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Yes, we are huge hockey fans. That is also a big plus for us when it comes to moving to Buffalo. My husband is an avid player, he's more on the "beer league" level, but it's his "thing" and he loves it. So I'm sure he'll have no problem finding a league with some great guys to play with.
Thank you for your kind words and support. You all have been so kind and welcoming! Honestly, I wasn't sure how we would be received, as Californians don't always have the best reputation! I do feel, though, that my husband and I hold the same ideals and values the people in your area have. That's why I believe we belong there.
By the way, your photos are fabulous! More, please???
Oh, yeah, how about that Sabres/Oilers game last nite? They needed a blowout on the road. Build up their confidence. Hopefully, they can keep it up! Go Sabres!!
Thanks for the great pictures, Buffalonian! Gosh, I really miss snowy days and ice skating. And those old buildings that have character & history. It sure beats the cookie cutter houses, subdivisions & strip malls here in Georgia.
I looked at these pictures all day at work, and realized just how much I miss WNY. Please keep them coming...it's a great way to start my work day!
Last edited by NYGirl1216; 01-28-2009 at 06:51 PM..
Not everyone is happy to be living here. I gather from the information that you don't live in San Diego or way up North...sounds like a little bit of "east LA".
I grew up in GA and we had REALLY hot summers like you're describing. I lived in San Diego and pray everyday that the housing market evens out to buy a decent condo on the beach so that I can have a vacation home (but won't be able to do that until we leave this state--it's chewing up our income). After living in CA we move to TX and again, hot summers.
We've been here for 2.5 years and I can say without a doubt that I would take the hot weather over this snow (this is just me telling you, a native Californian, what winters are really like here). I know two native Californians that moved here recently. They said they loved the snow...that was until it dragged on past 3 months. I tried warning them.
We transferred because it was number five (out of five) on our choice list of places my husband's job was hiring at the time. He works for the government--otherwise we wouldn't be here. We lived in Amherst and can say it is NOTHING like San Diego, it's more like east LA in our opinion. If you're really going to do this, make sure that you are set up financially (we are paying the 2nd highest gas prices in the NATION), the taxes are high on housing (and people say CA is horrible), and the snow does last for what feels like forever (causing you to have to winterize everything every year, which means: car, house, getting a separate wardrobe, etc.--these things cost money).
Our bills from CA to here tripled. We don't own a home because so many people are leaving that I didn't want to be stuck with a house here.
Unfortunately even though we came with an excited attitude, we've gotten nothing but attitude since we've moved here. So our nice attitude started dying...
I realize a lot of people are going to be mad that I'm posting such "negativity" but seriously, have everything set before you move here, if you're going to do it.
Thank you for your insight. I know everyone has a different experience. I've never lived in the snow...EVER! But the heat....YIKES! We lived in Hollywood for years and moved to the Central Valley six years ago to be closer to my family. This area is a dead area. Extremely high unemployment (we're not affected directly by this), gangs everywhere, people speaking Spanish more than English, people trying to pick up kids while they walk to school, empty storefronts everywhere. We considered going back to LA since that's where all of our friends are, but the housing is terribly expensive and the schools are really bad. I never thought I would want to leave California, but I realized it's just not the same place I loved even 10 years ago. I want my son to have a safe, fun childhood and I just think that area could be it for us. We're going out this spring/summer to get a better feel of the area, but during our visit last summer, I really liked what I saw. We'll see...
Everyone's opinion welcomed and appreciated!!!
Yeah! How about them Sabres! Wow, it's a shame they did so poorly today, but a 10 to 2 blowout yesterday will not soon be forgotten! Glad you enjoyed my winter city in the snow pics! I'll be sure to post some more Buffalo winter photos soon, so you can get a taste of a Buffalo winter with some of our city's beautiful sights before you officially move.
You're renting and your expenses have tripled? How does that happen?
I will say this - it's not for everyone but neither is California. I was out there a few years back and while I told my friend it was beautiful, I could never do it - I was in the car all day - too much traffic! and as far as owning a home? that's a dream for a lot of people there.
Yes the taxes are high, but the home prices are not - it levels out.
