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I'm afraid I have bad news, which I've already communicated to the rabbi of the Reform synagogue I was interested in: My wife, after a lot of back and forth, has put the kabosh on moving to Troy. The first reason I think is bogus, which is that there aren't the cultural options we're used to (to which I replied, Yeah, and how many of those do we take advantage of?), but in the end it was the winter, the snow and the cold.
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you werent there on halloween were you? We were. Im told that snow on the jack o lanterns is VERY unusual.
DD HAS complained about the large number of cloudy days.
Greetings. As the subject line says, we're a retired professional couple thinking of moving to Troy. We'd welcome ALL opinions, whether from current residents or those who've moved away; people from the nearby area; those who've moved to Troy and like it or don't, etc.
My wife and I both grew up in NYC, are in good health and used to walking to shopping and riding the bus. We're also used to being involved in our community, stopping to talk to neighbors on the street, and all the other pleasures of living without being entirely dependent on a car. Since the late 70s we've lived in the New York City borough of Staten Island (pop. approx. 500,000), which compared to the other boroughs is like a small town.
While we like the pleasures of good restaurants and other amenities, night life is not a major attraction --- the occasional play, performance or film is just fine. Our passion is late 19th- and early 20th-century urban architecture, which seems to be one of Troy's particular strengths. We would want an old house --- downtown, or wherever the action is --- in moderately good condition with at least one and perhaps two rental units.
(We now own a 5,000-square foot Victorian with four rental units, so we're used to being landlords.)
Are we and Troy a good match? Where should we look for housing? What do you think? We'd appreciate any comments you'd like to make. Many thanks!
I'm not sure why you'd want to move to Troy, really nothing there in my opinion. If you're retiring from Staten Island, why don't you head south for warmer weather? Sure, it's a different culture, but most areas of Troy that I've seen are downright grubby.
To be completely honest though, I'd just move to Manhattan.
I find it interesting that people that respond and say "oh it is a terrible Neighborhood or City" don't live there. How would "they" know. Obviously the ones living there are staying there. Take a look around and read about the horrible crimes going on in some 'well to do' areas. LIke a Son Axing his Parents to death, and other murders going on, or Meth Labs or Marijuana growing hothouses in 'nice' developments. A Neighborhood is what you make of it. Know your neighbors and socialize and then you know everything going on in your neighborhood and wheter it is safe or not.
What snow or bad weather? All the big snow storms that should touch down here miss Troy for some reason? The storms hit in Schenectady, go right over us and hit somewhere in Mass. It is warmer here also, I think because of all of the concrete ashpault in Albany/Schenectady gets hot and blows over to Troy. This area has not had much massive snowfall since the 70s, it is warmer here now. It is nice to be able to sit outside in the summer here and almost no mosquitos bother you, don't need a screen room, like other areas in the capital district. Those are my favorite kwirks of living here. I still yet to figure out why this is, just some things I have noticed since I moved here from Clifton Park.
I'm not sure why you'd want to move to Troy, really nothing there in my opinion. If you're retiring from Staten Island, why don't you head south for warmer weather? Sure, it's a different culture, but most areas of Troy that I've seen are downright grubby.
To be completely honest though, I'd just move to Manhattan.
I'm not sure why you'd want to move to Troy, really nothing there in my opinion. If you're retiring from Staten Island, why don't you head south for warmer weather? Sure, it's a different culture, but most areas of Troy that I've seen are downright grubby.
To be completely honest though, I'd just move to Manhattan.
Your suggestion to 'just' move to Manhattan, while well intended, isn't one we'll be acting on anytime soon. That's because, in order to do it without starving, we'd have to live at the northern tip of Manhattan.
That means the neighborhoods of Inwood, Marble Hill, Spuyten Duyvil, Washington Heigthts --- which is like living in the Bronx: Block after block of six-story apartment houses built in the 1920s and '30s, about 45 minutes north of the 'real' Manhattan you're referring to.
Alternatively, we'd have to stuff our lives into a one-bedroom apartment anywhere south of 125th Street --- for at least $2,000/month. Or (maybe) settle in a commune, if there are any in Manhattan, which I doubt.
For a whole lotta reasons, we're gonna have to stay put.
I can see moving up here. It is a cheaper cost of living than Staten Island in general on a fixed income. I would recommend a safe place with low taxes. It is hard to find that in a walkable community here. Where I live it is still a quarter mile walk to get to anything.
This thread is pretty old, so I'm not sure if you're still looking....but I just posted this in another thread about Troy. In short, if you're city folks looking for a small city lifestyle, downtown Troy sounds like a great fit for you - you can walk out the door and conduct lots of your daily business. The one notable lack is a 'real' grocery store, but the weekly farmers market, health food store, bakery/bagel shop and smattering of gourmet shops can fill much of your needs. And there are a few grocery stores within a 5-15 minute drive. Hope you find that helpful.
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If you are looking for true urban walkability (as in, able to shop, recreate, work, etc. without using a car), then you can't beat Troy! I know, because I've been doing just that for 10 years now and haven't owned a car for the last seven. I'm a short bus ride from downtown and work and can also walk to work. There is a good grocery store on my busline, and our Saturday farmers market and/or healthfood store downtown provides the rest of what I need. There are plenty of social opportunities and community events - said farmers market, monthly "Troy Night Out" event, lots of local restaurants and pubs and passionate local folks putting together great events. Plus, a smattering of yoga studios and arts-oriented shops, microbreweries, etc. Most all our businesses are home-grown, so you'll meet lots of true believers here. Trojans are social and friendly! (A stark contrast to Albany, in my view). You can see a lot of what's going on here by following Facebook pages - here's a list of suggested pages maintained by some of the local movers and shakers:
The Lucas Confectionery
The Grocery
ArtCentric
Arts Center of the Capital Region
Troy Waterfront Farmers Market
Troy NY is better than you realize
Downtown Troy Business Improvement District
I find it hard to believe that most of these posts went up in 2011, long after Troy hit its stride. We moved to Troy in 2005 and have been amazed at the explosion of energy, and public life in Troy. I live just north of Washington Park, and my neighborhood is completely solid. Since I bought my home, I've bought two other properties in Troy and I'm utterly delighted with the place.
I find it hard to believe that most of these posts went up in 2011, long after Troy hit its stride. We moved to Troy in 2005 and have been amazed at the explosion of energy, and public life in Troy. I live just north of Washington Park, and my neighborhood is completely solid. Since I bought my home, I've bought two other properties in Troy and I'm utterly delighted with the place.
I don't suppose any of your properties are available for rent? My lease is up soon and I might move to downtown Troy.
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"Just" move to Manhattan?
