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Of these two Capital's & Surban Area's surrounding these Capital's which would you choose based off this criteria:
1.) Lowest cost of living
2.) Lowest level of crime
3.) Approximate to amenities such as mall's, movie's, and restaurant's?
4.) Approximate to outdoor activities?
Albany...Lower crime rate, close to the Adirondack/Catskills/Taconic/Berkshire mountains; lower cost of living and you actually have multiple urban scenes in the area/nearby, along with malls, movie theaters and restaurants.
I would choose Hartford Connecticut over Albany. Don't know about COL but New York isn't anyone's idea of a tax haven. What happens in Albany other than corrupt New York politics? Is Silver in jail or out of jail? Who is Joe Bruno putting the arm on this week? At least in Conn the (hapless) governor is trying to do the right thing; in NY you have a showboat wannabe president. Albany has that ridiculous empire state plaza monstrosity (Rocky's pet project) a state univ campus and not much else. Hartford has a real metropolitan economy. Outdoor activities in Conn and Western Mass are pretty good too. You can get to salt water from Hartford in a hurry, not so from Albany. Both are equidistant to Boston and New York with Hartford being closer to both; also access to Worcester, Providence, New Haven and other places while Albany is out there on its own. Albany is much closer to the Adks than Hartford so if you're a high peaks hiker or like canoeing on Racquette Lake (or 100 other lakes) then maybe Albany is for you.
I would choose Hartford Connecticut over Albany. Don't know about COL but New York isn't anyone's idea of a tax haven. What happens in Albany other than corrupt New York politics? Is Silver in jail or out of jail? Who is Joe Bruno putting the arm on this week? At least in Conn the (hapless) governor is trying to do the right thing; in NY you have a showboat wannabe president. Albany has that ridiculous empire state plaza monstrosity (Rocky's pet project) a state univ campus and not much else. Hartford has a real metropolitan economy. Outdoor activities in Conn and Western Mass are pretty good too. You can get to salt water from Hartford in a hurry, not so from Albany. Both are equidistant to Boston and New York with Hartford being closer to both; also access to Worcester, Providence, New Haven and other places while Albany is out there on its own. Albany is much closer to the Adks than Hartford so if you're a high peaks hiker or like canoeing on Racquette Lake (or 100 other lakes) then maybe Albany is for you.
Albany isn't far from cities in much of New England and has other cities in NY that are within a reasonable distance as well. Montreal is within reason for a day trip as well.
Albany or at least the area still has General Electric, Global Foundries, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Albany International, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and other companies in the area. So, it is more than just being a capital city and having a state university campus(actually has quite a few other colleges/universities).
Also, there is more to cost of living than taxes and when looking at the overall picture, Albany has a lower COL due to housing. That(housing) makes up the biggest portion of overall cost of living(about 30%).
IMO, the Albany area feels more rundown and less upscale than the Hartford area, more consistent with Rhode Island and northeastern Connecticut. From what I've observed, there are more lower-income neighborhoods in Albany and, on the outskirts, more mobile home parks. Needless to say, homes and properties in much of the Albany metro area aren't as neat and tidy as what you would likely find in most Hartford suburbs, and housing styles, even at the costlier end of the spectrum, are not as attractive or desirable (Upstate New York has some of the ugliest housing in the nation, IMO). Also, since Albany is located in New York, road and bridge conditions are almost invariably poorer. Overall, that part of New York is a huge drop-off from New England west of the Connecticut River, but it is likely friendlier to middle-income families.
It all depends upon what you want. If you want to live in a suburban town, the Hartford area is a better pick. But if you want to live in a walkable, non-ghetto city neighborhood, Albany gives you real choices, while Hartford has none.
Hartford West End. Walkable, urban. New England cities generally lack rowhouses. Doesn't mean they're not urban. Your Albany example is impressive; it could be Brooklyn or Jersey City.
BTW, I don't see rund1987 as a rowhouse kind of guy.
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