It’s not a conventional birthday getaway destination, but a $100 flight and the promise of cooler weather drew us to Albany at the start of June (our other cheap flight option for Michael’s birthday? Muscle Shoals, Alabama – but that sounded far too hot!).
Although Albany is the capital of the state of New York, it has a surprisingly small-town feel (its nickname? Smallbany), and as such it sits fairly low on the list of most traveler’s destination bucket lists. But if you know me, I’m not one to shy away from places that others deem not worth visiting (a phrase I heard when asking for recommendations on Instagram – yikes!), and I’ll always say yes to a cheap fare. In my humble opinion, every city or town has something worth visiting – or at the very least, some restaurants worth checking out. And the places that offer fewer things to do are really an opportunity to explore the destination more deeply, as opposed to trying to fit all the sights in one quick visit.
The trip that this guide is based on was a short one – in total, we spent about 36 hours in Albany. I feel like this is more or less the sweet spot for a visit to the city (although 48 hours would have been a bit better); our one downfall is that our trip spanned Saturday to Monday, and many places in Albany are closed on Sunday. While there are a few things we were sad to miss, I’m so glad we took the opportunity to visit. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re considering a trip to Albany, too – and I think you’ll be glad you did. Here’s why:
ALBANY SIGHTS + ATTRACTIONS
Things to do in Albany
New York State Capitol | State St. and, Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12224 Empire State Plaza | 100 S Mall Arterial, Albany, NY 12242 The Egg | Agency Building 1, S Mall Arterial, Albany, NY 12203 New York State Museum | 222 Madison Ave, Albany, NY 12230 Albany Institute of History and Art | 125 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210 Fort Orange General Store | 412 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207 Lark Street Mercantile | (Now Closed) Washington Park | 35 Willett St, Albany, NY 12210
The grand New York State Capitol building is available for limited tours Monday through Friday. Unfortunately, our schedule didn’t allow time for a look inside, but the building is a sight to behold even from the outside. In fact, wandering the Empire State Plaza should be high on your list of things to do in Albany. It features an array of different styles of architecture (such as The Egg), perfect for shutterbugs. And if you’re lucky, there may even be a fun event going on. If not, don’t fret – the New York State Museum borders the plaza and is open Tuesday-Sunday. Admission is free, and the museum chronicles life in New York from Indigenous Peoples to the modern day. The state’s natural surroundings are highlighted here too; the gem section, in particular, really rocks. If you’re not feeling museum fatigue, the Albany Institute of History and Art is just a few blocks away. It includes an interesting collection of both historical artifacts (there are two mummies in the collection, for example) and modern art pieces. The Institute also showcases an impressive number of paintings from The Hudson River School, which are not to be missed.
Speaking of the Hudson River, Corning Preserve is a small park bordering the river, offering locals and visitors alike a place to safely walk and bike with sweeping views of the city and the river. While you’re down that way, be sure to pop into Fort Orange General Store for a locally-made souvenir. You also might like to check out Lark Street Mercantile (now closed) on your walk to a much larger, grander park: Washington Park. You may notice some similarities to NYC’s Central Park; that’s because Washington Park is considered an “Olmstedian” park, which incorporates many of the features used by Frederick Law Olmsted in his design for Central Park. The park had an extra festive atmosphere during our visit because it coincided with the region’s largest Pride Festival. When it’s time to depart the park, don’t forget to look up! The architecture of the homes surrounding the park is certainly worth your while.
ALBANY FOOD + DRINK
Where to fill your belly (and cup!) in Albany
Stacks Espresso | Multiple Locations Cider Belly Doughnuts | 53 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY 12205 Iron Gate Cafe | 182 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210 Son of Egg | 418 Madison Ave, Albany, NY 12210 Herbie's Burgers | 196 Lark St, Albany, NY 12210 Sheba Al-Yemen Restaurant | 340 Central Ave, Albany, NY 12206 Pint Sized | 250 Lark St, Albany, NY 12210 The Lo-Fi | 200 Lark St, Albany, NY 12210
Personally, food is the biggest draw for me when traveling – and thankfully Albany has no shortage of places to eat and drink! Start your day off right with a great cup of coffee from Stacks Espresso (there are two locations: a fancier-feeling one downtown, and a more homey spot on Lark Street); they roast their own beans, so what’s in your cup is bound to be ultra-fresh. Depending on your appetite, your next stop should be either Cider Belly Doughnuts or Iron Gate Cafe. The cider doughnuts at Cider Belly are out of this world, and you’ll be tempted to order more than you think you need (we planned to order two – and walked out with five). I’m going to nudge you and say you won’t regret giving in to temptation. As for a more brunch-like meal, Iron Gate Cafe is the place to go for a reason. Some brunch spots feel like they’re popular only for the atmosphere or only for the food – but Iron Gate offers style and substance. Place your name on the waitlist well ahead of time if you’re seeking a weekend brunch; we’re glad we did, as the wait was over an hour long (perfectly fine with us, as it meant we could continue exploring). Once we arrived, we were swiftly seated and enjoyed an outstanding meal.
