Questions RE: A Move to Buffalo (Amherst, Tonawanda: best neighborhood, real estate, sublet)

[samanthanyc]

My boyfriend and I are considering moving out of NYC (it's too expensive, we wouldn't possibly be able to afford to raise a family here) and were looking at Buffalo NY. It's a 6 hour drive from our home town, but we've never been there before and have some simple questions.

What is the best neighborhood? This includes suburbs. I suppose we'll have to get a car. I'd like to raise a family here, and definitely don't want to be in a dangerous area.

How is the entertainment industry in Buffalo? I.E. TV stations (public/private), radio stations? I currently work in Public TV in NY and would need to find a job along those lines, I'd imagine.

Should we go to Citybration 2011? Should we take a weekend trip?

And lastly, should I be looking for a job first or an apartment first?

Thanks in advance, and the reason I'm posting this is because all the other information seems to be 3-4 years old. We're talking post-recession now. =)

Thanks!!

[donbuy]

Buffalo TV Stations Include

2, 2.. and 2.3 WGRZ owned by Gannett, NBC, Universal Sports and Retro TV Netword

4 WIVB - CBS

7 - WKBW - ABC

15 - WBNF - low power religious

16 - License applied for, pending FAITH BROADCASTING NETWORK, INC

17, 17.2 and 17.3 WNED - PBS

23 - WNLO - CW

26 and 26.2 - WNYB - TCT

28 - WDTP-LP - WORD OF GOD FELLOWSHIP, INC. low power

29, 29.2 - WUTV Fox and County Music Videos

48 - New channel applied for owner RENARD COMMUNICATIONS CORP.

49, 49.2 - WNYO, MNT and Cool TV

51, 51.2, 51.3 51.4 - WPXJ, ION, QUBO, ION Life, and religious

56 - WBXZ - LP

58 - WFHW-LP Independent low power, owner CITIZENS TELEVISION SYSTEM, INC.

67, 67.2,67.3 - WNGS, MyTV and religious on sun station

In addition there are 46 radio stations in the Buffalo area, here is a link to a site that lists them along with their phone numbers.

http://www.ontheradio.net/metro/buffalo_ny.aspx

[jblake78728]

Best/safest city neighborhoods would be Parkside & Elmwood Village. Kenmore is an urban feeling but very safe village just north of Buffalo. With the exception of a few inner ring areas the majority of the suburbs are very safe, which one would be best for you really depends on what your income level is going to be, how close you want to be to downtown Buffalo & are you interested in a more rural outlying suburb or would you prefer something closer in. On thing to keep in mind is that commute times in Buffalo are really not a big deal so living close to work isn't as important here as it may be in a bigger area like NYC or Boston. Clarence & Orchard Park are very nice but also can be expensive by WNY standards. Amherst, Lancaster & Hamburg both have a good mixture of expensive & affordable. If you don't mind being a little further out East Aurora is an amazing town with a beautiful downtown area. Lockport is a little further away but it also has a nice small town vibe going on (though some say its not quite as safe as the other places Ive mentioned I wouldn't consider it unsafe either). Grand Island might be worth a look too as its a very nice & safe area.

I would definitely consider a weekend trip. See different neighborhoods & suburbs to find what may appeal to you.

Job or apartment 1st? I don't know that I would move anywhere right now without having a job lined up. Buffalo is an easy place to get a job in the medical field but its a different story for a lot of other occupations. I honestly couldn't say what its like to get a job in TV or radio.

[TN_Someday]

Originally Posted by samanthanyc

What is the best neighborhood? This includes suburbs. I suppose we'll have to get a car. I'd like to raise a family here, and definitely don't want to be in a dangerous area.

How is the entertainment industry in Buffalo? I.E. TV stations (public/private), radio stations? I currently work in Public TV in NY and would need to find a job along those lines, I'd imagine.

Should we go to Citybration 2011? Should we take a weekend trip?

And lastly, should I be looking for a job first or an apartment first?

Thanks in advance, and the reason I'm posting this is because all the other information seems to be 3-4 years old. We're talking post-recession now. =)

Thanks!!

