Ithaca, New York? (Syracuse, Utica, Rome: sublet, lease, motels)

[Ellie C.]

Re: taxes:

Unless you wanted to live in "Ithaca proper", you could live just over the county line and pay less in taxes. Covert is a good example. It's Seneca county, but it's right near Trumansburg, and in some cases you can choose either Covert or Trumansburg schools. Good for property values even if you don't have school-aged kids!

[peterogden]

I AM ORIGINALLY A NATIVE NEW YORKER FROM ORANGE COUNTY. MY FAMILY HAS BEEN IN NYS FOR OVER 350 YEARS.

I LIVED IN UTICA FOR 5 YEARS UNTIL TAKING A LARK OUT HERE TO MOVE TO SANTA FE LAST OCT. 2007. I HOPED THIS WOULD BE MY LAST MOVE. I AM 50 YEARS OLD. SANTA FE IS A NICE PLACE BUT HAS BEEN A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT--EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND RACIALLY POLARIZED--MOST OF ALL I STILL CANNOT BREATHE PROPERLY AT THE 7000'+ ELEVATION HERE. THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE IF YOU'RE A MULTIMILLIONAIRE OR MOVIE STAR IN A GATED COMMUNITY WITH A PRIVATE JET TO GO SOMEWHERE.

I MISS COUNTRY AUCTIONS, FARMERS, REAL RIVERS AND HARDWOOD FORESTS NOT TO FORGET SKUNKS, HOLSTEIN COWS, OLD RED BARNS, A VARIETY OF ARCHITECTURE, WOODCHUCKS AND UNPRETENTIOUS PEOPLE. AVERAGE HOME PRICE HERE IS APPROX. $350K AND YOU DON'T GET MUCH FOR THAT.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME AND I AM VERY HOMESICK FOR UPSTATE NY BUT NOT UTICA!

I AM AN ANTIQUES DEALER WITH A SPECIALTY IN ANTIQUE AND OUT OF PRINT BOOKS. THIS IS PROBABLY A DUMB QUESTION BUT ARE THERE LOTS OF SOURCES OF GOOD OLD AFFORDABLE BOOKS FOR RESALE IN THE ITHACA AREA: I.E.: THRIFT SHOPS, ESTATE SALES, GOODWILL, SALVATION ARMY, LIBRARY SALES ETC.?

EITHER WAY I AM COUNTING DOWN THE 60 OR SO DAYS UNTIL I ARRIVE IN ITHACA WHERE I WON'T HAVE TO DRINK 10 GALLONS OF WATER A DAY TO STAVE OFF NMEX HIGH DESERT DEHYDRATION! WILL MISS THE BRILLIANT SUNSHINE HERE BUT SKIN CANCER IS NO PARTY BRO! I KNOW WINTER IN ITHACA WILL BE GREAT FOR WORKING ON THE COMPUTER, READING OLD RUSSIAN NOVELS ABOUT SIBERIA AND BREAKING MY NECK--BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF ICE IN SFE IN WINTER!!

SURVIVING 'THE CITY DECADENT',

PETER OGDEN

[honeychrome]

I can't speak directly to antique books, but central NY and the southern tier have lots and lots of antique shops. However, this is the age of eBay (as you obviously know!), so if a shop has 'antique' on the sign outside it will be hard to find a real bargain. I live upstate, but I spend a lot of time in NYC too for work, and there really isn't much difference in how things are priced in antique shops between upstate and in they city. Thrift shops are a different story, though, and there a lot of those around, too. With the high student population I imagine the thrifts in Ithaca have a pretty quick turnover of items, though most will probably be modern junk.

Its not exactly 'antiques' per se, but there is a great place in Ithaca called Significant Elements that sells salvaged architectural details, old doors, clawfoot tubs, and building stuff.

[Ex-Ithacan]

@ peterogden,

Several good, local bookstores in Ithaca. Ithacans do love their books. A huge sale by the public library is coming up next month (see link):

Tompkins County Friends of the Library :: Sale

Good luck on your move.

[Tioga]

A used/collectible/out of print book dealer I know locally did ~okay till the last few years. He still has a store but must earn most of his book money online to stay in business.

[peterogden]

thank you all for your wonderful replies.

this morning i had a wonderful dream about great antiques in ithaca! hope it comes true. most of sfe is new though there are many great books here due to many authors living and visiting here as well as many affluent collectors.

do you have a lot of estate sales in the region?

does anyone know the latest on the ithaca car share program?

i put a post on craigslist for housing but they don't allow religious type requests so i'm wondering if any of you know of any buddhists in ithaca that might be looking to share a rental or rent part of a house?

thank you!

regards from the 'city dipherent'.

--p

ps i will miss the priairie dog town i always pass on foot in my neighborhood--they are very amusing creatures--but hardly one squirrel is seen here--i bet there's plenty of squirrels in ithaca--i miss them--even if they dont kiss the way prairie dogs do![seriously]

[peterogden]

Originally Posted by Ex-Ithacan

@ peterogden,

Several good, local bookstores in Ithaca. Ithacans do love their books. A huge sale by the public library is coming up next month (see link):

Tompkins County Friends of the Library :: Sale

Good luck on your move.

thank you ex-ithacan for this link. i volunteer at the main sfe library bookstore and love it. this link was very helpful--p

[peterogden]

almost forgot--do you have church and other 'rummage sales'?--p

[peterogden]

flea markets? antiques shows?

[honeychrome]

Every weekend throughout the summer there are garage/lawn/yard sales all over the place in the area. The fact is that most of them are just people trying to unload a lot of useless mostly plastic junk, but there are treasures to be found here and there if you spend the time digging.

As far as buddhist apartment/house shares, if there is anywhere in NY state where you might find such a thing, Ithaca is the place. Maybe track down contacts at one of the ecovillages or intentional communities or ask on the fingerlakes permaculture mailing list- someone in one of those place ought to be able to point you in the right direction.