Moving to the Albany area with two high school aged boys (Colonie: real estate, big house)

[Norseman1]

I just accepted a job in downtown Albany and will be relocating soon. Can anyone recommend a neighborhood to me? We are looking for a house in the 500-700k range. Saratoga Springs looked great but I'm worried about the commute. Clifton Park seemed nice but there was no "town" for my sons to "hang out" in. The towns in Albany seemed crowded with very few restaurants and all the shopping seemed to be in strip malls on Rt. 9. My current commute into NYC takes over 1.5hrs so almost anywhere would be an improvement!

[7 Wishes]

It's been 20 years since I lived in the Albany area, so I can't fully comment, but I personally think Clifton Park is pretty nice. I was up in the area recently and I did notice that Clifton Park is a lot bigger than it was then, but still pretty suburban.

One nice place I remember was Burnt Hills, just northwest of Schenectady. It's a bit pricey (by that area's standards, not by metro NYC standards) and somewhat of a far commute (again, for the area but not 1.5 hours, I would say maybe 30-45 minutes, which is comparable to Clifton Park). Saratoga Springs is far, but with no traffic shouldn't take more than 45-60 minutes as it's a straight shoot down the Northway/I-87. A comparable thing some people do (but farther because 3/4 of it is non-Interstate) is commute from Bennington, VT right over the border.

Another nice town I remember very close to Albany was Delmar just south of the city (non-highway commute, but just a few miles from downtown Albany). East Greenbush just over the river may be OK too (looks a lot like Clifton Park, though don't know a lot about it otherwise). Good luck!

[j12308]

Try Guilderland, Loudonville, Niskayuna.

[OrangeSunset]

There's traffic going to/from downtown Albany to Clifton Park or Saratoga Springs up the Northway during rush hour. It is much nicer up there and if you are willing to take the 45 minute (to one hour) drive up the Northway I say go for it. But I would recommend looking into Guilderland, Latham, Colonie and Delmar. Check out Wolf Rd in Colonie. There's some decent shopping & restaurants. Delmar is one of the most charming places around here so definitely check it out. Downtown Albany has some shopping & restaurants too but it looks very dumpy to me so I never go there.

BTW, you can get a mansion for $500-$700 K around here. I suggest you buy a smaller place around $300 or $400 K and save the rest of your money. You can get a pretty nice house for $400K (about 3,000 sq ft and a large yard). Big houses are very hard to sell around here so you know...just in case you get bored out of your mind and want to get out of here as fast as you can.

GL!

[j12308]

Before you decide where you want to live, I would visit the schools too. All the places we've mentioned so far have good school districts. I also agree w/the around $300-400K. I love Saratoga, but I don't know if I'd want to commute the Northway every day, esp since there are so many nice areas closer to Albany. Good luck, and you won't be bored!

[Rumblebelly]

I pretty much agree with everyone's comments. Clifton Park is a big shopping mall and Saratoga Springs will be a long commute, especially during rush hour. I live in Ballston Spa and when I commuted to Albany it usually took me at least an hour.

Delmar sounds like your best bet. Niskayuna is a nice area but it would be a longer drive. Scotia is another option.

[ckhthankgod]

I would got with the South Colonie, North Colonie, Guilderland, Bethlehem and Niskayuna School Districts. Some others to consider are: East Greenbush, Averill Park and Scotia. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake might be possible, depending on where you live. Maybe the Mohonasen School District in Rotterdam would be good too. Shenendehowa is the district for Clifton Park and is another area to think about.

Here's some information about schools in the area: https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...&county=Albany

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...ty=Schenectady

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...nty=Rensselaer

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...ounty=Saratoga

Also, is there anything specific you are looking for in terms of schools or neighborhoods?

Another thing is that the Capital District has some good private schools too. If your kids are into sports, schools like Christian Brothers Academy in Colonie(all boys), Bishop Maginn in Albany(co-ed), Albany Academy in Albany(I believe it is co-ed now), LaSalle in Troy(all boys), Catholic Central in Troy(co-ed) and Bishop Gibbons-Notre Dame in Schenectady(co-ed) are good options.

[Norseman1]

Thank you all for your great input. We are looking at sending our boys to CBA so picking an area nearer to Albany seems more likely. Delmar and Guilderland seem nice from the real estate photos we have seen. Are either of these places more teen friendly? Also, trying to find a house with the right amenities is tricky. Our current house has a great gourmet kitchen and beautiful pool on 2 acres. We don't need a pool or a lot of property but a great kitchen and floor plan are a must. I need a fourth bedroom to handle the mant visitors we anticipate. Can I get that in the $300-400k range? Most houses in that range seem to be builders specials that look a little worn.
One last question...what time is rush hour? I would like to be in my office downtown by 7:30 and depart between 4:30 and 5:30. Would I avoid traffic by coming in early?

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Norseman1

Thank you all for your great input. We are looking at sending our boys to CBA so picking an area nearer to Albany seems more likely. Delmar and Guilderland seem nice from the real estate photos we have seen. Are either of these places more teen friendly? Also, trying to find a house with the right amenities is tricky. Our current house has a great gourmet kitchen and beautiful pool on 2 acres. We don't need a pool or a lot of property but a great kitchen and floor plan are a must. I need a fourth bedroom to handle the mant visitors we anticipate. Can I get that in the $300-400k range? Most houses in that range seem to be builders specials that look a little worn.
One last question...what time is rush hour? I would like to be in my office downtown by 7:30 and depart between 4:30 and 5:30. Would I avoid traffic by coming in early?

Look at the Colonie area, North and/or South Colonie school districts. CBA is in the same town, it's close to Albany and from what others have said, the South Colonie area has lower taxes and businesses in that area. Here's some examples of homes in Colonie: http://www.harmonhomes.com/real-esta...k/city/colonie

[HomerBrink]

Norseman - my sister and her husband live in Delmar and really like it. It is close to Albany, has a small "downtown" area and yet your not too far from the countryside. Just a few $.00