"South side" versus "north side" of Ballston Spa? (Saratoga Springs: real estate)

[liv42dae1]

Good Morning - First post. I was reading this board and one of the users mentioned that the 'south side' of Ballston Spa was better than the 'north side'; but the user was general in the area, specifically. It appears in the northern part of BSpa that there are pockets of bad areas. I am considering on investing in a property in BSpa as a B&B with small spa.

Was hoping for some thoughts from natives of BSpa who could tell me a little bit about this town and which area to concentrate on.

My goal is to find a spot that has a comfortable distance from Saratoga springs (15 to 20 minute drive); with a little bit of land.

Would have loved to look into Saratoga Springs but I don't have the funds to do this. Real Estate is so much higher there.

Also, Saratoga Springs has limited parking; By having a B&B 20 minutes away, will this work against me, as guests will have to find parking for their car?

Thank you for your input in advance!

[lilnickles85]

Parking isn't so bad in Saratoga in the summer- you will always find a spot somewhere. There have been very few (1-2) where I have driven forever to find a spot.

Anyways, I grew up in BSpa, and when someone says "bad parts," it's not really violent, there is just less than desirable things going on in that area. For example, in this area, Ballston Spa is known for having a daycare in the High School for the students' kids- we are known for having a rash of teen pregnancies. However, it is exaggerated. The town really isn't violent, though.

The town has some very nice architecture and is really improving in my eyes. We have a cute coffee shop, a couple of nice restaurants and bars, and there are a few very pretty churches on the main drag. Also, there are a couple of antique shops which may be good for B&Bers. Ballston Spa does have another B&B, so I don't know if that will affect your decision.

Good Luck!

[Rumblebelly]

Were you talking about me? I only lived in Ballston Spa for two years and I'm not a native. However, I'm in the real estate business and we pay attention to potential investments.

What I mean by "bad" street is a street that I consider a street that has lot's of rentals, especially rentals that are not well maintained. Probably a good spot if you are looking for a cheap place to rent and looking to bum a pack of smokes from your neighbor now and then in exchange for watching their pitbull. Those neighborhoods are concentrated around South Street, North High Street, Ralph Street, Bath Street...basically areas close to the river that have that classic run down mill community vibe. However, streets like McMaster and McLean have some of the most amazing Victorians in the area.

There's a remarkable amount of renovation going on in some of those areas right now though. I can think of three projects just on South street off the top of my head that popped up recently. With the Malta factory and finding just the right spot, Ballston Spa might be a good investment. 3 new and nice places to eat opened up in the past year or so downtown so that tells you what direction the community is headed.

There are a couple of nice B&Bs in town and I think they are both on the south end of town. I have no idea how busy the existing B&Bs are though. I imagine they try to cash in on the Saratoga craze but I'm not sure if it keeps them going year around.

Ballston Spa is not dangerous or crime ridden. Our neighbor did have a 2 gallon gas tank stolen by some kids though...

[liv42dae1]

Rublebelly & Lilnickles, thank you for your inputs towards my little endeavor. I will look into properties closer to McMaster and Mclean Street; that really helps a good deal. Lilnickles - in the past two years, I have gotten into antique shopping and it's so much fun - I'm a city slicker, so it was a whole new experience for me. I also didn't think that Bspa is crime ridden due to the close proximity to Saratoga Springs (maybe I'm wrong about that one), but I just wanted to close in on particular properties to narrow my search.

Rumblebelly, most likely I read your post from a previous thread.

Hopefully my B&B would be busy year round; having high season doesn't hurt at all. I am choosing BSpa because it offers a little more land for less. I'm ready to move on from my job in the city and look into running a business. It will be a brand new start!

Thank you both -- any additional comments I would love to hear from you.