If you just don’t understand ~brunch~, I bet you’ll still be happy with lunch at Son of Egg. This cheery spot offers a curated selection of both Korean favorites and modern twists, like a Crispy Chicken Sandwich (with spicy KBBQ sauce) and a Bulgogi Beef Burger. Seating is limited, but you’re not too far from Washington Park if you need to turn your meal into a picnic. Dinner offers a range of restaurants, from divey to fancy. This visit brought us to Herbie’s Burgers one night and Sheba Al-Yemen Restaurant the next. While vastly different, both were equally memorable. The homemade veggie burger at Herbie’s made me forget about meat entirely, and I wish I could eat the ethereally-smooth hummus and fragrant rice from Sheba every day for the rest of my life. All of the meals I ate in Albany made me temporarily consider moving there.
To end the night, head to any place on Lark Street that suits your fancy. If beer is your go-to drink, you’ll probably enjoy Pint Sized. This tiny bar offers an impressive assortment of local beer on draft and in cans, and the staff is knowledgeable about what they’re serving. If you’re in a cocktail mood, you have to check out The Lo-Fi. Even though it’s a newer addition to the bar scene, it has the cutest retro vibes and plenty of nooks and crannies to get cozy with your date.
WHERE TO STAY IN ALBANY
Center Square, Sheridan Park, or Downtown Albany
There are surprisingly few hotels in downtown Albany, and the ones that do exist primarily cater to business travelers (a fact I don’t typically mind, but it’s good to know). This usually means that rates are high during the week, and potentially lower on the weekend. But except for The Argus Hotel and the Washington Park Inn (which we considered and then decided against after reading the reviews), all across the board we found that the cost of a hotel would be far greater than an Airbnb. Yet again, there were fewer Airbnbs than I would have expected – although that made it easier to sift through and narrow down our choices.
After plotting out the places we were interested in visiting on a map, we decided it would be best to stay somewhere between Washington Park and Downtown. We found a place, and could move on to creating a more structured itinerary – or so we thought.
We experienced our first Airbnb cancellation ever right before this trip (in all honesty, I’m surprised it took this long to happen!), and scrambled to rebook a place nearby – with even fewer available options than before. Thankfully we found a spot just a few more blocks away in vibrant Sheridan Hollow. It added an extra 5-10 minutes on to our walking time, but ultimately served us just fine for the trip. And another thing that added to additional walking time was the elevation. Being from the South, I sometimes forget how hilly places can be! In any case, if you’re planning to stick to the downtown core as we did, I’d recommend staying in the Center Square area. If you have access to a car, you’ll find much more availability a bit further afield.
WITH MORE TIME IN ALBANY
I hope to one day return to Albany as a starting point for a road trip through Upstate New York – but before heading out of the city, I’d like to visit a few places from my list that I didn’t have time for: dining at Rosanna’s, Savoy Taproom, Shining Rainbow, Mamoun’s Falafel Restaurant, Oaxaquena Triqui, Rain Modern Chinese, Café Capriccio, and Kismet Mediterranean Grill; catching a show at the Palace Theatre, touring the capitol, and walking the Albany Skyway; shopping at Byron and Gill Mercantile (now closed), Up-Stitch; and grabbing a drink at Druthers Brewing Company, Delaware Supply, Nine Pin Cider. If you visit any of these on your trip, be sure to report back and let us know how it was!
TRAVEL TIPS FOR ALBANY, NEW YORK
Albany International Airport (ALB) is located just six miles away from downtown Albany, and unless you’re flying from a city on the east coast (or Chicago, Detroit, or Denver), you’re likely going to wind up on a connecting flight. Uber and Lyft are available, although wait times were often around ten minutes when traveling between the airport and downtown. Public transportation is also available and appears to serve the city fairly well with reasonably priced fares (they cap out at $3.90 for the day). But in my opinion, downtown Albany is best explored on foot. Tree-lined streets, wide sidewalks, and unique architecture beckon travelers to wander a little.
While homelessness is an issue in many cities, as a visitor it was impossible not to notice the high population of unhoused individuals in our neighborhood and surrounding areas. I say this not to deter you from visiting, but just to make you aware (in all honesty, I wasn’t expecting it; I guess I figured the capital city might have the resources to provide adequate assistance). I wholeheartedly wish I had the answer to address this issue, but I know it can’t happen without systemic change; if during your visit to Albany you feel moved to contribute, HATAS is a local organization working to help the community.
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Has Albany been on your travel list?
I live in a nearby city but, I enjoyed your tour.
You should also visit Saratoga Springs or Lake George. The Catskills are also beautiful.