albany, the capital of new york, is often referred to as the crossroads city due to its location; roughly between new york city, montreal, buffalo, and boston. its palace theater and times union center make it a popular place for tourists, not to mention that the knickerbocker makes for a fine musical venue. the new york state museum is a major cultural draw, if that's more your scene, focusing on things such as political and social histories. like in most other new york cities, you'll find many independent shops, coffee houses, restaurants, art galleries, antique shops, bars, and tattoo parlors in albany.