Best neighborhood... You won't get an objective answer to that, you really need to come and see for yourself. Give a cab driver $200 and ask him to drive you around for the day, or else get a real estate agent. It would be like me asking you what the nicest part of NYC is... You'd give your opinion knowing there are many more.

One thing that can be confusing here is city/village/town. It means pretty much nothing. The Town of Tonawanda, is bigger than the city of Tonawanda (yes, there are two). Villages aren't necessarily small, Kenmore is a very large, and moderately dense suburb. Not a village like you see in rural areas.

I wouldn't waste my time on Citybration...

Find a job first!!! That is good advice no matter where you move. What if you can't find something once you arrive? You'll have lost lots of money, and still be jobless. No a good prospect unless you really can afford to live without work for at least a year... Because you never know, sometimes finding work is just hard, and it's not like our area is desperately hiring at all.

[al l]

If you were looking for a professional gig, Id look for a job before an apt. Like most of the country, good jobs arent being handed out on street corners. (sadly for me). Im sure a temp/recruiting agency could give you better insight.

Dont be too freaked out by the lower salaries in the region. It reflects a much lower cost of living. You can buy an decent house in a solid neighborhood for 150k or less. If youre handy, you can easily get in for under 100k. If youre handy and lucky, you can get in a decent area for under 70k - but that is fast disappearing.

I wrote this on another post, but it applies well here to:

"First off, the city line is a pretty arbitrary measure of safety. Crime in Buffalo is more prevalent in certain areas - primarily much of the East side, parts of Riverside, the Fruit belt, the Lower West Side. Other areas are as safe as many suburbs like much of Parkside, North Buffalo/North Park, the Elmwood strip or South Buffalo. Dont be unnecessarily dissuaded by anti-city folks, there isnt a hoard of wolves waiting for you to cross Kenmore Avenue.

If you were looking to commute via bus or train, the suburbs see a much lower level of public transit service, and the outlying suburbs have abysmal transit service. You should also consider, within the city, certain routes have much more frequent levels of service than others: You dont want to be stuck waiting 30 minutes or more for a bus.

If you are working downtown and are looking for a safe neighborhood, Parkside might be a good fit for you. Its close to the train (much faster to downtown than the bus), pretty safe, with decent housing stock and owner occupied homes. The biggest drawback is there isnt too many amenities in walking distance.

Alternatively, North Buffalo centered between Colvin and Parkside on Hertel Ave is very walkable. Its served by the 11 to downtown (which doesnt run as frequently as other buses), or the 23 Hertel to transfer (free) to the train on Main.

The village of Kenmore is pretty walkable around Delaware Ave. Elmwood Ave is very walkable and close to downtown, but ask around, you dont want to get stuck with a bunch of college kids as neighbors. Allentown is very close to downtown and is very walkable, with higher levels of transit service - but petty crime and noise is a consideration.

As I might suggest to anyone locating in the area, you might want to get a sublet for a few months to scope out the right fit for you."

[al l]

ditto on Citybration. dont bother.

[BuffaloTransplant]

I'm a transplant from the NYC area, over 41 years ago. [The house I grew up in down there, a 4 BR cape, was recently selling at $399K; that cape here would get no more than $135-150K. ] Figure homes -- realistic ones, not snobby McMansions in the burbs , or the best there is, or townhouses on the lake -- cost about 1/3rd of there. [You can get a townhouse on the lake for $399K here and they sure beat looking at what you see in NY/LI .] That being said, jobs also pay a lot lower. So, if you come, expect sticker shock on both ends: cheaper houses, less pay. Some things cost lots more here -- gas will, in comparison to LI. Some foods do, but you can easily cut costs buying utilitarian items at cheaper stores. We have several food co-ops and lots of farmers markets in summer. We don't have a terrific public transit. Expect to get a car(s). No real subway but one 6 mile strip of a light rail from downtown to the South campus of SUNYAB. Buses never run on time and often run fast. OTOH, I wouldn't trade having come here for anything. That being said, I came for college, married a local, set down roots and had my family and career here. If you plan to live in the city, just like anywhere down there, you need to watch what area you wind up in.... just like the burbs.

Come, visit, and find a job. Rent until you find out if the job is solid and if you like it here. Then buy