Seward Place - Schenectady, NY Area Guide

The Seward Place neighborhood houses Proctors Theater, which provides the main source of entertainment of all kinds for locals and visitors. The theater originated as a vaudeville theater in the 1920s and has since been home to famous off-Broadway plays and musicals, such as "The Lion King" and "Wicked." Proctors houses local artwork in its downstairs gallery and provides free admittance to everyone. Proctors affords locals a great place to see comedy acts as well as opera and cultural music events.

A few blocks to the east of the center of Seward Place visitors can find the Schenectady Museum of Innovation and Science. Home to science and technology exhibitions as well as a beautiful planetarium, this museum provides great fun for children and parents alike. Admission costs between $6.50 for children and $9.50 for adults, as of 2014. Admission runs a few dollars higher when exploring the planetarium as well.

Many great restaurants cluster in and around the Seward Place neighborhood. Aperitivo Bistro has been voted number one in the area by local residents and tourists for the amazing food and impeccable service. It can be found on State Street a few doors down from the famous Proctors Theater. The restaurant combines modern Italian fusion with old world tradition. With a self-proclaimed 'city chic' atmosphere, the restaurant provides a Manhattan-style vibe. The menu caters to all pallets offering specialty pizzas and dishes such as the Pork Ragu and Grilled New York Strip Steak. Aperitivo even has a "Show Night" menu for folks who have tickets to see a show at Proctors Theater. You can order off this menu, and expect your food quickly, leaving you ample time to make it to the theater. ZEN Fusion Lounge provides another great place to enjoy a well-prepared meal while enjoying a few non-traditional cocktails. Also located on State Street and across from Proctors Theater, ZEN features a warm and inviting ambiance perfect for a night out with friends. For those who are in the mood for amazing Japanese cuisine, this place has it. Here you can order traditional rolls, such as California and Rainbow, or try something a little different such as Futo Maki, each starting at a very reasonable $6. ZEN's specialty mojitos always rank as a crowd favorite, with options such as X-Rated, containing mint and lime, as well as the Downtown, which features ruby red vodka topped with champagne. A glass costs $8 and a pitcher costs $18. Union College and Schenectady County Community College students frequent the bars on the east and south ends of Seward Place. A favorite local night spot hangout, Wolff's Biergarten was voted the second-best soccer bar in the United States. The bar sits closest to the center of Seward Place and provides specialty beers, such as the Nitro Oatmeal Stout, that attracts locals and visitors every weekend. This bar also has some of the strongest beer available with some of their ales containing 12 percent alcohol. The high-gravity ales and stouts cost between $10 and $15 a pint.

Uber has not made its way to Schenectady, N.Y. or the Seward Place neighborhood, so many folks travel by other means. Hailing a cab in Seward Place can be quite difficult, but several taxicab companies service the area if you call and schedule an appointment. Cab fare can start at $8 for in-city transportation and $20 for trips outside the city.

Public parking has become more readily available in the Seward Place neighborhood as more visitors flock to the area's New York City vibe. Parking meters, both traditional and digital versions, can be found lining the streets. One hour of parking costs $1.

While there are no marked bike lanes in the streets of the Seward Place neighborhood or surrounding areas, plenty of bikers ride in and around the neighborhood. Many people in the city do not drive, so biking provides a main mode of transportation, and many local drivers know to look out for them in the streets.

Walking around Seward Place can be safe both during the day as well as at night. City police patrol the well-lit streets to ensure people's safety. With many of Schenectady's bars and restaurants as well as the movie theater and Proctors Theater located in the Seward Place neighborhood, this part of the city tends to be a moderately trafficked area, making it safe to walk alone or with others.

CDTA city buses serve as a widely used mode of transportation, especially when traveling outside the Schenectady area. A one-way bus ticket costs $2.50, and buses run every 20 minutes. Plenty of bus stations dot the city, with several located in the Seward Place neighborhood for added convenience.

Several main highways and roadways intersect near the center of the Seward Place neighborhood, such as routes 890 and 90 a few blocks to the south and west. These highways make it very convenient to travel outside of New York to other major surrounding cities, such as Boston to the east and Montreal to the north.

Several parks surround the area near the center of the Seward Place neighborhood. The closest park, Jerry Burrell Park on Paige Street sits just south of Seward place. This park provides a great environment for tennis plays, as two clean and updated courts exist here. Free admittance allows for lots of family fun, and Burrell welcomes dogs as well.

Hillhurst Park located just a few blocks south of the center of the Seward Place neighborhood provides the perfect place for parents to bring the kids. Free admittance makes this park ideal for everyone, and dogs are allowed. Playground equipment here provides a clean and safe area for children to play. Locals also enjoy a pool that opens two months out of the year every summer that does not cost anything to use.

Central Park may be a little far to walk from the center of the Seward Place neighborhood, but a short drive gets you there. Featuring a giant rose garden and beautiful fountains, this park provides ample room for children to play and families to bring their dogs. Admittance does not cost anything, and the park has a pool that opens in the summer, as well as clean and safe playground equipment for the children. Central Park also has a small pond that allows for fishing in the spring and summer. The park provides several acres of bike and walking trails as well as basketball and tennis courts for sports lovers. A beautiful pavilion and music stage are also located inside the park where live events take place during the summer.

The cost of living in Seward Place can be very reasonable. A one-bedroom apartment in the neighborhood can be found at an average cost of $750.48 per month. Apartments in this area of Schenectady tend to include gas and electric for added savings. If a residence doesn't include electric, an average additional cost for utilities ranges from $100 a month in the summer to around $250 in the winter.

Public transportation provides easy access to other areas of Schenectady as well as access to surrounding cities in other states. A city bus one-way ticket costs $2.50 per person. A taxicab ride inside the city starts at $8 and goes up to $20 for trips outside the city.

A beer at the local pub averages $5 for a pint. Although regular domestic beers can start at $3, and specialty craft brews can average $8 a pint.

Gas prices in the Seward Place neighborhood run about 10 percent below the national average and about five percent below the New York State average.

The main shopping area in the Seward Place neighborhood can be found on State Street in the downtown area as well as nestled away on Jay Street. These two areas of the neighborhood provide a wide array of shopping options.

Lennon's Irish Shop has been a local and visitor favorite for years. Here visitors find everything from specialty Irish teas imported from Ireland to beautiful Galway crystal and delicate Belleek China. Lennon's provides great gifts for affordable prices. The shop has been elegantly and carefully decorated by the owners to provide the ultimate Irish shopping experience for their guests.

For those looking for some divine inspiration, a stop at Crossroads Gifts & Wellness boutique should be a priority. The specialty gift boutique features unique gift ideas such as books on spirituality, and handmade candles and jewelry as well as alternative natural healing remedies. Located on Jay Street across from Proctors Theater, this hidden gem remains a local favorite in the Seward Place neighborhood.

The closest grocery store to the Seward Place neighborhood can be found on the other end of town about an eight-minute drive or cab ride away. Price Chopper remains the go-to grocery store for locals and visitors. It contains a pharmacy department and florist. The store stays open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for added convenience, as of 2014.