best place to live in Saratoga county (Albany, Colonie: houses, neighborhoods)

[lookin2move317]

right now we live in Dutchess county, ny. The taxes and schools are getting worse and we were looking into moving upstate.
We looked at houses in Clifton park and loved everything we saw. the neighborhoods, the school campus, everything.
Now i need to get an honest opinion of it. I have 2 boys 9 and 6 and a girl , 3.
How long is the commute to Albany during rush hour? Is it snobby? I heard of Ballston spa, Guilderland (?), are they nice? And are the winters REALLY that bad?
Thanks for your help!!

[Miker]

If you will be commuting to Albany, you should rule out Saratoga County. The rush hour commute is horrendous. You can expect to be in stop and go traffic at least 5 out of your ten trips back and forth each week. The local traffic reports almost always advise of "severe congestion" if not a "dead stop" during rush hour at the twin bridges(which are along the primary route from and to Albany/Saratoga)...and it is only getting worse.

You would be better off with Guilderland (as you mentioned), as well as Bethlehem (which includes Delmar and Slingerlands) Colonie (Latham, Loudonville, Newtonville) and even East/North Greenbush. All excellent school districts without all the hassle.

[Miker]

As for the winters, I can't imagine they are much worse than you currently experience in Dutchess County. On average maybe a few degrees cooler and slightly more snowfall but, I would imagine, nothing you would not be able to get used to or even notice.

[tapphom]

Clifton Park is a good choice. The commute isn't that bad. It's twelve miles down I-87 , so even at bumper to bumper , how long could it take. I've been in it many times. Shenendehowa is by far the best school district , you pay for it !

[Rumblebelly]

It'll probably take you at least 30 minutes to get to Albany from Clifton Park during rush hour, depending on your schedule.

For a bit I drove from Ballston Spa to downtown Albany and it usually took me about 45 minutes if I left early enough...arriving in Albany at about 7 am. If I was running late or there was an accident, it's taken as long as 90 minutes. Now I work in Sch'dy and it's a much easier commute.

We lived in Clifton Park for a few months when we first moved to Upstate. We didn't care for it much. However, we wanted something more than just a suburb.

[rajmelk]

I'd rate Clifton Park highly for tight-knit neighborhoods/subdivisions (which can help you assimilate quickly), but very low in terms of "character." No town center, one concentrated commercial district around Exit 9, and lots of 2-lane roads to get just about anywhere.

I would agree with the comments re: commute to Albany...I wouldn't be concerned...however commuting to Niskayuna/Schenectady would be another story with the *&^%$ Rexford bridge bottleneck.

[Miker]

Originally Posted by tapphom

Clifton Park is a good choice. The commute isn't that bad. It's twelve miles down I-87 , so even at bumper to bumper , how long could it take. I've been in it many times. Shenendehowa is by far the best school district , you pay for it !

I hate to be argumentative but to claim "Shenendehowa is by far the best school district" is definitely a false statement. I agree it probably ranks in the top ten but "by far the best"...you took it a little too far.

A year or so ago Shaker High School, North Colonie School District's high school (Latham, Loundonville, Newtonville, Menands) was ranked one of the top 100 high schools in the country by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Shenendahowa did not make the list. Note, I do not live in the North Colonie School District.

The Capital District Business Review...a well respected publication...recently rated the Niskayuna S.D. as the best in the region. I do not live in Niskayuna either.

I have not read any publications ranking Shenedehowa as the best...and I do keep my eye on these things...

[colbean8]

I would have to agree that the North Colonie and Niskayuna school districts are by far the better schools in the area. I went through the Albany schools and I'm surprised I can type or spell. I currently live in the Menands area, but grew up in the Albany downtown area. In addition to all the above named places, I would also include the Delmar/Bethlehem area. Their schools are good as well, and a very fine close knit area.

[Laurie Stephenson]

As a Realtor I can recommend Saratoga County highly! Great schools are available, but it also depends on what you are looking for. For instance, if you think you have a child who needs top ranked teams, Schendehowa might be the best choice for you, if you want smaller class sizes, Schuylervliie might appeal, Saratoga has a fantastic music program and a beautiful downtown with lots of arts and the #1 track team in the nation, Ballston Spa schools offer lots of benefits too. I'm just trying to say there is more to it than just rankings. We have several really great choices up here, it depends on your particular needs which one is best for your family. Moderator cut: realtor soliciting

[Ellwood]

Originally Posted by Laurie Stephenson

As a Realtor I can recommend Saratoga County highly! Great schools are available, but it also depends on what you are looking for. For instance, if you think you have a child who needs top ranked teams, Schendehowa might be the best choice for you, if you want smaller class sizes, Schuylervliie might appeal, Saratoga has a fantastic music program and a beautiful downtown with lots of arts and the #1 track team in the nation, Ballston Spa schools offer lots of benefits too. I'm just trying to say there is more to it than just rankings. We have several really great choices up here, it depends on your particular needs which one is best for your family. Moderator cut: realtor soliciting

I'm not a realtor but agree about Saratoga and Schuylerville school district. Check out Northunderland, Gansevoort and Schuylerville. Nice family new development is Brampton Woods. I think housing starts around 250K new construction.