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We are originally from upstate NY and our families are still there. We moved to Jacksonville area in 1996 to live and work. My husband is still working full time and I'm retired. We have enough income to live comfortably in a condo (rented) in an historical and vibrant neighborhood after selling our home in a rural area in April of 2012. We've lived here for 15 mos. and it's getting old fast. We have no place to raise a few veggies or even flowers because they bake on the balcony.
My last flight to NY for a visit this year was a nightmare - both coming and going. We haven't spent a holiday with family in years and have no close friends here that we see very often. If we made this move we'd be within an hour of most of the family and friends - 2 hours from others.
I do love the sunshine, but hibernate all summer because of the excessive heat and humidity. The seasons change slightly here in North FL, but are not nearly as dramatic and exciting as in the Northeast. I've missed the terrain of NY as everything is the same here. There are lots of parks, etc. but also aligators, snakes and huge insects. We grew up and lived in Oswego County with all that lake effect snow and do not want to go back there to live, but think that the Finger Lakes/Ithaca area wouldn't be as bad, weatherwise. I read on this forum where someone said it's too gray in winter, but I think I could deal with that again. We're ready for another adventure - and at my age it may be my last big move.
Any thoughts from someone who may have moved back to NY?
Just so you feel a bit less crazy, I'm a NY'er living on a beach in northwest Costa Rica and I want to move to Upstate NY next year. I've been doing tons of research and Ithaca is my top city on the list for now I too spend most of my time here indoors because of the oppressive heat, humidity, dengue infected mosquitos, etc. Living in so called 'paradise' is not what it's cracked up to be and I too miss the 4 seasons, friendly people, the landscape, etc.
I've been reading lots of threads on the forums and it seems that the winters can be a bit milder in Ithaca vs. further up north where you grew up. But let's wait for those who actually live there now, to reply with some more info.
Do you have the money to be a snowbird? Your description lines up pretty much exactly with that lifestyle. (The parents of friends I have that do this stay north until Christmas, then enjoy the sun until around May, then head back north.)
Do you have the money to be a snowbird? Your description lines up pretty much exactly with that lifestyle. (The parents of friends I have that do this stay north until Christmas, then enjoy the sun until around May, then head back north.)
Sadly, we do not have the money to be snowbirds as one of us must be employed - at least for the next few years. We will be living on less money, but won't be spending as much on travel and other items (such as rent or mortgage). Hopefully this will work out as we just spent a small fortune on airfare to go up there and negotiate the sale and make sure we really want this place. It's time for another life change anyway, as we were starting to stagnate here without nature around us. We'll certainly have lots of that in Ithaca NY. I've wanted to live in the Finger Lakes area since I visited friends there when I was 12 or 13. When I was 17 I visited FL and longed to be a "Florida girl" for 35 years before I finally made it. Now, after 17 years, I want to go back to the mountains and lakes of NY. I guess there's no Utopia, but we keep trying to find it.
Just so you feel a bit less crazy, I'm a NY'er living on a beach in northwest Costa Rica and I want to move to Upstate NY next year. I've been doing tons of research and Ithaca is my top city on the list for now I too spend most of my time here indoors because of the oppressive heat, humidity, dengue infected mosquitos, etc. Living in so called 'paradise' is not what it's cracked up to be and I too miss the 4 seasons, friendly people, the landscape, etc.
I've been reading lots of threads on the forums and it seems that the winters can be a bit milder in Ithaca vs. further up north where you grew up. But let's wait for those who actually live there now, to reply with some more info.
Good luck on your move!
Thank you for your good wishes. We were discussing how Florida is all the same no matter where you go - the biggest difference is the type of sand on the beaches. The ocean is awesome, but the beauty of the gorges, forests, lakes and waterfalls in CNY and the change of seasons keeps calling out to me. My husband just mentioned that we'll be able to open the windows at night if we want, providing we get this place that was advertised just a few days ago. I'll keep you posted.
Another thing that may help with your decision is that the Eastern portion of Upstate NY gets more sunlight, but it also has higher housing costs. With that said, I think that Ithaca could work out, especially if you like to stay active.
I don't think you're crazy at all. I've thought about moving south to avoid some of the worst of winter here in WNY, but I know that milder winters come at the price of hotter summers. I can do 90s for a week. I can't do 90s for a month.
Even if you can't snowbird, you probably can work it out to take a week's vacation in Florida in the winter.
I don't think you're crazy at all. I've thought about moving south to avoid some of the worst of winter here in WNY, but I know that milder winters come at the price of hotter summers. I can do 90s for a week. I can't do 90s for a month.
Even if you can't snowbird, you probably can work it out to take a week's vacation in Florida in the winter.
Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I could do that as my sister is here and also have some friends to visit. We're flying up to Ithaca next week to look at a place and I'm trying to figure a way to tell my sister we're thinking of moving back.
Now, after 17 years, I want to go back to the mountains and lakes of NY.
Gotcha, and yeah, I'd have a really hard time in the South.
(If you need a local's opinion on a house or neighborhood, feel free to send me a DM. My mom just bought a semiretirement house here, so I know a lot of the factors that go into that.)
Gotcha, and yeah, I'd have a really hard time in the South.
(If you need a local's opinion on a house or neighborhood, feel free to send me a DM. My mom just bought a semiretirement house here, so I know a lot of the factors that go into that.)
Thanks - I did just that earlier today.
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I too spend most of my time here indoors because of the oppressive heat, humidity, dengue infected mosquitos, etc. Living in so called 'paradise' is not what it's cracked up to be and I too miss the 4 seasons, friendly people, the landscape, etc.
