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Old 05-05-2012, 08:05 PM
 
3 posts, read 10,360 times
Reputation: 16

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Hello everyone,

First let me say I've been lurking this forum, as well as Long Island's forum soaking in as much information as possible. I'm a native Long Islander that is out in Arizona right now, but considering moving back to some part of New York.

I'm a young 23-year-old college graduate that lived on Long Island my entire life. My father losing his job in 2010 ultimately set the wheels in motion for a departure from the obscenely expensive LI. Long story short, I moved off Long Island to Northern Arizona (in Prescott Valley) where my father is now to try to setup a computer repair business and potentially settle in the area.

Needless to say, coming from the suburbs of Suffolk LI and moving to more rural Northern Arizona has been a major culture shock to me. Being a 23-year-old guy, I would rather see more of what life can offer me. I used to hate Long Island and how population dense it was, the traffic and the aggressive people, but since leaving, I realize all the things I left behind.

As anyone would know, a single moving back to Long Island without a high-paying job lined up is difficult. So, I'm considering Amherst, NY as a "replacement" for Long Island.

I've been to WNY twice now, as I know a friend who lives in North Tonawanda. Ultimately, I have only 2 weeks of first-hand experience with the area, but from what I saw, I was impressed with the area. It was in the summer time so the area was nice, and everything felt like a less dense Long Island. It still maintained that suburban feel, which I'm really looking for.

I'm planning on taking a trip to Amherst next month, for about a week, where I can hopefully have some interviews waiting and scout out some apartments in the area.

I've done plenty of personal research and most stores and locations always seem to be only a few miles away (which is definitely something I look for coming from Long Island). The area is equipped for FIOS (yes I actually look into broadband in the area, I'm an IT guy so it's important to me!) and the safe neighborhoods and nice houses for the future are a big plus. I would be renting for awhile if I moved there.

Basically, I want to hear in your opinion if Amherst would be a good fit for me. I'm not a "typical" Long Islander looking for great nightlife and amazing beaches, I'm just looking for a nice, suburban town. If anyone has ever been in the Suffolk area of Long Island, I've love to hear your opinion especially. My Long Island relatives always seem to discourage moving to the Buffalo area because of the snow and the depressed economy, but I think Long Islanders have a strong bias against Buffalo to begin with.

I greatly appreciate any insight into this you can provide!
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Old 05-05-2012, 11:31 PM
 
2,338 posts, read 4,685,449 times
Reputation: 2022
Quote:
Originally Posted by TRappa88 View Post
Hello everyone,

First let me say I've been lurking this forum, as well as Long Island's forum soaking in as much information as possible. I'm a native Long Islander that is out in Arizona right now, but considering moving back to some part of New York.

I'm a young 23-year-old college graduate that lived on Long Island my entire life. My father losing his job in 2010 ultimately set the wheels in motion for a departure from the obscenely expensive LI. Long story short, I moved off Long Island to Northern Arizona (in Prescott Valley) where my father is now to try to setup a computer repair business and potentially settle in the area.

Needless to say, coming from the suburbs of Suffolk LI and moving to more rural Northern Arizona has been a major culture shock to me. Being a 23-year-old guy, I would rather see more of what life can offer me. I used to hate Long Island and how population dense it was, the traffic and the aggressive people, but since leaving, I realize all the things I left behind.

As anyone would know, a single moving back to Long Island without a high-paying job lined up is difficult. So, I'm considering Amherst, NY as a "replacement" for Long Island.

I've been to WNY twice now, as I know a friend who lives in North Tonawanda. Ultimately, I have only 2 weeks of first-hand experience with the area, but from what I saw, I was impressed with the area. It was in the summer time so the area was nice, and everything felt like a less dense Long Island. It still maintained that suburban feel, which I'm really looking for.

I'm planning on taking a trip to Amherst next month, for about a week, where I can hopefully have some interviews waiting and scout out some apartments in the area.

I've done plenty of personal research and most stores and locations always seem to be only a few miles away (which is definitely something I look for coming from Long Island). The area is equipped for FIOS (yes I actually look into broadband in the area, I'm an IT guy so it's important to me!) and the safe neighborhoods and nice houses for the future are a big plus. I would be renting for awhile if I moved there.

Basically, I want to hear in your opinion if Amherst would be a good fit for me. I'm not a "typical" Long Islander looking for great nightlife and amazing beaches, I'm just looking for a nice, suburban town. If anyone has ever been in the Suffolk area of Long Island, I've love to hear your opinion especially. My Long Island relatives always seem to discourage moving to the Buffalo area because of the snow and the depressed economy, but I think Long Islanders have a strong bias against Buffalo to begin with.

