Arden is a community within the Village of Albany that was founded in 1900 as a single tax village, inspired by the economic philosophy of Henry George and also by the Arts and Crafts movement, and the Garden City movement of Ebenezer Howard. The village has a 73% tree canopy and is an urban oasis, noted for its music, theater and art.
The arden is known for its distinctive Triassic white heterolithic sandstone carved from the bedrock and quarried in the nearby area. It is a common feature of many historic buildings in the region.
The Fair is an annual event held each August to raise funds for the Arden Club, which maintains the Gild Hall. The proceeds from the fair are used to provide concerts, musicals, plays and dances for members of the public as well as to fund other programs throughout the year.
Among the most important events in the arden’s history are the first Congressional Caucuses, hosted at the Gild Hall, and the founding of the Woodmen of the Arden, which claims to be a revival of the original group of forest officers who were formerly under crown forestry law. The arden is also home to the prestigious Arden Shakespeare annotated editions of the plays, which have set the gold standard for annotated texts.
The arden is a short walk or ride from Weill Cornell Medical College and Marymount Manhattan College. It is easily accessible by cab and bus, with the nearest subway station being 86 Street (4,5,6 Lines). For those traveling internationally, John F. Kennedy International Airport is 17.7 miles or 29 minutes away.