Possibly Moving to Albany (Colonie, Schenectady: affordable apartment, to rent, crime rate)

[Julie*]

Hi~

We live in Vermont but my husband may have a great job opportunity in Albany so we are considering a move there. If we move we would like to try living within the city limits of Albany but would need a good neighborhood with good schools. (our kids are 7 and 4).

Could anyone help me with this? We will be contacting a realtor in the are but I'd love the perspective of anyone who lives there.

We're not sure we want to leave our beloved Vermont but feel like this might be a good compromise.

TIA,
Julie

[j1n]

Julie,
I'd really do some soul-searching on that move. I'm sure you are already! Where you are in VT is just north(?) of Burlington, right? That's some beautiful country up there! I have been through Albany a few times. Stayed overnight twice and drove the city a little bit...ate out, went to Borders, Barnes & Noble. I didn't get a great vibe off of it. Kinda seems "undefined" if that makes sense? Not really a city, yet doesn't have that small-town vibe either. Also seemed like there were some pretty rough areas. I know that most towns do, but it seemed uncalled-for in Albany...like the kids were taking cues from their neighbor to the south - NYC. Also kind of a "gray" place...pretty industrial looking. Not terrible, but just sort of forlorn, not upkept, etc.
There are a lot of nice places outside of Albany...might be worth checking out if your husband doesn't mind a commute into Albany. Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowedHope your decision turns out to be a good one! Jon

[Tammy70]

HI Julie, I live in Albany.If I were you I wouldn't leave Vermont .I do understand the commute for you husband .Its a tough one ,especially in the morning and if hes coming through Troy . We are actually moving to South Carolina in September.can't wait to get out of here .But If you must move .I can tell you the best places to look .

Loudonville, 5 min commute to downtown Albany .Expensive homes around 250,000 high taxes about 3,000 or more a year .Good schools.

Latham, A little less expensive .Some of the same schools as Loudonville.Property taxes are less .about a 15 to 20 min commute to downtown Albany .

Guilderland , Good schools,Some rural areas , about a 20 min commute to down town Albany .

Menands, Very nice small town .about a 5 min commute to downtown .
If you are looking to rent there are some really affordable apartment complexes in these areas . That offer work out rooms, tennis courts and some even include the eat and hot water . the prices very but they are generally around $800 to $900 for a 2 bedroom .
I would check Rent.com .
if you are looking to be in the country . I would try Duansburg ,Wynanskill, Delmar ,Bethlahem areas.

There isnt much in Albany , Its kind of a depressed area, not alot of entertainment taxes are outrageous and homes are over priced . But I can say its a pretty safe place to live .There are some places to stay away from .

Arbor Hill.
South Albany
Schenectady
Albany St and state St in Schenectady.
Troy
Rennsslear .
I hope this helped you .Good Luck .

[vinylboy20]

I second and third those opinions. There aren't many great places to live within Albany city limits, especially if you're looking for schools.

I live in Menands and Menands School has a great record. But like Tammy70 said, there are few houses in the village, but many apartments. It's a great place. Loudonville is the nicest town around, and the schools are great, but you really pay for it. I guess it depends on your price range, but I'd stay out of Albany city limits. The rest of the region is fine.

[Julie*]

Wow, thanks so much for your feedback.

My husband and I are going to spend this weekend in Albany w/o the kids and really scout out the area. I have written down the towns you all suggested and we'll be checking them out.

Our price range for buying a house will be around 200K-250K. We'd even consider buying a duplex if it was suitable for our family. We have an inlaw apt now attached to our home in Colchester, VT and it's really been a great income generator for us.

Our goal with this potential move is to live in an area that we can walk to places. Right now I have to drive everywhere and I'd like that to change.

So, based on what I have written do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks again,
Julie

[ernieb]

Originally Posted by Tammy70

HI Julie, I live in Albany.If I were you I wouldn't leave Vermont .I do understand the commute for you husband .Its a tough one ,especially in the morning and if hes coming through Troy . We are actually moving to South Carolina in September.can't wait to get out of here .But If you must move .I can tell you the best places to look .

Loudonville, 5 min commute to downtown Albany .Expensive homes around 250,000 high taxes about 3,000 or more a year .Good schools.

Latham, A little less expensive .Some of the same schools as Loudonville.Property taxes are less .about a 15 to 20 min commute to downtown Albany .

Guilderland , Good schools,Some rural areas , about a 20 min commute to down town Albany .

Menands, Very nice small town .about a 5 min commute to downtown .
If you are looking to rent there are some really affordable apartment complexes in these areas . That offer work out rooms, tennis courts and some even include the eat and hot water . the prices very but they are generally around $800 to $900 for a 2 bedroom .
I would check Rent.com .
if you are looking to be in the country . I would try Duansburg ,Wynanskill, Delmar ,Bethlahem areas.

There isnt much in Albany , Its kind of a depressed area, not alot of entertainment taxes are outrageous and homes are over priced . But I can say its a pretty safe place to live .There are some places to stay away from .

Arbor Hill.
South Albany
Schenectady
Albany St and state St in Schenectady.
Troy
Rennsslear .
I hope this helped you .Good Luck .

i wouldnt exactley tell people its a safe place to live, its crime rate is increasing every year and its in the top 10 roughest cities for the city its size right behind compton LA i believe. just something to consider....

[smileyone]

The gay community has discovered Hudson and it's only about a half hour from Albany. There are great restaurants, Warren Street is filled with fabulous antiques stores, art galleries, modern furniture and hip home decor shops and the architecture is breathtaking throughout the town. Whether you want to rent or buy, I think you'll love living there.

[Julie*]

Hi~
We went to Albany last weekend to do some looking around and had a great time. I especially liked Delmar and the Helderberg Neighborhood within Albany. It was a beautiful neighborhood with tree lined streets and housing seemed quite reasonable especially after living in Vermont.

We're still not sure though and may delay a move for awhile.

Thanks again for your help,
Julie

[Bruce9]

We're moving to Albany, commuting to a job just NW of I 90 & I 87 intersection. Seeking a commute w/in 1/2 hour and a good public hi school e.g., Bethlehem, Niskayuna, Guilderland or Bouton based on the NY state report card on schools. Advice?

[Miker]

Originally Posted by Bruce9

We're moving to Albany, commuting to a job just NW of I 90 & I 87 intersection. Seeking a commute w/in 1/2 hour and a good public hi school e.g., Bethlehem, Niskayuna, Guilderland or Bouton based on the NY state report card on schools. Advice?

All good choices Bruce9...I don't think I can help too much in narrowing them down for you. Probably a matter of driving around the towns and seeing which you like best. One thing, Bouton, by which I think you are referring to the high school in the village of Voorheesville(or maybe it's the name of the entire school district?), is probably the most "rural" or, at least, less suburban than the other three. It is probably also the longest cummute. You should add the North Colonie School District (Latham and Loudonville area) to your list.

Niskayuna is in Schenectady County which tends to have high property taxes. Also, some areas of Niskayuna (as well as some in Loudonville) are in the South Colonie School district which is not bad but also not considered one of the best, so keep that in mind when looking at houses/apts. there.

All of the others you mentioned and the ones I added are in Albany County. A few years ago, North Colonie SD was identified as having the lowest property taxes of all of the most desirable districts in the area. I'm not sure if that is still the case but, at a minimum it is still one of the lowest.