| Lots of great history at Saratoga Springs. The community was incorporated as a village in 1826 and quickly became a tourism destination after the arrival of the Saratoga Schenectady Railroad. Its mineral springs and eventually horse racing & gambling led to an explosion of large hotels. By 1900 the town had a fulltime population of 12,000, which grew to 15,000 by 1950. Following WWII, Saratoga had a couple decades of decline but quickly rebounded in the 1970s as a major destination but also attracted lots new housing and quality mixed-use infill. Saratoga Springs has some major of urban weaknesses that prevent it from being a great urban area… expensive housing, lack of residential density, limited bike infrastructure, limited public transit access. |
URBAN STRENGTHS:
| * Good generational diversity and half of all households are family ones. * Congress Park is a wonderful recreational amenity near Downtown. Several other nice park & recreational spaces in Saratoga Springs. Really wonderful in-fill development as well. Not just in Downtown but also in the residential streets. * Vibrant downtown packed with great shopping and cultural amenities. * Generally quality sidewalks and ADA curb cuts but lots out of date curb cuts. * Low crime rate and limited blight through Saratoga Springs. * Great urban form and streetscaping along Broadway. * Schools are highly rated and most are located within the historic core. * Great cultural amenities including ton of restaurants, bars, and cafes, several live music venues, Skidmore College theater, a cineplex, a good array of art galleries, museums and historic sites. * Retail amenities include a dwtn supermarket, lots of smaller specialty grocers, great array of boutiques & independent stores, some brand name retail, a couple drug stores, bookstores, public library, post office, Saratoga Hospital. Only retail amenities missing is a target and department stores. |
URBAN WEAKNESSES:
| * Density not great. * Decent local public transit but limited access to downtown Albany or Dwtn Troy. There are a fair amount of jobs in Saratoga Springs with it local tourism, the arts and Skidmore College * 40-45 minute drive to either downtown. * Bike infrastructure limited inside historic Saratoga Springs. * Generational high incomes here but some economic diversity. Racial diversity on the other hand is very limited. * For sale housing is runs expensive but decent diversity in price and type (mix of townhouses, condos, and SF). Starter homes run in the 200Ks. Better 3-bedrooms generally 300-400K. Nice 3 & 4 bedrooms between 400K-700K. Large homes and luxury product generally selling between 700K and 1 M. * Lots of rental product but pretty expensive. 1-bedrooms leasing in the $1,000s and low $2,000s, 2-bedrooms in the mid $1,000s and $2,00s |
Evaluating our Urban Communities [with a focus on America] 