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Old 02-01-2007, 06:03 PM
 
1 posts, read 22,125 times
Reputation: 12

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Boy oh boy......so many different opinions on Schenectady. Me and my 3 children are moving from Long Island up to Schenectady, well thats the plan anyway.

I found a beautiful victorian I am eager to renovate. How is the area btwn Union and GE?

I have researched and researched but I think getting opinions from those of you that know first hand would be best.

Being fron Long Island ? Queens? I am not sure what it means when people say Schenectady is a town to avoid.

Can someone please give me some insight?


Thanks!
M
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Old 02-01-2007, 08:58 PM
 
500 posts, read 2,854,446 times
Reputation: 331
Hello,

I recently responded to somebody asking "why should I move to Albany". As you know, Schenectady is a neighbor city of Albany. I'll copy my answer here for you:

"Why should you move to Albany? You shouldn't, in my opinion. It's a sad, decaying city with not much to do. The weather -always cloudy and rainy- adds to the depression. Albany keeps losing population to the surrounding suburbs and to out-of-state cities, and its crime rate is not as low as it should.

Many of the towns around (Schenectady, Rensselaer, Troy) are just as sad as Albany. Hit hard by the end of the industrial era and unemployment.

Poverty and population loss are a big issue in all of Upstate New York, but specially acute around Albany. You'll also find your share of bland average suburbs with subdivisions and malls and chain restaurants, of course."

Now, if you found a house and you like it, what am I going to say. I would never ever live in the Albany area, but I've seen people post here saying they find it to be a lovely area. Opinions are so different.
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Old 02-01-2007, 09:14 PM
 
Location: Happy wherever I am - Florida now
3,360 posts, read 12,224,079 times
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My son went to Union. The area directly around the college does have some beautiful large homes and the college itself is without a doubt first class. When I'd go there for parent's weekend every student would come up to me and introduce themselves and ask if I needed help. The athletes are required to wear suit jackets on their way to play games. Very civil, something you don't find anymore. The bagpipe graduation processional is beyond compare. It's a hard school to get into though.

The entire rest of the town short of the college area I wasn't impressed with. It's old and beaten down. There are some good points in that there's an Amtrack station within walking distance to the school and you can drive to malls and activities in the Albany area. The college will also have some interesting speakers and such.

Two things I'd check on if I were you are the schools that you'll be sending your kids to, and the crime rates in the neighborhood you're settling and beyond.

Last edited by Sgoldie; 02-01-2007 at 09:23 PM..
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Old 02-02-2007, 12:13 PM
 
Location: NY
417 posts, read 1,885,965 times
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I concur with the other respondends- Schenectady unfortunately has little to recommend it's self. My mother's family has been in the Scotia/Schenectady area for generations and it seems like the area has been sadly 'downwardly mobile' for a couple decades now. Hearing and reading about family history leaves me wondering "What the heck happened?!" At one time it was a pretty thriving area, and even when I was a kid in the 70s it seemed like there was stuff going on culturally and otherwise. Certainly one of the biggest blows was the contraction of GE years ago. I too have driven around some neighborhoods and been impressed by some could-be-beautiful old houses, but then beyond that..... there's not much. Really the whole Albany/Schenectady area strikes me as pretty dismal and shabby. No doubt there must be a pocket of 'coolness' here and there.... somewhere, but I've never found them in Schenectady. With the exception of a place or two in the tiny, tiny pedestrian 'mall' downtown, it's hard to even get a good cup of coffee. I've never found a particularly good resaraunt either. It would be a great place to revive- some cool old buildings and houses, the river, the college, on a major Amtrak route, but it doesn't seem like there is much in the way to economically support it. Crime rates have actually been rising in the city over the past few years. Good luck- you'll be a pioneer!
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Old 02-05-2007, 05:51 PM
 
