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I've been offered a job at a company in Clifton Park, and have been trying to decide between Center Square in Albany and Downtown Troy to rent a place. I've looked over this forum and others for information on both regions and have gotten a general idea of both areas. However, I was wondering if I could get some more information on a couple of aspects.
- What is the nightlife (music/bars) like in downtown Troy vs Center Square?
- Which area would have a larger amount of younger people (say, new college grads)?
- If I were to own a car, how hard would it be to handle parking in either area (especially over the winter)?
I had initially been interested in Troy, because it made commuting by bike to my job much more doable. However, after looking more at the city, it's seeming less and less likely that I'd be able to live comfortably without a car in the area (especially considering how many nice places are a short drive away). I also get the impression that Troy has much less going on over the weekend, but I'd be excited to hear otherwise.
On a side note, does anyone know if the Mohawk-Hudson trail is plowed over the winter?
Two architecturally beautiful areas. I don't know downtown Troy as well as I do Albany. I unfortunatelly was disappointed to see several antique shops closed when I was in Troy a couple of weeks ago. I was suprised at how many vacancies there were. But that doesn't speak for night life which I don't know about in Troy. For Albany Lark St. is pretty popular at night. The bike path is plowed in certain spots during the winter, other spots are not plowed. I've seen people x-country ski on the bike path during the winter.
Will you have an opportunity to visit the area before you rent?
Check out this link for the Metroland, I think it might give you an idea of nightlife in the capital district. Metroland
Tough choice. They are both nice urban areas. j12308 is correct that there have been some closures of a few great places in downtown Troy recently, but I think that is more a factor of our current economic downturn than a statement on Troy.
In general, Center Square and adjacent neighborhoods have more nightlife geared towards young people than Troy, but Troy does have music, art and other events. What kind of music (jazz, rock, etc.) and bars (wine bar, loud dance bars, sports bars, trivia nights. . . ) most interest you?
As a visitor, I find parking in downtown Troy a lot easier to find than in Center Square. However, I'm not really tuned into the differences in things like snow emergency rules and long-term parking rules that may make the parking experience a lot different for residents than the casual visitor, so I hope some residents chime in.
Although I know a lot of people who commute by bike, it is true that it is difficult to take advantage of recreational opportunities around here without a car. There are also a growing number of bike advocates in the region, so riding is getting better around here, although still not close to the level of someplace like Madison, WI. Sounds like you have done your homework on this issue, so you probably already know about Albany Bicycle Coalition | If you are interested in improving bicycling in New York's Capital District, come join us! , but worth checking out if you haven't.
ckhthankgod: Schenectady's a bit too far west for my likings, although I may consider it.
I'm going to be spending a day in the area this weekend, checking out both areas. And I'm definitely not at a point where I'm being forced into one option over the other (I have some time to get set up). I was just hoping to get some input on the areas in general.
I drove through Troy for a bit when I interviewed with the company and, although it seemed nice, I didn't particularly get the impression that it was a place that would be have much going on at night. I did read about the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, but I'm not as much of a fan of classical music as I am of jazz and indie music (I have a soft spot for music in the vein of Nick Drake, Iron and Wine, etc).
Haven't been to Lark St. yet, but will be checking it out over the weekend. One concern I had read about was issues with parking over winter, since apparently most places for rent only offer street parking.
Haven't been to Lark St. yet, but will be checking it out over the weekend. One concern I had read about was issues with parking over winter, since apparently most places for rent only offer street parking.
Street parking in Center Square can be a pain. However, during snow emergencies, the city has several lots reserved for residents while plowing is done. Note that these are not places where you can park all winter, but only during the few hours of snow emergency when your car would be ticketed or towed if left on the street. Visit this page for a downloadable brochure "When It Snows in Albany" for more information:Snow and Ice Removal - The Official Site of the City of Albany, NY
When people say "Lark Street," realize that Lark Street itself is rather small. That moniker also includes nearby areas: close by is the Delaware Ave neighborhood (Lark becomes Delaware at Madison Ave.), some places on Madison west of Lark, and New Scotland Ave, just off of Madison. New Scotland Ave is the home of Valentines Music Hall & Beer Joint, a music venue that often has a crowd in front.
There's also the downtown clubs in the Pearl Street area relatively close by. I'm too old for these - well, I have been to Jillian's and the Bayou Cafe - but lots of young folks hang out there. Lots of young people also hang out at Wolff's Biergarten, which isn't usually a music venue, but it is one of the few places in the region where you can see international soccer on the big screen. This place is way down by the river in a mostly industrial area. You'll feel like you are in the wrong place the first time you try to find it, but you're not.
My sister lives in downtown Troy and I visit quite a few times per year. With RPI and Sage, there are alot of younger people, although they are mostly in college. There are events that go on at Brown's Rev Hall and The Ruck is always having either bands or featured brewery nights, etc. I'm sure there are others, but those are the two I frequent the most. Plus, Dinosaur BBQ (a Syracuse favorite, where I live) just opened in November and I'm pretty sure they have bands there frequently as well. And the Atrium has events from time to time, as well as the farmers market during the winter time (in the summer, it's located in an outside venue). There's got to be various events put on by the colleges as well, I'd imagine.
Biking/walking around the city of Troy itself is very do-able, but I agree that you may want a car if you want to venture out into other areas. There is a bus system, but I'm not familiar with it at all so I can't attest to if it's decent or not. I know my sister used to take the bus from up on Congress St hill to downtown, back when she lived further away, but other than that she didn't ride the bus at all.
I managed to visit both downtown Troy and the center square neighborhood of Albany over the weekend. I liked both, but actually really liked downtown Troy (I apparently hadn't really driven through downtown Troy, but just higher up on River St). It seems like a great place, with more people closer to my age in the area (I'm graduating in May).
As for owning a car, for now I think I'm going to rely on biking and using the CDTA, since it seems much more doable in Troy, considering the commute to work.
Becca, do you have any advice on renting in the area? I don't know if I should be concerned about getting a place sooner rather than later, because of the amount of college students. Or do you think the prices would go down after college students have signed leases, and there would still be a decent amount of options?
Craigslist is your best bet for finding a place in downtown - that's how my sister and the majority of my friends out there found their places. If you can find a decent place now, I wouldn't necessarily hold out till after school's out because you don't really know what will become available. I don't know what you're price range is - but the prices in downtown are really all over the place. My sister and her boyfriend have a 4br apt in a brownstone (the bedrooms are tiny, but the place is pretty big) and their rent is $900 I think... then I have another friend with a huge 2br that rents for like $500.
Sidenote - if you haven't tried it yet, I Love has the most amazing pizza around! Chicken marsala pizza is a MUST HAVE for me every visit to Troy
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