Where to stay in Pine Hills
Madison Avenue in Pine Hills near the University at Albany downtown campus
The College of Saint Rose and UAlbany downtown campus neighborhood has cheap rentals from $85-$130, half the price of Downtown.
Who it suits
Pine Hills is where you book for a graduation, a campus visit to Saint Rose, UAlbany, or Albany Law School, or any trip where you want to spend $100 instead of $180. Madison Avenue between Ontario and Allen has bakeries, pizza places, and Madison Theatre; Delaware Avenue is a 10-minute walk south. The area is flat, has a #10 CDTA bus running downtown every 15 minutes, and street parking is usually free (mind the permit signs near campus). Rentals are simple, often in triple-decker houses.
Who it doesn’t suit
You are 2.5 miles from the Capitol, which is a 10-minute drive or a 25-minute bus ride — not a walk. There are no hotels here, only Airbnbs and rented rooms, so expect self-check-in and no housekeeping. Late-August through May, undergraduate parties on Quail Street and Ontario Street can be loud on weekend nights. Business travelers with downtown meetings and no rental car will find the daily commute annoying.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Pine Hills, answered with this month’s numbers.
Pine Hills — it is a 10-minute walk to the Saint Rose campus versus a 25-minute walk from Center Square.
The Madison Avenue corridor and blocks near the colleges are fine. Property crime (car break-ins) is the main issue, so do not leave anything visible in a parked car overnight.
