How is it to live in the Niagra Falls Area? (New York: best city, car registration)

[rockabily]

Hi,
We are thinking about moving to the Niagra Falls area because my wife's mother lives in Toronto. I know property taxes are high, but it looks like you can pick up a fairly nice house at a good price. How are the neighborhoods in general? Is it hard to find work in the Niagra area right now? Are car registrations expensive each year?

Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me about Niagra :-)

[Canerican]

Car registrations are every two years, I think it's up to $75, plus you have to get an inspection each year ($21) Really not bad, you don't pay taxes on your car each year.

Niagara Falls honestly isn't the best city. I would look at Lewiston, Sanborn, or Grand Island. Niagara Falls just isn't safe or clean. You see "nice" houses for cheap, but they are likely in run down neighborhoods.

I will say that I do enjoy the cities around Niagara Falls alot.

Work is relatively hard to come by for educated folks (salaries quite depressed in upstate and Western New York).

There are plenty of jobs in retail and in healthcare here. There are a moderate number of government jobs in construction. In business services, manufacturing, finance, and insurance, the market in abysmal. If you work in another sector you should be able to find in a job easier than in most cities.

If don't want to have to worry about it, find a job before moving, it will save you the stress of moving hundreds of miles and not being sure if you can even make it. Businesses around here are very welcoming of people from other regions applying.

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Now before I finish, you will likely hear about 3 idiots telling you that there are no problems in New York, and that I am a liar, and dishonest etc. But I would suggest you read my post, I was more positive than usual, and it is still the most honest response you will read. Before you make the plunge you need to hear the good and the bad, not just that Buffalo is a vibrant city with lots of history and great culture etc.

I would honestly say that it sounds like you are moving here for the right reasons, so you can probably afford to look past some of the negatives, but make sure you look at the whole picture. People are leaving this area in droves for good reason. Just be careful. If it is right for you, you will like it, if you are slightly even Conservative, don't like high taxes, a gun owner, or don't like winter, run like heck!

PS - It's Niagara Falls, not Niagra Falls

[jblake78728]

Niagara Falls, NY is kind of a bad city, high crime & economically depressed. That being said it isn't exactly a war zone or anything like that either. The LaSalle neighborhood is very nice, affordable & safe. Overall Lewiston is a much nicer & safer area. The Lewiston-Queenston Bridge is just south of town & will give you easy access to Canada. Wheatfield is also a nice, very affordable area that is very close to NF (but also isn't a bad commute to Buffalo either). If you don't mind being closer to Buffalo, North Tonawanda & Tonawanda could be options that have affordable housing.

[rockabily]

Thank you both for the information you posted. I'd like to find a place out a bit, not too far from the main cities where the neighborhoods are fairly nice. It looks like there are some good deals on houses, but the only drawback is high taxes. It's too bad that local and state politicians who drive people out of New York with their out of control taxation, then experience a drop of tax revenue because of the mass exodus, think that the solution to the shortfall in revenues is to increase taxes even on people and businesses even more. This ruins jobs and the economy. Hopefully people in New York will rebel against the current politicans who are responsible for the economic mess and elect competent government officials who can attract more jobs with lower taxes. People will have more money in their pockets to spend, and then the cities and states will have more money in their pockets as well. It's simple economics, but it seems that capitalism and the free market that produces jobs for people are under attack now. I know that NY is in bad economic shape and I really do not want to move there, but my wife wants to be close to her mother.
I just want to live in an area that is fairly decent.
I guess we will have to take the good, with the bad :-)

[jblake78728]

I think Wheatfield or Niagara (not Niagara Falls just Niagara) might be your best bet. Its somewhat of a rural setting but sits just outside Niagara Falls. Its also not too bad of a commute to Buffalo. Housing is very affordable & property taxes within the Niagara-Wheatfield school district are among the lowest in Niagara County, about $2700-$2900 per $100K assessed value (Niagara Falls property taxes are around $4500/$100K).

[rockabily]

Originally Posted by jblake78728

I think Wheatfield or Niagara (not Niagara Falls just Niagara) might be your best bet. Its somewhat of a rural setting but sits just outside Niagara Falls. Its also not too bad of a commute to Buffalo. Housing is very affordable & property taxes within the Niagara-Wheatfield school district are among the lowest in Niagara County, about $2700-$2900 per $100K assessed value (Niagara Falls property taxes are around $4500/$100K).

That's great information! Thank you!!
I'll search for homes online in Wheatfield or Niagara to see what I can find.
I just have to get familiar with the cities and areas there. I just started to look, so I am somewhat clueless, but this info helps a great deal.

Have a good day....

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by rockabily

That's great information! Thank you!!
I'll search for homes online in Wheatfield or Niagara to see what I can find.
I just have to get familiar with the cities and areas there. I just started to look, so I am somewhat clueless, but this info helps a great deal.

Have a good day....

Look under 14120, 14304 & 14132 zip codes, 14304 is closer to Niagara Falls & slightly higher taxes depending on the school district. Niagara is a town separate from Niagara Falls but because it doesn't have a post office the address may technically be Niagara Falls. Most of it is in the 14304 zip code. Avoid the 14305 zip code unless you are dealing with someone who knows the area, parts are good (mainly the north & east) but it also extends into some of the crime filled areas of the Falls. Good luck & happy hunting!

[rockabily]

Thank you!
That's very helpful information!!
Have a great day!

Originally Posted by jblake78728

Look under 14120, 14304 & 14132 zip codes, 14304 is closer to Niagara Falls & slightly higher taxes depending on the school district. Niagara is a town separate from Niagara Falls but because it doesn't have a post office the address may technically be Niagara Falls. Most of it is in the 14304 zip code. Avoid the 14305 zip code unless you are dealing with someone who knows the area, parts are good (mainly the north & east) but it also extends into some of the crime filled areas of the Falls. Good luck & happy hunting!

[MPBYO]

It would be wise on your part to come up with a new short list of possible places to live in this area.

[Checkered24]

I'll second Wheatfield as a place which sounds good for you to look at, in order to maximize your dollar. Taxes are relatively low in wheatfield compared to most of the local communities. Most of the housing stock is relatively new to brand new too (build within the last 20 years). It is very convenient to all of WNY, not far from the falls, Buffalo, or the Thruway system.