Schenectady Travel Guide

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This is a multimedia theater with stage performances of the latest and oldest plays, a movie venue for the newest big screen attractions, and a place where some of the great dancers and musicians can demonstrate their skills.

It is a 19th century architecture with the most modern accomodations in lighting, seating, sound and comfort. The 3-story atrium is spectacular; the red velvet seats row on row down to the stage provide great viewing no matter where you sit. The audio system and inherent acoustics provide state-of-the-art sound reproduction.

The schedule of events is available on the website below and tickets usually start at $45 a head and most really good events range from $65 to $90. To get good seats you need to order tickets (from the website) at least 30 days before the event and sometimes even farther ahead.

A local landmark in Schenectady's "little italy, " Civitello's is a bakery and cafe. In the summer, come for the italian ice, and all year round come in for a few pieces of "pizza" or more accurately, tomato pie, sliced square and only topped with garlic and tomato sauce. Under a dollar a slice means you can have two (pick the corner) and a glass bottle of root beer for under $5. If you eat inside the cafe, you will be tempted by the freshly baked italian desserts on display. Enjoy old fashioned service, and spy the baby jesus statue in the corner, this place is definately italian catholic... Yummy!

Favorite Dish: The tomato pie, lightly garlicy, the crust is crunchy perfect, pick a corner or an edge. It's room temperature, perfect for enjoying all the flavors.

What's better than a little free music in the heart of our historic stockade. The Van Dyck, online at http://www.thevandyck.com/ offers a free jazz jam on tues. and a free piano bar on thurs. Come for the music, and bring your instrument to join in, come to people watch the local music scene and various eccentric and hip locals, or just come for a glass of wine and ambiance. In the summer, get there a little early and treat yourself to a stroll around the historic stockade neighborhood.

Dress Code: Dress respectfully.

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Schenectady, like many other larger cities, is loosely divided into "neighborhoods". These groups of people know where their boundaries are even if they aren't apparent to tourists or don't appear as lines on a map. Over the years, neighborhoods rise, fall and merge. They are usually founded on economic, ethnic or social bases but can be something as simple as a prominent geographic feature that binds people together.

The present neighborhoods in Schenectady are:
12309 Neighborhood
Bellevue Neighborhood
Central State Street Neighborhood
College Park
Eastern Avenue Neighborhood
East Front Street Neighborhood
Hamilton Hill Neighborhood
Mont Pleasant
Stockade Neighborhood
Union Triangle Neighborhood
Woodlawn Neighborhood

Much of Schenectady shows "low risk" to "very low risk" on the crime statistics charts. But three contiguous areas (zipcodes 12305, 12307, 12308) have crime data that is twice as risky for Rape, Robbery and Burglary as an average city in New Yok State. (see the attached map)
There are over 100 registered sex offenders in the area.

If you are going to be in the area of the zipcodes mentioned above, then you should use high caution to protect yourself from becoming a crime statistic. If you don't have to spend time at night in those areas then be all means don't. If you do have to be in the affected areas then be sure to lock car doors and motel doors and use the peep hole to check visitors. Put valuables in a secured place (locked trunk of the car or motel safe). Do not go out alone at night.

Ride along the river from Schenectady on our scenic bike/hike trail. Beautiful river views, picnic tables and park on Lock 8, clean paved trail. A convenient starting point is in the parking lot of SCCC (our college). The trail from the parking lot to Lock 8 is under 3 miles, a 6 mile round trip. For the bold, the trail entends farther, and actually goes in the other direction all the way to Troy, NY

Equipment: Bicycle, water bottle, spf 15. There is a small country store with apples, ice cream, etc. farther out for the adventurous. For a map, call the Schenectady County Planning Department at (518) 386-2225.