Explorer's Guide Hudson Valley & Catskill Mountains by Joanne Michaels

Author:Joanne Michaels [Michaels, Joanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-58157-721-1
Publisher: Countryman Press
Published: 2013-03-11T16:00:00+00:00

Courtesy of the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau; albany.org

PALACE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Selective Shopping

Lark Street in Albany is known as “the village in the city.” There are over 30 restaurants, two dozen shops, and several fine-art venues on this one street. The best way to experience this area is to walk up and down the street and wander into the boutiques and galleries. Throughout the year there are various festivals on Lark Street, so make sure to check www.larkstreet.org to see what is happening when you plan to visit. The Albany area is known for its excellent shopping, and the majority of shops may be found in the city’s malls. The following three shopping districts are all different in style and provide enough variety for just about any visitor.

Colonie Center (518-459-9020; www.shopatcoloniecenter.com), 131 Colonie Center, Wolf Road and Central Avenue, Albany. (Take the NYS Thruway to exit 24, go through the tollbooth, and head to exit 1N—the Northway. Get off at exit 2, Wolf Road.) Macy’s and Sears are the anchor stores in this huge mall, which is filled with shops as varied as the Christmas Tree Shop and Victoria’s Secret. The mall is also surrounded by stores: across the street are Bed, Bath & Beyond and Barnes & Noble.

Crossgates Mall (518-869-9565; www.shopcrossgatesmall.com), 1 Crossgates Mall Road, Albany. (Take NYS Thruway to exit 24; go to the farthest right tollbooth. Make a right onto Western Avenue. Crossgates Mall Road is less than a mile ahead on the right.) This enormous mall has 180 stores, as well as an 18-theater (stadium seating) and a 12-theater cineplex.

Stuyvesant Plaza (518-482-8986; www.stuyvesantplaza.com), Western Avenue and Fuller Road, Albany. (Take the NYS Thruway to exit 24. Go south on Route 87, the Northway, to Western Avenue. Make a left turn. Approximately 1,500 feet ahead of you, on the left, is Stuyvesant Plaza. Look for sign.) What I like best about this shopping area is that the upscale stores are not enclosed in a mall; the setup is rather old-fashioned, and you must walk outdoors along a sidewalk from store to store. However, the shops (and restaurants) are first-rate and include the Book House, one of the best independent bookstores you will find anywhere. Unless it’s raining, I’d head here first—especially if you are looking for something a little different.

Special Events

Seasonal events abound in the capital city and enhance any vacation stay. So if you are planning a trip to Albany, call 1-800-258-3582 for a complete listing, or check out www.albany.org for what’s happening when you will be there.

February: New York in Bloom (518-474-5877; www.nysm.nysed.gov), New York State Museum, Empire State Plaza, is the capital’s “flower show,” a terrific outing for the entire family—and the perfect antidote to the winter blues.

March: The Capital District Garden & Flower Show (518-356-6410), deemed one of the top 100 events in America by a national tour organization, is held across the Hudson River at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Learn more about the art of gardening with vendors, workshops, lectures, floral designers, and more.

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