Where are Buffalonians fleeing to?

[Divorced-with-NYC]

Well, Buffalonians, don't waste your time with New York city, if you're thinking of looking for a job out here I'm going to tell you that the competition is very tough out here, prospective employers play a lot of games and everything is so expensive you'll probably end up having to look for a second and third job just to pay your rent, if you're even lucky enough to find a first one. And the people... It's pretty bleak.

I was actually thinking of giving Buffalo a try, I actually would prefer the winter weather there to NYC's sometimes hot, sometimes snowy, sometimes rainy winter weather, it's just as slushy and hot and cold as the people here. But after giving this thread a check I see that Buffalo has a crime problem (probably still better than New York and I wouldn't be surprised if the schools were too, because here the school system is more about bureaucracy and politics rather than educating the children). Perhaps I should keep checking and comparing.

[Outin10]

I currently work for HR Block and took a job in Hoover, Alabama. It's a very big move, but I'm going to view it as an opportunity.

[UpstaterInBklyn]

Originally Posted by Divorced-with-NYC

Well, Buffalonians, don't waste your time with New York city, if you're thinking of looking for a job out here I'm going to tell you that the competition is very tough out here, prospective employers play a lot of games and everything is so expensive you'll probably end up having to look for a second and third job just to pay your rent, if you're even lucky enough to find a first one. And the people... It's pretty bleak.

I was actually thinking of giving Buffalo a try, I actually would prefer the winter weather there to NYC's sometimes hot, sometimes snowy, sometimes rainy winter weather, it's just as slushy and hot and cold as the people here. But after giving this thread a check I see that Buffalo has a crime problem (probably still better than New York and I wouldn't be surprised if the schools were too, because here the school system is more about bureaucracy and politics rather than educating the children). Perhaps I should keep checking and comparing.

I'm a former Buffalonian living in NYC. I'll assume you are from NYC, not Buffalo and are contemplating a move.

Don't get the impression that there is a "crime problem" in Buffalo. Just like in NYC, there are high-crime areas and safe areas. As for the schools, just like in NYC, generally city schools are bad, suburban are good. Most of the suburban districts are outstanding. And again... like NYC, there are a few exceptional schools in the city, but overall, the system is not that good.

As for getting a job in Buffalo, it all depends on your field of expertise. If you in health care, jobs are easier to get and Buffalo is great place to live because you will have a much higher standard of living on a "normal" salary such one earned by nurse, technician etc.

If you are in different field that is strong in NYC such as media, marketing, or finance, your prospects for employment in Buffalo are very limited.

Regarding the weather -- the winters aren't nearly as bad as most people think. General rule of thumb is that the temperature is usually 5-10 degrees cooler in Buffalo year round. With the exception of lake effect snow in Buffalo and Nor'easter storms in NYC, the City usually gets the same weather systems as Buffalo, but a day later, because the systems often run east-to-west.

[donbuy]

Just for kicks, here is a listing of America's largest urbanized areas according to the US Census Bureau. Please note that unlike MSA's or Metro Areas the urbanized area category is a measure of the urban core. It does not include outlying areas but rather shows the population of a city from a 'bird's eye' view. If you were flying over and saw a city below these are the populations you would see. The metro area amounts on the other hand often include areas far removed from the city. For example the Rochester metro would include Medina some 40 mile away from Rochester, and the Buffalo Metro includes Middleport again 40 miles from the city separated by miles of farms. Even more outrageous are the metros for western cities such as Las Vegas which includes areas over 100 miles from Las Vegas in it's population.

The urbanized area gives a far more realistic pictire of each cities relative size. Here is the most recent official list. The next official ranking will not come out until after the 2010 census.

USA Urbanized Areas: 2000 Ranked by Population(465 Areas)