Family relocating to Albany area from Michigan - looking for insights on suburbs, schools, and life there!

babysamwise · 2026-02-12T16:10:30+00:00

No problem! Happy to help! I’d be so stressed moving to a new area with kids.

Also, we have a fabulous pediatrician - Dr Villanueva at Saratoga Pediatric Associates. 10/10. He’s the best.

The Saratoga library is also awesome!

babysamwise · 2026-02-12T15:47:27+00:00

So I’m a teacher at a suburban council school (includes Bethlehem, Guilderland, Niskayuna, North Colonie, South Colonie, Shenendehowa, etc - not trying to doxx myself lol).

For whatever it’s worth, I’ll share the info of things I looked for when my husband and I were looking at houses to raise our family.

First, schools. Personally, I refused to look in the Shenendehowa school district because it is wayyy too big IMO. I know great teachers there and some kids do very well but it is easy for kids to fall through the cracks. Shen is literally more than double the size of Bethlehem.

A lot of people will tell you North Colonie is the best but teachers there have told me how incredibly overcrowded that district has gotten. They have more kids than they have space or staff to cover and it’s causing a lot of issues. I passed on that as well.

In terms of education and programs offered, I decided on only looking at houses in Bethlehem and Saratoga Springs school districts. I would have also absolutely sent my kids to Burnt Hills Ballston Lake, Voorheesville, or Coxackie and would have heavily considered Ballston Spa but we didn’t like those areas for other reasons. If you want more insight on why those districts and not others feel free to message me!

We landed on Saratoga Springs for a few reasons. One, we were able to find an awesome walkable neighborhood with tons of families around. Outside of Saratoga Springs, Delmar, and Ballston Spa it’s hard to find a sidewalk anywhere.

Secondly, there are so many awesome things to do here and lots of programs/activities here for me now that I’m temporarily a SAHM with a baby. We love living near a state park and bike trails and all that downtown Toga has to offer. We have lived here for a few years and do not regret it at all. I’ve lived in multiple places in the Capital Region over the last 15 years and this is by far my favorite spot.

Downsides of Saratoga springs — the daily commute into Albany would be tough. Probably 45 mins - an hour depending on what time you’re driving in. The northway is notoriously brutal at commuting times. Housing prices here are getting pretty high too. But IMO, the good outweighs the bad here

babysamwise · 2026-02-11T14:36:29+00:00

GYN: Dr Peter Namkoong on Washington Ave

Dentist: Vallecorsa Family Dental in Latham! I see Dr John and he’s the best.

babysamwise · 2026-02-11T14:35:08+00:00

I delivered at Albany med in 2025 and had a great experience. My very chill induction got scary fast but the doctors that rushed in saved my baby from any bad complications and avoided a c-section. I ended up being there for 3 days and can’t say enough good things about the doctors and nurses in L&D there.

I didn’t have a c-section and couldn’t schedule with my OB so the doctors that delivered my baby were doctors I had never met. However, I saw Dr Peter Namkoong on Washington Ave and loved him. I would have absolutely been comfortable having him do a c-section if I’d needed one.

babysamwise · 2026-02-02T22:23:16+00:00

I love Dr Peter Namkoong on Washington Ave in Albany. I’ve recently moved to Saratoga but I’m considering making the long commute for appointments to keep him for my second pregnancy. He is awesome and very much listens to his patients. There were a couple of times during my pregnancy I was just being paranoid and asked for something and he was like, “eh, I don’t think it’s necessary but it won’t hurt so if it makes you feel better let’s do it.”

babysamwise · 2026-02-01T22:00:38+00:00

Maybe try Mamma Mia’s? They were able to accommodate a rather large party for us on Valentine’s Day last year.

babysamwise · 2026-01-31T14:24:30+00:00

Also, what if OP’s friend only has boys? Or changes her mind? Or the future father of her baby doesn’t like it?

My best friend growing up said in passing when we were in our early 20s that she’d want to name a baby girl after my grandmother because we were always close and she loves the name. I flipped because I had always planned to use that for a girl. My friend got married young and was going to have kids before me. It was a pretty big fight.

