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I am ready to come back to NY and my wife is about 70% ready. We lived on LI before moving to NC in 2006. We can't afford to return to LI and I really don't feel like joining that rat race again anyway. We were just up there last week and it seems like it is looking even more shabby than when we left. It seems as though the State and Town Governments are not doing very much grass cutting along the roads and it looks awful up there.
Anyway I am done with living down south, it is not a good fit for me. I was thinking to move back to CA but decided against that, then I was looking at Bend, OR but the wife is only O.K.ing a move to be closer to family in the NY area. So that leaves me looking at the Northeast. I really love snowboarding and the outdoors, after living in this heat I can embrace the snow and cold, I am so done with this heat down here. We used to rent cabins every winter near Gore and the whole family would come up for the week, so I know a little about the area.
I have been focusing on the Glens Falls area, we have an 8 yr old and a 13 yr old so schools and a safe area are very important to us. We were wondering if there are any areas to stay away from in the Glens Falls area and what anyone thought about the area in general, I have read through just about every post i could find on it. We also have my 68yr old MIL who will probably move up here too so I was wondering how the city is for retired seniors. Thanks.
I am ready to come back to NY and my wife is about 70% ready. We lived on LI before moving to NC in 2006. We can't afford to return to LI and I really don't feel like joining that rat race again anyway. We were just up there last week and it seems like it is looking even more shabby than when we left. It seems as though the State and Town Governments are not doing very much grass cutting along the roads and it looks awful up there.
Anyway I am done with living down south, it is not a good fit for me. I was thinking to move back to CA but decided against that, then I was looking at Bend, OR but the wife is only O.K.ing a move to be closer to family in the NY area. So that leaves me looking at the Northeast. I really love snowboarding and the outdoors, after living in this heat I can embrace the snow and cold, I am so done with this heat down here. We used to rent cabins every winter near Gore and the whole family would come up for the week, so I know a little about the area.
I have been focusing on the Glens Falls area, we have an 8 yr old and a 13 yr old so schools and a safe area are very important to us. We were wondering if there are any areas to stay away from in the Glens Falls area and what anyone thought about the area in general, I have read through just about every post i could find on it. We also have my 68yr old MIL who will probably move up here too so I was wondering how the city is for retired seniors. Thanks.
I read your post with interest as I am going through the same decision process. I have lived in FL for over 30 years after having grown up in NYC. I am retiring either next year or early 2012 and have decided that upstate NY is where I want to be after so many miserable summers down here. From what I have read on this website, the area around Saratoga Springs is really nice and generally low crime. We're looking at that area as well as the Queensbury area near Lake George. For seniors, I understand the hospital in Glens Falls is good plus there are several hospitals in the Albany area. Good luck in your journey.
Thanks Orlandoyankee, we first intended to move to FL we had taken several trips there and just when we were ready to plunk money down on having a house built in Vero Beach we were told we have to go on a waiting list and we might not even get the house we wanted. It was in late 2005 right at the height of the housing bubble, we decided to look else where after that and wound up in Raleigh, NC. It is nice here and there is some things to do but I can't exactly put my finger on it but I don't want to finish growing old here. We live in a bland sub-division where conformity is more accepted than individuality. I feel the life draining out of me here, this is paradise to some people but it is a bad fit for me. I thought I would love it but I don't, I have always lived in cities, not sub-divisions.
Anyway I am ready to move now, but realistically it will probably be next year, the thought of a whole other year here is depressing but I'll make the most of it. My wife is not as ready as me but she is getting there, she doesn't like the fast food culture here. It's funny, you know how you find these nice, cheap places to eat in NY that have great food, like a diner or little Italian place? Well here it's like "hey there's a great place for fried chicken right down the road, do you want to go there?" " Ya?!" "Great! Just go to that next gas station and it's IN there." "You mean behind it?" "No I mean IN IT" Yum!!! lol That happened to me at work alot! Anyway, like I said I can't wait to get back in NY, sometimes you don't know how good you have it until it's gone. Now I know how good I had it.
The more I research Glens Falls the more I am liking it. I long to live in a city enviroment again, to be able to walk places or ride a bike places. Thanks for replying, sorry if I'm rambling I just have to clear out some cob webs to get my brain working correctly again.
Funny, that's what it was like when I lived in Virginia. Fried Chicken and taters in every single gas station. I thought it was the craziest thing!!
I'd choose Saratoga (since the other poster mentioned it) over Glens Falls any day personally. It's just OK to me, but at least it's near Lake George and that's great. But the downtowns just don't compare.
I lived in Glens Falls until the 6th grade, when we moved to Saratoga. While I choose not to live in Saratoga now (moved 3 years ago), it's still a great place to be.
That said - prices are lower in Glens Falls than Saratoga, so that's definitely a plus! Oh, and to answer your specific question... stay away from the "State Streets" in Glens Falls. That's the only spot that you don't want to live in.
Thanks for the info Brandy. The price difference is the reason we are looking at Glens Falls over Saratoga. We are hoping the market stays like this for a little while because we are hoping to own our house out-right. We will buy something run down for cheap and renovate it. We did the same thing on Long Island, I miss that house. We have a big new bland house now and really liked our little house better.