Between $300k and $400k you can chose from over 270 homes up to over 6,000 square feet of living space . In California can you get a 6 bedroom, 5 bath home for under $400 - It's currently priced at $55 per square foot, that home would be millions upon millions in California...
Between $400k and $500K you can chose from 109 homes -
Between $500 - $600k you can chose from 56 homes
Between $700 - $800k you can chose from 26 homes
and anything over $800k you have your choice of 45 homes in this area.
The most expensive home currently on the market is $1,795,000, it has over 6,000 square feet, right behind that is one for $1,790,000 and it has over 10,000 square feet!!!!
I purposefully pulled homes more expensive to compare what we do offer compared to California - and those are not the norm, in Ca those stats would be reversed - with the more expensive homes being availale and the less expensive ones being in the minority.
I do not know how your expenses have tripled here though? You have no taxes to pay on a home, no mortgage and your rent can't be that high? You say you are in Amherst, but from your description I don't think it's East Amherst and even in Williamsville and East Amherst you could be renting out a home for under $2k a month - where are you? Windsong apartments? Not saying they arent nice - but they are a rip off imho of course.
I hope you get to go back soon, no one deserves to be unhappy - I just dont get your whole expenses thing?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsnstarprncss
Not everyone is happy to be living here. I gather from the information that you don't live in San Diego or way up North...sounds like a little bit of "east LA".
I grew up in GA and we had REALLY hot summers like you're describing. I lived in San Diego and pray everyday that the housing market evens out to buy a decent condo on the beach so that I can have a vacation home (but won't be able to do that until we leave this state--it's chewing up our income). After living in CA we move to TX and again, hot summers.
We've been here for 2.5 years and I can say without a doubt that I would take the hot weather over this snow (this is just me telling you, a native Californian, what winters are really like here). I know two native Californians that moved here recently. They said they loved the snow...that was until it dragged on past 3 months. I tried warning them.
We transferred because it was number five (out of five) on our choice list of places my husband's job was hiring at the time. He works for the government--otherwise we wouldn't be here. We lived in Amherst and can say it is NOTHING like San Diego, it's more like east LA in our opinion. If you're really going to do this, make sure that you are set up financially (we are paying the 2nd highest gas prices in the NATION), the taxes are high on housing (and people say CA is horrible), and the snow does last for what feels like forever (causing you to have to winterize everything every year, which means: car, house, getting a separate wardrobe, etc.--these things cost money).
Our bills from CA to here tripled. We don't own a home because so many people are leaving that I didn't want to be stuck with a house here.
Unfortunately even though we came with an excited attitude, we've gotten nothing but attitude since we've moved here. So our nice attitude started dying...
I realize a lot of people are going to be mad that I'm posting such "negativity" but seriously, have everything set before you move here, if you're going to do it.
No, what I said was we WERE in Amherst. We lived in Lancaster and just moved to Williamsville.
We checked Windsong...that was OUTRAGEOUS...you REALLY want to know what they charge for cancellations and everything else, just go take a tour...I have NEVER seen a place gouge you like that. No we don't pay HOME taxes, but income is still taxed and that's bad enough.
In CA we rented an 1100 sqft townhouse with 2 floors. Our electric bill was roughly $30 a month because we hardly had to run the air conditioner. We didn't pay for gas or water and our rent was about $900 a month. So, for $930, living in sun, less than 3 miles from the beach, and being where you're liked, on an E-3 salary (that was at the time with COLA about $30k) it wasn't so bad.
Versus $980 a month for rent here, $100 for gas (because half of that is taxes), $60 for electric (because again, half of that is taxes), and another $11 for water (more income taxes taken out of my husband's salary)...being cold all the time, having a ton of other expenses when the snow comes...our groceries are more expensive and we're not getting to eat organic (because that's more expensive too)...
Maybe Tripled was way over, what I should have said was doubled. THAT is no exaggeration. (with all the extra costs)
We're not going BACK to CA, we're going back to TX, but first we've put in for a transfer to Vegas.
I won't go into what my husband makes now, but he is an Air Traffic Controller--and he's not one of the ones making $140k a year--most of those guys have another job on top of what they're making...
I actually have a lot of friends that work mediocore jobs that own homes in San Diego. They didn't pay $800k for them either. I'm not saying you can't find cheap places to live here, what I am saying is you get what you pay for.
