Dunkirk or Fredonia NY (Westfield, Sherman: ski resort, mortgage, home)

[cherdani]

Originally Posted by CrissCT

Dunkirk recently added a Boardwalk Market along the lake and it is really cute. There are a few shops and cafe type places. It won't take long to explore though. There are lots of nice things in the area to see and do (wineries, etc.,) but you will need transportation. The area really isn't anything like Brooklyn, it is a much smaller city. Enjoy your visit!

You're right - it sure won't take long to explore! The boardwalk consists of about a half dozen or so of little shops that are overpriced. My husband and I checked it out one afternoon and it took us a total of about 15 minutes to go through all of them. Nothing there of interest. Good luck walking around Dunkirk There is nothing to see except the pier (woopie...) and the few shops on the boardwalk as I described. The rest of the "city" is parking lots and run down houses. I wouldn't recommend Dunkirk as a vacation destination to anyone, talk about BORING!!!

[cherdani]

Originally Posted by oktaren

Dude, you are wrong about everything you said in this post.

Fredonia and Dunkirk are totally different areas, and they are both very nice. neither have had negative population at all. dunkirk has actually had a positive growth in the past 3 years. As for the power plant, yes there is one. but that is about the only thing bad in the area.

no crime, low property costs, great value.

When did bars start CATERING to potheads? i didn't realize pot was sold in bars.

FREDONIA IS NOT HOME TO ANY PRISONS. there is a prison in brocton ny, but it is a shock therapy prison, not a boot camp style prison.

as for the college town, college towns are all like that, so good luck finding one without it.

ridiculous. move away, we don't want you here anyways.

Your WRONG - Lakeview Shock in Brocton, NY IS a Shock camp. It's run like a military boot camp. I know, I worked there for 14 years. And your comment about Dunkirk being "nice" - it's a depressed area and it's a real DUMP. I've lived all over Chautauqua County my whole life - Dunkirk is the worst of all!

[cherdani]

Originally Posted by giffman

Perhaps I was exaggerating in my previous assessment of Dunkirk. It's not the "ghetto" that some people portray it to be. However, I am taken back by some people on this forum that claim that Dunkirk is a "nice" town. Exactly what part of Dunkirk do these people consider "nice"? Perhaps a stroll down Second Street would change their minds? How about a trip to Quality Market on the 1st or 15th of any given month? The fact is that Dunkirk has a disproportionate share of poverty level residents. The only thing holding Dunkirk together are the old timers that used to work the steel mills. As these folks die off, they will be replaced by more people on public assistance.

You're right on there with every bit of your comment!

[cherdani]

Be real people. Dunkirk is a DEPRESSED AREA. There is NOTHING there. The only jobs there are low paying service related jobs. All the factories moved out over the past 20 years. Back then it was a decent place to live with many decent job opportunities. Not so any more. As far as Dunkirk being a "nice" town - NO WAY!!! It's a dirty town with a lot of hispanics and welfare recipients. Property values are extremely low. You buy a house there don't expect to be able to sell it for a profit years down the road no matter how much money you invest in it to fix it up.

[cherdani]

Originally Posted by giffman

Perhaps I was exaggerating in my previous assessment of Dunkirk. It's not the "ghetto" that some people portray it to be. However, I am taken back by some people on this forum that claim that Dunkirk is a "nice" town. Exactly what part of Dunkirk do these people consider "nice"? Perhaps a stroll down Second Street would change their minds? How about a trip to Quality Market on the 1st or 15th of any given month? The fact is that Dunkirk has a disproportionate share of poverty level residents. The only thing holding Dunkirk together are the old timers that used to work the steel mills. As these folks die off, they will be replaced by more people on public assistance.

Originally Posted by oktaren

Well, there is the Tim Hortons, there is also the groundbreaking of the new college-business incubator, there is the 2nd and Washington St factory building that is being converted to loft apartments. A walgreens just came in. A few more restaurants and businesses have come to vineyard drive, which is dunkirk, if you had forgotten.

Those are just the things I could think of off the top of my head, and this is all just in the past month or two. There is plenty more...

Also, what is wrong the wright park? its a very nice park. no one used the swimming pool anymore. It hadn't been used in years and years. They decided to change that part of the park into something the kids would actually use, a skatepark. Nothing wrong with change throughout the times. Might as well have something there that someone will use. I have never skateboarded in my life, but I can appreciate having things to do for the kids in the area. Most people would think this is a positive.

Oh there is also the boardwalk near the pier and the lake that will hold 8-12 seasonal businesses including water sport rentals.

"many growing businesses"????? WHAT are you talking about? Where???? You mean Tim Hortons and Walgreens? Wow, I bet those are real high paying jobs! And those loft apartments...how is that going to help people economically? From what I heard the price to rent one of those apartments is outrageous. Who's going to rent those apartments? This is an ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED area, many people are on welfare or in low-paying jobs in the service industry. The only reason my husband and I are still in this area is because I have a decent paying state job - however I do NOT live in Dunkirk and never would. I had the misfortune of having to live there for 7 years since my husband bought a house there before he was my husband. I couldn't wait to get out of there. It's a real dump.

