Capital District
The Capital District refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of New York: Schenectady County, Albany County, Saratoga County and Rensselaer County. The Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA was ranked the fourth largest urban area in New York State and the 56th most populous in the United States of America. The Capital District real estate market is unique. It encompasses several outlying counties and housing choices are varied and plentiful. Whether you are looking for a city brownstone in the heart of Albany, a suburban ranch within a short drive of I-87 or I-90, or a historic colonial on a quiet country road, you can find it all in or near the Capital Region.

Albany is the capital of New York and the county seat of Albany County. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 95,658. The city’s economy is centered around state government. The City of Albany lies 145 miles north of and slightly east of New York City, and slightly to the south of the juncture of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers.

Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County. The population was 26,186 at the 2000 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word “Saratoga” is known to be a corruption of an Algonquian place name, authorities disagree on what the exact word was, and hence its meaning. The City of Saratoga Springs is in the northeast part of the county. The city is perhaps most famous for the Saratoga Race Course, the oldest continuously-operating thoroughbred track in the United States.

The city is also notable for its vibrant night life. Its Caffè Lena introduced a young Bob Dylan to the world. Arlo Guthrie played the Caffè early in his career and has returned for occasional benefit concerts. Singer Don McLean is said to have composed his “American Pie” sitting at a table in the Tin & Lint, a bar on Caroline Street. A plaque marks the table today.

Recently, Beekman Street (four blocks west of Broadway) has become an art district, housing four galleries and a bistro. Now artists live and work in co-ops and arrange social events. While many congratulate themselves on “revitalizing” a “deteriorating” area, others consider such declarations an insult to the generations of Saratogians of marginalized ethnicities that toiled in support the tourism economy of the city, and were traditionally segregated to this once-remote quarter.

Schenectady
Schenectady is known as “The City that Lights and Hauls the World”. It’s a medium sized city with a population around 62,000 residents near the juncture of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. From high-tech industries to rural open spaces, our county offers a rich and diverse environment in which to live, work and raise a family. It was first settled in 1661 when the area was a colony of the Netherlands. Union College was founded here in 1795. In 1887 Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works to Schenectady and in 1892 Schenectady became the headquarters of the General Electric Company. The American Locomotive Company (ALCO) was also based in Schenectady.

Troy
Troy is more than 200 years old. Located along the Hudson River. Troy was a major center for the industrial revolution in the 1800’s. Most of Troy’s buildings date from the 18th and 19th centuries including wood frame, terra cotta, brownstone, and brick houses in Queen Anne, Mansard, Beaux Arts, Romanesque, Italianate, Greek Revival, and Gothic Revival.