What's it like living in Plattsburgh? Oswego County? (Syracuse, Ontario: house, high school)

[JulieEileen]

Time to decide where to move, gotta get out of the Florida heat and coming back to our home state.

We have children, so our biggest concern is:
Meeting other Homeschoolers,
Lots of activities and sports for our kids,
Some great churches that we can choose from,

If you live in Plattsburgh, what do you like about it?

What about Oswego County? I need to be near the hills or mountains and not so much the water, and I know Oswego Cty is all about the lake, but we found some very nice and affordable homes in the area, with acreage, that are appealing.

I'd love to hear what you think about your hometown!
Please share!

[nunoco]

I like that Plattsburgh is a very tolerant community for its size, and is rejecting the hateful protests led by a Kansas preacher:
The Press Republican - Plattsburgh High School prepares for Phelps

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by nunoco

I like that Plattsburgh is a very tolerant community for its size, and is rejecting the hateful protests led by a Kansas preacher:
The Press Republican - Plattsburgh High School prepares for Phelps

All I have to say is, Wow.

[Jeromeville]

Originally Posted by JulieEileen

What about Oswego County? I need to be near the hills or mountains and not so much the water, and I know Oswego Cty is all about the lake, but we found some very nice and affordable homes in the area, with acreage, that are appealing.

I'm not posting this to scare you away from Oswego County, but (just in case you don't already know) it's the snow capital of Upstate. The heaviest lake effect snow from Lake Ontario falls on Oswego County. It isn't always snowy there, of course. But when lake effect events happen, Oswego County tends to get the brunt of it.

Oswego County is mostly flat. It is partly in the (wooded and very rural) Tug Hill Plateau, which slopes upward, but is not a hill or mountain range. However, you would be in easy driving range of the Adirondacks and other hilly outdoor recreation areas to the south (Syracuse way).

I've never been to Plattsburgh... but I'd venture to guess that Oswego County is more conservative politically (Plattsburgh seems influenced by the Burlington VT area).

[plattsburgher]

It's a small enough place that you can actually know who your neighbors are and know that they will help you if and when you need help..........ice storm, elderly people, missionary trips to Nicaraugua, Jamaica, the occasional nor'easter.......It's great to know you aren't alone in this world......people come over and actually snowblow your driveway just because......get ready for this......it's a nice thing to do!!!!!!! So refreshing in this day and age....

Pburgh is also big enough that if you want to have more space, you can get a house somewhere for a reasonable price, you do have taxes, but I have lived in both north and south and I feel as though I actually have decent (the BEST!!!) schools without paying the 5000 per year tuition that my southern friends have to.......and I meet quality parents and teachers. My children could not have gotten any better education anywhere in the country for any amount of money than here......plus I get a great quality of life, all sorts of sports programs through both the schools and city and other organizations. My children have no worries about walking home if I cannot get to school on time to pick them up. I don't have to 'freak out' about it like my southern counterparts do about their kids...........

There is so much natural beauty everywhere.........summers are gorgeous with Lake Champlain, you can go fishing, hiking, camping, biking, walking trails, etc with your kids........falls are so great........all the colors and you can get to Lake Placid or Burlington, Vt or Montreal, Ca within about an hour and Saratoga for the kids to see the historic hot springs and horses....it's a family friendly atmosphere in August.......

We now have a couple of discount airlines that go directly to Florida locations and Myrtle Beach and have no parking fees..........nice........

You can get involved in as many activities with your children as you like and you will make friends. There used to be an airbase here and people here are used to making new friends........Lots of people come here now for the hospital jobs, college jobs, border jobs.........It isn't such a closed community that we don't welcome newcomers..........we do. And we have a number of churches of varying denominations..........Lots of pluses.....good family place.......glad that my kids were raised here and not in some McMansion type place in the south where everyone is afraid to go out past 7 PM.......or the traffic is so bad that it takes 30 minutes to go 5 miles.........Not the way I wanted to live.........!