Pine Hills, Albany: is it worth staying in?
Pine Hills Albany tree-lined residential street
Pine Hills is Albany's college neighborhood — cheaper rentals, decent food, and a 15-minute drive to downtown for $80 to $110 a night.
The vibe
Pine Hills wraps around the College of Saint Rose and stretches along Madison Avenue and Western. It's a working residential neighborhood with student rentals, family homes, and a food strip along Madison that punches above its weight. You won’t find hotels here to speak of — a handful of short-term rentals and B&Bs run $95 to $130 a night. Stay here if you want cheap and quiet; skip it if you want to walk to sights.
The food strip
Madison Avenue between Ontario and Allen is the eating zone. The Madison Pour House does solid bar food at $15. Sushi Tei is a legitimate sushi spot in a residential-looking building. Emack & Bolio's for ice cream. Bomber's Burrito Bar on Ontario is the college classic and worth the $10 burrito. For groceries and pharmacy, the Honest Weight Food Co-op on Watervliet Avenue is nearby and one of the region's best.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Pine Hills, answered with this month’s numbers.
CDTA bus 10 runs Madison Avenue directly downtown, roughly every 20 minutes, 25 minutes end-to-end. It works.
Yes — it's a residential college neighborhood. The blocks immediately around Saint Rose can get loud on weekend nights during term but it's not a safety issue.
