Where in NY? (Syracuse, Albany, Plattsburgh: ski resorts, houses, construction)

[happeemommee]

Hi everyone!

Please help! My family and I want to get out of the south to a better life. A place where my husband can actually find steady work while I finish school.
(For nursing) He has construction experience but has also worked in warehouses and restaurants. We prefer a smaller town that still has everything we need, good schools, grocery stores, hospitals etc.Would love to be within about 45 minutes to an hour of a town that has malls and more amenities. We love the mountains,but would like to be within an hour or so of lake/river. It doesn't have to be in the mountains, but that would be great.Also, need to be within 1-2 hours of a major airport.

Our main concern is that he will be able to find work and affordable housing and be within 30 minutes or so to a college for me. We love to get outside and be active and go to festivals, etc. We were looking into Burlington, VT but not sure he could get work there.Plattsburgh also looks great on paper, but is there enough work?

Can you give us suggestions? Thanks very much in advance!
Marian

[LINative]

Originally Posted by happeemommee

Hi everyone!

Please help! My family and I want to get out of the south to a better life. A place where my husband can actually find steady work while I finish school.
(For nursing) He has construction experience but has also worked in warehouses and restaurants. We prefer a smaller town that still has everything we need, good schools, grocery stores, hospitals etc.Would love to be within about 45 minutes to an hour of a town that has malls and more amenities. We love the mountains,but would like to be within an hour or so of lake/river. It doesn't have to be in the mountains, but that would be great.Also, need to be within 1-2 hours of a major airport.

Our main concern is that he will be able to find work and affordable housing and be within 30 minutes or so to a college for me. We love to get outside and be active and go to festivals, etc. We were looking into Burlington, VT but not sure he could get work there.Plattsburgh also looks great on paper, but is there enough work?

Can you give us suggestions? Thanks very much in advance!
Marian

Hello Marian

I am from Long Island so take what I have to say with a grain of salt. Hopefully someone from upstate can give more details.

The Albany/Saratoga County area looks nice. There are several cities in that area as well as an abundance of small towns that look New Englandish. Not far away is the huge Adirondack park (lots of lakes & mountains)and the Catskills, Berkshire and Green Mountains and of course you will be in the Hudson Valley. Its hard to imagine a better central location if you like the outdoors!

The Syracuse area might be also be good for you. There is of course Syracuse university. The beautiful Finger Lakes are right around the corner.

Burlington and Plattsburgh are both great. Burlington is more "finished" and more developed. Plattsburgh is on the more Adirondack "wilderness" side of Lake Champlain. I suggest you check both out.

There is one major concern of course and that is winter! I hope you like snow - if you do NY has more ski resorts than any other state!

Good luck!

[happeemommee]

Thanks LINative, for your reply. I will check out those other areas. And yes! We do love snow / winter and are actually looking forward to it. How crazy do we sound?

But thanks again, I'll check them out and see what we can find.