I didn't stick around the Capital Region too long after college but I actually found the Troy community to be incredibly engaging. Maybe it was a function of time and place, but I got into cycling groups, community arts orgs, and volunteerism. It helped that I made friends in college who were already plugged into the local community.
I do love Troy and it is indeed surprisingly lively. I think shifting from a “I’m here temporarily for school” to “I’m now an average local” has been difficult to navigate and kept me from thinking about those sorts of local communities. Your comment is a good reminder.