Troy, NY

[Guest Samantha]

I got my undergraduate degree from RPI in 2003, and might go back there this fall if they let me. So if there's anyone considering going there, I can offer info and answer questions. Russel Sage College is in Troy, NY too, so if you're going there, I can answer general questions about the area. But from the "results" page it doesn't look like many are going to either

[Guest Pedro]

Samantha,

I got accepted for the Comp. Sci. PhD program at RPI. I would love to ask you some questions if you don't mind. Could you please email me

(diazjimenez [AT] gmail.com). Thanks!

[Guest guest]

I am wondering what life is like in Troy, how is the campus and such... any info you could give on how you liked it an things to do would be great.

[Guest Samantha]

I'll just rehash what I emailed to Pedro.

The campus is nice. The buildings are mostly from the early 1900's and most have that green copper roof style. Everything's pretty close together, so you are never really more than a 5 minute walk from your next class. The computing resources are also excellent. I spent a lot of my time in the 24-hour computer lab that is housed in an old cathedral. It's got almost 100 machines and is usually pretty empty from about 5pm on. All undergrads have their own laptops so they don't use the labs that much. My laptop sucked, so I definitely was there a lot though. RPI got an unrestricted $360 million anonymous donation a few years back, and they've been improving accordingly. There's a newly built biotechnology center, parking garage, and they're working on a performing arts center thing. Why they think an engineering school needs one of those, I'll never understand. Looks interesting, though.

Most of what you've probably heard about Troy is true. It's kind of a boring, unappealing city. It's heyday was in the 1950's and it seems to have gone downhill from there. However, with this $360 million they just got, the school has been buying up some property in the surrounding area and restoring it. There's a "downtown" area that's got a couple bars and clubs. The RPI students and the Troy locals (sometimes affectionately referred to as Troylets) don't seem to mesh all that well, so students seem to stick together and frequent the same few places. A bar called The Ruck is one of the more popular ones. Elda's and Eldorados were popular when I was there, but I believe both of those have closed down due to some sort of legal troubles (they were owned by the same dude).

So Troy isn't stellar, but Albany is only 10 minutes away. It's no Manhattan either, but it's got a lot more to offer. Speaking of Manhattan, New York City and Boston are both 2.5 hours away, so if you needed to escape for a weekend, they're both relatively close. You can get a bus from Albany to NYC for something like $40 round trip, I think. There's also great skiing in the area, and RPI has a ski club that runs trips to the mountains. Vermont is a short ride away (30 minutes?) There's also a lot of parks and lakes and that kind of thing in Troy's general area. Upstate NY also has a lot of wineries, and NY State wine is starting to become big.

Almost forgot. Living in Troy is cheap. Super cheap. Three years ago when I lived there, my portion of the rent on a 2-bedroom apartment a block away from campus was $245. If you tried, you could probably keep your rent around $300 or less with a roommate. If you live alone, you could probably swing around $500. Food is pretty cheap.

If you aren't familiar with upstate NY winters, just making sure you know that it gets cold as balls, and it snows a lot. Classes are rarely cancelled for snow. If 2 feet of snow fall overnight, then maybe class will be cancelled. The grass usually isn't seen very much between December and March.

You can definitely get by in Troy without a car. There's a lot of cheap apartments in the blocks surrounding campus.

If you didn't already know, RPI is 75% male.

To summarize: I loved RPI, the academics were great, and nearly every professor I had was very eager to help and made him or herself available. I disliked Troy and complained about it a whole lot. But I do miss the cheap rent.

Some links that might help...

Info on computer labs: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/arc/pcinfo/pcinfo.html

On the NY Capital region: http://rpinfo.rpi.edu/regional.html

Off-campus housing database: http://offcampus.union.rpi.edu/ (might also want to check http://albany.craigslist.com for off-campus apartments)

On-campus housing for grad students: http://j2ee.rpi.edu/reslife/update.do?c ... at%2823%29

A campus map: http://www.rpi.edu/virtual_tour/travel.html

What program did you apply to? I was an undergrad in the ECSE department so if that's your program, I could discuss professors and classes and such (graduated '03). I've also applied to the Ph.D. program in the ECSE department this year (haven't heard back yet :evil: )

[Guest DarkVomit]

I applied for the Ph.D. Program in Physics, so I dont think the professors are going to overlap much. Thats some great info though, I knew it was in the middle of nowhere but had no idea about the campus and such. Didn't really think about the male/female ratio till you pointed it out I should have put two and two together though and thought, tech school, BFE = weird guys that need to be kept away from women.

