Troy, New York – The Clever Boater

Location

Region: Hudson River, New York
Latitude: 42.7519° N
Longitude: -73.6815° W
Waterway Guide: Troy, New York

Destination: Troy, New York

Troy is on the Eastern side of the Hudson River, just before you get to the Troy Federal Lock and the entrance to the Erie Canal. Most Loopers bypass Troy on the way to Waterford from Shady Harbor. If the docks in Waterford are full, or if there are closures on the Erie or Champlain Canals, Troy is a great place to stop and spend some time, as there are plenty of restaurants and shops to explore while you wait.

We stopped in Troy to wait for the Champlain Canal to reopen after some heavy rain, and we were glad we did!

The Troy Downtown Marina is very nice. It’s a long-face dock just after the rather interesting-looking Federal Street Bridge, also known as the Green Island Bridge. The locals call it the “Transformer Bridge” due to its unique architecture. On the bridge abutment next to the marina, a mural shows the bridge transforming. The docks are newer and have power and water. There are fuel pumps and a pump-out station on the dock, but they were not operational when we were there, and according to the dockmaster, they have been down for a while. There was public WiFi from the city, but it was pretty bad.

The two main attractions for us in Troy were the number of great restaurants, including some of the best BBQ that we’ve had.

The other was the Troy Saturday Farmers Market, which is one of the largest farmers markets we’ve seen on the Loop. It covers an area of 4 city blocks, lining both sides of the road. The selection of products was fantastic! It’s a good thing we were on our boat with limited refrigerator space, or we would have really overspent!

While you are in Troy, you have to visit Uncle Sam. Troy is the reputed home of the Original Uncle Sam, Samuel Wilson, a meat packer who supplied the US Army with barrels of beef during the War of 1812. The barrels were labeled “U.S.” and when asked what the initials stood for, one of Wilson’s workers replied, “Uncle Sam Wilson.” There is a statue of him right near the entrance to downtown, just a short walk from the marina.

Also worth visiting is the Hart Cluett Museum. The Intricate, Federal-style Hart-Cluett House & Carr Building showcases 19th-century history and art. Many artifacts from the area are on display, including a great collection of horse-drawn carriages.

A Quick Note: We were warned about a large homeless population before going to Troy. While we did see quite a few people sleeping on sidewalks, they pretty much left us alone, and we didn’t have any problems with them. Also, the park under the bridge behind the marina attracts kids at night, and they can be loud. We had some fireworks set off over the boat. The police presence was pretty good, and none of the noise lasted very long. The Fire and Police boat dock is under the bridge and shares an entrance with the marina so they are there frequently.

The Troy Federal Lock and Dam are about a mile upstream from the marina. If you are heading north, you can call the lock on the radio from the marina before you untie so that you don’t have to wait in the current from the dam.

Where To Eat

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que—Just under the bridge from the marina. You will find it easily, as the smell of the BBQ wafts over the marina, making you hungry. We went with a group of six Loopers, and we all agreed that it was some of the best BBQ we’ve had!

Ryan’s Wake—Overlooking the marina, this is a good old Irish Pub and Grill that serves traditional pub fare and Irish food.

Brown’s Brewing Company—Also within sight of the marina, Brown’s is a Brew Pub famous for its burgers. It offers a nice selection of both in-house and local beers and ciders.

EMRY’s Garden—A short walk from the marina, near the BBQ place, is a slightly higher-end Gastropub with great drinks, pizza, and beer.

There are many more choices downtown, but the above are all in sight of the marina.

Shopping Therapy

Aside from the Saturday Farmers Market, downtown Troy has many little shops and boutiques. It’s very walkable, less than 1/4 mile from the marina to downtown. There’s only one “Must See” on our list and that is Hatchet Hardware. It’s an old-time hardware store that’s gone boutique! It’s definitely something to see if you like interesting hardware stores!

For provisioning, there is a Walgreens across the bridge from the marina and a small grocery store, Jefferson Street Deli & Grocery, on the far side of downtown, about 3/4 of a mile away. The closest true grocery store is Hannaford Grocery, about 2 miles away. There is also a Walmart three miles away on Route 7 in the same direction as the Hannaford.

Getting Around On Shore

A bus service, the CDTA, runs through Downtown with service past Hannaford and Walmart.

Troy is also a college town, so there are good sidewalks and bike paths around town, and taking a bike to Hannaford or Walmart is not a bad ride.

Uber/Lyft are available in the area as well.

Keeping Entertained

Hart Cluett Museum – (See above) It is right downtown.

Burden Ironworks Museum – Is a museum about the iron and steel industry that once was a major industry in the area. About 1.5 miles south.

Brown’s Brewing Company and Ryan’s Wake, next to the marina, have live music in the evenings. Check with them for a schedule.

Getting There

Troy is on the Hudson River, about 24 miles North of Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina. It is 3.5 miles from Troy to Waterford, NY, and the start of the Erie and Champlain Canals. Note that there is one lock, the Troy Federal Lock, between Troy and Waterford.

Marinas and Anchorages

Troy Downtown Marina—Book through Snag-a-Slip. They have several hundred feet of face dock on the river. It’s easy to get in and out; just watch the current and debris on the approach during periods of high water.