Can anyone compare the city of Albany to Pittsfield MA? (New York: environment, work)

[gdowler]

I visited Albany in the fall, and like, for the most part, what i saw. Not sure about the "vibe" my husband and I got...guess we would have to spend more time. LOVED the architecture in Center square, and Pine Hills. We are looking for a walkable city, with some good restaurants, cafes, environmental recreation nearby, and maybe a concert/play every now and then. We live in Queens right now, and like walking to the grocery, breakfast, etc. Hope to keep things that way. Have not visited Pittsfield yet but it seems like it is an up and coming area. Do you think Albany/Pittsfield are depressed cities? Which would be a better investment? How does the cost of living compare. I know taxes in MA are much less but do they base the percentage on assesed value, or market value? Thanks!

[purrfectplace]

wow, 6 posts on this same question in the MA forum, but none in the NY? Interesting

[WILWRadio]

No comparison whatsoever. The Albany metro area is a seat of government and has over 750,000 people in the region. Pittsfield is a small city of about 50,000 people and has only a couple of suburbs.

[gdowler]

I'm actually just interested in the downtown areas of both. So Anywhere in Albany downtown that is walkable to everything that I already mentioned in my post to Pittsfield Downtown area. Thanks

[j1n]

Originally Posted by gdowler

I visited Albany in the fall, and like, for the most part, what i saw. Not sure about the "vibe" my husband and I got...guess we would have to spend more time. LOVED the architecture in Center square, and Pine Hills. We are looking for a walkable city, with some good restaurants, cafes, environmental recreation nearby, and maybe a concert/play every now and then. We live in Queens right now, and like walking to the grocery, breakfast, etc. Hope to keep things that way. Have not visited Pittsfield yet but it seems like it is an up and coming area. Do you think Albany/Pittsfield are depressed cities? Which would be a better investment? How does the cost of living compare. I know taxes in MA are much less but do they base the percentage on assesed value, or market value? Thanks!

What will ou be doing for work when you relo to "x" place?

Albany is a sort of grey, run-down, depressing, and depressed city. Sure, you are close to the Adirondacks, Catskills, and VT for outdoor rec. But I would definitely not recommend moving there if you are looking for a walkable downtown, or the restaurants, cafes, and entertainment you seek.

The population of Albany is 93,963. Pittsfield is 43,497.
Violent and propert crime are higher in Albany.
The overall cost of living is approx 4% higher in Albany than Pittsfield. But housing is approx 2% less in Albany. Albany utilities are approx 20% higher.

[LisaofSFandNY]

Move to Troy!!! If you are looking for a walkable downtown, historic architecture, creative community and affordable cost of living, you can't beat it. Troy is just across the river from Albany (10 minutes). It was economically depressed for years, has been slowing climbing out over the past ten years. It has become very popular with "creative class" folks who realized they could purchase beautiful Victorian mansions, inexpensively. There are tons of artists and hi-tech folks, some of whom are connected to RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Home Page). If you visit you'll want to check out the award-winning Farmers' Market, popular throughout the region: Troy Market
Walk around downtown, including the Antiques District on River Street. Visit Market Block Book Store and The Arts Center. Have a latte at Ilium Cafe and a falafel at the Lebanese restaurant down the street. Here are some more ideas of things to do:
Troy, NY Visit Troy
In Troy you get more house for your money and get to be part of a growing, cutting edge community. The Lark Street area of Albany is nice, but parking is dreadful and there is more on-street crime (muggings, etc.). Troy is a hidden jewel on the Hudson River - check it out! p.s. I used to live there for eight years and now live in San Francisco (moved here for work), but really miss it and visit often. It's a wonderful place to call home...

[rubygreta]

We own a timeshare about ten minutes north of Pittsfield. Every time we drive through the downtown we remark how this must have been such an incredibly vibrant place decades ago.

Although the downtown is pretty much preserverd (buildings are somewhat tired but not rundown, there are no vacant lots and there is no graffitti), it is pretty much dead. We noticed a couple of improvements last year including a new large restaurant. The old dowtown theater has been renovated and is used for live productions.

Having said that, if you love the outdoors, I would not hesitate moving to Pittsfield. The surrounding towns (Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge, Williamstown) are lovely. The Berkshire Mall and nearby shopping centeres in Pittsfield are adequate for most shopping needs. And you can't beat the area for culture, especially in the summer.

[gdowler]

Hmmm.. Troy sounds nice, and the prices are too good to be true. Bu I did see that the taxes are much higher in Troy. That concerns me a bit. Hence, why I am also looking into PIttsfield. Taxes are lower in MA. The last post I read was very informative. Nice to know that, although still a bit gritty, Pittsfield is being revived a bit. I like the location o it because it seems closer to outdoor activities. That beig said, I still really like Pine Hills and Center Sq. in Albany. Washington Park was great. We usd to live in Park Slope Brooklyn...and it felt like Center square was a scaled down version of it...justa bit more Gritty. I like that because we could NEVER afford in Park Slope where unless you have 1M your money is worthless. This sounds strange but we have to move somewhere close to nyc (at least 3 hrs.) and en route to Canada. If it were up to us we would move to Portland or something. Any ideas for other places? Something with walkable downtown, great culture, but still close to country and more relaxed than NYC. PS we would like to only use our car sparingly....for different reasons like environmet, health, and fresh air....plus we are just used to it since we don't even have a car now.

[rubygreta]

If you don't mind a small town, look at New Paltz, which, as you probably know, has a state college. It has a very charming downtown. The countryside is gorgeous, with lots of outdoor activities and festivals in the spring, summer and fall. It is approximately half way between New York and Albany.

[gdowler]

Originally Posted by rubygreta

If you don't mind a small town, look at New Paltz, which, as you probably know, has a state college. It has a very charming downtown. The countryside is gorgeous, with lots of outdoor activities and festivals in the spring, summer and fall. It is approximately half way between New York and Albany.

Yeah New Paltz would be amazing..but we would like to buy a 2 family-live in for under 200k. This is or first house