11 posts, read 68,600 times
Reputation: 16
Albany is one of the major cities in the state, similar to Utica, Syracuse and Buffalo. Although much of the blue-collar companies have closed up, many white-collar companies have regional headquarters there.
Its sister city, Schenectady, has seen its better days as far as employment is concern. Many of the industries that made the city thrive have left town. Its proximity to Albany remains one of its saving graces, as well as access to transportation.
"Urban revitalization" is spreading virus-like throughout Schenectady, attempting to ressurect the city from poverty, whether the citizens like it or not. To that end, there are good blocks and not-so-good blocks (being a denizen of NYC, you should know what I'm talking about). A simple drive-through of the city should help you differentiate good from questionable, but if you want to be sure, you can always ask the police department which blocks tend to have more arrests than others.
Schenectady is not a town to avoid, just don't presume that everyone is happy to see you.
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Old 02-05-2007, 05:55 PM
 
4 posts, read 37,592 times
Reputation: 11
Hello
This is my first day on here. I currently live in Groton, MA. My sister lives in Penfield NY. I want to move somewhere in the middle of these two locations which is either in the Berkshires or Albany I think. I want to buy a nice small house for about $150,000. I am a 45 year old divorced mother of four. My grown children will stay in the Boston area. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thank you so much.
PS I couldn't figure out where to post my question, can you help me?
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Old 02-05-2007, 05:58 PM
 
500 posts, read 2,854,446 times
Reputation: 331
Hello,

You could post either in the New York forum under a "moving to Albany area" title or something like that, or in the Massachusetts forum under a "moving to the Berkshires area" title or something similar.
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Old 02-13-2007, 06:26 PM
 
1 posts, read 22,084 times
Reputation: 23
Okay, Schenectady may not be Manhattan, but then again it doesn't have the cost of living and elbow to elbow people either. I do live in Schenectady and have lived in Schenectady and the surrounding area since 1975. Schenectady has it's problems-influx of drug trade when Rudy pushed them out of NYC, drop in job opportunities when Karen Johnson raised GE's taxes and they responded by leveling buildings and then withdrawing its operations right out of Schenectady. However, Schenectady has been a nice place to live and there's plenty to do and if you live here, you know where to look. Schenectady has a rich history and much of the beautiful architecture is still in evidence. Many tech companies are relocating to the Capitol Region. NYS DOT has moved to downtown and with the State Street revitalization the city is looking better all the time. Proctor's new stage has brought many new shows to the city. There's also Schenectady Light Opera and Schenectady Civic Players. New hotels and movie theaters are currently being built. Schenectady is home to Union College (beautiful campus) and Schenectady Community College where the culinary school receives rave reviews-I had a wonderful prime rib dinner there in December. Schenectady is also close to Albany--Times Union Center, NYS Museum, NYS Capitol, Empire State Plaza, Palace Theater, SUNY Albany, Russel Sage, College of Saint Rose, RPI in Troy and Siena in Loudonville, etc and Saratoga--museums, state parks, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), horse racing, then there are the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. Sacandaga Reservoir and Lake George are just about an hour's drive away as are the Berkshires. I think I'm beginning to sound like I work for the city of Schenectady, but I do not. I am a teaching assistant at a local elementary school. I grew up out in the country southeast of Albany. Now I'm a city girl. Schenectady ain't so bad.
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Old 02-13-2007, 08:15 PM
 
500 posts, read 2,854,446 times
Reputation: 331
Bobbikg,

You work in the Marketing Department of the City of Schenectady, don't you?
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Old 03-19-2007, 03:18 PM
 
2 posts, read 32,239 times
Reputation: 12
Hi I recently moved to the albany area from LI and we live in Clifton Park. It is a nice area, but we are looking fro a village/community feel. We have been researching every area for the last year or so. Schendectady is comparable to an area like Hempstead. It is nice and has great lovely older homes, but most people I have encountered along with the news and newspapers have me skeptical of Schenectady. It seems that there are more negative than good things about it. I have looked into Scotia/Glenville and the area is close but seems a world away.

Good luck and where on LI are you moving from? Just curious..

Quote:
Originally Posted by movingout123 View Post
Boy oh boy......so many different opinions on Schenectady. Me and my 3 children are moving from Long Island up to Schenectady, well thats the plan anyway.

I found a beautiful victorian I am eager to renovate. How is the area btwn Union and GE?

I have researched and researched but I think getting opinions from those of you that know first hand would be best.

Being fron Long Island ? Queens? I am not sure what it means when people say Schenectady is a town to avoid.

Can someone please give me some insight?


Thanks!
M
Quick reply to this message
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