With a gold milliondollar staircase, a war room and the senate chambers, a visit to the elaborate, stone New York State Capitol Building (it resembles a French chateau) is a great way to get your Capital Region visit started. It sits at one end of the famous, modernist Empire State Plaza, with an extraordinary art collection and an architecturally fascinating eggshaped performing arts center. There’s public art bursting out all over Albany and an award-winning craft beer scene, too. Troy and Schenectady have also recently undergone exciting revitalizations and offer worldclass culture and dining scenes. Both cities offer vibrant outdoor waterfront activities along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers or tour one of the many family farms in rural Washington County. Of course, the spectacularly bucolic Saratoga Springs offers world class thoroughbred racing, live outdoor performances, a globally famous spa and a chic downtown perfect for shopping, sipping and people watching. Bar hopping on Caroline Street—with its legendary wall-to-wall bars and pubs—is a must for partiers.
What’s more politically accurate than breaking bread with the powerful and influential at Albany’s best meat lover spot, 677 Prime Steakhouse? Not much.
The Coat Room, a buzzy speakeasy on Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs, has earned rave reviews for its signature cocktails and fun at this hidden bar.
The boutique Landing Hotel in Schenectady sits on the beautifully restored Mohawk Harbor. Part entertainment hotspot (it’s attached to a casino), the hotel is also a waterfront sanctuary. Cool.
Oversized, clean and well organized, the New York State Museum in Albany covers everything about the Empire State from the indigenous history to 9/11. It’s truly a can’t-miss activity.
