Questions about Albany (Rochester, Syracuse, Colonie: extended stay, transplants, apartment complexes)

[traveler100]

I hope to be moving to Albany within a month and I have a few questions.

1 - I'd like to be within a 15 minute drive to downtown Albany taking traffic into account during rush hour. What areas inside Albany or the suburbs are considered nice to live in this radius?

2 - Are there any apartment complexes that are considered reasonably soundproof in these areas?

3 - Are there good hotels that offer reasonable weekly or monthly rates?

4 - What are your favorite restaurants, particulary Chinese and Italian food?

5 - Is there a health food store similar to Whole Foods Market where you can get hot and cold meals as well as organic groceries and more?

Thanks so much in advance.

[OrangeSunset]

1) It takes 20 minutes to get pretty much anywhere in the Capital Region, unless you live in Clifton Park (or anywhere up the Northway and then it might take you longer during rush hour. Nice areas are Colonie, Guilderland, Latham, Delmar among others. It really depends on what you are looking for and what you consider nice.

2) The extended stays along Washington Ave are pretty nice, check them out. They offer weekly & monthly rates.

4) There are lots of good Italian restaurants around, my favorities are the family owned & operated but we also have the big chains like Olive Garden, Bucca De Bepo among others. There are fewer good Chinese restaurants most of the good ones are mainly for take out food. There's a lot of Asian restaurants that offer Chinese/Japanese food mix which I don't really like but a lot of people seem to, one example is Ichiban.

5) There's no Whole Foods in the capital region and I don't think there's a single place you can get hot/cold organic food like it is served at Whole Foods. There's no Trader Joes either! There are a few health food stores scared around the area but they don't even compare to Whole Foods. The most popular place is The Honest Weight Food Co-op. They have a good selection of organic foods but not much on ready to eat items. And the place is a little dumpy so I don't go there often. I prefer the farmer's market. I also get the remaining of my organic groceries at Hannaford. They have some decent items under the Nature's Place area.

I think you should visit the area before your decide to move here, just my 2 cents. GL!

[cheekyerica]

Originally Posted by traveler100

1 - I'd like to be within a 15 minute drive to downtown Albany taking traffic into account during rush hour. What areas inside Albany or the suburbs are considered nice to live in this radius?

4 - What are your favorite restaurants, particulary Chinese and Italian food?

5 - Is there a health food store similar to Whole Foods Market where you can get hot and cold meals as well as organic groceries and more?

I left Albany in 2006 so some of my info may be a bit outdated but... here's my opinions based on when I lived there: (please remember these are my opinions based on my experiences. Other folks may think differently).

1) As long as you've got a car you're golden. Albany is set up on a grid and there's generally more than one way to get to where you're going. If you factor in traffic or travel time (ie morning rush or evening) it can still fall within your 15 min frame. (I lived in downtown and I used to commute to work at the state university uptown campus and could do it in anywhere between 10-15 minutes depending on weather)

Nice places:
Nice depends on exactly what you're looking for. I lived in the Central Square district for most of my time in Albany & I loved the little village in the city feel to it. After that I lived in Delmar & Whitehall and found both
pleasant and pretty.
Here's a link to further info about the many neighborhoods in the area:
Neighborhoods - The Official Site of the City of Albany, NY

4)Food is always subjective: some of my favorite places were:
Delmonicos (italian) Delmonico's Italian Steak House - Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester
Ichiban (if you like japanese food that's the place to go) ichiban - Home (although if you're planning on eating in the one located on Western Ave is much nicer).
Yono's (very nice but a bit pricey) Albany - Restaurants - Yono's - Fine Dining - NY
Sukhothai (on Lark street)

5) The Honest Weight Food Co-op is one of the best places around. I loved them and can't really say enough good stuff about them. You can find more info about them on their website:Honest Weight Food Co-Op
There are a number of smaller farmers markets that are held around the tri-city area (Albany, Schenectady & Troy).

[Gnomophile]

T. Is this you? Eric

[NYfanatic]

1. You Could Try Colonie its a Suburb of Albany. not sure about commute time though.
2. There is Colonie Apartments. I am not sure about soundproof. It is right next to Colonie High.
4.Delmonicos Italian Steakhouse on Central Ave.
5. I really dont know. You could try the local supermarkets of Hannaford and Price Chopper. Even Walmart has a grocery section.

[Notayankeefan!]

