Relocating - What can people tell me about places like Seneca Falls and Geneva? (Both pros and cons) (New York: houses)

[COGuy1967]

My family is considering relocating to upstate New York and we'd like a place with a small town feel with good access to outdoor activities. Overall... just looking for a nice place to live. I've heard some good things about Seneca Falls and Geneva. Could anyone tell me about their experiences with those places or areas nearby? Any info would be appreciated! Thank you!

[skaneatelesmom]

Coguy1967,
Are you considering those two areas due to proximity to work? I spent 4 years in Geneva (college) and thought it was an okay place. Parts of the town are drop dead gorgeous with grand houses and beautiful row houses, but the whole downtown had a seedy feel to it. It has gotten somewhat better, but I know a family who lives there, and wants to leave. They are unhappy with the school system, (and she is a teacher there). Different people will give you different opinions. From an outdoors perspective, the countryside there is beautiful. Lots of vineyards, farms, waterfalls...the list goes on and on. Don't know much about Seneca Falls except that I drive through it every so often. It has a beautiful street of historic homes, and a downtown that has seen better days. SF has a spacious feel to it.
If you consider going more east, I live in Skaneateles. We have a great school district (I have kids in elementary, middle and high school), a beautiful town with surprisingly good shopping and restaurants, a gorgeous lake that anchors the town, and an extraordinary sense of community spirit. Our town is tightly zoned, so there are no fast food chains or big box stores anywhere near us. The closest ones are about 8 miles away in Auburn. Sports are big here, the entire town seems to go to our football games (even though we don't seem to win that many). Lacrosse and hockey are probably the most popular sports. There is okay skiing about 25 minutes away,with better skiing further north.
If you want to know about other towns, start threads about each one. Lots of people here can offer guidance.
Good luck with your plans.
Jo

[COGuy1967]

Skaneatelesmom,
Thanks for the info! Since we're far out of the area, workplaces aren't settled yet, but I don't mind the commute if the place we live is a good one. These were just some places I've heard of and did a little research into. Of course, we'll take a visit when it gets closer to the move - I used to move to places sight unseen, but not into that anymore.

Thank you for the info on your town - it sounds really nice. It might take a while to learn to pronounce it, but you describe it well, and it's obvious you enjoy living there. It's one I'll defintiely check out!

To everyone else, any more info on the towns I mentioned (pros and cons) or the surrounding area would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[SnowCrazy]

I started a thread about Waverly, NY, and have received a lot of good advice about upstate NY in general. Seneca Falls and Auburn were both mentioned, and some of the posts are lengthy in detail. It might help you out. Thanks to your thread, though, I'm now adding an additional town (Skaneateles) to my lists of 'check-outs'.

[ki0eh]

Seneca Falls and neighboring Waterloo were always favorite towns of mine to stroll around, although it's been a couple of years since I did that. Not as touristy or "high falutin" as Skaneateles, certainly not as much shopping or restaurants. Not as seedy feeling as Geneva was a few years ago for sure. Both have movie set quality small town American residential neighborhoods.

[scjo52]

I moved to the Seneca Falls/Geneva area in 2002. I must caution anyone who wants to relocate to this area.
Jobs are hard to get and pay is very low compared to more urban areas around the country. If you're a professional, you may be surprised at the management styles here. From personal experience and conversations with friends who have lived here much longer than I have, the level of professionalism in this region is extremely challenged. Elsewhere where I have lived and worked, supervisors and co-workers are more apt to support one another; but in this region you'll find low morale and sabotage at many, if not most, places of work. There are good people here, but I've run into so many people who don't actually do the job they're hired for and if they do, they do so angrily. You'll find this in the local government, in retail and hospitality services, utilities, and even church. People here act as if they live in Manhattan, but have a very limited, if any, knowledge of the world and the sort of mutual support you find elsewhere.
This is not the town in "It's a Wonderful Life;" it's truly closer to the "Twilight Zone." [Rod Serling lived here for many years...]