Albany Shopping and Districts

(Albany, New York - NY, USA)

Even though this is a fairly small state capital, the shopping scene in Albany is particularly well developed. Many local specialty shops and large chain stores line the principal streets around the city, such as lengthy Central Avenue and intersecting Lark Street.

If you favor out-of-town shopping centers and malls, then Albany also obliges on that front. Its giant Crossgates Mall is actually the second-biggest mall in the whole of Upstate New York and is the perfect distraction for a rainy day. Other popular malls worth a mention include the Colonie Center, Crossgates Commons, the Stuyvesant Plaza and also the Westgate Plaza.

If you are in need of groceries during your visit to Albany, then there are plenty of supermarkets spread within the city's boundaries. One of the largest is the Walmart Supercenter on the Washington Avenue Extension, to the west of the city center, which is open from 06:00 until midnight all through the week, except for Tuesdays, when it opens for a 24-hour period.

Where to Shop

Located less than 3 miles / 5 km from downtown Albany and best reached by heading westwards along Central Avenue is the Westgate Plaza, which can also be conveniently accessed from Interstate I-90 (exit 5). This spreading strip mall dates all the way back to the late 1950s and continues to draw crowds of shoppers, especially at the weekends.

Further west and also connected by the I-90 is the Crossgates Shopping Mall, which is approximately 7 miles / 11 km from Albany city center and well worth the short trip. Lying just off Western Avenue, this mall really is huge and features two floors, which between them are called home to in excess of 250 shops, eateries and services.

Some of the largest anchor stores at Crossgates include big names such as Best Buy, the Burlington Coat Factory, Dick's Sporting Goods, H & M, JC Penny and Macy's. Also onsite is a sizeable Regal Cinemas complex, should you wish to catch a movie after you have finished your shopping, while close by, the Crossgates Commons offers something of an overflow facility for the mall, with more shops and the aforementioned Walmart Supercenter, which is in fact amongst America's largest.

On something of a smaller scale is the recently revamped Colonie Center, some 5 miles / 8 km to the northwest of downtown Albany. However, this indoor shopping mall still boasts well over 100 stores, including Barnes & Noble, Macy's and Sears, along with another Regal Cinemas complex adding further appeal.