Menands
Small village between Albany and Troy — cheap chain hotels, easy highway access, honestly bland.
Broadway commercial strip in Menands with the wholesale flower market visible
Why people stay in Menands
Menands is a 2.3-square-mile village sandwiched between Albany and Watervliet on the west side of the Hudson. It's built around Broadway (US Route 9) and the Menands Regional Market, the wholesale produce and flower market that's been operating since 1932. On a weeknight at 9pm it's quiet residential and closed commercial — this is a village people live in, not visit.
For a family it makes sense as a budget base if you’re doing regional day trips: Saratoga, Troy, and downtown Albany are all within 15-20 minutes by car. The chain hotels near I-787 exit 6 offer $90-120 rates with free parking, which is real money saved over downtown. Skip if you want to walk anywhere interesting — Menands is a driving neighborhood.
The Hampton Inn Latham and Homewood Suites nearby run $105-140 with free parking and breakfast. A couple of older motor inns on Broadway are cheaper ($85-100) but reviews are uneven. Book the newer chains — the price difference of $20-30 a night is worth it for families. Avoid Broadway south of the Menands Bridge after dark for walking; drive instead.
What to see
Hotels in Menands
Getting around Menands
From the airport it's 10 minutes by car via I-87 south. From downtown Albany, 10 minutes via I-787 north, or CDTA Route 22 in 20-25 minutes. Inside Menands you’ll drive — Broadway has sidewalks but nothing worth walking to. The village's honest transport advantage is highway access: I-787 exit 6 puts you on the interstate in under two minutes.
Questions about Menands
Yes if you’re driving, want cheaper chain-hotel rates, and are combining Albany with Troy/Schenectady/Saratoga day trips. Skip if you want to walk to restaurants and museums.
It's one of America's great garden-style cemeteries, along with Mount Auburn in Cambridge and Green-Wood in Brooklyn. President Chester A. Arthur is buried there, along with much of Albany's 19th-century elite.
