David & Laini’s Schenectady Guidebook

David
David & Laini’s Schenectady Guidebook

Food scene

Great cocktails and upscale dining with beautiful interior and outdoor spaces, incl fire pits in cooler weather.
6 locals recommend
Daley's On Yates
10 Yates St
6 locals recommend
Great cocktails and upscale dining with beautiful interior and outdoor spaces, incl fire pits in cooler weather.
Amazing New Orleans food and fancy cocktails. Nice outdoor seating in summer months and a beautifully designed interior.
The Nest
512 State St
Amazing New Orleans food and fancy cocktails. Nice outdoor seating in summer months and a beautifully designed interior.
Local brewery with good food and bustling bar scene. Great outdoor dining on the Mohawk River.
170 locals recommend
Druthers Brewing Company
381 Broadway
170 locals recommend
Local brewery with good food and bustling bar scene. Great outdoor dining on the Mohawk River.
New huge industrial-style brewery downtown with wood-fired pizza and other food. Live music many nights, line dancing Tuesdays. Lots of outdoor space, too.
7 locals recommend
Frog Alley Brewing Co.
108 State St
7 locals recommend
New huge industrial-style brewery downtown with wood-fired pizza and other food. Live music many nights, line dancing Tuesdays. Lots of outdoor space, too.
Excellent Moroccan tagines & delicious baklava, great friendly service, back patio. Good takeout option, too.
17 locals recommend
Tara Kitchen
431 Liberty St
17 locals recommend
Excellent Moroccan tagines & delicious baklava, great friendly service, back patio. Good takeout option, too.
Funky breakfast & lunch spot on the pedestrian Jay St. Great salads & sandwiches, ice cream, etc.
Ambition Coffee & Eatery, Inc
154 Jay St
Funky breakfast & lunch spot on the pedestrian Jay St. Great salads & sandwiches, ice cream, etc.
Hyperlocal market with basic produce, dairy, craft beer, and artisan goods.
The Schenectady Trading Company
10 North Center Street
Hyperlocal market with basic produce, dairy, craft beer, and artisan goods.
Closest big grocery store
27 locals recommend
Market 32 by Price Chopper
1640 Eastern Pkwy
27 locals recommend
Closest big grocery store
Great local coop with everything you might need.
Niskayuna Consumers Co-op Inc
2227 Nott St
Great local coop with everything you might need.
New restaurant that just opened. Homemade pastas.
Chez Nous
707 Union Street
New restaurant that just opened. Homemade pastas.
Old-timey spot for soft serve, hot dogs, hamburgers and fried fish
6 locals recommend
Jumpin Jack's Drive-In Inc.
5 Schonowee Ave
6 locals recommend
Old-timey spot for soft serve, hot dogs, hamburgers and fried fish

Sightseeing

Beautiful area of hiking trails (2.5ish miles) in an old growth forest. The latter half of the trail runs along a beautiful stream.
Lisha Kill Preserve
2518 Rosendale Rd
Beautiful area of hiking trails (2.5ish miles) in an old growth forest. The latter half of the trail runs along a beautiful stream.
Hourly kayak rentals by the harbor *note the address here marks a different location. Pickup kayaks from Mohawk Harbor Way, near Druther’s. Tuesday – Friday from 11am to 6pm and 10am to 6pm on weekends. More info here: https://www.discoverschenectady.com/listing/upstate-kayak-rental/210/
6 locals recommend
Upstate Kayak Rentals
Front Street
6 locals recommend
Hourly kayak rentals by the harbor *note the address here marks a different location. Pickup kayaks from Mohawk Harbor Way, near Druther’s. Tuesday – Friday from 11am to 6pm and 10am to 6pm on weekends. More info here: https://www.discoverschenectady.com/listing/upstate-kayak-rental/210/
Great hiking area with beautiful sweeping views, waterfalls, playgrounds, picnic tables, etc.
58 locals recommend
John Boyd Thacher State Park
830 Thacher Park Rd
58 locals recommend
Great hiking area with beautiful sweeping views, waterfalls, playgrounds, picnic tables, etc.
Top Broadway shows and more in a former Vaudeville theater from the 1920s.
35 locals recommend
Proctors
432 State St
35 locals recommend
Top Broadway shows and more in a former Vaudeville theater from the 1920s.
One of our favorite spots for apple picking in the fall with the best cider donuts.
Riverview Orchards
660 Riverview Rd
One of our favorite spots for apple picking in the fall with the best cider donuts.
Apple picking, cidery, brewery, Biergarten, great food, farm animals, etc. Check their website for events: https://www.indianladderfarms.com/calendar/
36 locals recommend
Indian Ladder Farms
342 Altamont Rd
36 locals recommend
Apple picking, cidery, brewery, Biergarten, great food, farm animals, etc. Check their website for events: https://www.indianladderfarms.com/calendar/
Every Sunday 10-2 outside by City Hall; moves inside Proctor’s in the winter.
9 locals recommend
Schenectady Greenmarket
105 Jay St
9 locals recommend
Every Sunday 10-2 outside by City Hall; moves inside Proctor’s in the winter.

Music

Second Sunday bluegrass jam. Open mic every Thursday.
Rustic Barn Pub
Second Sunday bluegrass jam. Open mic every Thursday.
Iconic music venue where Bob Dylan and many other famous musicians have played.
43 locals recommend
Caffe Lena
47 Phila St
43 locals recommend
Iconic music venue where Bob Dylan and many other famous musicians have played.

City advice

Don't miss

Other recommendations

Sunday Farmer’s Market….. Running/Biking/Walking on the Mohawk-Hudson Trail….. Tennis in Central Park….. Strolling around the GE Realty Plot….. Jackson’s Garden at Union College….. Jay Street Pedestrian Walkway