Albany

Fast Facts About Albany

Albany is the capital city of the state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York’s four-county Capital District. State government is the largest employment sector in Albany. Albany has close economic ties with the nearby cities of Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs, forming an 11-county region called the Capital District.

Albany’s population has been declining while the greater Capital Region population continues to grow. The city had an estimated population of 93,358 in 2020. The population of the greater metropolitan area was estimated at just over 1 million in 2019. In 2009, Albany’s Quadricentennial year(400 years), Albany won the prestigious All-American City award from National Civic League (NCL) for history, youth programming, and an economic vision called Capitalize Albany.

One of the first things visitors to Albany do is take the elevator to the top of the Corning Tower. Overlooking the Empire State Plaza, the Tower is the tallest building in New York State outside of New York City. The glass-walled observation deck on the 42nd floor offers visitors an amazing view of the city and mountains in the distance. Another popular attraction is the USS Slater. The ship is docked in the Hudson River in Albany and is a floating military museum like no other. Of the 563 Destroyer Escorts that were built and employed during WWII, the Slater is the last surviving one still afloat. Most of the docents are retired naval officers who give interesting details about the ship and its crew as you go from bunk room to the engine room to the captain’s dining quarters. And no visit to Albany would be complete without a visit to John Boyd Thacher State Park. Located 18 miles from downtown Albany, it offers up breathtaking views from the top of the Helderlberg Escarpment.

Aided by the presence of strong universities, the Capital Region has been successful in attracting and retaining high technology businesses, including a world-class center for nanotech research and development, a global computer chip fabrication plant, alternative energy companies, and many other businesses.

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