Smallbany. That’s what locals call New York’s Capital Region, and when I first moved to the area, that’s what I called it too.
I was astounded at the audacity of naming Albany’s International Airport, just because it has direct flights to Canada. Even the rare ethnic shop seemed stuck in a time warp before political correctness, where no one seemed to complain about “Kim’s Oriental Market.” Most damning, there was no Target, Trader Joe’s, or Costco in the vicinity.
I’d returned to New York after two years in southern California, a land teeming with stay at home moms, where Mommy and Me is an art form. In Teen Daughter’s first two years, she attended classes in dance, art, music, gymnastics, and even cooking. Toddlers cooking, what was I thinking?
Maybe I couldn’t help myself. Before California, I lived in Manhattan for over ten years, where I mastered how to check out local listings for things to do in New York. In the days before the Internet explosion, I had a system for digesting listings in the Village Voice, New York Magazine, The New York Times, and flyers on telephone poles and walls. If I didn’t have to work or sleep, I could’ve been pursuing the interesting and unusual 24/7.
By the time I arrived in Orange County, CA with a newborn, it was natural instinct to scope out the “what to do” listings. And, I found plenty of things to do with kids: playgroup invitations, classes, events, you name it. Southern California had it all.
And then, I moved to Albany, NY with a two-year-old, active little girl who hadn’t napped since she started walking. I NEEDED things to do in Albany with this dynamo, but the pickings were slim. Or, so it seemed to me.
Eleven years ago, I couldn’t find any circulars for local parents, and the postings in the Albany newspapers were skimpy at best. Now, there are better ways to find fun family events in New York’s Tech Valley. The Capital District Parent Pages publishes a monthly circular, and the new Times Union Things2Do Calendar has a great database of upcoming events sorted into searchable categories. You can find multiple websites streaming local calendars for all of Upstate NY.
By any definition, it’s not Smallbany any more, if it ever was. Albany kids enjoy the charms of small town America, without missing urban amenities found in the cities of Albany, Troy, and Saratoga Springs. There are many events, attractions, museums, and seasonal activities within the region; but Albany happens to also be ideally situated for exploring all of the Northeast.
A short drive takes you to the Adirondacks, the Berkshires, or the Hudson Valley. Albany is located smack in the middle between Boston and New York City, so it’s an easy day trip to to a big city escapade. For weekend getaways, you can hightail it to anywhere in New York State, New England, or even Canada’s Montreal or Toronto area destinations. And for the world travelers among us, you can hop a plane at JFK and get to anywhere that you want to go.
Now, I’m getting lots of information about upcoming events in New York from many different blogs and websites, but it’s hard to keep track of it all. It’s great for discovering current events, but not very useful for planning activities with my children or with youth groups. Our lives are often too busy for spontaneous outings, we need to know what our options are weeks in advance.
In this family guide, I’ll share all the usual places to take the kids, but also the unusual or quirky spots that are off the beaten path. Instead of just telling you where to go, I’ll show you photos and give you the inside skinny on what it’s really like.
On Albany Kid, you’ll find insights on where to find entertaining and sometimes adventurous things to do in New York with kids, but you’ll also get the tools you need to plan educational trips for kids that combine fun and learning.
We’ll discover why everyone says, “I love New York!”
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