Diverse neighborhoods in Buffalo city or Suburbs? (New York, Victor: best neighborhood, real estate)

[hanoka]

Hello to All, I have read many responses on this Forum to those who are contemplating a move to Buffalo. I too am thinking about such a move. I am tempted by the fantastic real estate prices for homes in the Buffalo area. I live in NYC, in Brooklyn, in a very diverse neighborhood. I am from the Carribean and would like to purchase a Multi-family or single fam. property in a good neighborhood where my color will not be an issue. I have seen prices as low as 50k for single and multi family homes. My maximum price would be 125k. What neighborhoods should I be looking at??

[Buffalonian4life]

The Elmwood Village in the city is one of the most diverse areas of WNY. People of all ethnic backgrounds, etc make the recently rated - 3rd best neighborhood in the country a great place to live for all people.

Just some thoughts, I hope this helps a bit. Here are some Elmwood Village Videos if you are interested:


YouTube - Living in the Elmwood Community


YouTube - Elmwood Village - Buffalo New York





Good luck! And Welcome to Buffalo!

[UpstaterInBklyn]

I am a former Buffalonian who has been living in Brooklyn for several years. Keep in mind, you will not find the same kind of diversity in Buffalo that you are accustomed to in Brooklyn.

That's not a "bashing Buffalo" statement. Buffalo just does not have large and diverse immigrant communities like NYC in general and Brooklyn in particular.

Also, be skeptical about some of the very cheap real estate listings you have found. You can buy decent home for $125K, but for $50K you're generally looking at a dump in the ghetto.

What part of Brooklyn are you from?

DM me if you need more specific information.

[ckhthankgod]

What about Riverside, Black Rock, North Buffalo and Allentown?

[hanoka]

Thank you all for the information, I realize that Buffalo does not have the diverse immigrant population which New York City has, hence that is why I am curious about the acceptance of others who are not in the majority according to the Census. Here in New York City, although we have many "immigrant" groups there are some neighborhoods that I will not venture into as 'My color is not welcome or due to high crime" . I am not afraid to live in a community where I am in the "minority" in color but a trailblazer I am not. I will look into those area which are mentioned..by the way I love Old Victorian homes, Where can I find a nice Victorian?I did look at a link for Elmwood Village, it looks very nice. I would like to explore all of the Buffalo, is there some areas I should stay out of due to Crime or any other factors?

[mycrows]

Originally Posted by hanoka

Thank you all for the information, I realize that Buffalo does not have the diverse immigrant population which New York City has, hence that is why I am curious about the acceptance of others who are not in the majority according to the Census. Here in New York City, although we have many "immigrant" groups there are some neighborhoods that I will not venture into as 'My color is not welcome or due to high crime" . I am not afraid to live in a community where I am in the "minority" in color but a trailblazer I am not. I will look into those area which are mentioned..by the way I love Old Victorian homes, Where can I find a nice Victorian?I did look at a link for Elmwood Village, it looks very nice. I would like to explore all of the Buffalo, is there some areas I should stay out of due to Crime or any other factors?

Elmwood Village is the default suggestion for people thinking about moving to Buffalo. Although in my opinion it is not terribly diverse (mostly white, middle and upper-middle class) you will definitely not face racial discrimination there. The word "diverse" means different things to different people so maybe you will find EV to be the mecca of diversity that a lot of its residents tout. Undoubtedly this is the most liberal area of the city (along with Allentown, which is marginally less wealthy). However, picking up a house in the Elmwood Village is going to be tight for 125k.

New immigrants to Buffalo tend to settle on the west side (defined colloquially as west of Richmond Ave). You could call the west side 'working class' but crime is still pretty darn high. Therefore you will probably want to buy as close to Elmwood Village and Allentown as you can afford. Personally, I would recommend centering your search around the lower west side, nearby Allentown (that is, southwest of Cottage/Wadsworth. If you are north of Hudson st this area is known as "Kleinhans" and it's a great place to find that beautiful Victorian for not very much cash. For the most part these are going to be 'fixer-uppers', but there are some stunning homes here for under 100k. You might even be able to get into Allentown under your budget depending on how 'fixer-upper' you are comfortable with. The Porter Ave corridor down to D'Youville is worth a look as well.

North Buffalo is definitely an option for your budget. But I have always preferred the Allentown/Lower West Side area. The proximity to downtown and public transportation (scant though it is) makes it more appealing to me. I don't think you mentioned where you work but this might be a factor for you. If your job is going to be downtown you'd be able to walk or bike to work. There's an Allentown stop on the subway line, so that's a plus. The train goes from HSBC arena on the waterfront to UB's south campus at the northern city line.

As far as exploring the city, I think you can walk through just about any area. You'll probably be able to tell pretty quickly if it's an area you'd want to live in. However, remember that Buffalo on the whole is a lot less vibrant than NYC, just about everyone drives so there is not going to be tons of people walking around except in a very few locations. In other words, if there's not that many people around, that doesn't necessarily mean you are in a bad area. But sometimes it does.

[hanoka]

Thanks My crows, I think if people are liberal in their thinking they tend to be more accepting of others. My budget for a house can go higher about another 40k but if I can find something for 125k or less I don't mind doing some cosmetics as long as I can live in it while doing repairs. I like to live within my means and have for a rainy day..As you have said EV seems to be the default community touting liberal attitudes. I would be looking for work as a paralegal or maybe opening up my own business. I will be looking into the areas which you have suggested. . What are zip codes of those areas, can anyone provide..thanks

[CAugust]

Elmwood village is 14222, however as far as victorians, they are starting there at 239k, although there is one for 79k, but requires rehab.

Allentown has one for 148,900k.

Both areas are in demand and I really don't think you can pick up a cheap Victorian in those areas - but I will say they are beautiful!!!

[hanoka]

I AM IN HEAVEN WHEN I SEE THOSE PRICES FOR VICTORIANS, I COULD NOT EVEN BEGIN TO LOOK AT ONE HERE IN BROOKLYN, THEY ARE ABOVE A MILLION, when I say cheap, I don't mean 50k, I know that those homes are sought after because of the architecture, they are just beautiful, but for 148k that sounds like heaven to me!

[hanoka]

What are property taxes like in those areas, for a house @125k-175k ?