Not happy about moving to the area (Buffalo, Hamburg: lease, homes)

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by ahat31

Just curious to know where the outdoor pools are located and what type of summer activities are we talking about?

I can't speak for North Buffalo though I'm sure they have a lot of the same things we have (other than the beach on Lake Erie ). In Hamburg we have a town run beach (staffed by lifeguards) with an adjacent fitness center. Use is free to all town residents but you have to buy a parking pass ($15/year). We have a heated outdoor pool that you need to purchase a membership to use ($155-$170 for a family of 4 depending on if you live in the town or village). They also offer family night swims (free) at Frontier Middle School's pool on Tuesday & Thursday late afternoon/early evening's during the summer. We also have a skate park that is free to use by town residents (though I couldn't tell you much about it). Our local library has 2 nights a week when they have a children's story time & about once a month (usually on a Saturday) they have themed parties for young children (princess, super heroes, etc) , which is also free.

In the winter you can take advantage of cross country skiing, sledding, ice skating & snow shoeing at Chestnut Ridge Park.

If you are into the outdoors you also have the opportunity to get very good deal's on cabins in any of the New York State parks by being a New York State resident. It can be a very inexpensive way to spend an enjoyable weekend (or even a vacation) if you enjoy hiking, fishing or just the outdoors in general.

One other thing that taxes go toward is the prompt removal of all that snow we get. I have no complaints about the snow removal here, they stay on top of it when a storm is moving in & always seem to have the streets cleared in a very timely manner. I can't speak from experience but I've heard that this might not always be the case within the city of Buffalo.

[CAugust]

Originally Posted by ahat31

Just curious to know where the outdoor pools are located and what type of summer activities are we talking about?

well I am in williamsville, so outdoor pools are at clearfield (hopkins and klein), north forest (north forest and main) and smaller pools in the area for kids to wade in and have fun like garrisson park and the one behind the town hall on main street.

concerts all the time at least once a week in the summer = free, 22 this year are scheduled.

great free concert and fireworks at ub on the fourth

great bike paths with tennis courts and basketball courts

clearfield library has a ton of free programs for the kids, well all the libraries do, I just frequent that one, there is everything from story time, to bedtime stories, to planting plants on mothers day to american girl programs

over the summer for a very modest cost (with town id) there is swim lessons ($15), tennis lessons ($15), weekly sports clinics ($15), badmiton ($15), volleyball ($15), in line hockey ($25) and the most expensive is golf ($115). There is also whats called the red box and the blue box where kids can make crafts during the day with a town id

thats just a few ...

[Canerican]

That isn't anything you can't get in a suburb on 100,000 or more in a far lower taxes area.

To me it's just a bunch more stuff that my tax dollars go to waste, I wouldn't care if we had 0.1% taxes here, I wouldn't support them; although it would be easier to stomach than it is now with our outrageous taxes.

[Port North]

Originally Posted by Canerican

That isn't anything you can't get in a suburb on 100,000 or more in a far lower taxes area.

To me it's just a bunch more stuff that my tax dollars go to waste, I wouldn't care if we had 0.1% taxes here, I wouldn't support them; although it would be easier to stomach than it is now with our outrageous taxes.

If you think WNY has high taxes you would shoot yourself if you lived where I live (Long Island). Of course you can make the bucks to pay those taxes in Long Island if you don't mind commuting to Manhattan everyday. For those of us who don't want to work in the city its even more oppressive than WNY tax wise.

[ckhthankgod]

Wouldn't Delaware Park have a public pool?

[Canerican]

Originally Posted by Port North

If you think WNY has high taxes you would shoot yourself if you lived where I live (Long Island). Of course you can make the bucks to pay those taxes in Long Island if you don't mind commuting to Manhattan everyday. For those of us who don't want to work in the city its even more oppressive than WNY tax wise.

I would believe it, plus the cost of living is way higher. I wouldn't want to live there for those reasons alone - same as one of the main reasons that I hate WNY.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Canerican

I lived in Cleveland Hill, it is NOT very good. When I moved to Buffalo, I needed to take a summer class because not all my high school credits would transfer. I can tell you that I went to 5 different schools from grades 7-12, and Cleveland Hill was by FAR the worst. There were constant fights, Black kids hated the Whites, and vice versa. There were constant fights. Definitely BIG race problems there. But look at the demographics over the past 10 years, an almost all White school, is less than half White now; I don't care where the school is, it's going to cause problems...

