Troy, NY Road Trips

Troy was a major city during the early years of American industrialization in the first half of the 19th century, with iron, ironware, steel, flour and textile manufacturing among the industries that flourished in and around Troy throughout the boom times of the entire 19th century. Troy continued to have some very productive industries through the 1920s, but during Prohibition, its bootlegging industry was probably the most famous in the area. Starting not long after World War II, most of Troy's industries increasingly either fled to the South, where the cotton for the textiles is grown, unions were weaker and wages were lower; or to the West, which was by that time closer to most of the mines that were still productive; or simply went out of business. Then, when U.S. industries went bust starting in the 1960s and 70s, Troy went even further into a depression, losing population and having the feel of being lost in time. Since there was no monetary profit in tearing down buildings in Troy and replacing them with modern highrises, they were just left alone until the early 1960s, when public opposition to a plan to raze some historic buildings downtown prompted successful applications to preserve buildings and later entire districts of Troy as landmarks. Troy has since revived to a significant degree, with numerous buildings in its Central Historic District being restored.

1 Burden Iron Works Museum, 1 East Industrial Pkwy, ☏ +1 518 274-5267. Schedule a tour for a crash course in area history. 2 Oakwood Cemetery, 186 Oakwood Avenue (Going on Hoosick St, turn North on Oakwood Avenue (Rt 40) and go for half a mile), ☏ +1 518 272-7520. Daily 8am-7pm. A very large cemetery with many monuments, mausoleums, and statues. Among the interred is Samuel Wilson, considered a possible namesake of the "Uncle Sam" character. 3 Poesten Kill Gorge Park. literally means "foaming or puffing stream" in Dutch, powered mills in the gorge for more than 300 years. The waterfall is located in a peaceful, secluded location in the middle of the city of Troy. The gorge can be viewed from a visitors' lot off Linden Avenue, between Pawling and Spring Avenues. 4 Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, 30 2nd Street, ☏ +1 518 273-8945. 5 T'was the Night Before Christmas historical marker, 225 River St. The poem A Visit from St. Nicolas that begins with "T'was the night before Christmas" was first published in The Troy Sentinel, a local newspaper, on December 23, 1823 and is memorialized in this marker.

Aside from the specific listings below, it's great just to walk around the historic district and look at the buildings. 1 Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 6th Avenue, ☏ +1 518 272-2390. The Sanctuary for Independent Media is a telecommunications production facility dedicated to community media arts, located in an historic former church. The Sanctuary hosts screening, production and performance facilities, training in media production and a meeting space for artists, activists and independent media makers of all kinds. The diverse films, talks, showcases and music events in 2010 included a talk by bestselling "Blackwater" investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill; music from emerging Afropop star Bassekou Kouyate and his band from Mali; a multimedia presentation by author Scott Christianson on Harriet Tubman's heroic 1860 slave rescue in Troy; filmmaker Alex Rivera screening his acclaimed sci-fi adventure "Sleep Dealer"; and the weekend Bike!Bike! Northeast celebration of bicycle culture. 2 Troy Bike Rescue, 3280 6th Avenue, ☏ +1 518 328-4827. Open Shop Mondays 5-8PM. Troy Bike Rescue is a collective of people in the capital region committed to removing bikes from the waste stream and getting them back on the streets. Operating on a volunteer basis out of donated spaces in both Troy and Albany, they are part of an international movement of "community bike projects" - using bicycles to create community. 3 Frear Park, 2701 Lavin Ct, ☏ +1 518 270-4553. 247-acre 18-hole public golf course, hockey arena, and outdoor playgrounds.

