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Ithaca is really nice and it would work way better for my job but I just never "felt" it there. Its a bit isolated for me and I found the preachy uber-liberal feel of the town a little off putting. I am a Democrat, with libertarian leanings, and even I found it a bit much. Same goes for Burlington, VT. I dreamed of living there years ago, and finally stayed there for a week once and it wore me out. Rich kids from downstate all over pretending to be bohemian and "poor". I couldn't take it! I guess what I'm looking for is great outdoor access combined with being close to a city and all of the shopping, airport, hospitals, amenities, etc. I guess I want a place that's a little more family oriented, less college oriented, with access to hiking, fishing, rafting, etc close at hand. Queensbury/Glens Falls fits that well, its further from my job sites but closer to family, the ocean, and some of my favorite places in New England too (Cape Cod to surf, NH for skiing, the Maine coast, sick whitewater rafting on the Dead River in Maine, yeah!)
I find the ultra liberal stuff as annoying as the flaming red stuff on the other side. That's why I couldn't live in the Northwest. The green obsession thingy would send me over the edge and the ultra-liberalness. That's why I lived in Arizona, it was libertarian for years till the wacky right wing nuts turned it into their own private play ground. And, religious extremists that have changed it. When Napolitiano was gov., we were progressing--education, all of it. It was a different place to live when it was under her control. People were human. Of course, the California movement in and extreme population increase really changed it, too. Around 02-05, it turned a corner. I don't want to be disparaging of Cali, but it's more like a suburb of California than Arizona and I wasn't interested in living the lifestyle/values of Californians. ANd, before those years I loved it enough to want to be a Zonie forever when I moved. I had found my home initially, love, loved it. I might, at some point, think about Tucson?? Smaller and 7 degrees cooler in the summer. I miss the desert. Once it's in your bones, I don't know, can't explain it logically. I think different places have different "vibes" and you fit or don't.
For politics I've found a comfort zone where if I'm to the right of pretty much everyone one in NY but to the left of the rest of America it fits me. Rockefeller Republican of sorts. Its kinda surreal sometimes. NY is so far to the left I start to think I'm a flaming right wing whacko nut job. Then I get into a nationwide political debate on a different nationwide forum I'm a member of and everyone calls me a flaming lib.
Agree with you on the desert. I can't explain it either but every time I get to a desert area I know right away I'm home. High prairie also works for me. I also love mountains, thats my biggest beef with the East, no mountains. Give me a nice high desert surrounded by mountians <sigh>. The old lady hates heat so this is gonna be a tough sell. She doesn't get yet that its the humidity in NY that crushes you soul not the heat.
Believe your perceptions. Spot on as far as I'm concerned. When you sense something, you can trust it, esp. if you've been around the block, so to speak,more than a few times. As you start to test your perception/assumption, still not sure, but other people reiterating it, then, bam, bingo, you've got it then! I felt a things initially and asked my husband what he felt. Same exact thing. And, my hubby is a regular guy, not into "vibes" or anything.
If you hear repeated themes about an area, any area too, you're onto something. People saying the same things. At least you go in with your eyes wide open. Example)Phoenix metro. It's hot. Everyone in the universe knows it's hot, but on that forum, in the middle of summer, right about now, the joggers will come out. They'll tell us how they went jogging and loved it, felt nothing out of the ordinary jogging in 100 degree morning heat. Or afternoon heat. ANd, how the dry heat of 112 beats the humid heat of 90. Let me tell you, Phoenix is the hottest place on earth, blow dryer in your face heat from late May to late October. But, the worst part is that there's no reprieve. None, nadda, till October. Nights are 86-88 range and you are basically in A/C for 4 1/2 -5 months. And, getting hotter statistically. I went to Weatherunderground and saw the numbers. Runs of 110's-112's are common now, but not in the 90's when I moved there. But, the denial runs thick...
But, Wegman's is kinda like Church here, which is very amusing and I get lots of humor out of it.You can't insult Wegmans or the sky might come down is how I feel. I personally don't care for it. I find it very maze like and has horrible flow. Everything is in different areas. DIfferent freezers everywhere, the "healthy"stuff can't be integrated with the regular aisle stuff either. I get my healthy stuff at Walmarts and save a ton. Okay by me. I loved Trader Joes and will have to commute monthly for that. ANyways, back to my cave...Hehe.
I live in PA - not far from Binghamton. Visited this cite 'cause I'm not sure if this is our final destination or not. Visiting some places this summer.
I'm formerly from LI NY and I hate that place. Always loved upstate and PA.
