Amsterdam is a small city on the Mohawk River in upstate New York, about 30 miles northwest of Albany. Once a prosperous carpet-manufacturing centre, it has the faded-grandeur look common to former mill towns in the Northeast — handsome 19th-century commercial buildings alongside empty lots. The castellated Amsterdam Castle on Florida Avenue and the award-winning Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook pedestrian bridge over the river are the two stand-out pieces of civic architecture.
The city sits along the Erie Canalway Trail and the Mohawk River, making it a stop for cyclists and boaters passing through the valley. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs on a hilltop in nearby Auriesville is the most striking historical site within easy reach. The nearby Adirondack Park is within easy reach for day trips into the mountains.