We all know how wonderful Saratoga Springs is. There are articles that come out what seems like daily about how we have the best main street, small town atmosphere, etc, etc! So what happens when you decide to make the move here (see our blog post “decisions, decisions” for more on this dilemma!). If you’ve made the decision to move to Saratoga Springs, congratulations. You honestly can’t go wrong with your choice in housing and neighborhood location but it’s all about finding a balance that you feel happiest with based on figuring out what your true priority is. That usually boils down to price, location, and features and everyone typically has to sacrifice in one of those categories. The choices between neighborhoods and lifestyles can be quite overwhelming! There are so many benefits to all of the different neighborhoods and having over 11 years of experience selling in all of them I wanted to take some time to share my favorite neighborhoods both in and out of town and give you a view from my perspective about the features as well as valuation considerations for the various choices. If you’d like to learn more about a specific neighborhood or get more detailed insider opinions don’t hesitate to schedule a one on one consultation

IN TOWN

East Side

Average sold price for the last 12 months: $516,210

5 year % increase in value: %18

The East side of downtown living is known for being a little bit quieter and having slightly larger yard spaces than other downtown neighborhoods on the west and south sides (reflected in its price point). There is not much commercial influence on this side of town at all except for a handful of markets and restaurants. Instead this side of town is marked primarily with schools, churches, and a large park called “East Side Rec” where you can find football and baseball games regularly as well as tennis, basketball, a water sprinkler park, and several playgrounds. One of the best features of this neighborhood is the proximity to both Wilton area shopping, Broadway, as well as of course the iconic racetrack. Traffic cutting all the way across town can be torturous at times during the year so this is an added bonus of settling East of Broadway. The “East Side” would be marked on the west by Broadway, north by Rt 50, east by the northway, and south by Union Ave. This is not the most expensive real estate in Saratoga (that would be the North Broadway/Skidmore area) but does include the most expensive street on a per square foot basis, Fifth Avenue. The even numbered houses on Fifth back to the Oklahoma training track where the lucky owners can enjoy their coffee and cocktails by watching legendary hoses prepare for their Saratoga meet.

West Side and Arts District

Average sold price for the last 12 months: $388,280

5 year % increase in value: 54%

The West side of downtown Saratoga is known as the “up and coming” side of town and you can really see that in the above numbers. This side (West of Broadway bordered by West ave on the West, Church St. on the north, and Circular St. on the South) is in the middle of a renaissance with many new construction homes being built, the newly formed “Arts District”, great markets and convenient businesses and restaurants! People can expect charming neighborhoods and deeper values than it’s counterpart to the East. This side of town does have its share of rental properties and also a controversial homeless shelter but the people who live here love the diversity of the neighborhood. There is also the Railroad Run trail which connects this side of town with the YMCA and eventually all the way to the state park along with West side rec which includes a sprinkler park, little league fields and a playground!

OUT OF TOWN

Regatta View

Average sold price for the last 12 months: $552,720

5 year % increase in value: Not enough data….there were only 2 sales 5 years ago averaging in the mid 600’s vs. 5 sales for the last 12 months

This neighborhood ranges in price from 400k to over 1 Million. The most desirable homes back to Fish Creek (which flows into Saratoga Lake). The neighborhood includes a shared park area which walks down (eventually) to a shared beach/kayak launch area. It is quite a walk down so not something you’d want to wheel a cooler to or carry beach chairs. The “Head of the Regatta”, one of the largest national crew races is held here annually! Have a high schooler in crew? Score! They can walk right to the boathouse where practice takes place! Also, now that we have a lakefront restaurant, Lake Local, this neighborhood is one of the only that is within walking distance so you can enjoy some cocktails in the Adirondack chairs watching the sunset and be a 5-10 minute walk home on your private path!

Waters Edge and The Woodlands

Average sold price for the last 12 months: $533,800

5 year % increase in value: 23%

This neighborhood also borders the lake but has some very unique amenities. The “Water’s Edge” section is made up of townhomes which are maintenance free (lawn care and snow removal are done for you)! The Woodlands side are large single family homes. This side is not maintenance free but both sides share some pretty amazing amenities. There is a clubhouse with party space, gym, squash court, locker rooms, indoor tennis, indoor pool and hot tub etc!! Outdoors in summer it’s like belonging to a private club with tennis, outdoor pool, and best of all a beach on Saratoga Lake!! There are also several boats slips that come up for sale from time to time for approx. 8-10k unless you are lucky enough to buy a home that has a deeded boat slip included!

McGregor Links

Average sold price for the last 12 months: $425,345

5 year % increase in value: 6.7%

This neighborhood is North of town but very close to all the box stores of the Wilton area (think Target, Walmart, the Wilton Mall, Panera etc). This is super convenient if you make 10 trips to various stores throughout the week! Also, the town of Wilton has no town tax so in our entire area the Wilton area has the lowest taxes and McGregor Links is located within these boundaries! The main feature of the neighborhood is the McGregor golf course and many of the lots back up to the fairways! Become a member and enjoy golf and the pool with the family during the summer! The neighborhood is mostly single family homes but also has a small section of maintenance free townhomes as well!

Live in one of these neighborhoods? Comment here and tell people what you love!