Day trip to Troy from Albany
Fifteen minutes north on Route 787, Troy gives you two solid meals, one great market, and 19th-century brick blocks.
River Street brick storefronts in downtown Troy
Getting there
Drive Route 787 north from downtown Albany, 15 minutes to the Green Island Bridge exit. Parking on River Street is free for two hours or $1 an hour in the Uncle Sam lot on Fulton Street. CDTA Route 22 runs from downtown Albany to downtown Troy every 15 minutes for $1.50, about 30 minutes end to end.
What to actually do
Saturday is farmers market day, 9am to 2pm on River Street year-round, indoors in winter at the Atrium. It is one of the best in the Northeast. Any day, walk River Street and Broadway for the cast-iron facades. The Rensselaer County Historical Society on Second Street runs $5 tours. Emma Willard School's Gothic campus on Pawling Avenue is walkable for free.
Where to eat
Ali Baba on Congress Street for $12 kebab plates, family-friendly, the falafel is better than anything in Albany. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on River Street for ribs around $22 with a river view. Coffee at Superior Merchandise on River, $5 pour-overs. If you’re staying for dinner, Peck's Arcade on Broadway does small plates $14 to $22 and a natural-wine list.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they set off on this one.
The downtown core along River Street, Broadway, and Congress is fine day and night. Same street-smart rules apply after 10pm as in any small city.
Four to six hours covers it. A Saturday morning at the market plus lunch and a walk is the sweet spot.
Yes, every Saturday year-round. November to April it moves indoors to the Uncle Sam Atrium on Fulton Street.
Yes. CDTA Route 22 from downtown Albany is $1.50 and drops you on River Street. Total transit time about 30 minutes.
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