[trader1068]

Cherdani..I sent you a direct message

[Aghast]

where are most of you people from and have you ever been to a real city with real crime? EVER? likley not education that never went very far, is it 5th or 8th grade , obviously no further. Born and raised in area, have a bachlors/masters of science from UB - try the grape belt - I prefer to live in my quiet little town with minimal crime and low home prices, where my children can play outside without fear...in Dunkirk, NY thank you very much!!!

[chautauquapeopleunited]

Originally Posted by itSmellsBAD

I'll be heading down there next week. I'll post some photos of the trash on the streets, the spanish gangs of unemployed losers hanging out on the street corner dealing drugs and drinking malt liquor, the worst polluting coal fired power plant in the entire USA, the strip bars in Fredonia, the drunk college kids smoking pot and urinating right in front of the bars, etc. I suggest you pay this area a visit before you move here. As far as population growth, the only people moving into this area are those on Public Assistance. Pay us a visit and PM before you come here. I'll give you a tour of the area that no real estate agent (crook) would ever give you.

That is so not true! Fredonia is the nicest town in all of Western NY! It has been voted nicest community in WNY for years! Although we do have an unpleasant record for most bars/pubs in a square mile, thats just because of the college. Fredonia has extremely nice houses and there is still a little bit of room to build especially in Bella Estates/Castile Heights, where there are half a million dollar houses. There is a very nice school district in Fredonia and the streets are well maintained. Water in the village is very clean, and is one of the best in the nation. The town also has a great histoy and local businesses supply the village's services. If you like hills, move to Fredonia, because there are a lot of them. Any way you get back to your house if you go downtown, there is a hill. There is a lot of playgrounds and parks such as Russel Joy Park (basketball/tennis courts, playground/bathrooms/two large pavillions for parties/baseball field, and a wooded area that is supposably handicap accesible when crossing the Canadaway Creek)Barker,Elm,Gardner, and Lambert Street have playgrounds. In the summer Fredonia citizens get a wonderful privlage. The village's Parks and Recreation Dept. opens up the park program. Local and responsible students watch your children at the playgrounds where they do crafts and games. Or you can sign up for classes such as tennis, basketball, spanish, drama,etc. They basically watch your children every week day (a typical work day from 9am-5pm with an hour lunch break where the children go home to eat at 12-1.)from late June, til late July or early August! There is also a playground in Laona (small hamlet in the town of Pomfret) Fredonia is also all about festivals. There is usually some festival every month. Festivals such as Victorian Dazzle (celebrating our victorian heritage. You can ride in a long carrige pulled by horses at night getting a historical tour of the town. There are also many locals that act as the historical people. They do the same thing in october but that time they go through the Forrest Hill Cementary, one of the oldest and mosr historic ones.)Fredonia has an extremely expensive but nice hotel called The White Inn, on White Street and Main. This hotel is haunted like a lot of the oldest Fredonia houses. There are many stories about it, but it is very fancy. The Fredonia Fire Dept. puts out fires in the village and has one of the three full-time fire departments. There is always someone there. They also answer most of the rescue calls and they do service calls (Yes, they will come and get your cat out of the tree) Now, Dunkirk on the other hand is different. I do not believe there are any festivals besides the county fair (aka gathering of the country bumpkins) The fireworks are launched here on the 4th of July with funding from Dunkirk and Fredonia. There is some nice parks there too and the library is very large. Brooks Hospital services Dunkirk/Fredonia and they are both connected to the Thru-way (Interstate 90, tolled in NY)Overall, it is a very nice place to live and i hope you find this very useful, thank you and please have a nice day! I have to go rest my hands after so much typing!

[chautauquapeopleunited]

Also, in Dunkirk, there are gangs. Second Street seems to be the center of all the trouble. Drugs are a definite problem in Dunkirk and there are several 'illegal groups'. My father used to tell me stories about his childhood in Fredonia. He said that one time he was in dunkirk, (NOT TO BE RACIST) There was a big crowd of Pueto Rican people and on the other side a large crowd of African Americans and my father said they had bats pipes and other 'weapons' and they came and attacked each other with them. My father and my grandfather had to escape out the door in the kitchen because they couldnt get out the front door. NRG really needs to clean up and we need to all work together to clean the lake.

[NeCo ToNkA 1984]

You people are ridiculously entertaining. Cut and Dry Fredonia is the better of the two but Dunkirk is by NO MEANS bad. It is run down and reaps of poverty but it is safe. PERIOD. Petit theft and Drugs admittedly are in abundance. BUT the fact that no one will admit is that the drug problem is the same in Fredonia or the entire area in general than just in Dunkirk. The "fredonians" have a better suited income to closet their use. The "gangs" in Dunkirk loiter. At best. This is comical.Overall its a GREAT place to live and only the spoiled residents who have never lived in a real city would have anything super negative to say. I live in Philadelphia. 405 Murders in 2007. 350 + in 2008 and on its way to 350 + in 2009. Dunkirk and Fredonia combined have 23,000 residents. Dunkirk had one murder in 2008. Fredonia had one (on the hands of an escaped lunatic) in 2006, one in 2008 (Son Killed Father) and otherwise is fine. If you have never lived in a city, not including Buffalo, you have no idea what you are talking about. You are as misinformed as the next person.If you have the choice, Fredonia over Dunkirk Hands down. But remember, Dunkirk is supposedly "unsafe" but it is less than 1 mile from Fredonia. C'mon, be real people. Be blessed to live where you live and invite good citizens in, don't shue them away.