I'm also not saying that Buffalo is THE WORST place to live on this Earth...but I was telling her that from one person who loves CA to another (natural born) it's not all it's cracked up to be.
As for the driving...where were you?? I never had trouble taking 20 min to get from one side of SD to the other. Yeah traffic's bad, that's why they're widening the roads. Are you saying that you used to live in CA or you visited?? I really don't like when people say they visited and think they KNOW CA. Those people can drive, they know where they're going and they go...here they stop at green lights. Explain to me why people stop a hundred yards behind a red light line? Explain why everyone claims they're adjusted to the snow and yet after only 2 years of being in it, we drive better. Explain to me why the people that get paid to plow apartment complexes don't do their job and don't shovel off doorsteps?
This has been an awful experience for us and despite the MANY times of just trying to be nice to people, we still get treated like crap or like we don't belong because we don't like to live here...
While I agree that RockMom should have a clear understanding of what winter here is like, I also think she should be aware of what else is on the balance.
First, a little bit of background so you know where I'm coming from. I've lived in so many places, or stayed in so many places for longer than 3 weeks (an exhaustive list would be pointless), but I lived through the rough winter year in NJ when there was literally a snow storm every week and the state ran out of salt before the winter season was over, I walked home from school at 3am in MA when -with the wind chill- it was waaay below zero. I've also wintered in the high desert of Santa Fe, NM, the white splendor of Anchorage, AK.
I have to say that, yes, the winters here are rough. Not having off-street parking (or better yet a garage) at my apartment makes for some really annoying time-consuming labor to dig out the car, move it across the street, find a parking spot, etc; having made a commitment to walk to work is a test on my resolve - especially yesterday when I was walking home from work at 7:30pm and there was 6 - 8 inches of fresh snow everywhere that I had to risk walking on the road itself. A normally 35min walk became a 50min slog, then I get home and had to move the car. The often overcast winter days can rob a person of the natural wintery beauty too, so after a while, when it is sunny, you just want to be out there, even if it means being in the cold. I would say that winters here are rougher than those Anchorage, AK. Yes, the temperatures do stay cold longer in Anchorage, but the winds here plus the higher humidiy can be brutal on people who walk. Also, the roads are better managed in Ancorage. I would have to say, comparing all the places that I've ever wintered in Buffalo is probably the roughest with Burlington, VT and Anchorage, AK being close seconds. So RockMom has to keep this in mind.
But, on the other side of the balance is the fact that we've only lived in Buffalo since last July - but my spouse and I have gladly considered it our home city. In contrast, I lived for 12 years in McAllen, TX (110F summers, 65F winters) and never considered it my home. I spent most of my times indoors. It would be normally so hot that I seldom ever walked anywhere. I lived three blocks from work and still took the car. The beach (South Padre Island, which MTV made famous) was only an hour away, but I seldom went. In contrast, I live near the Elmwood strip here and I walk everywhere, I recognize people (and their dogs) and I'm sure they remember me; the crossing guard at Delevan and Delaware waves at me (from inside her car, since I pass by before it is time for her to do her work) and we've never exchanged a word but her smile is a welcome beginning of the day. The restauranteurs of the northern tip of the elmwood strip already know what kind of foods I like, I've had long discussions with the pet supply store clerk over what toy to get for a stray cat we've adopted, the bicycle store clerks (also on Elmwood) took the time to talk with us -over many days- before we bought our bikes . . . .
Maybe it's different in the suburbs, maybe one doesn't get to feel that one belongs so much. But in the short time that we've been here, we've taken to Buffalo. Yes, the winters are rough, but when Spring/Summer gets here you can bet we'll be out there, riding our bikes, saying hi to that regal Chow of Chow Chocolate at the Bidwell Farmer's Market, setting up a picnic at the Shakespeare in the Park on Olmstead, dancing to live music at the free Bidwell park concerts, touring the wine country of the finger lakes, taking in a show at the Shaw Festival . . . and maybe, the crossing guard on Delaware and Delevan will be outside of her car, and I get to hear her say "hi".
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No place like home
Please keep them coming...it's a great way to start my work day!
