Nestled in a valley on the western bank of the historic and scenic Hudson River lays the small city of Mechanicville. A former mill town and railroad center, today Mechanicville is primarily residential in nature with a population of approximately 6,000. There are, however, many small businesses with a wide array of services within the city limits. Emmanuel United Church is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood. Most of the homes in the neighborhood are attractive older houses, dating from the turn of the 20th century. These buildings are well maintained, and some are fine examples of Victorian architecture. There are numerous year-round recreational, cultural, and educational activities within a half-hour drive of the city. If you want to get away from it all for a couple of days, we are within three hours of Boston (Cape Cod), Montreal and New York City. The scenic Adirondack Park (the nation’s largest state park) is within an hours drive northwest of Mechanicville.

Other area interests include: the NYC Ballet, Philadelphia Orchestra, and various popular artists which perform during the summer at the outdoor Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC); Proctor's Theater in Schenectady offers a wide variety of performers on a year-round basis including Broadway plays and musical productions.

There are many attractions for those that are sports-minded: the Albany River Rats (an AHL hockey team for the Carolina Hurricanes), the Albany Firebirds (an AFL2 team) both play at the Times Union Center (formerly Knickerbocker and Pepsi Arenas). The Tri-City Valley Cats play in Troy at Joseph Bruno Stadium. The area also boasts multiple Division I teams: University at Albany , Siena College , Union College & RPI(Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute); the last two being Division 1 in hockey only.

The previously mentioned Times Union Center is a quality venue that is located in downtown Albany and hosts many local and national sporting events including NCAA men’s basketball, hockey and wrestling tournaments. In addition to that, there are many concerts, shows, trade shows, and family events.

There are many downhill ski resorts within an hour’s drive, and cross-country skiing is available nearby as well. The Capital Region boasts several universities. Besides those mentioned earlier, there are Russell Sage College, the College of Saint Rose, Skidmore College, Albany Law School, and many others.

For history buffs, the Saratoga National Historical Park (site of the Battles of Saratoga) is within 20 minutes of Mechanicville. For outdoor lovers, the beautiful town of Lake George is an hour away, and the Olympic Village of Lake Placid is only an hour further away.

Medical facilities are a definite strongpoint of this region. They range from general practitioners, dentists, and optometrists and a small medical center right in the city, to many area hospitals within a half hour. Albany Medical Center is a renowned teaching hospital, St. Peter’s is a famous cardiac center and Bellevue Women’s Hospital(part of Ellis Hospital) is a valuable center as well.