|  Where can you tour an eighteenth-century mansion, admire original paintings from the Hudson River School, and stroll along the Hudson itself, all in one afternoon? Where can you see cutting-edge performance and dance, check out Pop Art from Nelson Rockefeller's celebrated collection, and board an actual Navy ship from World War II, all within a few blocks?
Give up? The answer isn't a major metropolis like Philadelphia or New York—it's Albany NY, the state capital with a lot more going on than just politics. Three hours from either Boston or New York City, Albany makes an ideal weekend getaway: It's a marvelously walkable city that offers an exceptional amount of history and culture within a few square blocks, not to mention a busy nightlife scene that might surprise you. The wealth of historic architecture all around Albany NY is astounding—very few places, for instance, give a visitor such a strong sense of colonial America's Dutch influences rubbing shoulders with its English heritage. But that's not to suggest this town's glory days are behind it—spend some time in the revitalized downtown and you'll come away feeling that the best is yet to come!  | | | If you're coming by train, call ahead to your hotel for a pick-up or grab a cab. The depot is a quick 5-minute taxi ride from Albany proper. If coming by bus, the terminal is at the southern end of Empire State Plaza, and taxis await you there as well. An ideal first stop in Albany is the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center, where you can orient yourself with brochures and maps while directing questions to the helpful staff. You'll find the Visitors Center downtown at the bottom of the hill, in the middle of historic Quackenbush Square (at the corner of Clinton Ave. and Broadway). Like a number of other American cities, Albany has been lucky enough in recent years to reconnect with its riverfront. From the Visitors Center it's a short walk to the grand Hudson River Way, a pedestrian bridge joining downtown with the Hudson; the River Way will give you a sense of how vital river traffic was to Albany's growth, and you'll also enjoy the sweeping waterfront views. Warm weather brings a number of free events to this spot, like the Thursday "Alive at Five" concert series and the Riverfest, every August.  Uphill from the river, in the center of downtown, stands what is perhaps Albany's best-known landmark, the mammoth Empire State Plaza (left). This 96-acre complex houses government offices, but on the concourse level, the public can access the New York State Library, one of the leading research libraries in the Northeast, and the Plaza Art Collection—comprising nearly a hundred paintings and sculptures, some of them truly eye-popping. This is the world's largest collection of modern art not housed in a museum! (Bear in mind that a lot of Empire State Plaza is invisible from street level, as it's a series of shopping centers connected by underground tunnels—perfect for inclement weather!)
And speaking of eye-popping, you may be wondering what a giant white spaceship is doing in the middle of Empire State Plaza. In fact, this unique structure is The Egg, a leading performing arts center and a work of art in its own right, where you can catch up with contemporary dance, music, and theater. The New York State Museum anchors the Plaza's southern end. There's so much to see at the State Museum that you may need to give yourself a good half-day there to do it justice. Visitors from downstate who want a vicarious taste of the North Country should check out the permanent Adirondacks exhibit, and the life-size replica of an Iroquois longhouse is another highlight. The recently added 9/11 exhibit, meanwhile, powerfully evokes a piece of contemporary history. And if you have kids, don't leave without letting them ride the fully restored vintage carousel on the Museum's fourth floor!  You might happen to notice another gargantuan building just across the street from the Plaza—fittingly, it's the New York State Capitol (pictured left). Only completed in the late 1890s after 32 years and at a cost of $25 million (an astronomical sum, in those days), this behemoth required the services of five different architects. We recommend the tour—with a building this massive, and steeped in so much history, you'll be grateful for a guide who can show you around. The three monumental interior staircases demand to be seen, and to a patient eye, the stone-carving surrounding each of them yields any number of delightful details. (Kids should be sure to ask for the “Capitol secret demon!”)