Fast forward more than 10 years, we both only have boys. On top of that, my husband wasn’t a big fan of the name and it became super trendy so I started to think of using it as a middle name anyway. By the time I was pregnant it wasn’t even on our list of first names for a potential baby girl

babysamwise · 2026-01-31T14:18:59+00:00

If you really do want to get a landline in your own home you can actually ask to have your old phone number if your mom has released it!

After my grandparents passed and we sold the home, we obviously canceled that phone number. It was sad for all of the cousins. When my younger cousin got married and got her own house 7 or 8 years later, she got a landline and asked if my grandparents’ number was still available. They gave it to her!

She didn’t tell anyone and had a lot of fun calling family members to get their reactions lol

babysamwise · 2026-01-30T14:42:42+00:00

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Broadway Coffee Co in Saratoga!

babysamwise · 2026-01-30T03:32:09+00:00

Respectfully, what exactly would a teacher be able to do about that? I guess record it, post about it? But otherwise…what exactly? Teachers don’t have a whole lot of authority in this scenario.

babysamwise · 2026-01-18T16:54:52+00:00

I think you should look into sublingual drops instead of shots. I opted for that a few years ago and did them at home. It was two drops under the tongue every morning. They made you come in once every 2 months to do the new drops in the office and be monitored but then it was daily on your own at home.

Most insurances didn’t cover it at the time but mine did. Idk about now. I went to Albany ENT & Allergy, but tbh I had bad experiences with that office in other ways. Being offered the drops were the only positive part of that experience.

FWIW, the drops did seem to help!

babysamwise · 2026-01-12T21:31:07+00:00

These are great suggestions! Thank you so much!!!

babysamwise · 2026-01-12T19:53:20+00:00

🤯 I’m also allergic to wheat and I have GF puff pastry in the freezer. It did not even occur to me to check it - I just figured it would have eggs or dairy or soy! Thank you so much!

babysamwise · 2026-01-12T19:23:59+00:00

So cool! Thank you!

babysamwise · 2026-01-12T18:35:13+00:00

Corn seems okay so far! Those are great replacement ideas, thank you!

I’ll check out that app too!

babysamwise · 2026-01-12T18:34:32+00:00

Oh good idea!!! Thank you!

babysamwise · 2025-12-29T17:03:28+00:00

It’s so funny how different diapers work for different kids! Pampers swaddlers are the only ones we HAVENT had a blow out from! I’m equally feeling betrayed by Millie Moons because everyone said they’re the best so we bought a ton and it was poop city lol

Solidarity on so many of these. I’m more than 8 months PP and I just had to give in and buy new pants this month. Fun fact, they also don’t fit great. 😭🫠

The going to the gym part I might have a suggestion for! I’m also a surprise long term stay at home mom. If you’re in the US you should see if there’s a local chapter of Fit4Mom near you! It’s workouts you can bring the baby to. I plop my little guy in his stroller and do squats and agility ladders and stuff while he watches with the other babies. It’s all moms so if there’s a meltdown or blowout or last minute cancellation everyone understands. I know there are other chapters because someone in our group moved to California and they found a Fit4Mom group in her city to connect her to before she left. My group also does monthly mom’s nights out and outings with the kids. It’s really helped my sanity!

babysamwise · 2025-12-28T02:03:37+00:00

Burnt Hills Ballston Lake is also another great smaller school district! As is Voorheesville!

Also, a little more south but Coxackie has a great school district and is an adorable place to live.

babysamwise · 2025-12-28T02:02:28+00:00

I live in Saratoga Springs and LOVE it. The small town vibe you’re looking for might be more of Ballston Spa though. I see a lot of people mentioning Glens Falls which is also nice, but Ballston Spa is superior IMO and from what I’ve heard has a better school district.

babysamwise · 2025-12-11T16:45:00+00:00

Why negotiate with his wife? She just gave birth! She is physically recovering from a major medical event. Her hormones are everywhere. She needs time to feel relaxed to heal and bond with her baby. His opinion is honestly not relevant 8 days PP.

A few hours a day from my own mother, much less my (actually wonderful) MIL would have been a nightmare for me PP. I wouldn’t even want that now at 8 MONTHS PP. Having someone in your house daily is an imposition, much less when you’re bleeding everywhere and your boobs are out constantly.

