Cute neighborhoods and Downtowns near Albany (Colonie, Schenectady: house, construction, schools)

[hmtklein]

Hi,

My husband and I are moving to Eastern Upstate NY in a few months. We love Saratoga and Ballston Spa but we are concerned about how expensive they are and how far they are from Albany if we end up having to get jobs there. We haven't had much time to explore the area (we live in Colorado). We can only afford a house upto about 200K. We'd really like to be in a walkable community with a kinda cute downtown. We love old Bungalow, craftman, or victorian type homes. Someplace like Clifton Park or too suburban would not be a good fit. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas? or where I can go to find pictures?

Thank you soooo much for your time!

Heather

[BBOBCAT]

Look into Niskayuna which is about 15 min drive to albany. The schools are excellent and you should find something in your price range. check realtor.com for prices. Niskayuna is in schenectady county so you may get some listings for the city of schenectady which you want to stay away from. Good luck!

[Tarrant]

Try villages of Greenwich and Cambridge just north of Albany. Parallel to Ballston Spa. Good luck!

[narkim]

I go to college in Troy at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) about 15 minutes north of Albany. It's not the best place but it is very cheap and affordable with a downtown that some may call cute. RPI is helping rebuild it, and it has improved a lot throughout the years. It's worth checking out atleast. Good luck in your search!

[honeychrome]

I have family in the Schenectady area and so over the years have spent a bit of time driving around. A couple towns that have always looked really nice to me are Hoosick Falls, Cambridge and Galway. All are some distance from Albany, but not too far. There really aren't a lot of towns around with what I would call 'walkable' downtowns- at least not with any practical reason to walk around the downtown- even if they are attractive. Like much of the country, most of upstate NY is 'get-in-the-car-and-drive-to-the-big-boxes' kind of life. And not that there aren't some examples out there, but your not likely to find a lot of craftsman-style construction in upstate NY- the various historic booms in homebuilding didn't really correspond and the style isn't completely practical to upstate winters. All of which isn't to say that you can't find something you'll like..

[hmtklein]

Thank you so much for all off your sugestions! Can anyone tell me about Cohoes, Waterford, Colonie & Latham? Does Niskayuna have a downtown?

Thanks,
Heather

[honeychrome]

I know I've been through Cohoes and Colonie quite a few times before, but neither has made an impression on me either way, beyond havine heard relatives up there often refer to malls in both (I think) towns.

My overall impression is that the closer to Albany you get the generally 'less attractive' the towns become.

[hmtklein]

Thanks Honeychrome!

[carolinajack]

downtown albany, chatham, the stockade in Schnectady

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by honeychrome

Like much of the country, most of upstate NY is 'get-in-the-car-and-drive-to-the-big-boxes' kind of life.

Isn't this a bloody shame? The same is happening here in PA too. Our once-vibrant, historic Main Streets are rotting and decaying while traffic gets congested around the big-boxes and outlet malls. There are a few communities bucking the trend (especially Lewisburg, Honesdale, Milford, and Tunkhannock), but, overall, even most communities in PA are losing their historic flavor. I want to raise my family in a walkable neighborhood near parks, schools, my office, etc. I've found a wonderful neighborhood like this right in the heart of Scranton, but the housing prices there generally start around $200,000, which will be out of my price range (at least until I'm in my 30s). Why does nobody want a "Bedford Falls" type of community anymore?