Albany (New York)

From MaxTravelz

Albany is in the state of New York in the United States of America.

It is an often overlooked city, and rarely considered much of a tourist attraction. However it has quite a vibrant history that would give Chicago a run for its money! Though some find Albany fairly depressing, since many state workers leave in droves after 4:30pm, a more vibrant scene downtown is currently underway. Revitalization keeps more workers around after hours and crowded bars/restaurants are not as uncommon as you think.

Nevertheless, Albany can offer some unique historical perspectives, if a traveller is willing to look. As the start of the Erie canal, and as the location of the historically famous Fort Orange, Albany was important in early American history. During the Prohibition era, Albany was a center for the smuggling of alcohol from Canada. Pulitzer Prize winner William Kennedy wrote a series of novels about Albany that brings it to life, and will make the visit of any casual traveller far more engaging.

Contents

Get in

  • Albany International Airport is hardly international, except for a few flights from Canada. Getting from the airport to the city is best done by pickup from a friend or by taxi.
  • Bus - The greyhound station is located in downtown, near the waterfront. It is thoroughly seedy. Use a taxi or friend to get to your hotel.
  • Car - I-90, the strip of highway that crosses the upper United States, cuts right through the north side of Albany. There are many exits into Albany from I-90. The Arbor Hill exit is probably the least-scenic entrance to the city since it runs through a poorer area, although like much of Albany there are some nice, if decaying historical buildings to see including the Ten Broeck Mansion. I-87, which connects New York City and Montreal, intersects with I-90 in Albany. South of Albany, I-87 is a toll road called the Thruway. North of Albany, it's a free highway known to locals as the Northway.
  • Train - The Albany-Rensselaer station is Amtrak's 10th busiest. Unfortunately, it is not in Albany itself but directly across the river in the small city of Rensselaer. Amtrak is the best way of reaching Albany from New York City, though it is expensive compared to other modes. Cabs from the train station are expensive because one company has an exclusive contract. It is far better if you can arrange for someone to pick you up. Trains serving the stations include the Maple Leaf (New York-Albany-Toronto), the Adirondack (New York-Albany-Montreal), Empire Service (New York-Albany-Niagara Falls), the Ethan Allen Express (Rutland-Albany-New York), and the Lake Shore Limited (Chicago-Buffalo-Albany-New York/Boston).

Get around

Getting around Albany and the capital region entirely depends on where you are staying and what you want to see. If you plan on spending most of your time within the city of Albany, renting a car is hardly a must. Most downtown sights are within walking distance of each other. Many sights outside of downtown and even outside of the city of Albany can be reached by Albany's public bus system, the CDTA. If you are travelling to Saratoga Springs or the Adirondacks, however, renting a car is an obvious must.

See

  • The Empire State Plaza is something to behold. It lies between the New York State Capitol building and the New York State Museum. Architecturally intimidating, it can be quite beautiful. Free concerts are often held on the plaza during the summer, ranging from Blues Festivals to Rock concerts.
  • State Street is the main street that runs to the Albany Waterfront. Although much of it is decayed and empty, it retains a regal air and is well worth a visit. Nearby lies Pearl Street, which has recently undergone a renewal, and which caters to the 20-something bar and club scene. During the summer, the Alive at 5 concert series is an open festival on Broadway near the base of State Street. It draws quite a large crowd, and is generally a fun time for all. Bring your own beer, but not in bottles!

~ Per the City of Albany, alcohol is no longer allowed at Alive at Five! (Actually, you can buy "ice-cold beer" there, but you can't bring your own.)