1 The Ale House, 680 River Street (just north of Hoosick St.), ☏ +1 518 272-9740. A pub well known for its big and crispy Buffalo style chicken wings. They offer patio seating on warm nights and frequently host live bands on weekends. Worth a stop north of Hoosick for the nicely priced brews, consistently perfect chicken wings, and lively neighborhood atmosphere. (updated Nov 2015) 2 Ali Baba, 2243 15th Street, ☏ +1 518 273-1170. serves affordable and generously portioned Turkish and Greek dishes. Their enormous lavash bread is baked on site in an impressive brick fire oven. 3 Bella Napoli Italian Bakery, 721 River Street, ☏ +1 518 274-8277. is one of two branches (the other is in Latham). Feast on Italian style cookies, almond horns, cakes and freshly baked rolls and breads. 4 DeFazio's, 266 4th Street, ☏ +1 518 271-1111. makes homemade pasta and award-winning pizza, as well as their own sauce. Adjacent to the small restaurant (just a couple tables, take-out also available) is a small Italian grocery store where you can buy DeFazio's pasta, sauces, and goods in jars. 5 Dinosaur BBQ, 377 River Street, ☏ +1 518 308-0400. It has become a favorite, with several locations throughout New York. Expect hearty portions of Southern-style barbeque ribs, jerk chicken, fried green tomatoes, and a mighty spicy macaroni and cheese. Dinosaur is located right on the river and was flooded badly in September 2011 by Tropical Storm Irene; restoration took place in less than two weeks.

1 Brown's Brewing Company, 417 River Street, ☏ +1 518 273-2337. It is a highly rated and very popular craft brewery and pub-restaurant that has been supplying the Capital Region with ales, lagers, stouts and more since 1993. The Taproom is a comfortable spot for after-work drinks and dinner on warm evenings. Amid the myriad reviews singing its praise lie some complaints that their lines are not always clean, but Brown's offers an undeniably chill and laid-back experience, with lots of weekly/monthly events, theme dinners, and a great patio. The nacho starter is a meal for three. You can find Brown's beers at local supermarkets. (updated Nov 2015) 2 Footsy Magoos, 17 1st Street, ☏ +1 518 720-8115. It doesn't have a sign on either side, so ask a plugged-in local where to find it (hint: it's downtown on 1st St). Once you find it, enjoy a relaxed bar with tabletop games, Skee-ball (will cost you 25 cents), cool bathroom decor, and a cozy enclosed patio out back. 3 The Ruck, 104 3rd Street, ☏ +1 518 273-1872. It functions primarily as a "last stop of the night" bar, but their Buffalo wings (and "wing fries" - French fries drowning in an artery-clogging mixture of buffalo sauce and bleu cheese) deserve a shout-out. Stop by between 6-8PM on Friday evenings and wait patiently by the counter for free wings at happy hour! stays open late - until 4AM - and almost everybody ends up there at the end of the night. Their selection of beers on tap is excellent, with lower prices than a lot of competing bars.

1 Hilton Garden Inn Troy, 235 Hoosick Street, ☏ +1 518 272-1700. Ample meeting space, free parking, and the Recovery Sports Grill is on site. (updated Nov 2015) 2 Best Western Plus Franklin Square Inn, 1 4th Street, ☏ +1 518 274-8800. Reasonable sized rooms but has a slightly old furniture feeling. Free basic breakfast that is edible. (updated Nov 2015) 3 Olde Judge Mansion, 3300 Sixth Avenue, ☏ +1 518 274-5698. Bed & Breakfast

By plane, fly into Albany International Airport. If you visit via train, the nearest Amtrak station is Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station. The Greyhound bus drops you off in downtown Albany's Greyhound terminal, from which you can take CDTA bus #22 to downtown Troy. Troy is easily accessible by way of I-87 North, exit 7. It is also well connected to local highway 787 from exits 7E, 8 and 9E.

Public Transportation CDTA (Capital District Transit Authority) serves Troy as well as Albany, Schenectady and (to an extent) Saratoga Springs. For full information on bus routes and schedules, visit the CDTA website at CDTA.org. Many of the cab companies in Troy serve Albany as well but may have different fare structures. Cab fare from downtown Troy to downtown Albany is approximately $30.