is binghamton, ny really that bad....? (Vestal, Clarence: apartments, rentals, houses)

[lovenctye]

currently i live in queens, ny and i am planning to go to suny binghamton university and i want to live off campus with my 3yearold.....i was looking at johnson city and the surrounding areas but im hearing alot of bad things about up there...can anyone reasure me and let me know whats really going on up there...also i have been reading up on the 2006 flood and im trying to move far away from the river....my research is showing me that binghmaton got hit pretty bad but im not getting anything on johnson city....anyone with knowledge on that..?a reply would be awesome...

[piperspal]

lovenctye, I am also keeping that area on my list as a possible relocation. I've read a lot of the threads here on CD & made several day trips to the area. I gotta say, I thought it was lot nicer than what some of the naysayers stated.

Read thru some of the threads & check out some of the pictures posted. I can't remember exactly (a search will bring it up for you), but ScranBarre ( a CD frequent poster) put up an excellent photo thread of the area.

[Mercator Projection]

Originally Posted by lovenctye

currently i live in queens, ny and i am planning to go to suny binghamton university and i want to live off campus with my 3yearold.....i was looking at johnson city and the surrounding areas but im hearing alot of bad things about up there...can anyone reasure me and let me know whats really going on up there...also i have been reading up on the 2006 flood and im trying to move far away from the river....my research is showing me that binghmaton got hit pretty bad but im not getting anything on johnson city....anyone with knowledge on that..?a reply would be awesome...

Bingo is a nice place to visit, but permanent settlement is another story. Its just completely devoid of long term opportunity right now. If you are attending BU you'll be fine with Binghamton. Consider yourself a visitor.

I wouldn't worry about the flood. That was a once in a lifetime event. I guarantee that you'll won't see that again for a long long time. It does flood a little every spring, but its very minor and unless you live right there on the banks, you won't be affected by it.

If you look at a map, the area bounded by Riverside Dr on the south, Oak street on the east, Main street on the north, and Floral Ave on the north west is all decent residential area. This is Binghamton's west side and part of Johnson City. Its mixed residential and most students live in this area, either renting whole houses as a group or renting individual floors/apartments. The closer you get to Bingo, the more students, and the closer you get to Main street, the more traffic and seediness. There are many buses running through here and there are several parks to take advantage of. Almost all of that area is sidewalked neighborhoods. The schools are decent if you stay there long enough to have your child enter kindergarten.

I've lived on Seminary, Leroy and Bennett. I never felt unsafe. I also lived north of Main St (North & Walnut) and that area is unsafe late at night. Some friends had cars broken into there as well.

I would avoid renting in downtown Bingo and JC. Both are ugly, unfriendly and unsafe. Bingo's 1st Ward and East side are very hit and miss. Binghamton's southside has some really nice areas but rentals are a little harder to come by. I once lived near Clarence & Mill and it was my alltime favorite Binghamton address. Safe, quiet, clean, residential. We paid $580+utl for a 2bed 2nd floor apt. I have a friend who bought a house and still lives in that neighborhood. Southside Elementary is probably the best elem school in the area.

I have no rental experience with other parts of JC, Endwell, Endicott or Vestal.

Don't be afraid of Binghamton. The future is uncertain, but it is affordable and doable for several years of school. And when you're done, you can get the heck out like the rest of us

Good luck.

[ckhthankgod]

Actually, Binghamton is one of the most safe metro areas in the US. I want to say it's somewhere in the area of 19th in that regard. Morgan Quitno - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Binghamton University is growing and I think you will be fine. Binghamton has one of the best housing markets in the country too. I think it was ranked second in that regard too.

Also, it's economy has been doing a bit better with jobs at the nearby Lockheed Martin plant in Owego and with the growth of the University. So, all is not bad in Bingo. You should be fine.

Here are some pictures of the area here:http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...inghamton.html

[Tioga]

...Lovenctye...go back and do a search on Binghamton/Vestal/Endicott threads and and look at some of my posts so you can get a better(more positive)picture of the area . For the umpteenth time (okay, so there's no such word..sue me) , when talking about Binghamton, one really needs to look at at the southern tier, not just one town, city, or village.

[wheatsucks]

i moved to the Binghamton area last spring. i spent one afternoon setting up appointments to look at apartments in Johnson City, Binghamton, Endwell and Endicott. i was extremely discouraged with what i saw until i found my way to Vestal. by far the nicest area to live in. everywhere else was dumpy and run-down and i would have not felt safe at all.

we finally settled on an apartment in a complex right off the Vestal Parkway. there are a ton of them to choose from, if you can find a place with a vacancy.

there are tons of stores and restaurants on the main road in Vestal, just minutes from the Binghamton University. the mall is less than 10 minutes away and an easy drive once you figure out all the crazy highways.

my advice is to focus on Vestal...stay away from all the other (sketchy) surrounding towns.

[Tioga]

wheatsucks...I don't know what your price range was for apartments...but ANY of the local towns have safe/decent apts. And there are some older rundown stuff, too...all a matter of where in a particular town. I live in Owego, just east of the area, and don't agree w/your broad generalization of "sketchy".

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Tioga

wheatsucks...I don't know what your price range was for apartments...but ANY of the local towns have safe/decent apts. And there are some older rundown stuff, too...all a matter of where in a particular town. I live in Owego, just east of the area, and don't agree w/your broad generalization of "sketchy".

"Sketchy" in Binghamton can't be too bad, as it is one of the safest cities to live in the country. Can't be too bad. With that said, it seems like those places are few and far between down there.

[davegut1]

Move from yonkers n.y. six moths ago and have to say the erea up here is not bad at all.try living in a place were one shooting happens almost daily.i live in the west side of bingo and i love it, nice people, great parks oh i fogot clean streets.cheap rents and a very affordable housing market.

[Tioga]

..davegut1...Maybe what's needed is some more positive input from other newcomers to area such as yourself. Thanks.