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I currently live in Georgia and in about a year, I will start a Masters program. After grad school, I plan to move out of my home state (I've been here for all 22 years of my life and it is time for a change). There are a few states I have in mind (and will ask similar questions on those sub-forums) and New York is one of them. Unlike what appears to be a very large chunk of people around my age, NYC does not attract me; at least the idea of living there is not very attractive. The big thing being that it is incredibly expensive.
However, the state of New York does interest me and I would like to ask: what are some cities and/or towns in New York state, outside of New York City, that you would recommend or consider?
Here are some personal notes about me and what I'm looking for.
1.) I'm moderately liberal. I do have a few conservative views, but that is more related to how I carry myself, rather than politically. I identify, but haven't registered, with the Green party.
2.) My major is Psychology. For my Masters, I'm going for either Social Work or Applied/Quantitative Psychology.
3.) Moderate (as far as New York goes) prices in either rent or the housing market.
4.) I practice Buddhism with elements of Hinduism and Taoism mixed in. A place with a temple would be fine, but not a necessity. A general open attitude to differing beliefs would be nice, but, again, not a necessity. I practice my religion for my own benefit and not for others.
5.) I'm not a party animal. I much rather go for a night at a quiet bar or cafe; or a stroll downtown; or to a play, concert, or orchestra. I also love to learn about history.
If you don't mind going further Upstate, you may like Ithaca actually. If you want something closer, a place I like is Nyack, which in Rockland County. There may be others that work across the state that others may chime in with.
If you don't mind going further Upstate, you may like Ithaca actually. If you want something closer, a place I like is Nyack, which in Rockland County. There may be others that work across the state that others may chime in with.
Thanks for the replay. Ithaca looks gorgeous. By the way, when I mean "outside of NYC", I mean located anywhere in the state; upstate, near the city or otherwise.
Something else I forgot to mention. I'm gay and an area with a fair sized LGBT community would be nice.
Thanks for the replay. Ithaca looks gorgeous. By the way, when I mean "outside of NYC", I mean located anywhere in the state; upstate, near the city or otherwise.
Something else I forgot to mention. I'm gay and an area with a fair sized LGBT community would be nice.
In that case, definitely Ithaca. With that said, you can find LGBT communities in the bigger Upstate NY cities and some college towns up here as well. So, you have other options as well.
Ithaca would be my first choice, followed by New Paltz. Housing costs aren't particularly low in either community, but you can save by living in an adjacent community, and are otherwise good ideological fits for you. I don't remember the location of the closest temple in the Ithaca area but there's one in Woodstock, which is within a reasonable distance of New Paltz.
If New Paltz is of interest I might also consider Kingston, which is 20 minutes away and offers very reasonable housing costs.
I will suggest Albany. As the state capital and a good sized metro area with several colleges it because Albany:
has lots of job opportunities with NYS government, with the colleges, and with private employers;
is well-known for being both diverse and tolerant of diversity;
has all kinds of cultural venues, including museums and various concert halls and arenas;
has a variety of housing options from city apartments to quintessential suburban ranches;
has easy access to outdoor activities, including both the Catskill and Adirondak Forest Preserves, numerous state parks, Sacandaga Reservoir, the Hudson River, plus numerous smaller lakes like Nassau, Round, Saratoga Lakes;
Also, for your potential master's programs in terms of Upstate NY colleges/universities; Cornell, U of Rochester, U of Buffalo, Binghamton University and Syracuse University are the top 5 schools for Psychology. For Social Work, its University at Albany, U of Buffalo, Syracuse, Binghamton and SUNY-Brockport. This is according to US News. Best Psychology Programs | Top Psychology Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 09-02-2013 at 05:32 PM..
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By the way, when I mean "outside of NYC", I mean located anywhere in the state; upstate, near the city or otherwise. 
