Distance:
5.5 mile loop around Albany, NY
Highlights:
This approximately 5.5-mile loop around Albany offers some of the best sites and stops New York’s Capital Region has to offer, including the spectacular State Capitol itself. The route will also include:
- The multifaceted labyrinth that is the Empire State Plaza
- Washington Park, designed by the father of landscape architecture Frederick Law Olmsted
- The World’s Largest Nipper Statue
- Food & Beer (of course) — JA. Pequeño, Druthers, Fidens, & Wizard Burger
Starting Line:
The Empire State Plaza is a beautiful, powerful maze packed with everything from museum-worthy art to souvenir shops to a museum to a post office to a barbershop to a… the list of tenants seemingly goes on infinitely, as do the underground hallways. These services also include a parking garage and restrooms (if you can find them). Here’s a multi-page map. Godspeed. If you get lost at any point, at least chances are high that you’ll mistakingly run into a piece by artists like Claes Oldenburg or Alexander Calder.
Route:
The New York State Capitol is on the north east corner of the plaza. Weekday walk-in tours are free and start at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. They meet at the Information Desk in the Capitol’s State Street Lobby. Give yourself lots of time to get there and find it—even beyond the twists and turns of the Empire State Plaza, the Capitol building itself sits on three acres. It’s huge. You can get most of the way there via either the Plaza (above ground) or Concourse (underground) level; whichever way you take, do the opposite when you leave.
After the 45-minute tour head back through the plaza to Madison Avenue, which runs along its southern side. If you took the Plaza level to the Capitol, head underground to the Concourse level for some more arts and shops. If you took the Concourse level, stay on the street level to admire The Egg, the pools, and the sculptures.
On Madison Avenue, turn right. In a few blocks, just before the intersection with Willett Street, JA. Pequeño will be on your left. This Troy-based “Coffee Culture and Coffee Education company” makes an incredible cup of caffeine—which may be much-needed after all the historical trivia you just absorbed at the State Capitol. There are restrooms for customers and elegant-yet-cozy places to sit down for a minute.
JA. Pequeño also happens to be at the corner of Washington Park. Like Central Park in Manhattan, Washington Park was designed by the father of landscape architecture Frederick Law Olmsted in partnership with Calvert Vaux. They created the 81-acre park during the 1870s. Today, it offers miles and miles of trails—but cutting through on Washington Park Road will hit the highlights.
Make sure to check out the Moses fountain, or the King Memorial Fountain, on your right. Roadside America offers a helpful summary of its significance. Then, the lake and lake house will be on your left (there are restrooms in the lake house).
At Englewood Place, turn right. Bare right again onto Western Avenue. Then, turn left onto Henry Johnson Boulevard. Stay straight for about eleven blocks until the intersection with Livingston Avenue; then turn right. The Underground Railroad Education Center will be on your right. Eventually, Livingston Avenue will intersect with Broadway. Make a left.
Druthers Brewing Company is the furthest point on Broadway included in this route, so stay straight for just under a mile. Great beer. Great mac & cheese. Great stop.
Work your way back on Broadway about a quarter of a mile and look up. “Listening to the wind” is the world’s largest Nipper statue. He was left over from an appliance distributor that shut down in the 1980s. Now, Nipper is considered the adopted mascot of Albany—and he’s just super-cute regardless.
Time for another drink, or at least to wait in line for another one. Fidens is (rightfully) notorious with beer snobs, and it’s only another quarter of a mile from Nipper as you backtrack. Fidens barely distributes, so depending on how ambitious you’re feeling, consider carrying some cans to-go. There are only one and a half miles left on this loop.
At Wilson Street, make a right and then a left onto North Pearl Street. You’re entering the heart of downtown, and even if it feels a little sleepy there’s some fantastic street art and impressive architecture to admire. Wizard Burgers will be on your right. As a vegan restaurant, maybe the namesake burgers should be the bigger draw but it’s really their variety of loaded French fries that I find crave-worthy. I’m not alone.
Finish Line:
Continue south on North Pearl Street and then turn right onto Pine Street. Zig-zag through East Capitol Park and, across State Street, the Empire State Plaza will be right in front of you. All that’s left to do is to find your way back to the parking garage. Best of luck.
