About Us

The Capital Region

The capital of New York State, Albany is a bustling urban center well-known for its "small-town" atmosphere. It is at the heart of New York's Capital Region an environmentally and culturally diverse area that is home to nearly one million residents.

Throughout Albany and the surrounding Capital Region, you will find a wide range of affordable, safe, and comfortable neighborhoods. Quality schools and active community groups make the area particularly attractive to young families.  A multitude of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs are offered at 20 area colleges and universities.

State and local libraries, museums, and galleries exist throughout Albany's downtown area, as do many restaurants, theaters, and clubs.  Numerous malls and specialty shops are just a few minutes away.

Holding an audience of 15,000, the Times Union Center hosts minor league and college hockey, NCAA basketball, soccer, and arena football.  It also attracts popular artists from Billy Joel and Garth Brooks to Aerosmith.

The nearby Catskill and Adirondack Mountains provide year round recreation from fishing, hiking and camping to skiing and snow shoeing. A few miles to the north of Albany, Saratoga offers an active summer season with the Freihofer's Jazz Festival and performances by the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York City Opera and Ballet. Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) hosts a yearly summer concert series featuring performances by bands such as Dave Matthews, Steve Miller Band, and Bruce Springsteen. In August, the historic town hosts some of the best thoroughbred racing in the world. To the southeast, you will find the Berkshires, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and several theater groups.
Albany is easily accessible by interstate, rail, or plane. An easy-to-reach airport provides convenient service to most major destinations.  A few hours by car or train will bring you to New York City, Boston, and Montreal.

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