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I would definitely be visiting. Like I said, I do have family in the area (the whole reason the NE is on my radar, honestly) and we'd be making a swing by any areas that looked all right on paper.
You're not the only person I've known to speak ill of upstate New York. Albany and Buffalo, especially. It's disconcerting, of course. Would you have a better alternative to suggest, or just purely "avoid Albany?" In your opinion, as a former resident, is the state, outside of the city, just one depressed and dying area? I'm definitely interested in getting positive and negative views, here.
Finally, a poster who understands that positive AND negative viewpoints are a good thing. I like you.
Yeah I use to be one of those die-hard "anywhere in NY is Heaven" people. But after living upstate, it just kinda completely shut down my view of upstate NY. The only way I'd move back to NY state is if I was living in Brooklyn again. The NYC metro is totally different than upstate NY.
Upstate NY has way too many depressed areas. Economically and socially. Albany is no exception. My friend who has lived in both Rochester and Albany his entire life just told me last week when he got back from Austin, TX that he had couldn't believe just how crappy those two cities are in comparison to others he's been to. He has been to Chicago, Miami, Detroit, San Diego, Boulder, Denver, and many more. He loves to travel nowadays.
Sure, upstate NY definitely has a lot of "top colleges" but that's about the only thing that's nice about it. What I really can't stand about it is that the people are so cold and close minded and just really not who you want to be surrounded by...keep in mind that this is coming from a NYCer, and we don't exactly have the "most polite" reward hanging from our shelves.
As to alternatives to Albany that are within NY, I can't think of any outside of NYC. Even areas close to NYC like Yonkers and Mt. Vernon are boring dumps that I would never want to live in. Just met a guy the other day at work here in Atlanta who is actually from the Bronx and said you can't pay him enough to move to Yonkers or any nearby upstate cities.
In New England though, I've lived in Bristol, Meriden, Hartford, and New Haven...all in CT. I like the New England vibe a lot in CT, more so than I do in places like Providence, RI. Providence comes to mind because there are so many Catholics there that it becomes sort of overwhelming in a way. Nothing against Catholics (I am Catholic myself), but it's just a little much for me and the people are slightly different. CT people, to me, are straightforward but friendly at the same time. Best of both worlds in my opinion and it's near NYC so that's another reason why I like it.
I've heard that Boston is nice, however I've never lived there, just visited. Nice place to be in the summers in my opinion but nothing more than that. My mom loves Maine but I don't see it as a great place to raise a famiy. Pretty boring in my opinion just like Vermont and New Hampshire.
I've had friends that have moved to New Jersey and loved it for the most part. Mostly because it's cheaper than NYC but still close.
Now watch me get flamed because of certain things I've said in this post. Like I said earlier though, just trying to be real.
There are also town park systems as well. Here are some streetviews of neighborhoods/areas that people affiliated with Syracuse University tend to or may live in: Google Maps Street View
There are also town park systems as well. Here are some streetviews of neighborhoods/areas that people affiliated with Syracuse University tend to or may live in: Google Maps Street View
Again, thank you for the bounty of information. If pressed, what would you say is a caveat for Syracuse/Buffalo/upstate in general? More specifically, complete the thought "Upstate New York is a great place to live, unless you're the kind of person who..."
Again, thank you for the bounty of information. If pressed, what would you say is a caveat for Syracuse/Buffalo/upstate in general? More specifically, complete the thought "Upstate New York is a great place to live, unless you're the kind of person who..."
Wants a faster pace of life, can't deal with snow and some cloudy days and can't deal with higher tax rates for certain things. Jobs could be included, but it will depend on what you can do and want. For instance, I've seen quite a few engineering jobs throughout Upstate NY, but I think that there is a mismatch of skills for openings and those looking for jobs. Healthcare and higher education are also industries doing fine up here. What is also ironic is that Saratoga County in the Albany area has seen some good private industry growth due to this company: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Careers
Like I said, I'm not completely excited about going back east. (For the record, the Boulder, Colorado, area, would probably be my first choice, if there weren't other considerations.) So I'm not particularly demanding. It is what it is, and I can be flexible with some of this criteria. For my own part, I've come across the following cities--- Amherst, MA; Burlington, VT; Syracuse, NY; Albany, NY; Pittsburgh, PA. If anyone could weigh in with relevant information or advice, I'd be appreciative. Also, if anyone has suggestions that don't quite fall into my regional preference, I'd love to hear your reasoning. We have lots of time before our move and a lot is still up in the air.Thanks in advance.
My first thought was somewhere around Springfield, MA. UMASS Amherst is going to be a lot cheaper that Syracuse U., and I'm sure it has a perfectly respectable Geography program. The Pioneer Valley is a great place to live and play, and the Berkshires offer a near idyllic exurban experience. That's where I'd pick if I were you. I'm sure Syracuse would be fine, but I don't think your lifestyle options would be anywhere near as nicely supported as they'd be in Western MA, the proximity to the Adirondacks notwithstanding (and that's particularly the case since your first choice would be Boulder). Good luck with wherever you choose!
Another place that may work, but is smaller is Plattsburgh NY. It has a SUNY 2 and 4 year campus, a free city beach on Lake Champlain, is close to the Adirondacks, Burlington VT and Montreal. I'm not sure if Plattsburgh State has a Geography program, but it may be worth a look. Actually, here you go: Geography Program at SUNY Plattsburgh
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 03-23-2013 at 12:57 PM..
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