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I hear mixed things about Albany. I currently live in Utica and, for anybody who is not familiar with that city, Uticans are negative about EVERYTHING. I rarely have a good day in Utica because it is always raining bad vibes. Whenever I visit Albany, however, it strikes me as a bigger city: state capital, malls, nice neighborhoods, airport, smiling people, better economy, etc. In a lot of ways it doesn't seem too much different than, say, Harrisburg, PA or Sacramento, CA.
But I also hear people say that Albany is basically a big Utica. Hmmmmm. This may just be one particular person's opinion, but I am familiar enough with upstate NY's economic woes to take these assessments seriously. I mean, is Albany considered by many to be an undesirable place to live, or are these just the complaints of jaded people?
I know all about being jaded, by the way. I lived in Sacramento, CA for 11 years, and after a decade I started to complain that there was nothing to do in that city. Like a lot of other Californians, I began to call Sacramento a hick town or a cow town and I wanted nothing more than to escape from it. But now that I am grown up and have a more sophisticated view of things, I realize that Sacramento in fact had a lot going for it. After living in Utica for 13 years I now truly know what it is like to live in an actual struggling city.
When people ask me how Utica is I always tell them, "Well, you can't do much worse."
I grew up in Colorado & moved to NY in the 80's. I've lived in the capital district/Albany since '88. My personal complaints about this area are the weather & taxes. Since I can't do anything about the weather except move when the time is right, I'll leave that out of the equation. And according to many posts I've read on CD, a lot of people feel that when it comes to high taxes, you get what you pay for. So I'll leave that one out - even tho, for me, I do NOT feel I get my money's worth on my tax rate.
Other than that, Albany is a nice city & the surrounding towns/suburbs are also nice. I think a lot depends on one's own outlook - you have to make the best of whatever situation you find yourself in. I think Albany has some really great people. I do see smiles exchanged between strangers; courtesies extended without expecting a gain in return. I do think the crime rate for Albany proper is way too high in relation to it's size, but that's just my observation - I could be wrong.
We are surrounded by colleges & universities, IMO that brings a lot of diversity to an area. There is a HUGE number of really good restaurants, a pretty decent live music scene, and a lot of "free" entertainment to take advantage of. Albany has some wonderful architecture & history, and drive 30 minutes (or less) in any direction & you'll be in some of the prettiest scenery in the country.
One of the best things for me; living in Albany means I can be in NYC, Boston, Montreal, or western NY (Buffalo/Rochester/Syracuse) in 3 to 4 hours. That is a big plus when you have a need for a day or two of big city hustle.
If you decide to explore Albany further, consider taking in some of the free festivals & outdoor concerts coming up. The Tulip Fest is held every Mother's Day weekend in Washington Park. It will give you a real idea of how diverse the area is - a big plus, IMO.
It depends. Are you a city or a country person? If you are country person, this is the place for you IMO.
I agree with Piperspal about the taxes here. I also feel I do not get my money's worth on my tax rate. The city lacks basic maintanance and the people seem to have low pride of ownership. The houses or yards don't look very good. Most yards seem to collect a lot of trash. I guess some people call it character. It really depends on your point of view...
Since you are not far, I would visit Albany and its surrounding areas a few times before deciding if this is a good fit for you. GL!
Hi, I went to school in Albany. So it depends on what you are looking for. The city of Albany is very 'ghetto', underclass, poor, and depressing. But Albany has a vibrant nightlife. There is a strong Irish working class influence. The suburbs of Albany offer some cheap housing and decent accomodations. The closer you live to SUNY Albany and the more peaceful it is. The closer you live to downtown, and the more rowdy it gets. On weekends, it is incredibly rowdy. Good luck. Paul
Hi, I went to school in Albany. So it depends on what you are looking for. The city of Albany is very 'ghetto', underclass, poor, and depressing. But Albany has a vibrant nightlife. There is a strong Irish working class influence. The suburbs of Albany offer some cheap housing and decent accomodations. The closer you live to SUNY Albany and the more peaceful it is. The closer you live to downtown, and the more rowdy it gets. On weekends, it is incredibly rowdy. Good luck. Paul
Is the whole city of Albany "ghetto"? I know they have some neighborhoods like Arbor Hill, in parts of the South End and West Hill, but what about the rest of the city?
Albany is a small city surrounded by many other small towns/cities. Some of the nice parts include the areas in and around Lark street, the Capitol/State offices, Empire State Plaza/NYS museum and Pearl St. The area around the hospitals (St Peters & Albany Med) is nicer too but I would not want to live there. Actually you can't pay me to live in the city of Albany. The surrounding areas are much better including Colonie, Guilderland, Delmar, Latham, Clifton Park, Niskayuna. Some of these areas might fall into either Albany, Schenectady or Saratoga Counties. Everything is really close together and it takes about 25 minutes to go anywhere in the Capital Region.
Hi. I moved away in 1990, so maybe I am not the person to ask. It is a kind of downtrodden city with some parts that are safe, and some that are not. It all depends on what kind of environment you want. Personally, I liked living downtown because I liked going to one bar. But I also saw many fights down there, not something I want to see daily.
Do yourself a solid one! Don't go there! Find someplace either in the south or mid-west!
I feel your pain with Utica! I lived there from birth till about 1996. I used to DJ at a night club called the Network on Genesee St. I saw the downfall of nightlife in Utica. Even my safe haven in West Utica is now a cesspool (drugs and random crime). I go back periodically since family still reside there and then can't wait to get back on the road for the 700 mile trip!
Albany .. lived there from 1996 until mid-2008. Last three years there the place really went down hill. If you don't live in an uppity part don't expect any action on anything! The rent(s) are outrageous! I was paying $625 for a shoebox apartment bording a shady hood (West Albany - Watervliet Ave). The landlord was great he did what he could but the apt for the most part needed more work and could be considered right down ghetto. For that same money + $55 I'm getting a great place here in Indy at a great complex that would run and easy $1200-1600/mo in the Cap district. Let us talk about utilities, your getting robbed by National Grid. My summer bills in NY were almost $100 (no a/c) just using lights, computer and other household stuff thats just the electric part. I get here to Indy and my summer bill was never above $45. My winter bill here was never above $84. NO budget plan need here! And my head is included in my rent!
Jennings could really give a s--t about you or your problems! Trash on your street dont waste the call! You'll just get the standard 'We'll put you on the list' remark from the people at DPW. Do yourself a favor .. nominate on of the homeless people that roam downtown albany begging for change and smokes to be the mayor. He/She probably couldn't do much worse!
Moving away from NY .. took a bit of getting used to the culture here but .. once adjusted it's much more relaxing! I could go on and on!!
If you are used to Utica, I'm sure you won't find Albany to be much of a problem. Albany has a lot of things for people to do and from the developement side of things, it's on an upswing. Now if you were moving to Schenectady, it would probably be more of a lateral move.
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Find someplace either in the south or mid-west!