I'm used to the winters coming from Michigan, but atleast NY has hills and can use the snow... we just have to push it out of the way in michigan and talk about how beautiful it is the other 3 seasons.

You talked about computers and such, does the campus have good wifi coverage, are they trying to get it? How much do apts and such rent out for? Any recomendations on where to live (If I went I would like to not have to drive). What are the local food places like, good international food (none)?

Thanks

[Guest DarkVomit]

Sorry, didn't see that you had mentioned rent... need to lay off the caffine

[Guest Samantha]

Uh, I'm not sure about wifi coverage. It's been a while since I left... and when I was there, my laptop was constantly broken. As of 3 years ago, the student union was covered and a few of the lecture halls, but I'd venture to guess that it's much better now.

About the ratio.. there's an all-girl college in downtown Troy that balances things a bit.

Where to live: I'd stay close to campus. Some of the neighborhoods further away can get iffy, but the campus area is pretty save. Downtown wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Troy isn't exactly a cultural mecca, but there's some good restaurants. Manory's for greasy diner food. Plum Blossom for chinese. Sushi King for sushi. There's a middle eastern place called Ali Baba. There's I Love NY Pizza which is good, but most of the other pizza in the town is vaguely crappy.

There's a microbrewery downtown that makes some really good beer. It used to be called Troy Pub, but they changed their name to something lame which I don't remember anymore.

[keyboard]

Hi, I will join RPI this Fall for my phd, I am currently looking for a place to stay. I want to stay near campus or on campus, any recommendation?

Really appreciate your help.

[hopingforfunding]

Hi, I will join RPI this Fall for my phd, I am currently looking for a place to stay. I want to stay near campus or on campus, any recommendation?

Really appreciate your help.

Hey Keyboard,

There is a discussion going on in Meet and Greet for RPI that discusses good places to stay etc. and other people looking for roommates. There is on campus housing for graduate students, which is pretty nice, but it is usually cheaper to live off campus near the school.

http://offcampus.union.rpi.edu/ lists some off campus housing options that are RPI sanctioned (I don't really know what that means, but if you get screwed by your landlord I think the school will help you out).

Residence Life sets up on campus housing - http://reslife.rpi.edu/update.do?catcen ... rentCat(23) and they have an application and all that.

Hope that helps

[PathMicro]

I'm going to be attending RPI for graduate school, and I was wondering if anybody could post any information about the area. I know that there was already a topic created, but that was around 5 years old I think and if I recall they just built a brand new biotechnology building that I'd be really interested in hearing about. I'd also like to hear about the graduate housing offered by the school. Would it be good to live there, or would it be better to live off campus? Also, how essential would a car be for living in the Troy/Albany area? And lastly, is the stipend enough to live fairly decently off of?

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Thank you.

[Henry Hudson]

I've never lived in Troy, but have hung out there, and had friends who lived there. It is very livable, with great markets, restaurants and cultural centers in easy walking distance of downtown. It's not a high crime area, but there is some. It is not completely gentrified, and is still affordable - to poor and to students. And it's fairly mixed; there is no single area that is predominantly of any particular demographic or income background.

There are buses that serve not only Troy but the entire Albany-Schenectady-Troy area. http://www.cdta.org/

You do not need a car, unless you live waay outside of town.

I can't advise you on the new biotechnology building, on-campus graduate housing or your stipend amount.

[Taroth]

I'm going to be attending RPI for graduate school, and I was wondering if anybody could post any information about the area. I know that there was already a topic created, but that was around 5 years old I think and if I recall they just built a brand new biotechnology building that I'd be really interested in hearing about. I'd also like to hear about the graduate housing offered by the school. Would it be good to live there, or would it be better to live off campus? Also, how essential would a car be for living in the Troy/Albany area? And lastly, is the stipend enough to live fairly decently off of?

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Thank you.

