Canton vs Potsdam NY for a single person? (Kingston, Ogdensburg: rent, home)

[OH2CA]

Originally Posted by JiminCT

October to April....keep the sweaters and coats.

well .. that's quite a range ..

Be sure to utilize Ottawa and Montreal while you are there. Ottawa is an EASY trip from Canton. That is the best way to get re-urbanized if you need it.

Yes, I definitely will head that way.

I just checked to see if there was a Trader Joe's anywhere near, but it doesn't look that way. I guess I'll have to hit Ottawa for those sorts of treats, and my fix of bigger bookstores.

I'll have to see if they have a half-marathon in the fall, or a full one in the spring, that might be fun to train for and participate in Canada :-)

[OH2CA]

My brother has lived in Canton for about 6 years and you are right about it being cold there. I live in Ottawa and overnight lows in Canton in the winter can be 4 - 5 celsius lower than Ottawa on a clear night....that urban heat island effect is not a factor in Canton.

I'm really curious to see just how cold it gets ... and how the cars can cope with that. I don't drive very often, maybe I will have to just to keep the car from not dying on me due to prolonged sitting around in the cold.

I might be back asking about things to visit/see on short weekend trips to Ottawa. I also like classical music, so I'll have to find out about concerts too.

And I'm sure I will visit Montreal too. The whole bi-lingual setup appeals to me very much.

Thanks for the radio stations, I guess next week I'll have a chance to hear them myself :-)

[JiminCT]

No Trader Joes in Ottawa...but the area is pretty affluent and thus good markets abounds...and Costco and Ikea if needed. The area is kind of the Silicon Valley of Canada in addition to the govt. Lots of GREAT cultural stuff. National Arts Center and Barrymores are great music venues not to be missed. Blues fest in the summer. I'm sure you can find a marathon up there too.

Side note too: Ottawa the best NHL team in Ontario (yes Leafs fans...Ottawa)...lots of St. Lawrence grads have worked with the team (Jacques Martin for one..). Even if you dont like sports a trip to Scotiabankplace for a Ottawa v Montreal or Ottawa v Toronto game is incredible. For the shrine...go to the Bell Centre in Montreal for a game. Montreal fans are the best in hockey IMHO.

[OH2CA]

Originally Posted by JiminCT

No Trader Joes in Ottawa...but the area is pretty affluent and thus good markets abounds...and Costco and Ikea if needed.

Ikea! .. great .. I've been meaning to visit one, and in fact the closest one to me right now is further away than the one up there will be ... and I'm sure I'll find some ethnic groceries/restaurants there.

Forgive my ignorance about Canada, but what are some good book store chains a la Borders / Barnes & Noble in the US? I really like visiting bookstores (both small and large), so my trips to Ottawa will certainly include those. Or are there Borders / B&N stores in Canada too?

The area is kind of the Silicon Valley of Canada in addition to the govt.

Really? That's funny, I was hoping to move to the Bay Area this year. Who would have known I'd end up near the Canadian version of Silicon Valley.

Lots of GREAT cultural stuff. National Arts Center and Barrymores are great music venues not to be missed. Blues fest in the summer. I'm sure you can find a marathon up there too.

I have a feeling I am going to try to take as much advantage of this as time permits. I'll have to find out about reasonable accomodations too, I doubt I'd want to drive back each time the same day, esp if I go to a concert in the evening.

Re Hocky, I can tell that's big up there. In fact one of the SLU faculty members I spoke with during my earlier visit was doing a big statistical study of games. I am not a big sports spectator, but I will take your advice and see if I can round up some folks to go see one of those games.

[clynnog]

Originally Posted by OH2CA

I'm really curious to see just how cold it gets ... and how the cars can cope with that. I don't drive very often, maybe I will have to just to keep the car from not dying on me due to prolonged sitting around in the cold.

If your car doesn't already have one and you are going to park it outside, invest in a block heater. They can be easily installed after the fact. Plug it into an outside outlet and flip it on a couple of hours before you head out the door (or when you get up). It will keep the oil warm(er) and you will be able to start it much more easily (and the car will warm up quicker inside).

[cat916]

I graduated from SUNY Potsdam in 2001. I loved living up there as a student, but it wasn't for everybody...it can feel isolated. There's tons of events on campus, virtually nothing off-campus. I didn't find the extreme cold to be much of a problem, as the buildings were well heated. Be sure to carry a shovel etc in your car and keep your boots handy. There's definitely a learning curve to the ability to walk on ice; if you're not used to it already you can expect to fall on your behind at least once. It usually starts snowing in late October through early April, and since it doesn't melt much until spring the snow and ice accumulates on the ground. It has been known to snow on graduation day in May. I thought the spring season there was gorgeous, though, or maybe I just appreciated it more after the long winter...Good news: you can wear your most hideous wool sweaters and flannel shirts. Staying warm is valued more than looking sexy up there.

I always lived on campus, but the living expenses are dirt cheap. My best friend had a very nice apartment for just over $600 a month; other pairs or trios of students used to rent entire houses really cheap. You might enjoy having a place with a fireplace or wood burning stove as the long winter will mean plenty of opportunities to use it.

