars or from house parties after midnight. I snagged a 1-br for $685/month last July after 15 months in Schenectady and 14 years in Troy (I am a native of the area but I have always owned a car, so I can't speak about having to navigate this area without one). Both the Troy-Schenectady and Troy-Albany CDTA bus runs pass through it.
Since your looking for personal experience... I have recently relocated back to Albany from Maryland after 30 years.. I left when I was a young child but all my family is here so I visited often.
I live in Albany and work in downtown Troy. My mother does not drive- never has. Lives in the Pine Hills neighborhood- because it's a block to the grocery store- shops- restaurants/bars- library-dry cleaners - sits right on main bus route- 1-2 miles from "downtown" Albany.. you name it.
As far as Troy goes.. if I didn't have 2 young children I would totally consider an apartment in downtown Troy (downtown)! If you'd like some more info on Troy - let me know.
I have no idea about the floods your speaking of.. but allot of place in upstate flood due to the proximity to the various rivers.
I don't think your salary would be any different in downtown Troy vs downtown Albany. It's finding the right company. You may however, find more opportunities in your field in Albany but IDK.
Grocery Deliver- Shop Rite and Price Chopper are the 2 chains, both offer delivery. I've never used it tho.
I transferred up to Albany back 10+ years ago from NYC. Although I did have my car with me I frequently took the bus rather than deal with the parking hassle downtown. I've alternated offices at the Albany Plaza and over on Washington Ave. I'm another one with a mother in the Pine Hills area that has never driven in her life and has managed just fine.
I transferred up during the school year and left my wife and kids at home to finish the year and stayed at mom's house while our house was being built. Taking the bus from Pine Hills down Western/Madison or Washington Ave area to the Albany Plaza area is really easy. Bus takes longer than driving but you don't have to park. Same buses would go west towards the shopping at Stuyvesant Plaza or Crossgates Mall.
The other options are along New Scotland Ave in the southern part of the city. Central Ave does the same east-west thing a little north. Really all depends on where you're working because it just seems easier to get anywhere in a straight line in Albany if you're not driving yourself.
How that relates to working/employment? The 2 main hospitals are both on New Scotland a couple of miles apart. Nice area with a bus route. Offices are likely to be more downtown, Madison, Central and Washington all converge over here, so an apartment along any will get you downtown by bus. There are several schools and colleges in that area too, College of St Rose, Sage, Albany Law. Further west on Washington is another health complex area, 1365-1367 Washington Ave area, lots of medical offices as well as the offices for the HMO - CDPHP. Past that is SUNY Albany. The retail spots are Stuyvesant Plaza on Western and Fuller near SUNY. There are office type buildings near there as well. Then the 2 malls. Crossgates on Western and Colonie on Central and Wolf.
There are actually more than 4 grocery stores in Albany, though not many. There are 3 large supermarkets practically within sight of each other on Central Ave near Colvin. There are a couple of other Price Choppers as well such as the one on Madison near College of Saint Rose again in the Pine Hills area
Last thought as far as living and working carless in Albany, they are really trying to get Uber going around here too. Think it has a lot of support and will happen soon.
Hello all,
Would anyone care to share opinions on how possible or feasible it would be to live and work in Albany without a car? I would be looking for an administrative position (Exec. Asst., Office Mgr., etc.) or, as a last resort, Retail Manager. I'd like to find a studio or 1-BR apartment (or a share if necessary) for less than $1000/mo., preferably within proximity to a walkable area with shopping (groceries and necessities, not designer clothing, LOL) and restaurants. Of course, job and apartment should be relatively near public transportation. I'm in NYC now, don't own a car, and don't see myself buying one for a while yet.
Is all that possible in Albany?
I lived and worked in the Albany area for many years and only personally knew of one person that did not own a or have access to a car, so I guess it is possible, but not very common.
Just want to add one other thing to my post above. I see people had other areas as possible landing spots. As I mentioned I work at the Albany Plaza complex. After the wife and kids moved up here while the house was still being built we rented in East Greenbush, across the Hudson River. There were plenty of apartment choices and plenty of shopping, and the CDTA bus runs along Columbia Tpke in to downtown Albany.
The only thing to mention is although you can get around by bus. When it snows up here? You wouldn't want to rely on the bus to get home from work. Good luck
And I am wondering of the revitalization process described in this article from 2013 has continued: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...icle-1.1472989
From what I remember, Troy has long had a reputation for being depressed and run-down; at least that is what I'd always heard, but I've never been there. Is Troy more appealing than it used to be? Is it safe?
I have no idea about the floods your speaking of.. but allot of place in upstate flood due to the proximity to the various rivers.
I remember during either Irene or Lee my area of Troy - I used to live at the corner of 4th and Washington, in the building that burned 2 years ago on April 10 - was put under a voluntary evacuation notice due to possible flooding. I hadn't heard about it, but one of my co-workers had, and he mentioned it to me. Freaked me out driving home from work over the Congress St Bridge and seeing just how high the Hudson has gotten, and it did go over its banks in Menands, because the Village One apartment complex got flooded, and the bike trail between Watervliet and the Corning Preserve was a muddy mess for weeks, as was the trail between SCCC and Route 5S in Rotterdam Junction. You couldn't even ride through Lock 8 because of all the work they were doing.
Is Troy more appealing than it used to be? Is it safe?
Depends on where you live. I can fully vouch for the Little Italy neighborhood - the area just south of Russell Sage College and around Washington Park - because I lived there from August 2001 to April 2015, and I would still be there if the building I lived in hadn't caught fire (I'm on the other side of the Hudson now, in Watervliet). They have a Neighborhood Watch/Neighborhood Association group as well as a Quality of Life group, both of which meet on a monthly basis (the Watch meets 3rd Wednesdays, and the QoL IIRC meets 3rd Tuesdays). They also have Community Policing to an extent, I'm not completely sure what the current status of that is, because I stopped going to Watch meetings as soon as I signed my lease in Watervliet last July.
I felt safe in that neighborhood, but then again, my landlord was "known" in the city (former race Director for the Freihofer's Run for Women, and I assume he will still be directing the Troy Turkey Trot), and one of the guys he used to have do work on the building and plow out our lot was a Troy cop.
Depends on where you live. I can fully vouch for the Little Italy neighborhood - the area just south of Russell Sage College and around Washington Park - because I lived there from August 2001 to April 2015, and I would still be there if the building I lived in hadn't caught fire (I'm on the other side of the Hudson now, in Watervliet). They have a Neighborhood Watch/Neighborhood Association group as well as a Quality of Life group, both of which meet on a monthly basis (the Watch meets 3rd Wednesdays, and the QoL IIRC meets 3rd Tuesdays). They also have Community Policing to an extent, I'm not completely sure what the current status of that is, because I stopped going to Watch meetings as soon as I signed my lease in Watervliet last July.
I felt safe in that neighborhood, but then again, my landlord was "known" in the city (former race Director for the Freihofer's Run for Women, and I assume he will still be directing the Troy Turkey Trot), and one of the guys he used to have do work on the building and plow out our lot was a Troy cop.
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