5 Things to Love About Living in Amsterdam NY

Amsterdam, NY is the perfect city for history and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Many historical sites have been redeveloped, but some have been preserved. For outdoor enthusiasts, there are parks and a museum highlighting the hunting and trapping prevalent in Amsterdam’s past.

The Walter Elwood Museum in Amsterdam

Walter Elwood was a teacher with a passion for preserving cultural history from places he visited around the world. When he died in the 1950s, he requested that his collection remain in Amsterdam. The current 25,000 artifacts include Carpet City History, a Vintage Children’s Toy Room, a Military Room, and an American Locomotive Company History Exhibit.

The museum is located at 100 Church Street in one of the former carpet manufacturing company buildings. It offers interactive displays, traveling exhibits, classes, and lecturers. The collection includes scrapbooks that document its history. The museum is open from Monday through Friday from 10 am to 3 pm.

Green Hill Cemetery

The Green Hill Cemetery was originally located west of Bridge Street between Main Street and the Mohawk River, but development has decimated that site. The cemetery was moved to the hill on Market and Prospect Streets. It was filled to capacity by 1857, so a 14-acre site was purchased on the north side of Amsterdam. It has winding roads and beautiful landscaping. Benedict Arnold is among the historic figures buried there.

The Amsterdam Riverfront

The Mohawk River runs through Amsterdam, creating the beautiful Riverlink Park in the downtown area. The MVGO bridge crossing the river creates a scenic view, especially when the sun is setting. You can enjoy concerts, festivals, fireworks, shopping, and food vendors at the park. Fresh drinking water, electrical outlets, and a boat dock are available.

There are a children’s playground and walking and biking trails. You can also rent a party tent that includes catering for special occasions.

The Wildlife Sports and Wildlife Educational Museum

For hunters and trappers, the Wildlife Sports and Wildlife Educational Museum provides full-size mounts of buffalo, mountain lions, bears, wolves, birds, and fish. Children can have a safe, close-up view of these animals  On the wall, there are over 160 mounted deer heads.

Plotter Kill Preserve

In nearby Schenectady, you can visit the Plotter Kill Preserve located at 3985 Mariaville Road. The preserve offers a variety of walking and biking trails ranging from easy to challenging. No printed maps are available, so it’s a good idea to photograph the posted maps. The moderately-challenging 5.40-mile loop trail is near Rotterdam Junction and takes 2-hours and 45-minutes to complete.

The preserve features a beautiful gorge, three waterfalls, conifer and hardwood trees, and over 600 other plants. Wildlife includes chipmunks, amphibians, garter snakes, a variety of birds, and other animals. It is open year-round, but March through November is the best period to visit.

Whether you’re a history or outdoor enthusiast or a metropolitan shopper, you’ll love living in  Amsterdam. If you’re shopping for a new Ford vehicle, visit Brown’s Ford, located at 4419 State Highway 30 in Amsterdam, or call us at 518-770-1224.

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