  • Washington Park is a delightful, and for the most part safe, park located in the Center Square region of Albany. In the park's center is the Park Playhouse, which offers free, good musicals and plays throughout the summer. Spring offers "Tulip Fest" a nod to Albany's Dutch heritage that consumes Washington Park with (mostly) tulips as well as a craft fair.
  • Lark Street is tagged as Albany's equivalent of NYC's East Village. Lark Street is the hub of Albany youth culture, and it can be a nice visit. Lark Street is between Washington Park and the Empire State Plaza, and the region between the plaza and park is attractive and reminiscent of Albany's better days. In the fall, Lark Street is the site of one of Albany's most treasured events called "larkfest." Lark Street is closed off between Washington and Madison creating a street fair that attracts a lot of attention.
  • If you're an architecture buff, or you just like to look at wonderful, historic buildings, there's plenty of great architecture in Albany, including the majestic New York State Capital building (beautiful inside and out), Albany City Hall, the historic Cherry Hill, Schuyler and Ten Broeck mansions, the magnificent State University of New York headquarters building (formerly the Delaware and Hudson railroad building), the Quackenbush House (built in 1736, it's the oldest remaining Dutch building in the city), the New York State Education building with its impressive neo-classical colonnade, the High Gothic style of the Cathedral of All Saints, St. Peter's Church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the former Union Railroad building on Broadway (now offices for Bank of America), etc.

Do

  • During the summer Albany is overrun with public festivals, ranging from the early summer/late-spring 'Tulip Festival', to many free public concerts at the Empire State Plaza, in Washington Park and in the Corning Preserve/Albany Riverfront Park on the Hudson River. There are also free plays at the Park Playhouse in Washington Park during the summer.
  • The western fringe of the city is home to the 3,000+ acre Albany Pine Bush Preserve. It's a unique, inland pine barren maintained by controlled fires (which clear out invasive plant species and cause the native pine cones to release their seeds). Trails through the preserve are open to non-motorized uses year-round (except during burns, of course).
  • The reflecting pool of the Empire State Plaza becomes a skating rink in the winter. It's like a little brother to the Rockefeller Center rink.
  • Thacher State Park ( http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=125 ) is a nearly 2,000 acre park located about a 25 minute drive west of Albany. It's located on the Helderberg Escarpment (an escarpment is a cliff or steep slope, and the Helberbergs are a group of mountains/hills west of Albany) and has some lovely trails, an olympic-sized pool, playgrounds, lots of areas for picnics (including reservable outdoor pavillions) and it boasts some great views out towards Albany and the Hudson-Mohawk valleys.
  • The New York State Museum is the largest state museum in all the 50 states, it is (http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/) on Madison Ave. has some really nice collections.
  • The Capital District Scottish Games are held every Labor Day weekend at the Altamont Fairgrounds, about 25-30 minutes west of Albany. The Scottish Games are always a fun time, featuring pipe and drum bands from all over North America; Celtic folk & rock music; lots of food and drink (Scottish and otherwise); highland dancing and highland sports (like caber tossing) exhibitions and competitions; Scottie dog, sheep and/or horse exhibitions; demonstrations/talks on various aspects of Scottish culture; numerous vendors offering Scottish-themed clothing, food, geneology information and anything else you imagine; information tents for Scottish clans; etc. etc.
  • The Corning Preserve is an approximately 5-mile long park along the Hudson River, with picnic areas, a boat launch and trails for biking, skating, jogging and walking.
  • The Hudson-River Bikeway is a long trail for biking, walking, jogging or skating which starts in the Corning Preserve in downtown Albany, right along the Hudson River, and stretches out to Rotterdam Junction in Schenectady County.
  • If you're a military history buff, you might want to check out the Watervliet Arsenal Museum in Watervliet, about a 20 minute drive north of Albany ( http://www.wva.army.mil/MUSEUM.HTM ).
  • Autumn is always a good time for apple picking at any one of the several apple orchards in the area.

Buy

Lark Street has a number of nice gift shops and other unique stores, and is a perfect spot to pick up souvenirs. It's Albany's cultural melting pot.

Crossgates Mall also offers the usual assault of American consumer goods, should you have the desire to obliterate hours in a Gap or Abercrombie store.

There are plenty of stores up and down Wolf Road, as well as the Colonie Center Mall on the corner of Wolf Rd. and Central Ave.

Eat

See Metroland's (great local paper) guide to the best of Albany at http://www.metroland.net/guides/2005_best_of/best_of_contents.htm It's a great resource on the best food, services, sights, etc. of Albany (according to Metroland Readers).