I greatly appreciate any insight into this you can provide!
As an Orange County native who spent 20 years in WNY, stay in Arizona. State income taxes are much less as well as property. You like beaches ? Just went to San Diego and it's a 5 hour drive. Went the weekend of April 14th and was the only one in the water at Pacific Beach. 58 degree air temp and 58 degree water temps too. Pacific blows the Atlantic bathwater away in the summer.IT is a great field and I am sure is in demand in Prescott which is largely CA transplants and retirees looking to flee high taxes which NY is as well.

I am going to Prescott tomorrow and will once again enjoy the 20 degree temp drop from PHX and hangout on Whiskey Row for a few hours. I don't get how you can't appreciate the landscape around Prescott. It's gorgeous. The negative of Prescott is the real estate is highly priced and wages for those who aren't retired or with silver spoons tend to be on the low side. Regardless, you are at an age where you want to party, I did in my 20's too. However, you got great geographic and cultural diversity at your doorstep not found back east. Vegas is a few hours away, skiing in Flagstaff, hiking options on REAL mountains (not the dinky Allegheny's) . I can go on.
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Old 05-06-2012, 12:10 AM
 
2,338 posts, read 4,685,449 times
Reputation: 2022
Now onto Buffalo.

Chippewa is the strip, with increasing crime, where 20 somethings can meet suburban bimbos. As a UB alum who attended there in the late 80's and early 90's, that scene dried up years ago. Third Base, Molly's Pub,not much else.

Amherst is either middle aged Yuppies or White Trash. It is sterile with strip malls, The lousy end of town is the westend along the Niagara Falls BLVD corridor. East Amherst is decent, but that is mostly middle aged families raising their children.

At 23, you need to be in a more vibrant setting. One that doesn't have 90 inches of snow (this winter won't happen again back east folks), depressed economy outside of medical field, lousy polluted lake with rocky beaches as waste and is basically a place where you will regret living in as a transplant as you get older. Talk to those in their 30's and 40's at some pub in Amherst like Jolly Jug, Jack's Place or the Marriot Night Club (I call it the Married Rot given all the unhappily married women looking to cheat on their hubbies). Many will tell you they'd get out if they could financially or professionally speaking. A very doom and gloom environment. Some of the posters here will encourage you to move here. I always did alright for myself so financial issues played no role in my 20 plus years of disdain living in WNY. It's behind the times and just an eyesore for those passing through on the 90 with the boarded up buildings.
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Old 05-06-2012, 11:43 AM
 
Location: West Village, Buffalo, NY
69 posts, read 193,182 times
Reputation: 169
One thing you will notice with the Buffalo area, especially in the suburbs, is an over-supply of older, disgruntled people that speak negatively of the area in general and are scared ****less of the city. Not sure why. I think people just get stuck here with the low cost of living and can't move away. So, to each their own, and everyone has their reasons, but I personally would take that stuff with a grain of salt.

So, in my opinion, WNY has a lot to offer and what it can't offer is available within a 2 hour drive (skiing one way, Toronto the other). I am 26 and happily live in the city itself and would never live in a suburb, but I love the hub-bub that comes from living in a dense urban place. From what you say about the lifestyle you're looking for, one of the older burbs that are more "small towns" than never-ending sprawl would be more what you're looking for. I would check out the village of Hamburg (not the Town of Hamburg), the village of Williamsville, or the village of East Aurora, also potentially Lewiston near Niagara Falls. Each of these are little historic towns that very much have their own character, lifestyle, and unique and active business strips. Williamsville is technically in Amherst, but Amherst outside of Williamsville is pretty much just nameless, faceless sprawl.
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Old 05-06-2012, 12:02 PM
 
Location: Buffalo
719 posts, read 1,545,603 times
Reputation: 1014
Great post laldm!
I think Magnum is more the exception than the rule. I've had lengthy exchanges with him in the past and while I totally disagree with his advice he gives to folks considering a move to Buffalo, I think I understand why he feels the way he does. For some, a change of scenery is the answer. I'm about 4 yrs younger than Mag (im assuming he is in his early 40's if he was at UB in late 80's to early 90's) and am coming back to Buffalo after 12 yrs in Dallas. Looking to get a place in Allentown area. So not all us old guys are scared of the city
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Old 05-06-2012, 02:33 PM
 
341 posts, read 681,330 times
Reputation: 304
Quote:
Originally Posted by magnum0417 View Post
Now onto Buffalo.

Chippewa is the strip, with increasing crime, where 20 somethings can meet suburban bimbos. As a UB alum who attended there in the late 80's and early 90's, that scene dried up years ago. Third Base, Molly's Pub,not much else.
lolwut? When was the last time you were on Chippewa?

There's Soho, Level, more than one pub, Jim's, Pure, et al. Chippewa is actually suffering from issues related to growth (Underaged drinking, etc etc)

Quote:
Amherst is either middle aged Yuppies or White Trash. It is sterile with strip malls, The lousy end of town is the westend along the Niagara Falls BLVD corridor. East Amherst is decent, but that is mostly middle aged families raising their children.
Amherst is also home to some of the wealthiest people in the area...