In downtown Potsdam (Main St./Market St.) you MUST visit two places. Strawberry Fields is a coffee house/cd store; you'll often get live student jazz trios there on weekends. Great place for a date if you don't mind rubbing elbows with students. Across the street from that is the Bagelry, where you can get delicious NYC-style bagels. I'm from Long Island, so I know a good bagel when I eat one

As a classical music lover, you just hit the jackpot. There are concerts at the Crane School of Music (part of SUNY Potsdam), most of which are completely free, nearly every night of the school year. There are three concert halls from tiny to huge: Wakefield, Snell, and Hosmer. Try the faculty recitals and Crane Symphony Orchestra concerts. If you like holiday music, the Candlelight Concert in December is well-loved. There's also a professional orchestra, the Orchestra of Northern New York, that performs at Hosmer Hall several times a year, but there is a charge for those concerts. The student recitals will of course be of varying quality, but none of them are a waste of time if you want to get out of the house. Check the Crane School website for the calendar. There's also a small art gallery at SUNY Potsdam.

You could also check Clarkson University (also in Potsdam) for events; they're mainly an engineering school, but the hockey team is supposed to be good...

Ask the older students how to get to Allens Falls. It's gorgeous there.

The Adirondacks are a good shortish (1-2 hours away) trip, but the roads in the high peaks region will be blocked sometimes in the winter. Lake Placid is a fun little town if a bit touristy; there's also Whiteface Mountain right there. Oh yeah. When the speed limit is marked 15 mph, it doesn't mean Long-Island-style 15. There are some really nasty curves in the mountains.

The area immediately surrounding Canton, Potsdam etc, alas, is fairly unattractive, boring flat farmland. Bad news for downhill skiing, good news for the possibility of an old-fashioned fall hayride.

The local community is full of very kind, unsophisticated-type people.

Hope you have fun!

[vinniethevole]

I graduated from SLU in 2001 and I grew up in Evans Mills, NY, which is about an hour away. One thing I noticed that you mentioned initially is that you were feeling nervous about being an ethnic minority in the area. I will say that St. Lawrence county is very predominantly white and christian, but the neighboring county of Jefferson is home to Fort Drum, NY, which is one of the larger army bases in the northeast. Their population is far more diverse (generally black and hispanic, but some asian as well), and there are a large number of retired military personnel in the area from all over the world. I think in terms of being an ethnic minority, you're in a far better position here than you would be in, say, Colorado or Indiana or Wisconsin or other places with similar rural communities. That's not to say that there aren't a few crazy, xenophobic trailer people lingering on the edges of these communities, but in general the region is more liberal, better educated, and far more welcoming to minorities than their counterparts in the Midwest or certainly the South.

I have a feeling that in the immediate locality of St. Lawrence, though, you're going to have a tough time finding someone to date that's not connected with the school. There are other faculty members of the neighboring schools, but generally your best bet is like the fellow said before, use the internet and try to connect that way. What seems to city-people like a huge distance (45-65 miles) can be covered easily in less than an hour on roads that are generally traffic-free. You can expand your dating sphere accordingly.

Also, there are some very tasty restaurants in the area. I used to love the mexican place in Potsdam (I forget the name), and of course there's always Papa Sergi's for your pizza/wings cravings. If you don't have the number it's 315-386-4581. And yes, I did just pull that out of my head.

[JiminCT]

Pizza rolls...

lol...I wonder if Mama Sergi is still kicking around...

[OH2CA]

Hi cat916

What a great and informative post.

There's definitely a learning curve to the ability to walk on ice; if you're not used to it already you can expect to fall on your behind at least once

hehe … I’m used to it, but still manage to do that every once in a while.

Thanks for the recommendation re downtown Potsdam. I’m a big fan of bagels, so I’m happy to hear about the bagel place. And there was a nice Indian restaurant I ate at once which was pretty tasty.

I think I saw Strawberry Fields, I’ll be sure to check it out. I like jazz music I don’t mind rubbing elbows with students, the majority probably won’t be mine anyway :-)

Happy to hear that there will be opportunities for my classical music fix. It’ll also give me reason to head from Canton to Postdam for a change of scenery.

“Allen Falls” .. is that an area or water fall? I’ll be sure to find out.

The area immediately surrounding Canton, Potsdam etc, alas, is fairly unattractive, boring flat farmland. Bad news for downhill skiing, good news for the possibility of an old-fashioned fall hayride.

well, it may be suitable for running and cycling .. I suspect fall must be nice I the area too.

Hope you have fun!

thanks, so do I! (I’ll be plenty busy, but I do plan to have a life too)

[OH2CA]

Originally Posted by vinniethevole

I have a feeling that in the immediate locality of St. Lawrence, though, you're going to have a tough time finding someone to date that's not connected with the school. There are other faculty members of the neighboring schools, but generally your best bet is like the fellow said before, use the internet and try to connect that way. What seems to city-people like a huge distance (45-65 miles) can be covered easily in less than an hour on roads that are generally traffic-free. You can expand your dating sphere accordingly.

good point, I'll try to keep that in mind. I'm also hoping to meet other folks from the neighboring schools in Potsdam too.

Also, there are some very tasty restaurants in the area. I used to love the mexican place in Potsdam (I forget the name), and of course there's always Papa Sergi's for your pizza/wings cravings. If you don't have the number it's 315-386-4581. And yes, I did just pull that out of my head.

I heard about the Mexican place, and the fact that you remember the pizza place's phone number after 6 years is a big compliment, so I'll be sure to check it out too!

thanks!