Other high points of the Capitol Building tour are the Senate Chamber, where sessions are open to the public (and the superb acoustics make even "off-the record" comments audible) and the Assembly Chamber, also notable for its stained-glass windows. Another worthwhile stop is the Governor's Reception Area, also known informally as the "War Room"—probably for the panoramic ceiling mural, completed in 1929 and commissioned to celebrate New York's fighting spirit. (Crane your neck and take a moment to study the mural—it's a wowser.) A short walk from the Capitol, the Albany Institute of History and Art is a must for its Hudson River School collection alone. Here you'll see not only original paintings by Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, and their successors, but also sketchbooks, paint boxes, and some of the other tools they took into the field with them. The Institute's Egyptian Gallery is perennially popular, and younger art lovers will appreciate the Museum Explorers' Gallery, a space set up for children between 2 and 10 (kids' gallery guides are also available). Finally, mention should be made of the Institute's 17,000 square feet of storage space—if you call ahead, behind-the-scenes tours of the collection are available. Albany's early history comes to life through a number of carefully preserved historic houses. Historic Cherry Hill is a 1787 Georgian-style number that five generations of a prominent Albany family called home. Schuyler Mansion, another Georgian, dates from 1761, while the Ten Broeck Mansion dates from 1798. Originally a Federalist-style mansion commissioned for the Revolutionary War general (and twice mayor of Albany) Abraham Ten Broeck, the building was renovated at different times in the next 150 years, and today it offers a fascinating example of successive architectural styles layered on top of one another. Old-house buffs won't want to miss the pianoforte, the signature winding staircase, or some of the earliest surviving bathrooms in all of Albany.  Down by the water's edge, meanwhile, you can enter a decidedly less genteel historical environment. A WWII destroyer escort, the last of its kind still afloat, the U.S.S. Slater (left) is moored downtown from April to December of every year. The ship has been lovingly restored by a crew of volunteers whose attention to detail makes it an unusually vivid time capsule. After gaping at the cramped quarters, the mess, and the pilothouse, landlubbers will come away with a real sense of what life at sea must have been like for these servicemen.
Finally, do take time to explore Albany's commercial neighborhoods to get a sense of how much is happening here today. Running through the heart of downtown, Pearl Street offers no end of attractions—the biggest of which has to be the Times Union Center, where on any given night you might catch an NCAA hockey or basketball tournament or a big-name rock band on tour. More live entertainment can be found inside the Palace Theater, newly restored to the gilded splendor of its 1930s heyday, and at the nearby Capitol Repertory Theatre, which wins awards for its staging of new work and revivals of classics. Want to know what it was like to shop in a vintage old-time department store? Lodge's is still open for business! Just a few blocks west, Lark Street is a colorful strip with everything from The Daily Grind, an independent coffee shop, to a number of hopping restaurants, bars, and a used bookstore. (Venture into most of the residential side streets off of Lark, by the way, and you'll be treated to blocks of marvelous restored row houses.)  Looking for a different way to see the city? Albany Aqua Ducks (left) offers a unique amphibious tour of Albany from land and water, in a state-of-the-art “hydra-terra” vehicle certified by the U.S. Coast Guard. Tours leave, appropriately, from "Quack"-enbush Square, right next to the Visitors Center, from May through October.
See more info on activities and businesses | | | | Located opposite Washington Park, in a historic district, Morgan State House offers European-style elegance in a handsome brownstone environment. Back-garden access is available in the warmer months, and the State House’s proximity to the park makes it a great place to stay during the annual Tulip Festival, every spring. (Long-term and corporate lodging is available from the Morgan as well, including access to the 30-car garage that's part of the facility.)  Two major full-service hotels put visitors up right in the heart of downtown. Crowne Plaza Albany (left) offers 384 guest rooms and 18 suites, all with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet service; other amenities include a fitness center with pool and free shuttle service to and from the airport and train station. The nearby Hampton Inn and Suites, meanwhile, has 165 rooms and 44 suites; the spacious double-queen suites are ideal for families, and all the suites feature pull-out plasma screen TVs. Visitors can unwind at the Relaxation Room (complete with massage chair, tanning bed, and sauna) before catching "z's" on the Inn’s exceptionally comfy bedding.
In 2006 Albany’s downtown also becomes home to 74 State, offering full-service luxury accommodations in a boutique setting. For convenience, just two miles from Albany International Airport, try Econo Lodge in Latham.