RPI is a great school. It has a good rep in the area and in some places beyond. The new biotech facility is great from what I hear. I went there for undergrad. On campus has specific grad housing that is slightly removed from most undergrad housing. Not the nicest buildings, but you can get by just fine. Its a standard RPI "apartment" that has 2-3 upstairs bedrooms that are tiny, a small living room, 1 bath, and a kitchen.They will likely be larger than what you would get for a local apartment for under $650 per month. Most of my friends (know 3 that got their PhD there) lived off campus. If you have a car then Latham, Greenbush, Colonie, and some other areas are great to live in. I lived in Clifton Park, but that was a 20 - 40 min commute depending on traffic. You can find inexpensive living in Troy, but the area has changed over the past few years. They are trying to rebuild, but with the economic downturn the city isn't in great shape. Some areas are better than others, but I haven't lived in the city for over 9 years. There are busses that run from RPI to areas of interest, but they are a lengthy commute. I'd suggest a car because if you are looking for any entertainment you'll likely have to leave the area. Troy is near Albany (about 15min car ride, or double that by bus). CDTA, the bus company up here, is awful with scheduling and route changes. It is difficult to get used to using the system as there are no schedules posted at bus stops. I usually suggest living on campus because it can tend to be less expensive with dining plans, utilities, internet ect. Up here Time Warner Cable is your only viable option for TV/Internet. They run about $110 per month with a combined package (usually $90 per month your first year). Winters are long and it gets cold so heat can get pricey. Especially if you are in Troy where the buildings are old and have poor heating options. 2 years ago for a 600 sqft apartment with poor electrical heating was running over $150 per month. I paid 1/4 that in a 1200 sqft with gas heat and better insulation this year. Additionally, summers can get very hot which makes the need for A/C higher. It wasn't an issue until the last 2 years where we had weeks straight with 90 degree+ temperatures. I don't know what your stipend is, or their current housing costs, so I cannot comment on that. If you don't mind poor heat, lack of windows, and no A/C then there is a decent studio apt complex on 5th ave that is only $400 per month. A friend lives there, but I found it to be to cramped.

Troy is relatively safe, but there are some areas to avoid. If you stay North of 5th Ave you will be alright. Brunswick isn't bad and that is north of Troy. Consider Latham if you think you can afford it. Avoid Valley View apts or anything that company owns. Outside of that its a 5-10 min drive to campus and a generally nice area. Good luck at RPI!

[PathMicro]

Oh I forgot to put the stipend amount. It's 24k for the calendar year. I also just got an internship for the summer doing microbiology near home, so I should easily have enough money saved for the first month. I think I like the idea of the graduate housing because it ensures my heating etc bills will be constant throughout the year. But yea, is 24k/year going to go far in Troy?

[mewtwo]

Graduate students here generally opt to live off campus because you can find a better deal for significantly less money. From what I understand, there are a small number of graduate rooms on freshman hill, and others too far away from campus to be practical unless you have a car or enjoy waiting for shuttles.

I can't tell you much about Troy because I didn't enter the city too much, but from what I hear there's not much to do there anyway. Safety doesn't seem to be a huge issue around campus (though there are a small number of postings of muggings and so on per semester), and has never really bothered me (or, as far as I can tell, anyone I know) in my stay there.

The 24k stipend is more than enough. In math, we get an 18.5k or so stipend, and we manage to live reasonably well off of that (albeit not necessarily in luxury).

I don't know too much about biotechnology, but I know that the building is very pretty, and I like sneaking in there to work whenever I can on a weekend (the doors lock, though, so I need to wait for someone to let me in, which doesn't happen to often on Saturday mornings).

[PathMicro]

Graduate students here generally opt to live off campus because you can find a better deal for significantly less money. From what I understand, there are a small number of graduate rooms on freshman hill, and others too far away from campus to be practical unless you have a car or enjoy waiting for shuttles.

I can't tell you much about Troy because I didn't enter the city too much, but from what I hear there's not much to do there anyway. Safety doesn't seem to be a huge issue around campus (though there are a small number of postings of muggings and so on per semester), and has never really bothered me (or, as far as I can tell, anyone I know) in my stay there.

The 24k stipend is more than enough. In math, we get an 18.5k or so stipend, and we manage to live reasonably well off of that (albeit not necessarily in luxury).

I don't know too much about biotechnology, but I know that the building is very pretty, and I like sneaking in there to work whenever I can on a weekend (the doors lock, though, so I need to wait for someone to let me in, which doesn't happen to often on Saturday mornings).

