When you think of destinations that attract Hollywood location scouters like flypaper, you think Los Angeles, Manhattan, San Francisco, and perhaps the great West. How about Troy, New York? Never heard of it, you say? Well, Hollywood has. Scouters have chosen this scenic destination on the Hudson River not just because Troy is comparatively less expensive than the Big Apple. Troy's downtown sector is an eclectic assortment of architecture, a mix of Victorian era homes, modern restaurants and retail shops. It's here that Martin Scorcese's "The Age of Innocence" was filmed. With its lovingly restored Victorian homes situated along tree-lined avenues, Troy was the perfect backdrop for the film. "Ironweed" and "The Bostonians" also were filmed here. More than two centuries old, the town is an obvious choice for film executives seeking to capture in their works a period of time long past.

Its relatively serene environment stands in contrast to its beginnings, when Troy was a major center of activity during the Industrial Revolution. Troy was bustling with activity during the 19th century. Its economy was extremely diverse, producing such commodities as textiles, stoves, iron and steel, even stagecoaches and carriages. Wealthy entrepreneurs took up residence here. One particularly notable resident was a man who continues to reap the benefits of your hard work: Uncle Sam (a.k.a. Samuel Wilson, who is buried in Troy's Oakwood Cemetery and who has a statue in his honor here). Troy was a dichotomy of the classes; successful capitalists build rambling estates just minutes away from the overcrowded, humble structures that served as home to countless factory workers.

The majority of the structures that stood in Troy during the 1700s and 1800s remain there today -- including worker housing. This diversity of architecture is what makes Troy such a fascinating visit. All sorts of materials have been used to create these structures: wood, brick, brownstone -- and housing styles emanate nearly architectural influence imaginable, from Queen Anne and Greek Revival to Beaux Arts, Gothic Revival and Romanesque. Skilled tradespeople who specialize in the restoration of old residential and commercial structures stay busy throughout the year.

The architecture alone is reason enough to visit Troy, but it's not the only attraction here. The town of more than 55,000 residents boasts one of the region's most spectacular music halls (the unusual and historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall) and a beautiful site along the Hudson called Riverfront Park, where musicians, artists and other craftspeople congregate during the warmer months for festivals and other events. Among the town's most popular events are the Riverfront Arts Festival, which features an offbeat sidewalk chalk art competition; and the Victorian Stroll, an annual wintertime arts, crafts and music festival in the streets of downtown Troy. One of the town's most revered mansions, the Hart-Cluett mansion, is decorated Victorian-style for the occasion, and its doors are open to the public.

Troy is home to Washington Park, the nation's only private park aside from New York City's Gramercy Park. Residents who live adjacent to the park's grounds each have keys to the gates that surround it. You can look, but you can't enter. Nevertheless, it's a fascinating anomaly.

While you're in Troy, you'll want to pay a visit to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, the historic structure with an unusual name. The music hall was established in 1875 over the existing Troy Savings Bank, which remains open today. The hall's acoustics are considered among the world's best. You'll also want to visit the above-mentioned Hart-Cluett mansion if you haven't already taken a tour during the Victorian Stroll. Located on 2nd Street in Troy, this early 19th century mansion is owned by the Rensselaer County Historical Society. Each room of the mansion contains photographs which depict how the room appeared while its namesake owners lived there.

Among the town's restored industrial structures are the gasholder building, the Burden Iron Works building and Poestenkill Gorge. Historical diehards will take an interest in all three. And if you're among the minority of readers who enjoyed Moby Dick -- or you're just curious -- you'll want to check out the former home of author Herman Melville, one of Troy's most famous former residents.

According to 1998 local economic statistics, Troy's home prices are quite reasonable -- especially when compared to regions elsewhere on the Hudson, most notably the Big Apple. The town's housing inventory includes not only the large, historic homes mentioned above (which, obviously, command among the town's highest asking prices); but also many middle-class, two- and three-bedroom homes priced in the lower $100,000s. The 1999 median home price stands at $108,900, slightly lower than last year's average. The average two-bedroom apartment in Troy rents for approximately $400 per month.

Regardless of whether or not a move to this town on the Hudson is in your plans, it's worth a visit. Few destinations remain standing today that have paid such meticulous attention to preserving their historic structures -- down to the smallest detail. The town of Troy stands as testimony to the beginnings of a great industrial nation and the social inequity that followed. Alongside these relics is the evidence of modern progress -- shops and businesses, schools, restaurants and places of culture. Troy has placed a rare premium on the preservation of its past while remaining open to the inevitable changes of the future.

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Published: December 13, 1999

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