Moving to Buffalo area from Michigan, Need some Info! (New York: property taxes, housing)

[rnettesh]

Hi, My self and soon to be wife are considering moving to the Buffalo area. She does not want to live in the city, but im trying to talk her into it. I could use any info on the city and surrounding cities. I am a social worker and my wife is an accountant, both recently out of school. What are some nice areas? Looking to buy a small house shortly after we get there. Its hard to find any good info online. Looking for a family friendly area that doesnt cost a fortune. Any info on anything about the buffalo area would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[homeward bound]

Lived there 14 years, in Buffalo itself and in towns around the city. I was a social worker too, working for People Incorporated.

If you don't have kids, then yes, the city can be a fine, fun place to live.

The Elmwood Avenue area is very lively.

The West Side has a lot of great housing.

The North Side has a lot of stable neighborhoods and a good family feel.

I'd avoid the East Side and South Side. Sadly, they've long been crime-infested ghetto areas.

In fact, Buffalo is struggling with rising crime & spreading gangs, so do be careful about exploring it on your own. You will find, I think, a lot of very friendly people there who can guide you around. It's best to play it safe until you know the lay of the land. The city is very (self?)segregated, like a lot of older northern & midwestern cities. Cross a street, and you can be go from a stately area to one of gang turf-wars. The cops are cracking down, but the city has an uphill climb. For example, the Allentown area has a lot of charm and a lively arts scene but can get very dicey, and not even just at night.

The area around the old University of Buffalo campus on Main St. is pretty good, especially north of the campus. (Though, of course, you want to be sure there aren't too many college kids around you. They'll drive you nuts with drinking and howling, etc.)

Good minor league baseball in a nice stadium.

Wonderfully close to the great city of Toronto.

Good hospitals, libraries, architecture, etc.

If you do have kids, then I can't in good conscience recommend settling in the city. The crime-risk and school decline would keep me from bringing my own kids there, sad to say.

A nice close-in suburb is Kenmore. Pretty pricey and a bit snooty, but a lot of great housing and very good schools.

Farther outside the city, you have a lot of options: Amherst (recently voted among the safest places in the whole country), Williamsville (which in effect is in Amherst), and Clarence (just east of Amherst). All of these areas have a lot of affordable housing and terrific schools. Very family-friendly places. And though much of Amherst will seem like suburban-anywhere, Williamsville's old village section and the older part of Clarence retain a lot of character.

If you don't mind a bit more driving, Lancaster, East Aurora, and Hamburg are worth looking into. I particularly like East Aurora. It's kept its old-town feeling quite intact. Very good schools in each of these.

Property taxes are pretty high, services quite good, the weather nothing you won't be used to coming from Michigan, and the food is GREAT. A lot of Italian presence throughout the area, with a lot of other ethnicities (Greek, Polish, German, etc.) too. Best eating area outside of NYC & Toronto I've ever been to!

Tons of camping, hiking, boating, fishing, swimming, skiing, etc., options to your east and south. Great state parks & university systems. New York and Michigan offer the greatest variety of any two states I've ever been to--you'll have a lot to do, so everyone's worry about Buffalo's job-market won't weigh too heavily upon you.

Best of luck!

[homeward bound]

Oh, and congrats on your up-coming wedding!

[rnettesh]

Lots of great info... Thank you much for taking the time. The more i look into the area the more excited i get about moving. Thanks again.

[homeward bound]

Remember that you're gonna need a valid passport very soon.

On your way to Toronto, or as a trip on its own, try Niagara-on-the-Lake. It's very charming. And if you're the rent-a-cottage type, just north of Toronto starts Ontario's vast "Near North" and "cottage country." The range of cottage-renting choices is amazing.

A few good places to eat in Buffalo include the Towne Restaurant. It has two locations: one in Allentown proper, one in Amherst. I think the original one in Allentown is better. Great Greek food. Don't miss the Greek potatoes!

Also try Bob & John's Hacienda (how's that for an interesting ethnic mix?) on Hertel. It has great pizza and other Italian choices. It's a great mom-and-pop kind of place.

Elmwood Ave. has some great bakeries and coffee shops.

Some of the taverns around the old Main St. Univ. of Buffalo campus are pretty cozy.

While the Anchor Bar, where Buffalo-style wings originated, is good, you can get excellent wings almost everywhere.

The West Side has at least one excellent whole/natural foods store, a block or so off of Elmwood (can't remember the street but it should be in the phone book).

(My last trip through Buffalo a couple of years ago, these places were still thriving--I hope others will correct me if things have changed there.)

Generally, in the very Italian and very Greek neighborhoods you'll find the best food--at remarkable prices. Maybe it's a good thing I did move: I'd be Elvis-sized if I hadn't! Seriously, you've got to make an effort with the long winter to control the pounds, not 'cause the winter is so bad but 'cause the food is so good.

Don't miss the Greek Festival and other ethnic festivals in the summer! Very festive times and, yes, great food!

[rnettesh]

I hear the south side gets considerably more snow then the north. Anywhere I move needs to have lots of snow. I moved to the Upper Pennisula from Milwaukee just for the snow. Love the U.P. but need more of the city life. Thanks.

[I'minformed2]

The south side of the city of Buffalo gets more snow than the north side.... but it is the towns and suburbs south of the city the "southtowns" that get about 3 times as much snow a year as the Northern area of the city of Buffalo and it's northern suburbs.

[rnettesh]

Could you reccomend some some nice south side towns? I would like to be close to the city, no more then about 45 min away. Looking for a good family area with lots of things to do. More snow the better. Cost of living and taxes are important too. I would hate to rent for to long after we get there. THanks.

[homeward bound]

I know just what you mean. I NEVER got tired of watching and walking in snow--really miss it down in Virginia, and we're moving back to NY state ASAP in part because we miss and love the snow. If it's gonna be cold, it might as well snow and make the world look innocent again, is what we think!

And East Aurora is where the Snow Belt starts! I lived there, on and off, for several years. When Buffalo got, say, five inches, East Aurora got ten or more. Sometimes much more. It snows more often there, too, as well as in greater volume. It's got some fine skiing nearby, too. It's a little snooty, but also quite stately. They've done a good job with zoning--very little encroachment of ugly commercialism and a lot of truly lovely houses, especially if (like me) you like older homes. First-rate schools. It's a quiet kind of town, but there is a lot to do, too. And it's very near some excellent fishing, hunting, and camping areas just to the east and south. Not far from some nice marinas and towns on Lake Erie, too. It's 40-60 minutes to Buffalo--depending on weather, traffic, and how you drive. A pretty easy drive until you're into Buffalo. And, generally, Buffalo-area traffic is a breeze compared to bigger/more congested metro areas.

Hamburg would be #2 here. A bit more suburban sprawl than East Aurora, I think, but a very nice town for that sort.

Further south, Westfield is a nice town. Smaller and more of a village feel. Closer to the lakes. But a longer drive to Buffalo, too, and somewhat less prosperous than East Aurora and Hamburg.

Best of luck!

[fish2026]

ok Buffalo experts. What do you think of the specific area near the river between Buffalo and Tonawanda? The river there is quite scenic and it seems that if Buffalo grows- it should benefit.

I also like Niagara st- its a depressed area near the river and Ive made offers on bldgs there, with no success so far.