Preservationist Tour Guide: A Weekend in Schenectady
Welcome to a new blog series where we share day and weekend tour guides for your exploring pleasure, all with a preservationist angle. There is a lot to do and see around New York State, and we hope you get a chance to experience some of it this year. And if there’s a place in New York you think we should highlight, please get in touch!
Welcome to beautiful Schenectady, NY — the city that lights and hauls the world! The former global headquarters of General Electric might not be known as a prime vacation destination, but I’m going to try to convince you otherwise. It’s conveniently located on the Amtrak train line and it’s surprisingly walkable. You can also find bikes for rent throughout the city thanks to CDPHP Cycle. This is a suggested two-day itinerary, but there is so much more to see and do in and around Schenectady.
Saturday
Get an early start and head down to the Stockade Historic District. Your first stop: Arthur’s 1795, a recently restored market and cafe that has been a neighborhood landmark for more than two centuries. Grab a coffee and breakfast (and a cookie!) to enjoy on their patio before exploring the neighborhood. The Stockade was the first historic district designated in New York State, and it boasts an incredible variety of historic buildings ranging from the 17th to the early-20th centuries. You will be tempted to take photos of literally every building you see. If you’re keen to learn while you walk, check out Schenectady County Historical Society to see if any of their walking tours suit your schedule. The Stockade is situated along the Mohawk River (making it prone to floods, which landed it on the League’s Seven to Save list in 2016) and a stroll through Riverside Park gives you great river views, plus a chance to admire the Historic Stockade Pump Station (a 2020 Technical Assistance Grant recipient). The park’s path is less than half a mile long, but it’s recommended as a tranquil pitstop before heading off to your next destination. And if you’re traveling with little ones, it has a pretty nice playground!
A view of the Mohawk River from Riverside Park, with a railroad bridge seen in the distance.
Now that you’ve had a chance to admire the Mohawk River from a distance, it’s time to see it up close. Head over to Mohawk Harbor to rent a kayak and paddle your way through this historic body of water (a very reasonable 15 minute walk away, if you’re traveling without a car). The river is named for the Mohawk people, whose ancestral lands are home to what is now Schenectady. The Mohawk, one of the five tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy, held territory that spanned from the St. Lawrence River to southern Quebec and eastern Ontario in the north, south to New Jersey and into Pennsylvania, east to the Green Mountains of Vermont, and west to the border of the Iroquoian Oneida Nation's traditional homeland territory (source). The river is part of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, one of the most important historic resources in New York State. The greater NYS Barge Canal System spans 524 miles and includes the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Its importance to the history and culture of the state inspired the League to include it on our 2020-2021 Seven to Save list.
The Nott Memorial on the campus of Union College. This National Historic Landmark is one of very few 16-sided buildings.
After a few hours of paddling around the wild islands in the river, you’ll be ready for lunch. On North Jay Street, Schenectady’s Little Italy, you’ll find Perecca’s and Civitello’s, two legacy businesses that have both been in operation for about a century. You can’t come to Schenectady and not get some tomato pie, and both of these places have you covered (plus Italian sandwiches and pastries).
After lunch, head to the campus of Union College by way of Union Street so you can admire some more historic architecture on your way to the can’t-miss Nott Memorial. The Nott is a 16-sided Victorian building that is the centerpiece of Union’s campus. Construction began in 1858 and was completed in 1879. The National Historic Landmark was restored to its original glory in 1995 and remains a well-used and well-loved part of Union College. COVID restrictions have kept the building closed, but if you have the chance to get inside, you’ll also see some incredible tile floors, the vaulted dome ceiling studded with over 700 small colored-glass windows, and stained glass adorning all 16 sides and 4 stories.
Depending on how much walking you’ve already done, you may or may not be up for more. But a stroll through the GE Realty Plot might convince you catch a second wind. The land just east of Union College was bought and developed by General Electric during its heyday of the late 19th-century. The residential historic district contains about 100 stately homes of various styles (plus a monument to Charles Proteus Steinmetz, where his house once stood). It’s a quiet neighborhood that will delight any lover of old house Instagram.
For dinner, head back toward downtown to Tara Kitchen. Chef Aneesa Waheed’s Moroccan food is a great way to end your day.
A local bouquet of fresh flowers held up with Schenectady’s City Hall in the background. The Schenectady Greenmarket hosts dozens of vendors in front of City Hall every Sunday.
Sunday
Sleep in. The Schenectady Greenmarket doesn’t start until 10:00, and that should be your first stop of the day. From April-October, the Greenmarket takes place outside around City Hall. So you’ll get to admire that McKim, Mead, and White-designed building while browsing dozens of local purveyors. Walk through the market to put together a brunch situation. You can go with prepared foods or assemble a picnic spread with local fruits, veggies, bread, cheese, pastries, juice, beer…and get yourself a bouquet of locally grown flowers for good measure.
Adjacent to the market is the pedestrian-only Jay Street Marketplace, where you can browse local shops or pick a spot to eat if the Greenmarket didn’t strike your fancy (let us recommend Open Door Bookstore and Take Two Cafe for shopping and eating, respectively). Walking down Jay Street from the Greenmarket, you’ll reach State Street — Schenectady’s Downtown. Here you’ll find the historic Proctor’s Theatre. Check their schedule to see if they are back in action by the time you visit and catch a Broadway Show!
The sign guiding you to Jumpin’ Jack’s.
Yesterday you experienced the Erie Canal by kayak and today you’ll enjoy it from your bike. The Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail runs from Rotterdam Junction to Albany, but it is part of the larger Empire State Trail that stretches 750 miles across the state. Your bike ride can be as long or as short as you want. The path going east from Schenectady to Albany is almost entirely car-free and mostly flat. To the west, you can make it all the way to Buffalo if you were so inclined! One of the reasons the League and other advocates across the state are so passionate about protecting the NYS Canal System is because of how integral it is in connecting the state — and how many different ways we have to utilize and enjoy it.
Once you’ve wrapped up your ride, it’ll be about time to start heading home. Before you do, make one final stop across the river at Jumpin’ Jack’s Drive In in Scotia. A true old-school gem, Jumpin’ Jacks has been slinging soft-serve and burgers since the 1950s.
Honorable Mentions
Don’t feel like biking or kayaking? Go for a hike at Plotter Kill Preserve and admire the waterfalls.
Looking for something lower impact? Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve has easy walking trails along the Mohawk River with remnants of the historic Erie Canal. Technically, this is in Saratoga County, but it’s only 20 minutes from Schenectady. Plus, while you’re there you can stop at Vischer Ferry General Store, a historic shop and cafe just down the road from the preserve.
If roses are blooming, you must visit Schenectady Central Park to admire the Rose Garden.
In Rotterdam Junction, the Schenectady County Historical Society operates Mabee Farm Historic Site, a farmstead dating to 1705 (SCHS received a Technical Assistance Grant in 2017 for work at Mabee Farm).
If historic cemeteries are more your vibe, Vale Cemetery is worth a visit. The League has been proud to support Vale Cemetery through our NYSCA-funded Preserve New York grant program.