Off campus is significantly less than ~660/mo including utilities? I haven't done much looking but could you reference some apartments that are a good deal but not in a bad place/bad apartments? I would love to live off campus because the graduate housing does look awfully small.

[mewtwo]

I live offcampus with two roommates for $1350/month, so $450/month/person. This is one of the more expensive apartments in the area, and it's large enough that I have a room to myself. I think the place is rented for next year, though.

[PathMicro]

Damn that does sound nice. I already signed my lease for the grad housing, but I think the housing is only for first year students anyway. I'm hoping that I can find people to room with during my first year and then move off campus for the rest of my time.

[dori]

I can't find a thread about Troy so I hope this one is not a duplicate. I got accepted at an RPI PhD program. I will be moving with my family from outside the US. My questions are about costs and "infant" friendly activities/places. we are a family of three: me, my husband and our baby girl of almost one year:

expected rent for a small family house in a safe / child-friendly neighborhood (what are some of these neighborhoods and nice communities)

expected internet/electricity/heating costs given the cold winters

as well as other activities/places for a young couple

[MiniMissMixxMatchMaxx]

I'm actually from the area.

Troy is a part of a metropolitan, composing of Albany-Schenectady-Troy. The highlights of the area is based mostly in Albany - Wolf Road, Pearl Street, Stuyvesant Plaza, Crossgates Mall and Colonie Center are highly popular and lively here. Besides the metro area, Saratoga Springs is another popular place especially Saratoga Gaming & Raceway and Vapor Nightclub.

Towards downtown along River Street is pretty active and a lot of students of different ages live around. Average rent is about 700-900 for an apartment. To rent a house most likely about 800-1200. Troy is know to have houses/apartments with spacious rooms. Most of the streets is one-way, you'll have to get use to that In this area we use Craiglist to find apartments, the local newspaper are rarely used or referred to http://albany.craigslist.org/apa/

Our newspaper is the TimesUnion timesunion.com which has a special section called Preview published on thrusdays, it will give a rundown on what's hot for the weekend To discover all the places for a young couple read the alternative newspaper Metroland Metroland.net

What helps Troy is thrive is the small businesses and community events. Since is it's near the Hudson River a lot of things may be located towards the waterfront. Many ma and pa restaurants exists. The big deal in Troy is Dinosaur Bar B Que restaurant.

[lilam]

Anyone going to RPI? Just wanted some current insights on the school and town. I actually grew up around the capital region area and I just wanted a more updated outlook of Troy especially since I hear that it has been going through some sought of revival like Schenectady. Does anyone know anything about the chemistry department in RPI by the way? 

[TeaGirl]

Anyone going to RPI? Just wanted some current insights on the school and town. I actually grew up around the capital region area and I just wanted a more updated outlook of Troy especially since I hear that it has been going through some sought of revival like Schenectady. Does anyone know anything about the chemistry department in RPI by the way? 

 

I'm considering RPI too. I've never been there but I posted some questions on and got some helpful replies about the city.

[lilam]

Thanks TeaGirl for the link. I visited the school on Friday. It was really impressive research-wise for me. I didn't get a chance to see the graduate housing, but many of the graduate students said that its very very nice but too expensive. However, in your case, the graduate housing might be the best option for the first year if you chose to attend the school. I saw other prospective graduate students for the other departments visiting as well, but I can't really say much in terms of what they experienced in the department of mechanical engineering. I didn't get a chance to tour the town, but it seemed to have improved considerably as compared to five years ago. One thing I can say is that it seems like a lively place to live and study, if not relatively small. With regards to safety, I got the sense that if you are smart enough to not walk around at night alone you'll be fine which is typical anywhere. 

[TeaGirl]

Thanks! It seems more and more likely that I will be headed there in the fall.

You're pretty lucky in getting to visit. It kinda sucks having to make decisions "blind". Good luck!

[lilam]

Thanks! It seems more and more likely that I will be headed there in the fall.

You're pretty lucky in getting to visit. It kinda sucks having to make decisions "blind". Good luck!

No problem!

[El ingeniero]

TeaGirl,

 

I got my MS in ME at NCSU and I am likely to be at RPI for Phd in the Fall. Do you know who your advisor will be at RPI/NCSU?