What a lovely library! Not the typical library from when I was a kid in NYC. This one has high…read moreceilings, lots of light and tons of space. Children's area is separate and colorful, the computer lab area seems to be well-kept and there are comfortable chairs here and there. Obviously, plenty of books to keep one occupied. Upon entering, it was comfortably air conditioned on a warm evening. Bathroom was cleaner than expected. Vibe was quiet-ish...but still noisier than libraries of my youth. Nobody was "sushing" anyone.

This review is for the "branch", not the county library system as a whole, and is relative to…read morepublic libraries in general. It's a medium-sized downtown branch and the flagship of the county library system, housed in a somewhat dreary and dated 1970s building that suffers from the nadir of institutional architecture. The new addition is supposed to open later this year and should make for a much nicer children's department and open up more space in front for adult readers. In the meantime the building is a bit depressing to linger in, and does not have a lot of the comforting aspects for the reader. The construction project has no doubt not helped. Free parking just next to the library, and it's in a neat downtown location across from city hall and catty-corner to the Jay walk. The collection is decent for a public library - not "downtown" quality, if you will, but as a very large library for a city this size and for a relatively small county, it's pretty nice. The county library system in general seems to function well (we've come from another part of the county so have some points of reference), and the staff are very nice and helpful. The collection does seem to be in need of sprucing up -- culling a number of older titles and adding new books more quickly. The computer facilities are below average, but they are entering the age of loaning e-books so I suspect this is a function of budget and not managerial foot-dragging. In any event it's a mixed bag with respect to ability to use the library for research as a whole. I'm a little torn as for rating this, since I can't quite give it five stars -- I've seen five-star public libraries and this is not one of them -- but in terms of patron service I think they're doing better than average for the country as a whole. Can you compare them to the brand new libraries in Saratoga County? Or do you compare it to the storefront library branches in the same county? Or to the smaller but swankier libraries in the towns in the same county system? I honestly don't know, but my sense is that the sheer (relative) size of the collection and the vigor with which it survives in a shrunken user base merits the fourth star. They're adding on: they're moving forward - full credit here where credit is due. For public institutions to actually expand in this day and age means there's something worth paying attention to about this place. That said, it is not a "destination" library, like, say, the Carnegie in Pittsburgh PA or the main branch in Berkeley CA, et alia - it's not the kind of library you'd go out of your way to visit if you were coming from out of town. It's an old armchair that's probably far more comfortable for its affable familiarity than it is for its design. Great to have for locals who can appreciate it. The attention of readers everywhere, however, should be drawn to the Whitney Book Corner, just down the street at 600 Union, which is the used bookstore operated by the Friends of the Schenectady County Library, which is really quite something and which we'll review separately now that there's a Yelp entry for it.

Ridiculously old: founded in 1795. Ridiculously beautiful. Visited this private liberal arts…read morecollege last weekend for my boyfriend's 5-year reunion, and really enjoyed cruising around campus. It's very very small, the entire campus is centered around "the Nott" (attached photo) while a few buildings and several old beautiful houses circle it; the Admissions Center for example is a restored mansion, cool! Having gone to UT at Austin myself, the small size of the campus blew me away...and made me a bit jealous (I think the size of boyfriend's graduating class was the size of my Chemistry 101 class!) I'm wondering if the folks who attend here realize just how lucky they are. The few blocks surrounding the college are charming (Jay street for example), but Schenectady itself is pretty unsavory. Stick to campus.

This will be our home for the next four years! Just finished out accepted students visit, and it…read morewas above expectations. Everyone we spoke to was down to earth, knowledgeable and friendly. The architecture is so beautiful and welcoming. Campus is breathtaking. The athletics facilities are amazing. Can't wait for our journey to begin.

The annual Festival of Trees is one of the nicest celebrations of the season! During the festival,…read more3,000+ visitors visit the this historic house to enjoy decorated displays of shimmering fir trees. All proceeds of the festival benefit the numerous programs and services provided by the SCHS. We came to see the many beautiful, clever, and thoughtful adorned trees decorated by local agencies, groups, and a few individuals. Each year we --children and adults --are delighted by the decorations. My grandson laughed at the upside down tree. Open through Sat. 12/27 but closed 12/24-26.

We really enjoyed The Festival of Trees here! I still miss the one they used to have at The Albany…read moreInstitute of Art. This was nice! It's the first time I've been here too. Even thought it's a small house they really packed a lot of trees in. A lot of them brought attention to good causes also.