Albany suburbs/good schools and neighborhoods

NewJerseyGirl

Hi Ladies!

I live in Alexandria, VA with my husband and two boys (ages 3 and 8 months.)  My husband is considerign a transfer to Albany, NY but neither of us has every been there and we know nothing about the area.  We are going up to visit after Xmas.  Can anyone provide any information about cities/towns to look at?  We are looking for a family-friendly, safe, suburban neighborhood with great schools.  (My parents are in NJ, so we are particularly interested in living south of Albany to be closer to NJ, but are considering all suburbs.) 

Any info anyone can provide would be so helpful!  We are also looking to meet with a realtor when we go up to house hunt (the week between Xmas and New Year's) if anyone has any referrals.

Thank you so much!

Nancy