What is Binghamton like? (New York, Elmira: real estate market, 2010, apartments)

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by pattye

Look in Scranton, PA ...much better city, and
the people are great!

Thanks for that! I needed to see something nice about my hometown on a night like this when I'm depressed.

[upstate--uk]

Originally Posted by pattye

I moved from Binghamton to Lehigh Valley PA two years ago...
(after 20 + years of desperately trying to get out!)
I completely agree with the posting that described it as a pit..
that was probably generous!
many good souls live there, but it is a very sad place...economy has
plummeted for years and years...mostly everyone worth their salt has
left...in order to survive, unless you are a college student, which most
are from NYC and leave after their four years at SUNY. OR unless you
are lucky enough (I guess) to work for the government there...
If you are independently wealthy, and enjoy plenty of precipitation and
you don't need to work...it's a good place because you can buy a home
cheap! but please don't expect to make any type of money on a
real estate investment there...you probably will begin losing money the
day you sign the deed. Look in Scranton, PA ...much better city, and
the people are great!

Ok....I started a thread about Binghamton but no replies as of yet....so I will add here. I completely agree that 2+ years ago Binghamton was a pit and not much of a place to live in much less consider relocating there. However, I have seen substantial change, especially now that SUNY has opened an extension of the campus downtown, by the river. It is just a single building, but does change the nature of the population in the center of the city during the day.

By the way, the photo tour of Binghamton was excellent...I can't remember, when exactly was that done?

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by upstate--uk

By the way, the photo tour of Binghamton was excellent...I can't remember, when exactly was that done?

Thanks. I snapped that photo tour on May 30, 2007. I also did tours of Ithaca, Callicoon, and Narrowsburg in Upstate NY. I did a tour of Hackettstown, NJ. I also have done dozens (thus far) of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of PA. I'm always open for more suggestions!

[chrisruns2far]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Thanks. I snapped that photo tour on May 30, 2007. I also did tours of Ithaca, Callicoon, and Narrowsburg in Upstate NY. I did a tour of Hackettstown, NJ. I also have done dozens (thus far) of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of PA. I'm always open for more suggestions!

Hello, I enjoyed all your photo tours!!!! Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us. Have you ever considered doing the Capitol District....Albany/Troy/Schenectady????? Easy for me to say....you do all the work. Thanks again.

[economicoutlook]

Love it. People posting picts of crumbling old buildings and pointing out the charm. suggesting removing them for parking, Well sweetcheeks-there is nothing ot park for. the place is a run down deserted economic hole. When scranton looks good in comparison you know you have reached rock bottom. but as soon as I say that binghelltown will find a way to sink further. Glad aint there

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Well, while I normally don't suggest this, I'd say tear down these crumbling buildings along Court Street and replace them with a parking garage that would offer both monthly and daily spots. (This is assuming that this image is of a current demolition of these buildings anyways and not of a rehabilitation, in which case I'd retract these plans for another alternative). Monthly spots would be offered discounts for residents, some of whom might even opt to forgo owning a vehicle in favor of riding those new trolleys (or buses) around the city or meeting all of their basic needs along a revitalized Court Street.

These are just brushing the surface of the ideas I have for Binghamton. Feel free to let me know what you think!

Originally Posted by economicoutlook

Love it. People posting picts of crumbling old buildings and pointing out the charm. suggesting removing them for parking, Well sweetcheeks-there is nothing ot park for. the place is a run down deserted economic hole. When scranton looks good in comparison you know you have reached rock bottom. but as soon as I say that binghelltown will find a way to sink further. Glad aint there

As I bolded here to clarify my position, it appeared as if those buildings were already being razed the way it was. I haven't been to Binghamton in months, so I have no idea if these buildings are even still standing or not (and Google Earth sucks in terms of recency and clarity). I was just saying that instead of using these empty lots solely as surface parking, it would be MUCH better to consolidate other surface lots in the downtown area into one multi-story parking garage on this one location.

You'd be surprised how popular parking garages can be. All of the new ones in Scranton are nearing capacity, and a new one is slated for construction in 2008 to complement a condo project.

By the way, please elaborate on why it is "bad" to be compared to Scranton? 1990s Scranton? Sh*t hole. 2008 Scranton? Much better.

[artyst]

i wish investors and businesses would see the beauty in these old buildings in these towns and move back. then restaurants and small businesses could flourish in these old buildings. there is such a wonderful quality of life in upstate ny and based on what i've read here many people would love to stay if there were jobs!! a lot of these depressed areas seem like untapped gold mines to me. how do you lure bigger businesses back?? p.s. the sunbelt sucks, many folks would love to get out of there!!

[HomerBrink]

SWB-the buildings in your photo above are in the process of being rehabbed albeit very slowly.

[economicoutlook]

oh too funny.lol lol lol You know a city is in real trouble when anyone can count the number of people living there! Must admit that getting 50 people to live in the dump of bingho is pretty amazn/

"These four new residents brings our downtown tally to an even 50, and we've only done several buildings along Court Street thus far"


Guess this guys bought some of the burned out industrial wastebaskets in the downtown area and put money into it. People with vochures 13 from the city can afford them and theys sure to set up active businesses cuase that trade is big time in Bingho these days. Bingho closes its eateries downtown by 4 because 1nce night rolls in watch out. Residents do need to be careful. The last few guys to invest in downtown bingho and to be touted as the big time saviors of Bingho were indicted with impressive swindles. I think Adam Weizman was robbing banks to pay other debts and another whose daddy is a developer in New York also ran into trouble. so you need to be careful about anyone investing money in Bingho. Few people would put there own money into the loser city so if money is being invested ya need to ask whose money it is.

[economicoutlook]

the pictures are already dated cuz I think Phils is also gone. most of downtown is now vacant.