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I'd lean toward taking the job, but I must admit that I don't know a lot about philly other than a few brief visits. I liked Philly because it is an old northeast city with a lot of history, much like cities up here and in New England. Albany is certainly not in league w/Philly but there are some similarities. That said, you would have an advantage that many others don't have if you work in Ballston Spa- you could live in Saratoga Springs and have an easy commute. Most people moving up here get jobs in Albany and want to live in Saratoga and have to put up with a crummy commute.
I'm not sure what you'd be making $, but Saratoga is an idyllic little city. Plus it is close enough to Albany to enjoy the bars restaurants, entertainment there as well. And the Adirondacks are at your doorstep. One caveat, winters suck up here, unless you like winter sports, etc.
Rte 5 is Central Avenue, and it has really fallen on some hard times except for the stretch right around the Northway where Colonie Center and the restaurants are.
If your job is getting phased out locally and you have this choice, you should really think about Saratoga Springs. The place really grows on you. Rte 50 on the north side has unfortunately turned into the usual retail/mall/too much traffic strip, but downtown and the towns around the south and west side are really pretty nice. It ain't Philadelphia, but a lot of people would love to be able to live around here. In the summer during the Race season, downtown is jammed - reminds me of being in Back Bay in Boston, like Beacon or Newbury Street. Race season is a blessing and a curse at the same time, depending on your point of view, but it definately hots things up for the duration.
Don't forget that you're only two hours from Lake Placid and the whole Adirondack High Peaks region, 2 and 1/2 from the Saranac Lake area, an hour from Vermont, less than two from Killington, and less than three from Boston. There's a lot of choices around here... that's why we came.
You're absolutely right about the college feel to Caroline Street - Skidmore is right up the road, and that's who a lot of those people are. However, while it is somewhat true that downtown Albany is a bit empty during the weekend - like Oklahoma City, for example - they have developed a hell of a nightlife/club scene on Friday and Saturday nights, especially in the summer. Officials claim that something like 15,000 people are in town, clustered mostly around the North Pearl Street clubs. They have really done a lot to get that going. I don't know where that number came from, but I remember reading it last summer in a story about the downtown scene. There are a lot of pretty affluent thirty-something types out, and even a couple of Ferraris and a gray Lamborghini are usually parked along North Pearl on a good summer night. A wide range of people.
There's also the excellent Live at 5 summer concert series Thursdays in Jennings Park on the Hudson, but if you're working in Ballston Spa you're gonna be a bit late for that.
Great fireworks on the Empire State Plaza for the 4th of July, though!
Good for you man. You're coming up at the perfect time. Saratoga becomes one of the country's prime destinations this time of year and you'll actually be living in the middle of it if you choose to live there.
That's a nice salary for a young guy, I would definitely look into renting right in the heart of Saratoga. Keep posting if you need advice on the area. Congrats again.
If you're single and want night life, you want Albany. It's close to everywhere else mentioned above, it will not be much of a commute for you at all. Downtown is historic, beautiful and active.
Ballson spa isn't to bad, I live in Lake Luzerne. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world, a small little town just north of Ballson spa. You haven't made it up to Lake George Yet?????? The BEST night life in the area in the summer anyways!!!!! FUN FUN FUN!!!!! You are really short changing yourself if you don't visit lake George. Corinth is cheap rent and a nice little town, not as depressing as Ballson, not to bad of a commute to work, Greenfield has nothing, but a beautiful town, I grew up there. Queensbury is a very nice area and close to everything, right on the northway, great rent for nice apartments, easy commute to anywhere. I hope the helps, check out these area's on the weekends on you days off, you won't be disappointed. Dianne
I lived in Clifton Park for 26 years, which was nice until the early 90's, when it got overbuilt. The Northway Traffic, if traveling to Albany is horrendous, if thats where your job is. Stay South of the Mohawk river, then you have many options to get to work, I would never move back up there, as most of the jobs are in the Capital District. Scotia, glenville are near Schenectady and hard to get to from the highways. Latham/Colonie area is nice, more overbuilt than Clifton Park though. The poplulation in Saratoga county is growing very quickly. I bought a house in Troy, and any job I get (Even up North), I know my commute will be short. I walk through downtown Troy on many nights and, feel as safe as where I lived in Clifton Park. When I moved to Troy I had my doubts, but quickly found where I lived was a nice area. Troy has come back a lot in the last 5 years I lived here. I did my time on the Northway going to and from college in the 90's. Anyway good luck
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upstate