  • Bomber's Burrito Bar is one of Albany's gems. Downstairs, fantastic 'bomblike' burritos are made! One will cost about 5 bucks, and it will satiate you for hours. The Red-Stripe Pork is positively divine. Also check out vegetarian and vegan fare consisting of their veggie burrito and veggie "chicken" nugget burrito, skeptics will be pleased. In addition, the upstairs has a comfortable and friendly bar, with a wide-ranging, sophisticated selection of beers, which are available for $2.50 a pint during happy hour, which stretches from 11am - 8pm Every Day.
  • Jack's Oyster Bar is an Albany classic, and its walls are adorned with misty photos of Albany's interesting past. The quality and prestige of Jack's has gone down in recent years, but it still will empty any man's wallet pretty quick.
  • For organic vegan fare, Shades of Green on Lark Street offers unique homemade meals at very fair prices. Eat in or take out, although to be fair the dining area is quite small. (Note: This closed in the summer of 2005. There is sometimes talk the owner will eventually open a new location).
  • Vegan pizza (and good vegan pizza at that) can be found at Little Anthony's on Central Avenue.
  • Justin's is a very popular spot that offers live Jazz Wednesday though Sunday. In addition to great dinners and lunches, they also have a really good weekend brunch, however it's on the expensive side.
  • Good ethnic restaurants include Shalimar (Indian food) on lower Central Ave., Mamoun's (Middle Eastern) also on lower Central Ave., El Loco's (Mexican) on Madison Ave., El Mariachi (Mexican/Spanish) on the corner of Swan St. & Hamilton St., Saso's (Japanese) on Central Ave., and My Linh (Vietnamese) on Delaware Ave.
  • For health food shopping the Honest Weight Food Co-Op on Central Ave (between Partridge and North Main) boasts a variety of health-minded dishes and baked goods made daily. Grab a "meal deal" for under 5 bucks. Check out the amazing cheese selection and you are likely to be offered a taste.
  • C.H. Evans Brewing Company at the Albany Pump Station (a.k.a. The Albany Pump Station) is a restaurant and brewpub in downtown Albany. It serves American style fare burgers, fish and some upscale dishes as well. The highlight is their beer, of which they make upwards of 10 different styles and types. The Hefeweizen is outstanding as is their American Brown Ale, Belgian Style Ale and Pale Ale (honestly, all of their beer offerings are good). The building itself is the old Albany Pump Station, which used to pump the water from the Hudson River up to the reservoir, so the building has a ton of atmosphere and history. It's definitely worth the trip to just have a couple of beers.
  • Debbie's Kitchen on Madison Ave. just west of Lark St. is superb for healthful, super tasty and interesting sandwiches and wraps. Beautiful desserts to tempt you if you have room after their generous salads and sandwiches. Highly recommended, an outstanding value.
  • For a nice spicy south India cuisine, Karavali Restaurant on Route 9R off Latham Circle is a nice place to visit. The place lacks in the ambiance but food is great.
  • The Ginger Man on Washington Ave. has a nice atmosphere, a good, diverse menu, a nice selection of wine and beer and it isn't too expensive.
  • DeJohn's on Lark St. has a good selection of beer, some nice wines and great food (mostly American and Continental fare, with some global influences thrown in for good measure).
  • Cafe Cappriccio on Grand St., Lombardo's on Madison Ave. and Cafe Italia on Central Ave. are all upscale Italian restaurants featuring superb food.
  • Sam's on Southern Blvd. (Rt. 9W) offers reasonably priced, but still satisfying and tasty Italian food, as does Mangia in Stuyvesant Plaza on Western Ave., (Mangia now has several locations throughout the Capital District - they're also on New Scotland Ave. in Slingerlands, and in the Shoppers Wolrd Plaza off Rt. 146 in Clifton Park).
  • McGuire's is an upscale restaurant on the corner of Lark St. and State St. It's a bit expensive, but the food is terrific.
  • Nicole's Bistro in Quackenbush Square is an upscale restaurant located in Albany's oldest historic building. They have an excellent menu and a nice outdoor dining area.
  • Daniel's at Ogden's is a very nice place offering a diverse menu focusing on continental cuisine with Middle Eastern and other influences. It's located downtown on Howard St.
  • The best BBQ in the area is located outside the Albany city limits. Jr.'s Barbecue on Saratoga Rd. in Burnt Hills and Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill on Central Ave. in Colonie are both quite good (the former is a smaller scale, "family friendly" place, the latter is a larger place with plenty of TVs for watching whatever sporting event happens to be on).
  • Some really good pub food can be had at Beff's. Beff's has two locations, one on Everett Rd. in Albany, and one on Delaware Ave. in Delmar (both of which are about a 10 minute drive from downtown). They have really good burgers, nachos and a great selection of unique pizzas (among other things).