I went to Christian Central Academy (private school), we were about 1/5 black, and all got along great. No feeling of racial tension. If you like/can afford private school, I would look at that. Their elementary school program is just incredible. Teaches your kids good moral values (tolerance, anti-gay marriage, pro-capitalist, generally Conservative/pro-family values).

Actually, Cleveland Hill is 66% White and 27% Black: https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb-rc...0703020000.pdf

It doesn't look like a bad district at all, even if there are others with better numbers and reputations.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Port North

On Long Island the Port Washington, Herricks, Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills District), Great Neck South are all diverse districts (more than 25% minority) and are considered excellent districts. Probably two dozen more are 15%-25% minority and are considered good districts.

in NOVA places like Fairfax, Burke, Centerville, Falls Church are also very good districts that also happen to be diverse (in some cases up to 50%-60% non-white.)

The major difference between Buffalo and those places is that many more minorities are middle class or higher in Long Island or Northern Virginia, while in WNY the vast majority of minorities are poor or working class. That is probably the reason why people in WNY equate the presence of minorities with the neighborhood "going down". The general economic conditions of WNY do not allow for greater upward mobility for minority groups compared to more prosperous areas of the country. If you haven't been exposed to that many successful minorities, you end up thinking that all minorities are poor or only achieve middle class status because of affirmative action. I knew many people who thought that way when I lived in WNY.

Very, very true and honest points. You have that here in Syracuse and other cities that had or have a strong manufacturing basis. It might not necessarily be the case, but people generally equate one with the other.

Good points in terms of other parts of the country too.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Port North

Cleveland Hill is a district in transition and is working class (both the whites and the blacks are working class), that is different than a diverse (White, Black Hispanic, Asian) middle/upper middle class district that is stable. Only Williamsville would fit that definition in WNY.

Cheektowaga, Ken-Ton and Sweethome are slowly transitioning to being minority districts (probably within 10 years). The Amherst district is split between the affluent whites in Synder who send their kids to Smallwood Elementary and the minorities in Eggertsville that send their kids to Windermere Blvd elementary. I bet things will stay the same there at the Elementary level but you probably will eventually see white flight from the High School since the people in Synder have the $$$ to send their kids to Nardin or Nicholls if need be.

Here's info. on the districts mentioned: https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb-rc...0701060000.pdf

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb-rc...2601030000.pdf

https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb-rc...0207060000.pdf

For all Erie County School Districts, check here: https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/Co...08&county=Erie

[ajacques]

Originally Posted by jblake78728

I haven't found racism to be a big thing in this area. I've lived in Texas, Colorado, PA & other areas of NY & I can assure you that the Buffalo metro area is the most racially tolerant area I've lived in. You need to consider the source. I don't know whether Canerican is a racist or just has trouble expressing his view without sounding racist but if you look over his posting history he has a bad habit of making things a black/white issue & when he gets called on it he issues his standard "I just don't want trashy folks in my neighborhood, White, Hispanic, Black" response or he provides facts & figures that are typically used by the Religious Right fringe groups to fire up their base.

I have to agree with you and it makes me feel better that i'm not the only one who has noticed that. After reading tread after thread for last couple of months i've started to wonder if I was looking at buffalo through rose tinted glasses and that perhaps its not the best place to take my choclate girlfriend.

Someone mentioned Amherst going downhill and it just doesn't make sense to me. I mean you have Elmood village and whatnot that is supposed to be growing. I have to believe that in the next few years Buffalo is going to have a re-growth as it re-coups from the loss of industry. The factories will be replaced with green/technical/legal corperations.
Currently people look at me like i'm nuts when I tell them that i'm moving to buffalo but I think that would change drastically if corperations could realize that there is this venue waiting for them. If your polititions could offer some sort of insintive - say a reduction in property tax for the first year or so for any company that opens up shop in buffalo by (x)year then I think Buffalo could be something fierce. I know i'm not the only one out there who really wants to move to a city like NY(WITH all of its diversity) but just cant afford it and if they just took a serous look into buffalo would realize what a viable option it is.