See more info on lodging |
| For a modest-sized city, Albany boasts an unusual number of first-rate restaurants catering to both sides of the aisle!  In business since 1913, family-owned Jack’s Oyster House (left), located at the bottom of State St., is a great choice for its impeccable traditional fare. Start with the oysters before tackling an entrÈe like the sublime "double-thick barbecue pork chop with mango-bourbon barbecue glaze," which is as good as it sounds. (Traditionalists, take note that the calf's liver remains a beloved Jack's staple.)
McGuire's, on Lark St., draws consistently high praise for its new American cuisine and fresh ingredients. Diners will enjoy the vestiges of the former drugstore’s layout and décor. For a more casual setting, try the always-popular Bombers Burrito Bar, just down the street. An accomplished chef and eclectic menu have helped make Yono's, the recently opened restaurant at the Hampton Inn and Suites, a destination in its own right. The Hampton also houses DP's for lighter, bistro-style fare. Down by the riverfront, the Albany Pump Station is a brewpub and restaurant with award-winning ales to its credit, along with French fries that are utterly addictive! See more info on dining | | | |  Let’s dispel any notion that Albany shuts down once the politicos pack their bags and leave town. In conjunction with its sister city Troy, across the Hudson, the city is home to a thriving local music scene. In addition to larger venues like the Times Union Center, the Palace Theatre, and The Egg, music lovers can try the WAMC Linda Norris Auditorium for acoustic performances in all genres, the downtown rock club Red Square, or The Armory, inside the Washington Avenue Armory. Justin’s, on Lark Street, hosts live jazz five nights a week.
Bars are plentiful along Lark Street and Pearl Street, and don’t forget the lounge area at the Albany Pump Station, complete with fireplace, that makes the brewpub a comfortable spot year-round. Or, just to the north, try the trendy new Noche Lounge (above left), the first nightspot in Albany’s emerging warehouse district. See more info on nightlife |
| AIR: Albany International Airport (518-242-2200) is easily accessible from major roads and Interstates 87, 88 and 90. BUS: Adirondack Trailways (800-858-8555) offers daily service between Albany and Boston, New York, and a number of other locations. The Greyhound/Trailways Bus Terminal, at 34 Hamilton Street (just west of Empire State Plaza’s southern end), is open 24 hours daily. CAR: Albany is an approximately three-hour drive from both Boston, to the east, and New York City, to the south. From the Boston area, hop on the Massachussets Turnpike and just keep heading west to where it becomes I-90 (and joins with New York’s I-87). New York City residents, follow I-87 all the way north. CAR RENTAL: Avis (800-331-1212), Budget (800-527-0700), and Hertz (800-654-3131) all rent from Albany Airport. Enterprise (800-261-7331) has a branch nearby in Clifton Park. LOCAL BUS: Bear in mind that Albany makes an excellent "car-less" getaway! If you’re wearing comfortable shoes, virtually all of the attractions we’ve described are within walking distance of one another. On weekdays, the Downtown Albany Circulator, bus route #16, also makes convenient loops between Empire State Plaza and Broadway from early morning to early evening. TAXI: Cars and limos are available in town through Advantage Limousine and Car Service (518-433-0100) and Premiere Transportation Group (800-515-6123) as well as at the train and bus depots. TRAIN: A train ride along the Hudson River is an exceptionally scenic way to get to and from Albany. Amtrak (800-USA-RAIL) offers daily service between New York City’s Penn Station and Albany; the station is located directly across the river, in Rensselaer (525 East St.). If you are coming by train, call ahead to your hotel for a pick-up or grab a cab. The depot is a quick 5-minute taxi ride from Albany proper. See more info on transportation |
| Because the New York State Capitol is a working government building, visitors should expect an airport security-style check-in at the start of their tour. Remember to wear decent socks, because you will be required to take your shoes off as you pass through.
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All photos courtesy of the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc., except: Crowne Plaza Albany, courtesy of the Crowne Plaza Albany; Jack's Oyster House, courtesy of Jack's Oyster House; Noche Lounge courtesy of Noche Lounge. |
