What is it like to live in Albany, New York?

Albany is a big town with a small town feel.  It's the capital of New York, but barely has 100,000 residents.

Benefits to living in Albany

In Albany you can find anything you're looking for. If you want traditional and conservative or wild and exciting, you can find it. Albany is the place to find anything if you look hard enough.

• Exceptional entertainment options like the indie movie house called the Spectrum
• Known for its excellent bars like Mahar's, McGeary's, Lynn's Uptown Tavern, etc.
• Some great places to eat like Jack's Oyster House, Shalimar on Central, and My Linh on Delaware
• Historic city - built around 1686
• There is a steady job base - not all careers are steady, but there is always work for good people
• Residential neighborhoods are well organized and there are housing options to fit all tastes
• Easy access to New York City via bus or train

Things to Do

There is plenty to do in the city. Whether it's hitting a fun destination to eat or drink or watching independent films, there's always something to do in Albany.

• Catch a show at the Spectrum
• Tour the historic downtown with fantastic Dutch architecture
• Eat at Madison Ends for brunch
• Tour the Capital building
• Attend Larkfest in September or the Tulip Festival in May
• Listen to live music near the Capital
• Play laser tag or paintball
• Visit the Albany Institute of History and Art
• Photograph nature near Lake George

Places to Go

There are many places to explore and visit such as:

• Lake George
• Capital Building
• Historic Downtown
• The Spectrum
• Jack's Oyster House

Lifestyle

Albany has many friendly people and a good climate. The city is known for its great beer bars, which close at 4am.  Temperatures range from around 20 in the winter to 75-80 in the summer, which means it's pleasant most of the time.  For a state capital, it has relatively few residents at only about 100,000.  Many people who move to Albany come looking for something. They want work, friends, religion, adventure, to live in a smaller city, etc. They enjoy entertainment and seek for the good things in life.