By Henry Fisher | October 25, 2021
The U.S. News & World Report ranked Albany the best metropolitan area to live in New York State.
The report ranked the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Albany reached the top 50, attaining an overall rank of 45. Other cities in New York on the list include Syracuse (63 overall), Buffalo (70 overall), Rochester (72 overall), and New York City (118 overall).
The city of Albany can be beneficial to university students, offering opportunities for work and learning. “No other SUNY campus can offer the enormous value that comes with the applied learning and career opportunities afforded by being so close to the nerve center of state government. That proximity has been a pathway for UAlbany alums into rewarding careers in politics, policy, public service, and nonprofit work for years,” said university spokesperson Jordan Carleo-Evangelist.
The ASP conducted a poll of 50 students in response to the report and found that many disagree with the U.S. News & World Report.
Overall, 44% of those polled found Albany’s ranking to be “Somewhat Incorrect” or “Very Incorrect.” 22% remained neutral, while 34% found it “Somewhat Accurate” or “Very Accurate.”
So what city was most in favor of instead?
It may be shocking, but 56% voted in favor of New York City, though it ranked lowest of the five cities in the report. Albany still retained 30% of the vote, with the remainder divided between Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester.
“I feel that there are worse areas of New York to live in, but Albany is not one of the best. I feel places even like NYC, which was ranked worse, bears more opportunity and may even be safer to live in in some areas,” said Emily Weiss, a UAlbany student who voted for Buffalo.
“New York City offers everything in the world, and more,” said university student Kahlia Durso, who voted for New York City.
Some Albany natives came to the defense of their city, with Gianina Favata saying, “The city is full of life, and there are so many people,” adding that, “[I] lived here all my life. Could not think of a better place.”
Speaking as a “native downstater” who has now lived in Albany for 17 years, Carleo-Evangelist stated that “ ... regardless of what your major is, countless UAlbany students have also learned during their time here that Albany is a fantastic place to … live more people who know about that, the better – for the city and for our university.”