Never got the charm of the Sun Belt - FL - OK in the dead of winter after the holidays - but a blast furnace like AZ with all the political crazies? Not for me.
Also can't stand the fuss about North Carolina either. Bunch of religious fanatics. - I'm moderate politically which is hard to find these days.
I like my four seasons and I enjoy the Fall a lot which is beautiful Upstate.
I think people in Upstate NY, PA, and eastern OH don't "big up" themselves enough. They play it down and close to the chest. Where as you get these blow hards from NC Texas FL AZ and yeh my old area LI and they act like it's perfect there.
I HATED LONG ISLAND! Flat ugly crappy nasty people. Hard to get off that place too.
I think people upstate are friendly for the most part. Their just not trying to get you to convert to their religion like the Sunbelt.
There are mountains, but they are older and unfortunately, humidity is anywhere east of the Mississippi River and even places a few hundred miles west of it.
Warren, what kind of place/community are you looking for?
Low cost of living. Friendly people. Mountains - doesn't have to be the Rockies. Pretty down town area. Near by countryside. Accepting of outsiders.
Not overly right wing or overly liberal. A little progressive and no bigots - or not a large bigot population/
Used to say I was a liberal, but when I get with liberals I know I'm not one of them.
Seasons. A homey feel. I don't hate where I am but people are so set in their ways and it's all about who you know.
Since we are new and always will be, we don't know anyone.
Mostly college professor types like downtown living. I saw here something like 40% of people moving into DT Syracuse were affiliated with SU. I knew it would be a high number but I had no idea it would be that high. Because professor types have little or no real World experiance they tend to be liberals. And because they only associate with other liberals they tend to think the whole World is liberal.
So your unlikely to find a busy DT anywhere without a college.
Most NYers with any money have walked away from all cities. They may or may not have wanted to but NY's liberal social policies have made the cities unlivable. Unless you can crank the costs up to the moon so only the very well to do can live and force everyone else out.
Outside of the cities in NY you will very, very rarely see any non-whites. So most people raised outside the cities have no opinions or experience with other races. You will find the white flight people from the cities and they are most times kinda racist. Where I live us locals rarely if ever discuss blacks but the transplants from Syracuse use the n-word at least once per sentence. Away from college towns and cities you won't see any non-white faces at all for the most part. You would actually find yourself noticing the non-white faces, not because you have become a bigot just because your brain notices something you haven't seen in awhile.
Low cost of living. Friendly people. Mountains - doesn't have to be the Rockies. Pretty down town area. Near by countryside. Accepting of outsiders.
Not overly right wing or overly liberal. A little progressive and no bigots - or not a large bigot population/
Used to say I was a liberal, but when I get with liberals I know I'm not one of them.
Seasons. A homey feel. I don't hate where I am but people are so set in their ways and it's all about who you know.
Since we are new and always will be, we don't know anyone.
Outside of the cities in NY you will very, very rarely see any non-whites. So most people raised outside the cities have no opinions or experience with other races. You will find the white flight people from the cities and they are most times kinda racist. Where I live us locals rarely if ever discuss blacks but the transplants from Syracuse use the n-word at least once per sentence. Away from college towns and cities you won't see any non-white faces at all for the most part. You would actually find yourself noticing the non-white faces, not because you have become a bigot just because your brain notices something you haven't seen in awhile.
What are you talking about? Columbia, SC has TONS of white people. Aiken, SC is full of white people! In fact, they're the predominate race. Augusta, GA has lots of white people. Yes, in all three there are areas where non-white people dominate, but it's NOT the whole city.
Augusta, GA has several areas where white flight happened. But that was due to the city flooding from the Savannah River. The rich white people who owned all the big fancy houses left decades ago after 3 major floods where the entire downtown was flooded badly.
Charlotte and Atlanta also have a lot of white people. So does DC. So I don't know what you are talking about when you say, "Outside of the cities in NY you will very, very rarely see any non-whites."
What are you talking about? Columbia, SC has TONS of white people. Aiken, SC is full of white people! In fact, they're the predominate race. Augusta, GA has lots of white people. Yes, in all three there are areas where non-white people dominate, but it's NOT the whole city.
Augusta, GA has several areas where white flight happened. But that was due to the city flooding from the Savannah River. The rich white people who owned all the big fancy houses left decades ago after 3 major floods where the entire downtown was flooded badly.
Charlotte and Atlanta also have a lot of white people. So does DC. So I don't know what you are talking about when you say, "Outside of the cities in NY you will very, very rarely see any non-whites."
I think he means outside the cities inside NY State, towns like Elbridge and Cazenovia....
I second Glens Falls. Love that town. Oneonta is really nice too.
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