I am going to anger a lot of folks with this post, but I feel you deserve honesty before deciding to move here. Given your request for a Whole Foods, you are obviously currently in a "better" area of the country than here. My family moved here last year after I was laid off from my university job in DC. Now at SUNY Albany. My wife hated it here immediately and moved with the kids to her brother's house in the Raleigh suburbs. I have been hired by a university near Raleigh and will be moving to NC in a few weeks to be reunited with my family.

The pros of the Albany area:
Pretty autumn
Not as hot as DC summers
Mostly family-oriented
Cheaper homes than DC and other places in the US
Beautiful countryside

The Negatives of the Albany area:
Too blue-collar
Not progressive at all
Dying area--educated population migrating to other areas of the country
Property taxes are too high for what you get--to compensate for lack of tax base, due to migration, lack of influx, and an aging population
Public schools are terrible
SUNY Albany--not a very prestigious school, especially if you want to get an advanced degree
Winter is 6 months long--no exaggeration
The high-tech industry that they are trying to create is not going too well
No culture--what they call "culture" is a joke you have to drive 3-5 hours for anything
No cutting edge hospitals. Found this out after son was diagnosed with Leukemia. He is being treated at Duke in NC. If you live here, you will need to travel to Boston or NYC. I hope that you never face anything serious.
Very Republican Area--though that could be a pro or con depending on who you are. I found it to be quite stifling.
etc., etc.,...

Like I said, this post will upset a lot of readers. That is not my intention. I wish I had done more research before taking the first job offer that I got. I am simply being honest about my experience and the experience of many other who have relocated here. Perhaps if one is originally from here, one might find the Albany area nice. However, for transplants, it can be a culture shock. I really recommend spending time here before moving permanently.

P.S. I grew up in Pittsburgh (AKA Sh%tsburgh) and the Albany area is far worse.

[Rumblebelly]

Originally Posted by Notayankeefan!

I am Like I said, this post will upset a lot of readers. That is not my intention. I wish I had done more research before taking the first job offer that I got. I am simply being honest about my experience and the experience of many other who have relocated here. Perhaps if one is originally from here, one might find the Albany area nice. However, for transplants, it can be a culture shock. I really recommend spending time here before moving permanently.

P.S. I grew up in Pittsburgh (AKA Sh%tsburgh) and the Albany area is far worse.

As a transplant as well, I don't too thrilled with the Albany area. I didn't help that I ended up working with a bunch of whitetrash felons for a year.

[bigpapi74]

Rumblebelly,

What is a "white trash felon." A politician? Excuse my ignorance.

Also a transplant. Moved here from Boston. Can't wait for the economy to perk up and blow this town. My family and I tried hard to like it here---just couldn't. Boston has issues too, but at least it is still a prosperous city.

[Rumblebelly]

bigpapi,

No, no. You must be thinking about white collar felons!

My employer knowingly let practicing drug dealers work in an industry where drug dealers should not be working. All paid by taxpayer money. These guys really didn't need a job, just something that looked good on the books to keep the cops away. I think it really soured my attitude about the area.

We tried really hard to like it here too. There are a lot of nice urban areas but they are surrounded by not so pleasant neighborhoods. It might be great in 5-10 years....there's a lot of blight to be developed which may great provide opportunities for those who are patient.

Saratoga area is really nice but there isn't much industry to provide work and homes are rather expensive. A commute to Albany kills about an hour.

We tried, but now we must leave.

[OrangeSunset]

Originally Posted by Rumblebelly

We tried really hard to like it here too. There are a lot of nice urban areas but they are surrounded by not so pleasant neighborhoods. It might be great in 5-10 years....there's a lot of blight to be developed which may great provide opportunities for those who are patient.

Saratoga area is really nice but there isn't much industry to provide work and homes are rather expensive. A commute to Albany kills about an hour.

We tried, but now we must leave.

You are being optimistic about this area. I really don't think it is going get better, not even in 5-10 years! There's too much anti-growth attitude here and the taxes are super high so it is going to scare anyone willing to move & stay here. I know a lot of people that moved to the Capital Region 3 or 4 years ago and now they either looking into moving, are in the process of moving or have already moved away. It is a sad thing but "SmallAlbany" (as the locals call Albany) is always going to be SmallAlbany...

Do yourself a favor and Do NOT move unless you have visited AND lived in the area for at least 6 months!!