Dreaming of upstate NY....help (New York, Buffalo: for sale, crime, home)

[relocating23]

My husband and our two youngs kids are thinking of upstate NY as a potential place for us to relocate. We are coming from northern CA and are open to suggestions/ideas on good areas to raise two boys. CA has just become way too expensive for a family. We first thought of Albany, but after reading some threads on Albany, it seems maybe there's a growing crime problem?? Several said to "stay away". So, now we're thinking maybe the Syracyuse area could be good for us. We are definitely looking for safety/good schools and at least some good job oportunities. My husband grew up in Quebec and has spent a pretty good deal of time during summers in NY in the Lake Saranac area, so he feels somewhat familiar with NY. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[aka_mouse]

I personally think of each of the upstate NY cities as all being pretty much the same.. just that each one has a little bit different flavor.

I mean I grew up here in Buffalo so I like it here, but I can see where its not foreveryone. We're the biggest city outside NYC in the state... hard-drinking town 4am last call, people here are into sports, the Sabres and the Bills.

I don't have extensive experience with the other cities.. but Id say Rochester and Syracuse both have more money and are probably similiar to each other. Id say Syracuse is 'nicer', a bit more money (some hi-tech engineering type firms out here with Lockheed etc) but also probably a bit more boring. Utica is like the forgotten city... I kinda like it though. Albany, being a state capitol in a rich state like NY with a world class city like NYC involved... im not the best person to ask.. seems like there is lots of big buildings and huge state entities , but they get big ghettos like anywhere else. All the money in the region comes from the state, I think. In fact of the major cities in NYS, Albany is only bigger than Utica.

You also have the other smaller towns like Plattsburg, which I never even been there. I guess its nice, but small. Near Montreal. Watertown nothing much there, big military presence with Ft. Drum.

The Southern Tier has a string of smaller cities like Jamestown, Elmira, Ithaca, Binghamton etc. Like the bigger cities they each have thier own feel to them and are kind of similiar. Id say pretty much of those only Ithaca stands out as being the most popular/well off of those. Seems a nice place.. but if your not a student or working in education, Im not sure theres much there, its also kind of expensive from what people say.

[reevelarham]

We moved to the Syracuse area eight years ago because my sister was going to Le Moyne College. When our kids started school, we looked to move into a suburb with better schools for our kids. We chose Liverpool because it has affordable housing, great schools, and is really convenient to shopping and to the city. But, whenever we want to do something "fun" with our family, we end up driving to the Rochester area. There is just more to do with young kids in the Rochester area. Syracuse is up and coming, and within 10 years, I hope that it will really have it's act together. Good luck.

[Sgoldie]

If you don't mind commuting to work into Syracuse, Oswego is a safe, pretty and small walkable city on the shores of Lake Ontario. Kids are absolutely catered to here with all kids of activities from cultural (arts in the park, college for kids programs, theatre, orchestra, band, dance) to sports (sailing school, hockey, baseball, inexpensive golf) and more.

It's also an inexpensive place to live with a lot of beauty.

[I'minformed2]

Hometown bias ofcourse, but I think Rochester is the most "well rounded" of the major upstate metros. It is technicaly the most "affluent" of the upstate metros, with the relatively wealthy suburbs east of the city (especially the "p towns"), because there is more high-tech employment in the region than Buffalo, and is larger than Syracuse and Albany....yet it is still very "small townish", it gives off a great community vibe and is an AMAZING place to raise kids, I've also always thought that Rochester was the most kid-friendly upsate city, with Buffalo probably beind second. After about a decade of economic troubles, mostly due to huge cutbacks at Kodak, the rochester are is finally really starting to turn around as job creation is now outpacing job losses, mostly at the University of Rochester and the growing high-tech firms in Henrietta and Perinton. Syracuse is also seeing much more job creation lately, but I still think of Rochester as being more "family friendly".

[mainegirl]

Originally Posted by relocating23

My husband and our two youngs kids are thinking of upstate NY as a potential place for us to relocate. We are coming from northern CA and are open to suggestions/ideas on good areas to raise two boys. CA has just become way too expensive for a family. We first thought of Albany, but after reading some threads on Albany, it seems maybe there's a growing crime problem?? Several said to "stay away". So, now we're thinking maybe the Syracyuse area could be good for us. We are definitely looking for safety/good schools and at least some good job oportunities. My husband grew up in Quebec and has spent a pretty good deal of time during summers in NY in the Lake Saranac area, so he feels somewhat familiar with NY. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi,

I live in Upstate NY not far from the Syracuse area. Syracuse is a pretty decent city, but I suggest living in the suburbs. The county has lower taxes than the county I live in, which is right next to it. Syracuse is pretty much in the center of the state, so you are close to the Finger Lakes, and not far from Rochester, Buffalo or Niagara Falls. Syracuse does happen to be in the "snow belt" of the state, so at times in the winter it can be a tad bit rough.

My cousin has a beautiful 4 bedroom home for sale that he had built just 3 1/2 years ago just outside of Syracuse because his job moved him to Eastern PA.

I am personally tired of New York State, I have lived here for 30 years and am tired of the high taxes with nothing to show for it.

Good luck to you, if you need any further information, feel free to pm me.

[rug city]

Originally Posted by Sgoldie

If you don't mind commuting to work into Syracuse, Oswego is a safe, pretty and small walkable city on the shores of Lake Ontario. Kids are absolutely catered to here with all kids of activities from cultural (arts in the park, college for kids programs, theatre, orchestra, band, dance) to sports (sailing school, hockey, baseball, inexpensive golf) and more.

It's also an inexpensive place to live with a lot of beauty.

Winters are beyond obscene in Oswego- couldn't produce more snow w/a turbo snowmaking machine. I truly don't know how folks get by up there as they age. Dealing with 3 feet of snow on your roof is one example of how Oswego's winter begins to take its toll on you and everything you own. Don't be fooled by its beauty in the fleeting Summer- a wolf awaits, getting ready to pounce in a few short months.

[mainegirl]

^^^^ Agree !! Oswego is too far north and they made National headlines with the horrible winter weather this past winter.

[relocating23]

Thank you for all the info so far. A few of you have mentioned the Rochester area.....how are the schools there?

[Sgoldie]

It's (the snow) is really no big deal if you have a garage, and someone to plow and shovel.