I'm excited to tell you about Russell Sage College's Albany neighborhood. Whether you've just moved on campus or you're visiting soon, I hope you'll add some of the area's most popular events and destinations to your must do list.

Just a few blocks from campus, there's a great mix of places to relax from locally owned pizza places and coffee shops to national chains like Starbucks and Panera. It's not hard to get to Albany's Washington Park for a walk or run or to historic Lark Street for more shopping and dining options.

The CDPHP Cycle Bike Share Program is a fun and easy way to explore the area. There are Bike Share locations on campus and you can borrow a bike free with your Sage ID. Plus your student ID is also a bus pass making it easy to get to other city neighborhoods. Galleries, museums and shops throughout Albany are open late on the first Friday of every month with free or inexpensive special events during the monthly First Friday celebration.

There are frequent food festivals, heritage celebrations, and concerts on the New York state capital's Plaza just over two miles from campus. And downtown Albany is home to several performing arts venues plus a 17,000 seat arena that hosts major rock concerts and sporting events including March Madness and Frozen Four games.

Besides being the seat of state government with an impact on 19 million New Yorkers, the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area is a hub for healthcare, high tech enterprise, and entrepreneurial initiatives. So you'll find opportunities for internships, employment, and community service near both Russell Sage College campuses too.