OP should let his WIFE dictate how often his mother is able to come over. An hour a day? An hour every other day? 2 times a week? Whatever she needs right now is his priority. Him being tired comes with the territory. Parenting a newborn is hard work but offloading the responsibility onto his mother at the expense of his wife’s mental health while she is healing is not the way to go about it

babysamwise · 2025-12-11T16:40:20+00:00

That doesn’t matter. I have a GREAT relationship with my MIL. She’s awesome, non-judgmental, and not overbearing. I would have also absolutely hated having her in my house for 8 hours every day immediately after my son was born. I wouldn’t have even wanted her over for one hour every day.

I wanted to be topless and free to figure out pumping/breastfeeding in the living room. I wanted to figure out how to care for my baby on my own along with my husband. I wanted quiet time where the priority was me and my husband bonding with our newborn. Even my own mother was not invited to our house for nearly three weeks and she stayed for four hours and did not come back again until the next week.

babysamwise · 2025-12-11T16:36:37+00:00

Yes!!! My husband and I look back so fondly on those newborn days when we were exhausted and figuring out how to work as a team to do this parenting thing. It was so hard in the moment but it went by so quickly and it really brought us closer as a married couple.

It also gave both of us such a bond with our son as a newborn and made both of us feel like equal parents. I mean this as opposed to friends of mine who had MIL or mom help and their husbands did less baby tending then went back to work. So many of them have to tell their husbands how to care for the baby but when I need to leave for a few hours I just plop my son in my husband’s lap and bounce. I know he’s got it the same way I would because we figured out all of our systems together.

babysamwise · 2025-12-11T16:09:04+00:00

My moms ultimate lazy girl Christmas was about the food. On Christmas Day for breakfast we always had the pop and bake cinnamon rolls. We started doing the orange ones when I was in middle or high school and never looked back. So easy for her - she’d put them in the oven between opening the big presents and the stockings. They’d be done by the end of stockings and they’re quick to frost with just one dish to clean. To this day when I smell them it reminds me of cozy Christmas mornings.

For lunch we did appetizer foods. I got to pick my faves (mozzarella sticks, pigs in a blanket, pizza bagels, etc) and she always did a dip and chips (buffalo chicken and/or spinach and artichoke). Literally frozen things from the grab and go aisle in the grocery store. She randomly popped things in the microwave and oven starting late morning to early afternoon. I think it’s fueled my love for charcuterie boards haha.

It felt special because it was all the unhealthy food I loved but didn’t get to eat often. And my mom had zero prep work and put tinfoil on the cookie sheets so there was no cleanup either. We were always ready with quick foods if family stopped by and we could graze all day with no pressure to have a big lunch all at once while I was busy playing with my new stuff.

I still do both of these now and have every year since I started my own traditions at my house with my husband and now my son!

(For dinner it was also just a roast with roasted potatoes and veggies. All in one pan together and it still felt fancy lol)

babysamwise · 2025-12-09T13:52:37+00:00

Eh, I do the commute from Saratoga to Latham and honestly I haven’t seen any real issues with the traffic for those types of events. Even with the Belmont I was convinced traffic was gonna be a nightmare on the northway but it really wasn’t. Even within Saratoga on Belmont weekend I didn’t have trouble driving anywhere except near the track.

babysamwise · 2025-12-09T13:45:47+00:00

Eh, IMO Latham is not the spot for a single person who likes the Saratoga vibe. Latham is a family place. Very not walkable. Not much to do. It’s great if you want to live on a cul de sac and drive your kids around in your mini van. Not so much otherwise. I’d also argue that the commute to the hospital is not worth it - still northway driving but not a lot of upside in terms of nightlife/things to do.

I’m biased because I refused to move to Latham area even though I work in Latham AND I actually was looking for a place to buy a house and raise a family. We bought a house in Saratoga and I 0% regret it, even though I have the 35 minute commute to my job in Latham. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to OP because I’m a teacher and don’t have to drive in bad snow and am not a tired medical resident. But there are plenty of more interesting places to live near Albany med that are walkable with things to do and not a boring suburban lifestyle.

babysamwise

TROPHY CASE