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I'm a British guy who has lived in California, Nevada, Arizona, Ohio and in Maine. Right now im back home in Scotland, but I'm considering moving back to the US. I just wondered if anyone would be kind enough to give me some information on what Buffalo and it's surrounding areas offer?
I really do love residential neighborhoods, with detatched houses, nice yards, and a real sense of community. I also love a vibrant downtown area with bars and restaurants, and generally just an area where people do their thing. And finally, in my head I have pictured are lovelly neighborhood that looks lovely in the summer months, and I could sit in my yard with a fire, listening to crickets, frogs, and even watching some fire-flies, and in the winter months, a neighborhood that looks beautiful with all the snow and homes decorated with Christmas lights and decorations - this is definitley the dream.
Highest taxes in the world that go up every single year to pay for the highest paid government workers and they still get yearly raises every year and pension spiking is out of control because the unions own the politicians for decades. and it still looks like its the 1950s & large chunks of Buffalo look like a 3rd world country and have 3rd world country conditions. No jobs, homeless people on just about every other corner sad to see what happen then they keep saying its getting better but Buffalo is still 3rd US poorest city and still has the largest population loss's every year in the country by people who cant afford them anymore or just had it with taxes going up every year
I'm a British guy who has lived in California, Nevada, Arizona, Ohio and in Maine. Right now im back home in Scotland, but I'm considering moving back to the US. I just wondered if anyone would be kind enough to give me some information on what Buffalo and it's surrounding areas offer?
I really do love residential neighborhoods, with detatched houses, nice yards, and a real sense of community. I also love a vibrant downtown area with bars and restaurants, and generally just an area where people do their thing. And finally, in my head I have pictured are lovelly neighborhood that looks lovely in the summer months, and I could sit in my yard with a fire, listening to crickets, frogs, and even watching some fire-flies, and in the winter months, a neighborhood that looks beautiful with all the snow and homes decorated with Christmas lights and decorations - this is definitley the dream.
Is there anywhere that matches what I imagine?
Thanks,
J0hnnyMac.
Yes, but you need to think college towns in the east coast. Don't listen to the naysayers about Buffalo. There are some lovely neighborhoods. There is a Frank Loyd Wright Masterpiece in Buffalo -the Martin House. There are exciting and trendy neighborhoods, and you are not far from Canada and the Wine Country, We also found Cooperstown NY to be charming, College towns in Connecticut and Mass would be good as well, also New jersey, Pennsylvania near the Philadelphia Main Line, Delaware, Maryland -Annapolis and Frederick are charming. Virginia near Monticello, Norfolk, Richmond, Fredericksburg are also nice, as are towns in the research triangle and Wilmington. If you want your British socks blown away, visit Savannah,GA - loveliest and most charming city in the USA; no snow, but oh, my!.
You need to pay attention to real estate taxes, which is what some were advising.
Trip Advisor can give you a sense of some of the areas that you may want to live in, see Buffalo, fro example
I would have thought taxes in the UK are higher than any tax anywhere in the U.S. including Western New York. Why did the British rock bands the Rolling Stones and Status Quo among others exile themselves from their own nation for some time if not for tax evasion? Buffalo's real estate affordability and low cost of living more than offsets the high taxes, especially if one is self-employed. I don't know what the O.P. does for a living but it sounds like he's all set and doesn't need to look hard for a job. I think Buffalo is a wonderful choice for him. The Elmwood Village pretty much fits the description of his downtown with bars and restaurants and where people do their thing and Parkside would be that gorgeous, quiet neighborhood to relax in. Buffalo is not London but the O.P. is not looking for London, he's looking for a comfortable place with a sense of community to live in.
Oh, did anyone mention the beautiful foliage to be seen in the hills and valleys just south and east of Buffalo? And what about Niagara Falls and the Festival of Lights during Christmas?
Here's a quote from radio producer and Buffalo native Jake Halpern printed in the 2015-2016 Buffalo Niagara Touring Guide: "Ours is a nation dominated by big box stores, shopping malls, Chipotles, Applebees, and unrelenting sameness - much of which is designed to create the illusion of happiness. By contrast, Buffalo is a city that feels deeply real; and the absence of illusion is the key to its magic."
Highest taxes in the world that go up every single year to pay for the highest paid government workers and they still get yearly raises every year and pension spiking is out of control because the unions own the politicians for decades. and it still looks like its the 1950s & large chunks of Buffalo look like a 3rd world country and have 3rd world country conditions. No jobs, homeless people on just about every other corner sad to see what happen then they keep saying its getting better but Buffalo is still 3rd US poorest city and still has the largest population loss's every year in the country by people who cant afford them anymore or just had it with taxes going up every year
I would not call Buffalo's downtown vibrant, its more like vacant, especially after 6 PM. I would recommend one of the surrounding cities like previous posters have mentioned. East Aurora or Lewiston comes to mind. Have you considered North Carolina?
Highest taxes in the world that go up every single year to pay for the highest paid government workers and they still get yearly raises every year and pension spiking is out of control because the unions own the politicians for decades. and it still looks like its the 1950s & large chunks of Buffalo look like a 3rd world country and have 3rd world country conditions. No jobs, homeless people on just about every other corner sad to see what happen then they keep saying its getting better but Buffalo is still 3rd US poorest city and still has the largest population loss's every year in the country by people who cant afford them anymore or just had it with taxes going up every year
TanLegs, the master of hyperbole. What would our forum be like without you constantly extolling the virtues of Buffalo and WNY. You sound like a broken record with the 3rd world comments. I have never seen more than a few homeless people. If you want to see a homeless person on every corner visit San Francisco. Buffalo is losing population, thats a fact. The property taxes are among the highest in the USA on a percentage basis which keeps the real estate values down. You get more house for your money but when you factor in the property tax bill and lack of price appreciation you are going backwards. I lived in one of the nicest neighborhoods in the area and barely broke even on my house, even with the recent appreciation, after 10 years. You can expect to pay 3% of the value of your house per year. Electric bills are also high as is the sales tax. Buffalo and NYS have systemic problems like TanLegs/John2022 is constantly pointing out. The government workers have generous pensions and benefits and frequently retire to another low cost state and live in luxury. When I got divorced and started dating again virtually ever woman was a retired government worker or teacher. Taxes are a fact of life in WNY and that will likely never change given the NYC domination of NY politics. It has been said "WNY greatest export is its people".
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