Upper Union Street or Downtown Schenectady: which to book
Restaurants along Upper Union Street in Schenectady's GE Realty Plot area
Upper Union has around 20 rentals at $110-$160 and puts you 8 minutes from Union College and 10 from Downtown Schenectady.
Who it suits
Upper Union Street is Schenectady's dinner-out neighborhood — a 6-block strip with Cornell's, Perreca's Bakery nearby, Aperitivo Bistro, Ambition Coffee House, and a walkable cluster of small shops. Rentals along Union Street, Lenox Road, and the GE Realty Plot streets are quiet, tree-lined, and 10 minutes on foot to Union College. Book here for a Union parents' weekend, a Proctors show (about a mile away), or if you want Schenectady's best restaurant walk without staying in the still-quiet downtown core.
Who it doesn’t suit
This is Schenectady, not Albany — plan for a 20-minute drive or a 40-minute CDTA #905 bus ride to reach Downtown Albany. There are no hotels on Upper Union itself; the Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden are downtown near Proctors. Skip Upper Union if you need a proper hotel, if you have a show at MVP Arena in Albany, or if you want to walk to the Empire State Plaza. For those trips, book in Downtown Albany or near Proctors instead.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Downtown Albany, answered with this month’s numbers.
It is about a 25-minute walk or a 5-minute drive to Proctors on State Street. Most people drive or take a $10 Uber.
About 17 miles and 25-30 minutes on I-90 with no traffic.