I have fond memories of Crandall Park, and especially of the Balloon Festival.... we still go yearly for it. Such a GREAT time! One of the highlights of our year.
We're moving soon so this will be our last balloon festival - sad! We live east of Troy right now.
Unless you are specifically looking to live right in the city of GF, South GF wouldn't be a bad place to look either. You could definitely get a bargain there right now. You know, you could also look at the more rural towns that have decent downtowns and great school districts. Cambridge is our fave - we actually own land there, hoping to move one day but are selling now since we are moving to MI. Schools are awesome and the town activities are just plain great. Love that town.
If you have any other questions about the area or specifics, feel free to ask!
It's funny, you know how you find these nice, cheap places to eat in NY that have great food, like a diner or little Italian place? Well here it's like "hey there's a great place for fried chicken right down the road, do you want to go there?" " Ya?!" "Great! Just go to that next gas station and it's IN there." "You mean behind it?" "No I mean IN IT" Yum!!! lol
I know exactly what you mean. The first time I took my wife to a diner in Tarrytown, NY she was in heaven. She was quite surprised when she didn't see a Denny's or a Perkin's up there anywhere. I know Denny's is up there just not prevalent like down here. And yes, there are a lot of mom and pop places up there.
We were on Long Island last week and I literally gained 5 pounds because we were eating breakfast from the deli's every morning or from the bagel stores. I have a freind here in NC that is from NY also but lived in Orlando for years and moved up here to Raleigh because of his wife. This guy misses Orlando so much, he can't wait to get back there.To him Disney and Universal and all those other attractions keep him and his family busy so he loves it there, here in NC there isn't much of those types of things to do so he hates it here. He honestly loves the heat and humidity and dosen't miss NY one bit. He is hoping to be back in Orlando with in the next year. So really it is all a matter of preference in what is a great place to live, I am just glad my wife is in agreement with me about moving back to NY, she is also excited to be closer to family again. My wife started and is running a sucessful small business here and she is willing to shut it down or sale it if possible and start all over again up there so I should count my blessings with that also. I was also showing my wife all of the trips and gatherings the Glens Falls senior center has, her mom is a senior and will more than likly be moving back up with us. My MIL is single, 68, retire and trying to stay busy but we are in a rural part of the Raleigh area and everything she does with her groups is like a 30 or 40 or 50 mile drive for her each way, so it is getting difficult for her to stay busy. I think she would benefit greatly being around other retired NYers as she is, she is a retired NY school teacher. I am getting pretty excited about the idea of getting out of here and living somewhere so beautiful as upstate NY near the Adirondacks.
We were originally thinking to go upstate but I thought I was done with the cold, I didn't care how hot the place was it had to be better than being cold but now I CAN"T STAND the heat and humidity. I've been working outside in it for 4 yrs now and I am done with it!
Also Brandy I did look at some of the houses for sale in Cambridge and there are some beautiful Victorians and Colonials for sale at reasonable prices but we really need to be in more of a city setting and I think Glens Falls is in the perfect location (skiing) and is the perfect size for us.
Thanks for the advice and support, it is nice to know that I am not the only one in the world struggling with these decisions.
Last edited by williamj67; 08-07-2010 at 10:01 PM..
We moved to Saratoga 6 Years ago, had a house build and all, however we are starting to look at other places around here due to tax increases, Glens Falls is the town to go, brand new Library (a Gem) nice walking City, sidewalks, bike to Lake George etc. Schools are great.You can get a nice house in a tree lined street, close to everything for 200 K or a bit more. less if you are a bit handy. I would recomend it, got its own brewery /pub, the City center has pro hockey, concerts etc ( its a bit dated) the Charles R Wood theater is tops, with all kind of productions. Has Saratoga beat in my opinion, Toga is for people with money, they trying hard to emulate a Hamtons like atmosphere, (too bad).
We moved to Saratoga 6 Years ago, had a house build and all, however we are starting to look at other places around here due to tax increases, Glens Falls is the town to go, brand new Library (a Gem) nice walking City, sidewalks, bike to Lake George etc. Schools are great.You can get a nice house in a tree lined street, close to everything for 200 K or a bit more. less if you are a bit handy. I would recomend it, got its own brewery /pub, the City center has pro hockey, concerts etc ( its a bit dated) the Charles R Wood theater is tops, with all kind of productions. Has Saratoga beat in my opinion, Toga is for people with money, they trying hard to emulate a Hamtons like atmosphere, (too bad).
You know, I need to visit Glens Falls again! I live in the region, of course, but I haven't been up that way in a good while. Sounds like things are changing for the better. Regarding schools - I had a great experience in Queensbury schools, went from 1st - 6th grade.
Toga has changed over the years. I remember how the Victorian Streetwalk used to be this quaint event. Busy, but with all of the storefronts having cookies and soup. Now they close Broadway and have a giant Times Union newspaper character walking down the middle of the road . Still love the place, but it lost some of its charm for me.
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. Still love the place, but it lost some of its charm for me.