Drink

A decent downtown scene has developed over the past few years.

Some places of interest:

  • Mad River - Vibrant, young after work crowd
  • Skyline Restaurant & Lounge - Newest downtown nightspot replaced the Big House
  • Mahar's - a beer lover's paradise with a selection of literally hundreds of beers from all over the world.
  • Jillians - Chain restaurant\bar\nightclub\games etc.
  • Bayou Cafe - New Orleans style fare and bands. Another good after-work crowd.
  • Pearl - young hip hop kind of crowd, good martini's but EXPENSIVE.
  • The Lionheart - good on weekends, good happy hour specials, a good selection of beer, and they have dartboards and pool tables.
  • Red Square is a new live music venue that has a great atmosphere.
  • Oh Bar is a popular gay/lesbian bar. Check out Karaoke night on Thursdays.
  • See Bomber's Burrito Bar. A popular bar upstairs and good cheap Mexican food downstairs.
  • C.H. Evans Brewing Company at the Albany Pump Station (a.k.a. The Albany Pump Station) - a brewpub and restaurant serving good food and their own award-winning beer.
  • McGeary's often has bands playing Celtic folk and/or rock and they have an outdoor area for eating, drinking and listening to live bands during the summer.

For the College Crowd:

  • The Washington Tavern, Chubby's, Michael's, and Bogie's are big college hangouts.

Sleep

  • The Desmond is one of the best places to stay in the Albany area (though it is a bit further away than one might like, near Albany International Airport.) The Desmond's charm is in it's embracement of the historical group of Shaker's who once were a big part of the Capital Region. The Desomd often hosts weddings and has two quality restaurants on site, Simpson's and Scrimshaw.
  • The Crowne Plaza is the major hotel in downtown Albany. It has close proximity to the State Capitol, Pepsi Arena, and a burgeoning downtown area on Pearl Street (Pearl, Jillian's, Skyline, Mad River, the Victory Cafe, McGeary's and the Bayou Cafe are all located on or just off of Pearl Street).

Stay safe

Albany has large areas of urban poor and a persistent drug and crime problem. It is not recommended to walk around in areas north of Central Avenue at any time. To stay safe, keep the walking to the Center Square area (around Washington Park and the Plaza), and do everything else via car.

Get out

  • The Albany metro area, the Capital District, has many more attractions than Albany proper. The city of Troy offers well-preserved 19th century architecture (making it a popular location for period films) and fine antique shopping downtown. The Cohoes Falls are the second-largest in the state (a distant second, but an impressive sight nonetheless). The area in and around the city of Saratoga Springs (about 40 minutes north of Albany) features a number of wonderful shops, restaurants and bars, a national park at the site of the Battle of Saratoga (the turning point of the Revolutionary War), a lovely State park and golf course, and a great horse racing track and harness racing track. The city of Saratoga Springs is major tourist destination during its summer horse racing season.
  • Visitors to the Albany area should consider day trips to destinations in the Berkshires of western Mass., including Tanglewood, Mass MoCA, and the Clark Art Institute. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is also fairly close, as are the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains.
  • Several state parks are within easy driving distance, among them Thatcher State Park. A scenic 25-minute drive south on route 85, it tops an escarpment and has great views of the city and several beautiful hiking trails, including a lower trail which winds and turns near the bottom of the escarpment and actually goes behind two waterfalls. Spring is the best time to view these falls due to the thaw and increased water volume. Steep inclines and rocky paths on the lower trail could challenge less robust hikers.


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