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I am looking into a position at RPI in Troy, NY. Looks like a pretty cool opportunity.
I have never been to the area. I am trying to visualize the Troy/Albany area and environment. We live in a small resort town, probably a lot like Saratoga Springs. It has a pretty nice climate, though our winters can get a pretty cloudy for weeks on end, and low crime. We are very outdoors-oriented, doing hiking and trail running each week, active in scouting, love fishing and camping, etc. The economy here is pretty poor and housing costs are very high (rural property has remained out of our reach), but it is pretty nice otherwise.
My impression is that the Albany/Troy area and most of Upstate NY and nearby areas are quite scenic and abound in outdoor opportunities. Also, I hear the schools are pretty good, and the area has a lot of historic housing stock at affordable prices. It think we would love all the forests, rivers, and lakes.
How is that area for jobs? My wife is a state employee (generalist in hr field), and I would have a good job in hand (or no move).
I am looking into a position at RPI in Troy, NY. Looks like a pretty cool opportunity.
I have never been to the area. I am trying to visualize the Troy/Albany area and environment. We live in a small resort town, probably a lot like Saratoga Springs. It has a pretty nice climate, though our winters can get a pretty cloudy for weeks on end, and low crime. We are very outdoors-oriented, doing hiking and trail running each week, active in scouting, love fishing and camping, etc. The economy here is pretty poor and housing costs are very high (rural property has remained out of our reach), but it is pretty nice otherwise.
My impression is that the Albany/Troy area and most of Upstate NY and nearby areas are quite scenic and abound in outdoor opportunities. Also, I hear the schools are pretty good, and the area has a lot of historic housing stock at affordable prices. It think we would love all the forests, rivers, and lakes.
How is that area for jobs? My wife is a state employee (generalist in hr field), and I would have a good job in hand (or no move).
Anyone been to both places and could compare?
I guess it depends. Yes, the outdoor opportunities are good. You can continue all of your outdoor pursuits easily. The Adirondacks, Catskills, and Berkshires are right nearby. Also, Vermont has great small towns, and a eco-friendly vibe that celebrates the natural beauty of the state. That would be nearby. I don't know if the outdoor resources are as good as Oregon. I've been to your state twice, and everything on the west coast is bigger and grander, so here it might seem kinda small.
If your wife is a state employee, those types of jobs can be hard to find. I would think hard before giving that up. On the job front, I can't really say how hard or easy it would be for you or her.
Albany and the Capitol Region costs slightly more than the US average. In towns like Glens Falls, historic homes exist that are affordable. There may be other areas, but closer to Saratoga and the Albany area, they will cost more. Older towns with historic homes are a plenty there. Hudson Falls also comes to mind. Bear in mind that taxes will add significantly to the cost of a house here. Both state income tax and property tax, they're both high in NY.
All in all, I don't think I'd leave Oregon for the Capitol Region, but I don't think you'd hate it either.
Albany is probably a good place to for your wife to look for a job. Since Albany is the state capital, there's not much prejudice about hiring someone who worked in government in another state. There also are a number of medium and large employers in the area.
Here are the currently scheduled open/competitive exams: open competitive. Also the continuous recruitment with advanced (college) degrees: continuous recruitment I'm not sure if your wife would qualify/be interested in any of these, but most state jobs except for State Police, Corrections, ENCON officers, and direct care staff for mental health and developmentally disabled individuals are located in Albany. Check the sites periodically.
You may also find that while taxes are relative high in NYS, wages tend to be higher than in some parts of the country, and that the affordability of homes in the Albany area is much better than in many places.
OP, could your wife work in the private sector in terms of the Human Resources field? If so, that may help and a job like this could be a good fit for her: Schenectady Sr. HR Generalist Job - NY, 12008
Thanks folks. Yes, my wife would consider the private sector.
Thanks for the feedback. I agree that the scenery of the West is "bigger" than most places in the East. However, there are other trade offs. For example, the historical architecture means that you can often get a pretty neat home for less than out here. Also, there are more jobs in that area than out here (at least where I live). I am open for adventure, and I welcome the chance to see different parts of the country, in general.
Climate would have some similarity (cloudy a lot of the time), though I suspect winters are much colder out there.
I guess it depends. Yes, the outdoor opportunities are good. You can continue all of your outdoor pursuits easily. The Adirondacks, Catskills, and Berkshires are right nearby. Also, Vermont has great small towns, and a eco-friendly vibe that celebrates the natural beauty of the state. That would be nearby. I don't know if the outdoor resources are as good as Oregon. I've been to your state twice, and everything on the west coast is bigger and grander, so here it might seem kinda small.
If your wife is a state employee, those types of jobs can be hard to find. I would think hard before giving that up. On the job front, I can't really say how hard or easy it would be for you or her.
Albany and the Capitol Region costs slightly more than the US average. In towns like Glens Falls, historic homes exist that are affordable. There may be other areas, but closer to Saratoga and the Albany area, they will cost more. Older towns with historic homes are a plenty there. Hudson Falls also comes to mind. Bear in mind that taxes will add significantly to the cost of a house here. Both state income tax and property tax, they're both high in NY.
All in all, I don't think I'd leave Oregon for the Capitol Region, but I don't think you'd hate it either.
Glens Falls to Troy would be an extremely long commute and in winter often uncommutable.
I can't speak directly about Oregon, because I haven't been there since I was ten, but I grew up in Albany, moved out west for six years after graduating from college, and then returned to the Albany area to start a family. I agree with the other posters that while there are plenty of outlets for the outdoor enthusiast, they will pale in comparison to anything you have in Oregon. In fact, I often find the Adirondacks and Catskills downright uninspiring compared the the mountains and trails I experienced while living in Utah and traveling around Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and California. Don't be too quick to find similarities in our weather either. Northeast winters can be absolutely brutal and overcast is the norm year-round, not just the winter. On this forum, a poster once stated (I'm paraphrasing), "if you live west of the Mississippi, you're not going to be satisfied moving east of the Mississippi". But as I stated in the title, this is just one man's perspective, you'd really have to check out the area with your own eyes to make the ultimate decision.
I can't speak directly about Oregon, because I haven't been there since I was ten, but I grew up in Albany, moved out west for six years after graduating from college, and then returned to the Albany area to start a family. I agree with the other posters that while there are plenty of outlets for the outdoor enthusiast, they will pale in comparison to anything you have in Oregon. In fact, I often find the Adirondacks and Catskills downright uninspiring compared the the mountains and trails I experienced while living in Utah and traveling around Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and California. Don't be too quick to find similarities in our weather either. Northeast winters can be absolutely brutal and overcast is the norm year-round, not just the winter. On this forum, a poster once stated (I'm paraphrasing), "if you live west of the Mississippi, you're not going to be satisfied moving east of the Mississippi". But as I stated in the title, this is just one man's perspective, you'd really have to check out the area with your own eyes to make the ultimate decision.
That poster never lived in Nebraska!!! I never appreciated trees and lakes so much as when I returned to WNY from living on the prairie for two years!
I agree that you have to check things out first hand to decide, which hopefully, if the OP gets a job interview, he/she will be able to do.
There are century old or older homes all over the Capital District, ranging from brick rowhouses in Albany and Troy to stately Victorians in Castleton-on-Hudson and Vorheesville to old farmhouses in Selkirk and Melrose. The ones that have been restored are pricey. The ones that are livable but need to be updated/rehabbed are much more affordable.
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My Perspective
I never appreciated trees and lakes so much as when I returned to WNY from living on the prairie for two years!
