Best Diverse Family areas of Upstate NY

[bitburgsarah]

Hi... i have lived in staten island, brooklyn, manhattan, plattsburgh,peru,and the best of it would have to be the catskills. My parents live in Jeffersonville new york we were actuall on that tv show make over a town or something like that by the producers of trading spaces etc etc. well its right by bethel woods original woodstock site nad its a real feel good down to earth community. No brand name stores unless you travel to liberty or monticello which arent as pleasant... if you like your own land with deeply appreciated privacy, farmers markets, small town parades, great schools,city like rest.and pubs.. because after 911 our community was bought up by alot of manhattanes wanting to get out so they really enriched our beautifull towns. My dad is a dockbuilder in the union and commutes 5 days a week to the city and has been for 7yrs now with out any complaints except for the winter but you can alwasy drive to the middletown train park you car and commute that way. The catskills truly are magnificent at least the small mom and pop towns. oh and i highly agree that saratoga springs is also a great place to live for the new york area... very hip!!!! The adirondacks are great too but havent caught up to the southern new yorks ambience or vibe kind of hill billyish but if you hike mt marcy is whats up!!!

[I'minformed2]

Originally Posted by Nahte

I have searched into Rochester; it seems like a nice place, affordable housing, and good schools. However the Job Market does not seem to be doing very well, please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks.

The Rochester economy could definitly use some improvement....but it's turning around. The low job figures mostly come from downsizing at Kodak and other large blue-collar manufacturing...which masks the very stable growth of medical/educational and tech jobs.

[JM2288]

Nahte--I dont have a family of my own yet but all the things you describe (diversity, sense of community...) are all things I would like as well. I have some knowledge of the Albany area and can recommend some areas since your job may transfer you here and some knowledge of Ulster/Dutchess/Orange County areas.

Albany County-Colonie, Latham, parts of the city of Albany are beautiful if you want to stay in a city setting.

Ulster-New Paltz is hippish and has a laid-back feel w/different ethnic restaurants but there are a lot of college students b/c of SUNY New Paltz, Hurley, parts of Kingston are nice but check them out first

Dutchess-Hyde Park is beautiful and pretty diverse w/great schools, Town of Poughkeepsie, Wappingers (All three of these towns are close to the MetroNorth)

Orange-New Windsor has a very close-knit feel and my friends' neighborhood is very diverse.

I hope this helps and good luck!

[twogirlsoneboy]

Nahte, I live in Middle Village where there is a real small town feel. Moderator cut: ... Alot of the homes are attached. There are several different areas in Middle Village. Some like ours have remained intact and not overdeveloped or congested. Some people from our area like the fact that you can walk to all area resturants, shops, area schools and public transportation. Good luck with your search.

[Wiffit51]

Amenia, NY 12501

[Khayla007]

Originally Posted by Nahte

I have searched into Rochester; it seems like a nice place, affordable housing, and good schools. However the Job Market does not seem to be doing very well, please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks.

Having been born an raised in Rochester I wouldn't call it diversity per se. Rochester has a huge Puerto Rican population more in "the city" as everyone calls it. Rochester is set up based on the suburbs, the rural outer areas, and the city. You will not find the kind of diversity that you do in downstate NYC/NJ/CT areas. Western NY in my opinion is a lot segregated. One town/suburb still racially profiles till this day. Not to say that people of different backgrounds do not mingle because they certainly do. However there is the stay away from the city mentality. Before everyone gets to yelling, crime is everywhere. You will find "pockets" of diversity in Rochester.

With that being said, you can raise children there, some great schools in the burbs, you can find festivals, good eating and lots of family oriented things to do there. You can also find great people who are friendly and welcoming in the Rochester area.

[vadhopper]

Uptown Kingston is an up and comer - lots of diversity in the area. It is a long commute to the city - but there are several daily buses, and it's 30 minutes to the train. I go to the city about once a week, and it can be as little as 90 minutes, but is usually anywhere from 2 to 3 hours with traffic or changing transportation (car to train to subway).

The city has a bad rap due to past heavy drug problems, but violent crime is really very low. I am part of a group to help decrease the drug problems. In general, I think the reputation is far worse than the reality. Midtown is still a little rough, but Uptown is decent, adn the rondout has been getting a lot of recent attention.

Here's a recent article in the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/re.../20havens.html


I would also recommend Poughkeepsie for diversity, and it is also an up and comer. It is definitely easier to get to the city since that's where Metro North terminates (trains every hour - and more during rush hours). Still, it's almost a two hour train ride.

Orange County (Newburgh), has a reputation as more of a bed-room community with less small town feel. I honestly don't know much more about it, but have not heard many great things. Seek out others who could give you some good things to say about it.

[fernanbev]

how far upstate? hudson valley or way up there like 6-7 hrs?