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Your last statement may explain it. Is there anything going on around Upper Union or Downtown in Schenectady or could you shoot over to Lark Street in Albany or some of the other cities?
I'd also like to throw in the walkable part of Jay Street in Schenectady specifically. That's a pretty exciting area at times.
Did you buy a home in Niskayuna? If not, move to Albany or Troy pronto! Niskayuna is a very nice town, but it is virtually all families that moved there for the schools.
If you do move to Albany, and you are at all interested in civic engagement, that is a great way to meet interesting young people (and interesting middle aged and old people too) - neighborhood associations, political campaigns, City Council meetings, etc. I know lots of outsiders (myself included) who integrated into the community this way. I'm guessing the same is true in Troy.
If you like sports, there are softball leagues, running clubs, dodgeball leagues, etc. Some are listed on the City of Albany's Dept of Recreation page. (The city's web site stinks and is difficult to navigate, but you can eventually find info on there.) Afrim's has indoor adult soccer leagues, but they are expensive and are probably hard core.
Public library events for adults tend to skew towards older people, but there are some events at Albany Public Library, especially the Main Library on Washington Ave, that also attract younger people - they did have a book group on books about contemporary music, but I'm not sure if it is still going. There is also a summer garage band program and a series on urban gardening that attracts some younger people. You don't have to live in Albany to participate.
I don't know much about the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy, but I know a number of young people who are involved with them, so might be worth checking out if you are into art, especially how it intersects with politics.
I have no idea if the classes at Troy Cloth & Paper would be a good place to meet people, but everyone I've ever met at that shop has been super-cool. River Street in Troy is a fun place to hang out during the Farmers Market and Troy Night Out - maybe some Trojans on this forum would have ideas about more formal events in that area that young people might attend.
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer. The main reason I moved to Niskayuna was because it's close to my job and I was not familiar with the area, but it's clear that this area is more family centered so when my lease is up, I'm going to move before I lose my mind! I've been to Troy a few times and I like it, Saratoga is great too but the commute would be a little too long (specially during the winter). I try to go to as many events as possible regardless of the location, I don't mind driving to Albany, Troy or Saratoga if it's a good opportunity to network and have fun. I will definitely check out your suggestions. Once again, thanks!
Look at Latham and Colonie--easy to take back roads to work. In the meantime, join the book club at the Albany Library (which I understand is very active), pick up a copy of Metroland and look at the listings and get out to the events.
Elle Driver, when your lease is up, if you are still working in Schenectady, I would encourage you to look at the apartment complexes near Route 20/Western Ave & Rt. 155/Karner Rd. There are four orfive in that area I believe, & they have a lot of young singles. Also, I just went to a party yesterday in the Pine Hills section of Albany. There are some rowdier, "party all the time" streets; but there's also some really nice respectful but still lively areas. My friend just bought a home there...loves walking to everything, her street is safe and very pretty. She is walking distance from the Madison, Brueggers, and a great restaurant/bar called The Point. Lots of people in your age range were there last night - definitely a nice place to try.
I moved to Troy from out of state and I was invited to parties the first week we arrived. That was 9 years ago. IF anything, Troy has become more social than when we arrived. . Sanctuary for Independent Media is an amazing underground scene for the whole Capital District. It's a powerful resource on multiple levels. If you're just looking for a hang, you can't do much better than The Confectionary, Vic Christopher's club on 2nd.
We made a very good group of active friends upon living in toga in just over a year. I find trying to break into existing groups of friends is easiest when you have shared interests or activities.
Pub crawls were common there, of course track season has tons of gatherings, chowda fest, hiking in the Adirondacks, boating on Lake George, farmers market, coffee shops, etc were all good opportunities to make an in. You could try volunteering or something like meetup.com.
I will say that many people in the capital region are stagnant and have groups of friends they grew up with so a bit of a barrier to overcome.
I moved to the area recently (work related) and like the title says, I'm having a very hard time getting used to life here. My family lives in another state and my closest friends live in NYC, which is +2 hours away. I've been trying to get out and meet new people but no luck. I'm in my 20s and most of the people I've met are either married with kids or in their 40s. I've moved around quite a bit since I was a child, so I'm used to having to start over, and this by far has been the hardest experience.
For those of you that moved here from other cities/countries/states, how did you manage to meet new people and make friends?
I lived in the area (Delmar) for 3 years and it was by far the most difficult place I've lived in terms of meeting people & making new friends. I was SO LONELY! I think I'd have been MUCH happier in Saratoga. I was there many weekends and everyone was friendly & active - kind of a "mini mini NYC" IMO, especially in the summer. Great place!!!
Given your age, Troy or Albany might do it, but be very careful about the location (safety). Still, I vote for Saratoga Springs.
I just left Albany, NY for California. I have been going through something similar out here. I do Meetups from online and I have enjoyed that. I started my own specific group and it has worked out well.
I moved to the area recently (work related) and like the title says, I'm having a very hard time getting used to life here. My family lives in another state and my closest friends live in NYC, which is +2 hours away. I've been trying to get out and meet new people but no luck. I'm in my 20s and most of the people I've met are either married with kids or in their 40s. I've moved around quite a bit since I was a child, so I'm used to having to start over, and this by far has been the hardest experience.
For those of you that moved here from other cities/countries/states, how did you manage to meet new people and make friends?
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