Troy

At the juncture of the Hudson River and the Erie Canal and just a few miles north of Albany, Troy was an important commercial city in the early 1800s. Although the development of the railroads curtailed its commercial dominance, Troy became one of the largest industrial cities on the East Coast. Uncle Sam—actually Sam Wilson, a meat packer who acquired the moniker during the War of 1812—hailed from Troy and is buried in the Oakwood Cemetery. In the 20th century the city became known as the home of Cluett-Peabody, maker of Arrow shirts. Today Troy has a host of cultural venues as well as several excellent restaurants. It's also rich in architecture, with Federal-style farmhouses, 19th-century Georgian-style buildings and brownstones, and 20th-century bungalow-style homes. It's also home to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Russell Sage College.