Quote:
At 23, you need to be in a more vibrant setting. One that doesn't have 90 inches of snow (this winter won't happen again back east folks), depressed economy outside of medical field, lousy polluted lake with rocky beaches as waste and is basically a place where you will regret living in as a transplant as you get older. Talk to those in their 30's and 40's at some pub in Amherst like Jolly Jug, Jack's Place or the Marriot Night Club (I call it the Married Rot given all the unhappily married women looking to cheat on their hubbies). Many will tell you they'd get out if they could financially or professionally speaking. A very doom and gloom environment. Some of the posters here will encourage you to move here. I always did alright for myself so financial issues played no role in my 20 plus years of disdain living in WNY. It's behind the times and just an eyesore for those passing through on the 90 with the boarded up buildings.
Something tells me you're quite biased
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Old 05-06-2012, 11:07 PM
 
3 posts, read 10,360 times
Reputation: 16
I appreciate all the responses thus far. I'm not satisfied with Prescott (in particular Prescott Valley) for a number of reasons. The job market is actually REALLY dry (no pun intended) here, and most of the locations I'm looking into have better job markets, Buffalo included. Also, it's mainly retirees, as someone noted, in Prescott Valley. I also enjoy more weather diversity in my life and I actually do get sick of having sun everyday. Most importantly, I don't particularly like having to drive 10-15 miles into Prescott for most of my errands, because none of them are in Prescott Valley.

Amherst seemed to fit the bill for being a thriving suburb with positive population growth, and having nearly everything within a close vicinity. I'm essentially just looking for the closest replacement for a Long Island suburb without the obscenely high cost of living. I understand I'd have to brave cold and long winters, it's more the economic growth around Buffalo that put's some concern in my mind. From what I read, some seem to swear Buffalo is a slum with a constant economic downturn, while others stand strongly by the city and insist it is recovering. I figure this is no place better to get information than from people currently living in the area.

Any more input for me would be greatly appreciated!
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Old 05-06-2012, 11:17 PM
 
6 posts, read 21,278 times
Reputation: 11
If you're an IT guy, you might want to try Dallas, or Houston, TX.

WNY has quite a bit of snow, this year was lucky, but just to let you know, WNY doesn't have that much opportunity in IT.

But again, you could end up doing your masters here.
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Old 05-06-2012, 11:40 PM
 
2,338 posts, read 4,685,449 times
Reputation: 2022
Quote:
Originally Posted by TRappa88 View Post
I appreciate all the responses thus far. I'm not satisfied with Prescott (in particular Prescott Valley) for a number of reasons. The job market is actually REALLY dry (no pun intended) here, and most of the locations I'm looking into have better job markets, Buffalo included. Also, it's mainly retirees, as someone noted, in Prescott Valley. I also enjoy more weather diversity in my life and I actually do get sick of having sun everyday. Most importantly, I don't particularly like having to drive 10-15 miles into Prescott for most of my errands, because none of them are in Prescott Valley.

Amherst seemed to fit the bill for being a thriving suburb with positive population growth, and having nearly everything within a close vicinity. I'm essentially just looking for the closest replacement for a Long Island suburb without the obscenely high cost of living. I understand I'd have to brave cold and long winters, it's more the economic growth around Buffalo that put's some concern in my mind. From what I read, some seem to swear Buffalo is a slum with a constant economic downturn, while others stand strongly by the city and insist it is recovering. I figure this is no place better to get information than from people currently living in the area.

Any more input for me would be greatly appreciated!
TRappa, had lunch at The Palace on Whiskey Row today. Prescott Valley along Rte 69 is actually where most of the chain stores for shopping needs are. It's the sprawling area with strip malls.

It was cloudy and 70 when I was there today and you had some snow a few weeks ago when I was in San Diego the weekend of April 14th. You do have to be a nature guy to appreciate your area as I do. You have a decent selection on Whiskey Row too. Hooligans, Bird Cage,etc. Linx Lake is great for recreation. A mile above sea level with greenery and 4 seasons.

If you want great diversity along with a growing market, check out San Diego. About a 5 hour drive for you.
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Old 05-07-2012, 06:59 AM
 
Location: Hamburg, NY
1,350 posts, read 3,529,042 times
Reputation: 1044
Quote:
Originally Posted by magnum0417 View Post
If you want great diversity along with a growing market, check out San Diego. About a 5 hour drive for you.[

San Diego is awesome if you don't mind paying $500K for a house that would cost you $200K in WNY ......... and the taxes aren't much better.


Other than the area surrounding Flagstaff Arizona is a barren land full of right wing extremists ........ but if that's your thing best of luck to ya.
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