Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Here I am thinking I should be a Buffalo booster when people chastise our area. Yet I go on vacation to D.C., North Carolina, Chicago, etc., and everything seems better albeit expensive. The job prospects are better and pay more, and people pay for life experiences instead of how much house they can buy with the little amount of cash they have.
Sure it was nice to be born and educated on the Southtowns, but the whole area now appears backwards when I look at it from the outside.
Why do I go to the suburbs of these other cities and see diversity and integration, and come back to Buffalo and see 97% white towns, including mine? Why do we let the East Side continue to fall to shambles? Why does it take 10 years and more to get one building built at Canalside? What's with the opposition to urban developments in the Elmwood Village? And finally, why won't the state government do more to bring in STEM corporations through mild incentives, red tape removal and regulation changes that don't jeopardize the well being of county residents?
Yeah I know I'm whining like a baby, but at some point you just get tired of the same old BS, even when people say it's an opinion and that everything isn't that bad.
We all only live once and most of us want to live it to the fullest. It's a shame that Buffalo doesn't give many of us much of a reason to stay, even though we love the area to death.
Here I am thinking I should be a Buffalo booster when people chastise our area. Yet I go on vacation to D.C., North Carolina, Chicago, etc., and everything seems better albeit expensive. The job prospects are better and pay more, and people pay for life experiences instead of how much house they can buy with the little amount of cash they have.
Sure it was nice to be born and educated on the Southtowns, but the whole area now appears backwards when I look at it from the outside.
Why do I go to the suburbs of these other cities and see diversity and integration, and come back to Buffalo and see 97% white towns, including mine? Why do we let the East Side continue to fall to shambles? Why does it take 10 years and more to get one building built at Canalside? What's with the opposition to urban developments in the Elmwood Village? And finally, why won't the state government do more to bring in STEM corporations through mild incentives, red tape removal and regulation changes that don't jeopardize the well being of county residents?
Yeah I know I'm whining like a baby, but at some point you just get tired of the same old BS, even when people say it's an opinion and that everything isn't that bad.
We all only live once and most of us want to live it to the fullest. It's a shame that Buffalo doesn't give many of us much of a reason to stay, even though we love the area to death.
Just venting.
It sounds like you fell into the trap of believing the grass is always greener in another city. For one, every city I have been in has its 'East Side' from Chicago to Durham, NC. Buffalos looks bad because it is so concentrated. In many metros, the truly impovrished areas are spread out, masking their true size.
As far as the diversity issue goes, I think you are referring to the homogeneous, upper middle class southtowns. Sure, the southtowns are 95% white middle class. I am here to say that all metros also have their southtowns. In other cities, there is racial diversity in the suburbs but no economic diversity. Some places may be 30% minorities, but those minorities have the same economic hemogeny as Orchard Park or Hamburg.
Man, no love for Hamlin Park, Kensington Heights, Amherst and parts of Cheektowaga......
Seriously though, there isn't anything wrong with moving somewhere else, if that is what you want. I do agree with cjoseph in that every metro has its homogeneous suburbs and stereotypical inner city areas.
Then, people always forget historical aspects as to why those other places are more integrated, which isn't necessarily the same as diversity, as you can have one without the other. Think about why NC or DC are more integrated or appear to be. It is a combination of socio-historical factors like enslavement and the fact of later/recent or continued growth, which tends to bring in a more diverse set of folks. There's the aspect of being a national capital area for DC as well. Chicago may have some integration, but it can be quite segregated given how people assume the Southside of Chicago as being black and the Northside being essentially white or the Westside being Hispanic and/or black. So, when you think of places in those ways, you can find something to put things back into proper perspective.
The grass always appears greener on the other side.
Compare housing costs (purchase) here then elsewhere. Don't be surprised to see a 2x to 4x difference depending on the area here and there. And I don't mean extremes either.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 16 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,075,134 times
Reputation: 15537
Quote:
Originally Posted by videobruce
The grass always appears greener on the other side.
Compare housing costs (purchase) here then elsewhere. Don't be surprised to see a 2x to 4x difference depending on the area here and there. And I don't mean extremes either.
Your right housing costs will most likely be 2x to 4x but what the poster will also potential find is a broader selection of job opportunities and higher salaries. As the other poster said "split if you are unhappy. You can always come back".
But, those higher salaries are eaten up by higher mortgages. Paying $100,000 and more for basically the same thing (house) takes a lot of "salary' to make up the difference. And don't forget the increased interest over time.
Without getting into the political/demographic/diversity issues in your original post....
My simple advice is,
If youre thinking of a major relocation now, while you are young, you will never have a better time to actually do it.
If you wait, and get established in a career, own a home, have a family etc...it becomes significantly more difficult to relocate.
As others have said, if it doesn't work out or you realize it wasn't what you expected you can always move back. But the inverse isn't always so easy, if you wait you may not have the opportunity or ability to relocate later.
Be honest with yourself, identify what really makes you happy, what your goals are and what you want in life. Then go get it done.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 16 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,075,134 times
Reputation: 15537
Quote:
Originally Posted by videobruce
But, those higher salaries are eaten up by higher mortgages. Paying $100,000 and more for basically the same thing (house) takes a lot of "salary' to make up the difference. And don't forget the increased interest over time.
True, but buying a house is not usually a priority for every 20 something just starting out. An additional advantage of paying more (in line with the national average) for your home is when you choose to move you have buying power in the next market, the lower home values in the Buffalo region can be a disadvantage when you want to buy elsewhere. Interest paid is tax deductible but the higher tax burden place on homes in NY State very often is not.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
