#NoFilter: What Siena Students Really Think About Upstate New York

What is the Capital Region? According to Empire State Development: "The Capital Region is located in the eastern part of mid-New York State, covering 5,199 square miles and includes the Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga areas." Otherwise known as: Siena College's home. Find out what Saints think about living the college and post-college life in this neck of the woods.

1. There's NOTHING to do around here. 

The truth: There's too much to do! Go to SPAC to see Dave Matthews Band, the New York City Ballet or the Philadelphia Orchestra. Jam out at LarkFest and take selfies at Tulip Fest. Go ziplining, hiking, fishing, skiing, tubing, swimming or snowboarding here and in the surrounding areas. Check out the art galleries in Albany or the New York State Museum. The options for soaking up culture and recreation are endless. 

2. The food scene is laaaame.

The truth: Between chefs from NYC coming upstate to start their own thing to culinary entrepreneurs homegrown right here, upstate NY does food well. Sushi? We love Sake Japanese Steakhouse. Korean? K-Plate is amazing. Super fine dining for when your parents are in town? Nationally renowned Yono's was a James Beard Foundation Awards nominee. Dinosaur Bar-B-Q, Ama Cocina, Rain Modern Chinese... we frequent those and many more when we're not eating right here on campus. 

3. There's nowhere to work. Jobs? Forget about it. Internships? WHATEVER.

The truth: Albany is consistently hailed as a city rife with employment opportunities and is a major part of Tech Valley. Biotech, nanotechnology, health care, politics (this is the capital, after all), finance and more are booming sectors that very often employ Siena students and grads. And actually, the job growth gains between January 2017 and January 2018 was greater than here than in any of New York's other metro areas. Can't beat that.

4. It's pretty much impossible to get around if you don't own a car. 

The truth: Uber, Lyft, Zipcars, buses and bikes make it incredibly easy to get from point A to point B in and around the Capital Region. And with the Albany International Airport and a busy Amtrak train station less than 20 minutes from our campus, it's also a piece of cake to travel outside the city limits. 

5. We all seriously wish we went to a college on the beach. 

The truth: Honestly, we kind of do, depending on the season and if you stay on campus over the summer. Lake George is about a half hour north and offers a lot of water activities, like parasailing and boating. When we're not sunbathing up there, we're laying out on our own "Padua Beach"—the grassy area outside Padua Hall where we toss a ball, study and lay out. Okay, no sand, but we'll take four seasons and gorgeous weather over sweltering heat every day.

6. The people...ehh. 

The truth: The people in the Capital Region are downright awesome. Everyone is kind. Everyone takes pride in their town. We love that there are so many young entrepreneurs starting their own businesses here too—over in Troy, there's a new yoga studio, oyster bar, or video game company opening every day. Down in Albany, Saints mingle with professionals at cafes, networking events and conferences. It's an inspiring place to be, and on top of that, so many Saints stick around. The alumni network in these parts is fierce.

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