Buffalo:Possible Growth???? (Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Malone: buy, bankruptcy, school)

[Canerican]

Originally Posted by BuffaloLight

I think I would enjoy the Buffalo forums more if I understood what Canerican was trying to say 90% of the time. But if he wasn't here people wouldn't get so riled up at his ramblings, which is entertaining. Catch22 is sadness.

What exactly can I clarify for you, Mike?

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by Canerican

(I think that 70,000 is the best size of city for me

Try Portland, Maine (pop~66,000). I think you will find it a delight.

[cheese9988]

Originally Posted by Canerican

Another thing might be city life vs. suburbs vs. small town.

I personally never have liked cities. I find a small town suits me nicely. As long as it has a Barnes and Noble, Walmart, a few nice clothes stores, and an Apple Store within an hour and a half, I'm fine. So basically, as long as I am less than an hour or so from a medium city, I am more than happy.

I never feel safe in cities... I have actually seen a lot of crime, my cousin's apartment got fire bombed in Montreal while I was staying there, my grandfather got shot by one of his employees when I was eight. I think you can guess why I feel why more comfortable with my Beretta, than without. (I know how to shoot, and I am a good shot, never have unholstered or drawn my gun... don't ever want to)

I just feel like all cities are too dangerous. Some people are street smart, my street smarts is stay out of the city and you safe . So really any city would be too much for me, in a way Buffalo going down to 200,000 would make it much closer to what I am looking for. (I think that 70,000 is the best size of city for me, although that is bigger than most cities I have lived in, except Montreal and NY, yes I moved alot as a kid)

My wife grew up in a real small town 1/2 hour east of Rochester. The town has < 8,000 people in it. Coming from her, growing up the town was so small and isolated there was nothing to do. Drugs and drinking were ramped, petty crimes, burglaries, DWIs. They have a newspaper out there with the 315 news section, she could pick it up every week and find someone she knew who was convicted of something.

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by cheese9988

My wife grew up in a real small town 1/2 hour east of Rochester. The town has < 8,000 people in it. Coming from her, growing up the town was so small and isolated there was nothing to do. Drugs and drinking were ramped, petty crimes, burglaries, DWIs. They have a newspaper out there with the 315 news section, she could pick it up every week and find someone she knew who was convicted of something.

Before coming here we lived in a small town in NNY for a few years (maybe 10-12K) ........ you just described it perfectly (though you forgot to mention all the teen pregnancies)

[Canerican]

Originally Posted by jblake78728

Before coming here we lived in a small town in NNY for a few years (maybe 10-12K) ........ you just described it perfectly (though you forgot to mention all the teen pregnancies)

That is somewhat true in some places, especially Massena with the Indian reserve, alcoholism and drug running seemed like extra-curriculars.

But it happens here too, the difference is that you can blend in and remain anonymous in a county of 950,000, than a county of 90,000. In other words everyone knows everyone. If you miss church one week, you get 20 calls asking what's wrong.

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by Canerican

That is somewhat true in some places, especially Massena with the Indian reserve, alcoholism and drug running seemed like extra-curriculars.

But it happens here too, the difference is that you can blend in and remain anonymous in a county of 950,000, than a county of 90,000. In other words everyone knows everyone. If you miss church one week, you get 20 calls asking what's wrong.

I lived in Malone, which from what I saw was worse than Massena. At least Massena had a mall (albeit that half the mall was empty) as well as a few other things to do ......... In Malone your choices are basically ice skating, going to church or partying.

It use to be that in rural America at least you had a fighting chance to keep kids away from drugs because of the lack of product that actually made it to the sticks (not so much regarding alcohol & sex). Somewhere along the way the big city drug dealers figured out that rural America was one big untapped market full of bored teenagers just begging for something different to do.

[ocean2026]

Buffalo has lost population each year since it peaked in 1946. Every idea has been thought of but you can't change the cold winters and you don't want to change the absurd real estate taxes. I like Buffalo the way it is - not congested and full of nice old buildings.

People just aren't moving back to high tax cold weather areas- its that simple.

[Canerican]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

People just aren't moving back to high tax cold weather areas- its that simple.

You can change half of it by lowering taxes. And if global warming is actually real, Buffalo should welcome it, as it would eliminate our cold winters.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by jblake78728

I lived in Malone, which from what I saw was worse than Massena. At least Massena had a mall (albeit that half the mall was empty) as well as a few other things to do ......... In Malone your choices are basically ice skating, going to church or partying.

It use to be that in rural America at least you had a fighting chance to keep kids away from drugs because of the lack of product that actually made it to the sticks (not so much regarding alcohol & sex). Somewhere along the way the big city drug dealers figured out that rural America was one big untapped market full of bored teenagers just begging for something different to do.

It also doesn't help that there are two correctional facilities there. Is it really that bad up there?

[Canerican]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

It also doesn't help that there are two correctional facilities there. Is it really that bad up there?

In some ways. The drug addicts stay in their houses (yes, there are bad areas, even in small town), and there isn't a whole lot to do in terms of commercial activities, but you make your own fun more or less. You can go biking, hiking, ATVing, fishing, shooting, and all that. Yes, some people drink before they are 21 - that doesn't happen here? In all honesty I have never drank alcohol in my life, and to be honest, people are far more shocked by that here than there.

It depends on what you like, where you will enjoy. If you need to have alot of stores, bar, restaurants, don't live in the country. If you can live without a ton of commercialism, and enjoy nature... live in the country.

And Malone was/is worse. Massena has Alcoa, and a few other smaller plants, not much in Malone. And Massena's mall isn't any good at all. It's almost empty now, just a few small (non-chain) stores, a JC Penny, Sears, and Bon Ton. Not exactly great. Kind of reminds me of the Eastern Hills Mall, but smaller.

In all honesty that whole area is pretty depressed, don't really miss it (except the natural beauty, and the BS you get when you live near a city). Jobs (like here) are scarce, because it is like the rust belt cities, only when you have a city wholly reliant on one plant, and it closes, the city goes down pretty quick.

In all honesty, if you have driven to Elmira, you will get a decent idea of what Franklin County is like. Chemung might be a little poorer, a little more racially diverse, but in the end, they are about the same.