Spend your time in the Empire State's capital city brushing up on your government knowledge—it'll pay off if you're ever on "Jeopardy!"—or use Albany as a home base for exploring the Adirondacks and the rest of the region. There’s plenty to do in this New York city, so pack your bags and get ready to discover the Capital Region.
Snow and Sun
Albany shares the same cool springs, hot summers and crisp autumns as the rest of upstate New York, but the capital city gets a break come winter. The city gets an average of about 44 inches of snow per winter; sure, that may sound like a lot, but Buffalo and Syracuse both see around twice that amount every year. Winter temps are still chilly, with January averages in the 20s, but summer days are humid with temperatures in the 70s and 80s. In spring and fall, expect anything between 40 and 70 degrees. Fall is the most magical time in Albany, when the leaves change color and the air is crisp and clean.
The Law and the Land
Learn a little about state history and law at the state capitol building, where free tours are offered throughout the week. Join a tour as a walk-in Monday through Friday, or make a reservation to tour the building on the second Saturday of each month. Continue your education at the New York State museum, or tour the USS Slater, a World War II destroyer ship that's open for tours spring through fall. Albany also makes the perfect home base for exploring surrounding attractions and cities. Make day trips to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, bet on the ponies in Saratoga Springs and climb the hiking trails of the Adirondacks.
We the People
As you'd expect, New York State is one of Albany's major employers; about 50,000 locals are employed by the state government. Another 40,000 or so work in local government. Health care and education are also big business in Albany, and the Price Chopper chain of grocery stores employs thousands at its headquarters in nearby Schenectady. Expect to see lots of people rushing around in suits while you're relaxing in a cafe.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Making it to Albany by election is challenging. Getting to the city itself, however, is easy. Fly into the Albany International Airport on Delta, United, Southwest or one of the other major carriers that serve the city. You can get to the city using Amtrak or Greyhound, and many bus companies travel between New York City and Albany daily. Intercity transportation is pretty typical for a city this size; you can travel nearly anywhere you need to go by public bus, but otherwise you'll have to get around by car.
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