Albany

Understand

It is home to just under 100,000 residents (2020), most of New York State's key government offices, seven colleges and universities, and is the seat of Albany County. Before the first European settlement by the Dutch in 1614, Albany and its surroundings were home to the Iroquois Five Nations group of indigenous Americans. Albany is the longest continually chartered city in the United States, the original eastern terminus of the Erie Canal, and was a center for the smuggling of alcohol from Canada during the U.S. Prohibition. Writer and journalist William Kennedy, an Albany native, uses the city and its history as the setting for most of his novels, plays and nonfiction books.

Tourist information Explore Albany website

Getting there

By plane 1 Albany International Airport (ALB IATA), 737 Albany Shaker Rd, ☏ +1 518-242-2200. Classified as an international airport due to a handful of flights from Canada. Several expansion projects since 1995 have transformed this formerly spartan little airport into a very attractive port of departure/arrival. Airlines that operate are American, Delta, Southwest, United, Air Canada, and Cape Air. Getting from the airport to the city is best done by pickup from a friend or by taxi; in 2019, a taxi to downtown Albany costs about $35. See also "By bus" below.

By train

2 Albany-Rensselaer station, 525 East Street, Rensselaer. The Albany-Rensselaer station is Amtrak's 10th busiest. It is not in Albany itself but directly across the river in Rensselaer. Taxis from the train station are pricey due to a cab company monopoly, so get a ride if you can. Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) bus route 214 connects downtown Albany to the station M-Sa 6AM-11PM, Su 9AM-7PM. An additional bus route 114 connects downtown Albany, the University at Albany, St. Rose College and Crossgates Mall. (updated Oct 2023) See Rensselaer for details about train services.

By car

Interstate 90 (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, and a lovely view of the skyline between exits 6 and 7. It connects to Buffalo and Erie, Pennsylvania to the west and Springfield, Massachusetts and Boston to the east. Interstate 87 (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 is a toll-free highway known locally as the Northway which leads through Montréal (as Québec's autoroute 15) into the Laurentian Mountains. It connects to Montréal and New York. Taconic Parkway This 4-lane, rural limited-access highway winds from the Bronx River Parkway and NY-22 in Westchest

Getting 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, most downtown sights are within walking distance of each other.

By car Most residents and visitors get around by car. By the standards of larger cities, traffic is light and traffic jams are rare. Finding parking in some neighborhoods, particularly the Center Square area around Lark Street, can be a challenge.

Enterprise, ☏ +1 518-472-1111. Hertz, ☏ +1 518-454-9701. Avis, ☏ +1 518-785-3081. Thrifty, ☏ +1 518-782-7654.

By taxi Taxi cabs in Albany are not metered and go by a zone fare within the city limits. Some places are geographically not in the city limits but still may be referred to as "Albany" such as Colonie Center which is in the town of Colonie and Crossgates Mall which is in the town of Guilderland. This may at times leave you open to getting ripped off by the driver. It's best to call the company and ask for the fare prior to getting into the cab.

Yellow Cab, ☏ +1 518-434-2222. Offers a flat fee between different areas of the city.

By bus (CDTA) Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), ☏ +1 518 482-8822. Many sights outside of downtown and even outside of the city of Albany can be reached by the public bus system, the Capital District Transportation Authority(CDTA). CDTA local fares are $1.50 each way or $3.90 per day with a Navigator card, no matter the distance traveled, and can be paid in $1.50 notes, coins or with a Navigator fare card that can be issued by the transit authority, through participating area retailers, or through the Navigator mobile app at no additional cost. Navigator fares are discounted to $1.30 each way, and after 3 trips, automatically converts to a day pass. There is a bus rapid transit (BRT) route named BusPlus that runs from Albany to Schenectady 7 days a week. Cash fares for the BusPlus route is $2, while Navigat

See

Albany is an architectural haven, from historic buildings to newly built high-rise skyscrapers to churches and temples, Albany has got it all for architectural buffs out there.

Architecture 1 Albany City Hall, 24 Eagle St, ☏ +1 518-434-5075. Designed by renowned architect H.H. Richardson in the Romanesque style he popularized. (updated Jan 2021) 2 Empire State Plaza, Madison Ave, ☏ +1 518-474-2418. The Empire State Plaza is something to behold. It lies between the New York State Capitol building and the New York State Museum. While many critics have found that the Plaza is architecturally intimidating, at best, it can be quite beautiful. Free concerts are often held on the plaza during the summer, ranging from Blues Festivals to Rock concerts. And the Fourth of July fireworks are spectacular. 3 New York State Capitol, ☏ +1 518-474-2418. Free guided tours, M-F 10AM, noon, 2PM, and 3PM; Sa & Su 11AM, 1PM, and 3PM. Free self-guided audio tours M-F, 9AM-3PM (driver license or passport must be left as collateral for audio player). Plaza Visitor Center, Rm. 106 Concourse, Empire State Plaza. Security screening will confiscate pocket knives and other sharp objects. 4 New York State Education building, 89 Washington Ave (between Hawk and Swan Streets). Impressive neo-classical colonnade. 5 State Street. The main street that runs to the Albany Waterfront. Though much of the lower portion is decayed and empty, it retains a regal air and is well worth a visit, particularly as revitalization of the area takes hold. State Street is home to many of the stately 19th-century homes that can be seen in Albany and was once home to writer Herman Melville. Nearby lies Pearl Street, which has 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. You can no longer bring your own beer

Do

Albany for free Public concerts. Held at the Empire State Plaza, Washington park and in the Corning Preserve/Albany Riverfront Park on the Hudson River during the summer. Playhouse, Washington Park. Plays held at the park playhouse during the Summer. First Frid