Albany, NY- Empire State Capital, Gate to the Mountains

Albany, NY, the capital of New York State is locatedstands 589 feet high and is the tallest building in New
135 miles up the Hudson River from New York City.York State outside New York City. There is also the
It has a population of about 96,000, and is locatedLegislative Office Building, the Cultural Education
slightly south of the juncture of the Hudson and theCenter with the State Library and Museum, the
Mohawk rivers. Albany is close to the cities of TroyJustice Building, and the impressive performing arts
and Schenectady, forming what is known as thecenter known as "The Egg" around Empire State
Capital District, and the whole area should be lookedPlaza. The NY State Museum has exhibits displaying
at when considering Albany homes. This area makesthe state�s history and natural heritage as well as
up the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Areaart exhibits. The museum is free. The historic Palace
with a population of 850,000.Theatre is a pre-World War II, ornate movie house
Albany has been the capital of New York State sincethat has recently been rehabilitated and now is the
1797. Much of Albany�s importance derives fromvenue for medium sized, that is, up to 2,800 seat
its location along the Hudson River, and its laterconcerts and performances.
connections through railroads and the Erie Canal. InFor some exciting sports fun, there is the
1807, Robert Fulton started a steamboat line fromAlbany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, New York.
New York City to Albany. On October 26, 1825 theThere are hockey, football and basketball games at
Erie Canal was completed, forming a canal and riverthe Pepsi Arena, baseball at nearby Heritage Park or
route from the Lake Erie to New York City. Thethe thoroughbred racetrack at Saratoga in the warm
Mohawk and Hudson Railroad between Albany andweather months.
Schenectady, New York opened on September 24,Albany is also a college town in a major way, home
1831 and later became part of the New York Centralof one of the four big State University campuses of
Railroad. Albany is still a transit hub between Montreal,New York, SUNY-Albany with over 16,000
Canada to the north, Worcester and Boston Mass. toundergraduate and graduate students. Just a cab ride
the east, New York City to the south and Buffaloaway from downtown is Rensselaer Polytechnic
and the Great Lakes to the west.Institute in Troy, NY. It is known as a top
Between 1965 and 1978, the Empire State Plaza wasengineering, science and technology school. It has
constructed in Albany's Midtown, west of Downtownover 7,000 students and has occupied its campus
and south of the Capitol building, now named aftersince 1824 with its own share of ornate historic
Governor Nelson Rockefeller. The Corning Towerlandmark buildings.