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Albany, OR is a city located in Oregon with a population of around 53,000 people. It is a small town with many attractions, ranging from outdoors activities to cultural sites. Albany is home to some of the best parks and trails in the state, such as Corvallis Falls Nature Park and Monteith Riverpark. The city also offers a wide variety of entertainment options such as museums and galleries. Visitors can also explore the historic downtown area which has numerous shops, restaurants and bars. Albany is also known for its diverse cultural scene with various music performances throughout the year.
The reviews for Albany, OR are generally positive with most people commenting on how great the parks and nature sites are along with all the other attractions available in the city. Many find it to be an ideal weekend getaway destination due to its proximity to larger cities like Portland or Eugene. People often comment on how friendly everyone is in Albany and there's always something going on whether it's music or art related events. Overall, people tend to have a pleasant experience when visiting Albany and recommend it as a great place to go for anyone looking for things to do that don't involve large crowds or long travel times.
based on 25 ReviewsGet to know Albany with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Albany
Good retirement choice. - 9/17/2023
I only lived in Albany 1 year. But I found the weather to be quite Mild. The Housing more affordable than Corvallis. I was shocked to find that nearby Corvallis gets 7 inches more rain a year than Albany. And even less rain than nearby Lebanon, OR. Of the 3 towns, Corvallis has the best air quality. So If you want a nice affordable town to retire to and the town still be big enough to do things, Albany might be just right for
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Cost of living well worth it - 4/20/2022
I've been living in Albany about 4.5 years. Moved up from Southern California to escape high home prices and the cost of living and clogged freeways. Now it's not sunny 365 days a week, but we bought a beautiful home in NW Albany with views of green treetops under 375k. Leaves plenty of spending for traveling that we never had before. We often drive to the coast (1 Hour) and often are up in Beaverton and Lake Oswego (1 hour). You can't beat it. The community is very friendly. The downtown buisnesses know you when you walk in. The is precious. We are not real outdoorsy, if you are, it's endless. The price of gas is cheaper here than CA and so are utilities.
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Silence is Golden - 8/12/2021
Ten months and ongoing in Albany, from the SF Bay Area. Much less crime here, much quieter here, more courteous and sane drivers here by far.
We have been able to decompress and reduce our level of stress to almost nil after getting to Albany.
I have yet to need the police whereas in SF, I was calling for many many incidents, mostly noise and quality of life crime, almost 3 times a week.
Here in Albany, we get our money's worth for our taxes and real
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Overcrowded - 11/2/2020
This place is literally bulging at the seams. Traffic is intense. Property taxes are very high. Basic city water is $100.00/mo minimum. Bond initiatives always pass so taxes keep rising. Personally I'm comfortable and quite settled in my home and don't wish to have to go through the expense and hassle of moving but my wife and I always keep an eye out for somewhere else to go and there definitely are better places to live!I guess the schools are ok and there's Linn-Benton Community College and OSU is only 15mi away.It does seem that quality of life has gone downhill and many longtime residents have begun to slowly leave but maybe the new arrivals like it here. It's very crowded and much more expensive than it was even 15 years
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I'll pass thank you... - 7/13/2019
Now I know why this place is referred to as "The armpit of Oregon". After living there for 10 years it became like living in a dirty and dark closet. What an awful
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Albany resident. - 7/6/2019
The other reviews are pretty accurate and I live in Albany. Law enforcement is AMAZING here---there is usually a Sheriff's car or truck on every corner. If you are a criminal or want to hide from the law here, bad idea. One dispatcher told me you can call them over "anything." Having small children this is important to me. Not a good place for illegals either, my current job required a 10 year background history of where I was living as do most jobs. The sports are great, U of O is the best, and check out Frankie's restaurant over the bridge. Novak's is great too. The only downside is LOTS of rain and gray skies but what do you want this is Oregon.
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Living in Albany - 6/15/2019
I'm a resident and I will tell you the good and the bad. Lots of friendly people, great law enforcement and traffic is not bad. It can stay dark and cloudy/rainy for weeks but I don't mind. The bad:
VERY hard to find a job here. Like the other review states you have to have a valid Oregon license, birth certificate, background check etc read and write english and the pay is grossly below the national avg. and wages are VERY low. Getting housing assistance is not easy. I would not recommend moving a family here unless you can survive on $10-11 an hour. Anything higher requires a 2-4 year degree. If you are elderly and need a place to retire in a one bedroom studio this might be better for you. People are very chatty and like to be neighborly.
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Fantastic up and coming town! - 5/14/2019
Albany has changed a lot for the better in the past few years. The schools are good, tons of parks, lots of amenities, big support for local businesses, right off the I5. It's a great little town with a lot to offer and lots of potential to be even lower amazing. The City has really pushed to clean up sketchy areas and make sure all properties are kept looking nice. The police department is awesome and really cares about Albany and works hard to keep crime low. Yes there are transients and drug addicts (just like every single other place in the country) and just like everywhere else Albany works to find resources for them when possible. Albany is near tons of rivers, waterfalls, amazing hiking and biking trails, the coast, mountains for skiing, and even sand dunes for sand boarding. Albany is very pet friendly as well. This is a great place to raise a family and be a part of a positive community that is growing and becoming better everyday.
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Nonstop Gray in the Allergy Capital - 5/11/2019
If you like alternating between months and months of nonstop gray followed by sunnier months in the allergy capital of the country, this is the place for you.
For the rest of us, Albany is a miserable place.
You'll notice that most of the good reviews are from people from Oregon, many having lived their lives in the area. Those of us from other areas have a good comparison and realize where Albany is lacking.
Even compared to other parts of Oregon, the people here aren't especially friendly. A surprising number of people have actual depression. I'm easily the only outgoing person I know, but this place is chipping away at my optimism.
There's more poverty then you'd expect when you consider the state of the economy and cost-of-living. There's no diversity, no culture, and little variation in anything, including the people. The food is bland and terrible. (This is true in most of Oregon.)
If I stay in Oregon, I'd
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Fantastic up and coming town! - 3/10/2019
I've lived in Oregon for almost 3 years and my family of four just bought a house in Albany 9 months ago. I love how close Albany is to the I5, and lots of locally owned stores, as well as plenty of grocery stores (and a Costco). The farmers market is awesome and one of our fave places to go on weekends during the summer! Albany has TWO libraries (one a Carnegie library, the other a very new, modern library) that offer multiple family friendly events. Albany has an awesome mall with a small free indoor play area, as well as an indoor bounce house place that my kids love. Our Walmart is big, clean and has new EV charging stations available. Albany has some great locally owned restaurants with fantastic gluten free menus (if you need that). The community of Albany bands together when the going gets tough and it's awesome to see. Yes there are transients and drug users, but you find that in every town, it just may be more noticeable in a small town like Albany compared to a larger city.
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