The commute from Owego to Ithaca (Utica, Binghamton: real estate, housing, rent)

[sueajones]

My husband is looking at a job in Owego. I have been looking on the web at the various communities in that part of the state. We like smaller towns, but Owego may be a little too small for us (coming from Denver). In looking at the nearby towns, they seem perhaps economically depressed(???). Could we live in southern Ithaca and do the commute down to Owego? What are the roads like, especially in the winter? How are the public schools? If that is a high priority, can someone make a recommendation as where to try and live? Any places that you would avoid?

[Weloveantiques]

Travel from Ithaca to Owego is about 30 minutes or so if the weather is good. It is a state highway, one lane each way so it is plowed well, but it can be slow going if you get bad weather or behind a slow car. I am very familiar with Owego, not so much on Ithaca.

That whole area, Owego, Elmira, Binghamton is economically challanged, there are really only 1 or 2 good employeers in the area so I assume your husband will be working there, they do alot of governmnt contracts.

In Owego you are only 30 minutes to Ithaca, Binghamton or Elmira. There are no traffic jams here. Owego is a small town, one good grocery store, a couple of drug stores, mom and pop stores typical small town. If I was raising kids I think Owego is a nice little town. The kind where once you have been there a little while you will see people you know on the street and in the stores.
It is not a melting pot-I'd say 95% white, the few foreigners will be white collar workers at Lockheed.
If you are buying a house you can get a nice house for $125-150K and up.
You may consider Apalachin or Campville NY, they are between Binghamton and Owego. 10 minute commute to Owego.
Any other questions feel free to ask me.

[Weloveantiques]

Forgot to answer your school question. I would look for statistics, I'm not an expert but I think the schools are good in Owego, if you live in some parts of Apalachin you can go to Vestal schools, wich I think are better than Owego. Some of the smaller school districts are Candor, Spencer-Van Etten, Newark Valley.

This is not an area with lots of "keeping up with the Jonses" Very few BMW's or Hummers. Your better off with a good All Wheel Drive car or 4 wheel drive SUV or truck.

The area has long and gloomy winters. Lots of snow, I don't know if as much as where you were in Denver. Spring and fall are nice. Summer can be short, July and August. The good part is if it gets 90 degrees it only lasts for a few days, then it is cools down again. So you get a few hot spells but not months of sweltering heat. Alot of homes and cars have no air conditioning. But everyone has heat!!

[sueajones]

Thanks for your comments. We have heard several positive comments about Owego and a small town certainly does have an allure. I visited a friend in West Winfield when I was a teenager (many years ago ) That is up near Utica, I believe. It was beautiful country and the town was quaint.

[Ex-Ithacan]

I think Weloveantiques anwered most of your questions. It will be a bit of a commute (especially in bad weather), but nothing the average major metropolitan commuter doesn't face. I know a recent survey was written about in the Ithaca Journal which stated that the city school system is one of the reasons people choose to relocate to Ithaca. Housing in the Ithaca area is more expensive than other nearby communities. Tight market. There are a ton of diversions in Ithaca. if you go online and check out Ithacanet.com you can explore all the different websites, including real estate, schools, etc.

As far as where in Ithaca to live, it's a small city and doesn't have any really bad neighborhoods. I would stick with Fall Creek, West Hill, South Hill (except for the student housing areas). Belle Sherman, Cornell Heights, and Cayuga Heights are near Cornell Univ (Collegetown - where i grew up, is almost entirely students now, and can get rather noisy on the weekends).
Some outlying areas to the south still within a 10 to 15 minute drive of downtown are Danby, Newfiled, and Brooktandale. Whatever you decide I wish you good fortune with your decision.