Job offer with GE- where to live??? (Buffalo, Syracuse: for rent, townhouse)
Albany areaAlbany - Schenectady - Troy - Saratoga Springs metro area
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My husband was offered a job with GE in Schenectady. A great opportunity careerwise but we are a little unsure about the area. We live in Palm Beach area in FL right now so it would be a huge change. I went Syracuse University so I'm a little bit familiar with upstate NY but not the Schenectady/Albany area.
Can anyone suggest a nice area or suburb close to GE? Maybe something that would be comparible with Manlius in Syracuse. We would most likely rent a single family house first so we could get a feel for the neighborhoods. Our budget would be somewhere around $2,000-$3,000 per month (but a little more or less is fine).
We have a young son who is not in school yet but so school district is not an immediate concern. I'm a stay at home mom and I like to be close to parks, libraries, museums, stores, restaurants, etc so we do not want to be somewhere too rural. Any recommendation would be greatly appreciated!!!
Niskayuna or the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake area would fit. More so Niskayuna, as it is similar to Manlius and DeWitt in many ways. It arguably has the best school district in the area. BH-BL is no slouch either, but is a mix of suburban and rural.
Given your description of what you would like, Niskayuna is the best fit. I don't know how easy it is to find detached houses for rent there, though. Most smaller houses sell fairly quickly there, so there aren't so many people renting their houses. You may have better luck finding a house to rent in Schenectady. The areas of Schenectady that abut Niskayuna might meet your needs. The area near Schenectady's Central Park and Upper Union Street are nice. They would give you the feel of both Schenectady and Niskayuna, which would help you if you decide to buy a house.
Schenectady County Public Library has lots of programs for kids, and the Niskayuna/Schenectady area has several newcomers/moms clubs. Both attract a lot of stay-at-home moms.
Given your description of what you would like, Niskayuna is the best fit. I don't know how easy it is to find detached houses for rent there, though. Most smaller houses sell fairly quickly there, so there aren't so many people renting their houses. You may have better luck finding a house to rent in Schenectady. The areas of Schenectady that abut Niskayuna might meet your needs. The area near Schenectady's Central Park and Upper Union Street are nice. They would give you the feel of both Schenectady and Niskayuna, which would help you if you decide to buy a house.
Schenectady County Public Library has lots of programs for kids, and the Niskayuna/Schenectady area has several newcomers/moms clubs. Both attract a lot of stay-at-home moms.
Just to give the OP a frame of reference, that area of Schenectady is probably similar to the East Side of Syracuse around Meadowbrook Drive and near SU. You are probably fine for elementary school and then go from there, as there are private options in Schenectady too.
Stay away from Schenectady county.
Have a good realtor show you around the Clifton Park area.
Clifton Park is too sprawled out and given what they are looking for using Manlius in the Syracuse area as a frame of reference, places like Niskayuna, Guilderland, the Colonie SD's and maybe Bethlehem are more in line with that request. I'd dare say the nicer urban neighborhoods close to the colleges could work for now.
Just in case you haven't found a place yet, I am renting my house for July. We are moving to Oregon and really hope to rent our place out to a small family. Not sure if it may be the right fit but it is a 3br/1ba two story home on a quiet tree-lined street in Albany. Great kid-friendly backyard for BBQs and gardening. Very walkable area close to everything. Museums, restaurants, hospitals, stores and lots of city events. I used to go to school around the GE area and found it a very fast commute. I am renting it for $1600/month and 1 month's security. I know you are not interested in schools yet but we are about 4 blocks away from a magnet school and all city of Albany schools have full day pre-k. So that will save you alot in childcare if you decide to put your child into an early program. PM me if you have any interest and I can send you pics or more info about the area.
Just wanted to add, even if you aren't interested in renting my house, I still really like living in the city of Albany. There are sidewalks everywhere and plenty of parks in every neighborhood. One of my favorite museums is just a short car/bus ride away and it's free everyday. Lots of different ethnic restaurants to choose from and grocery stores. Every neighborhood has character and there are plenty of family friendly areas. If you have any interest I can give you a low down of which neighborhoods in Albany that are ideal.
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