Elmira - how bad is it really? (Buffalo, Rochester: real estate, crime) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

tviz25 · 05-05-2007, 09:01 AM

I think the post office is up for sale because it isn't actually a post office anymore and they are looking for another use for the building.

Ellie C. · 05-13-2007, 09:08 AM

The post office/couthouse is up for sale. It's an incredibly beautiful building. So is the art museum. So are 37 other empty buildings (many beautiful and historic) for sale or rent in downtown Elmira. See them at the link: http://www.cityofelmira.net/edd/properties.html (broken link)

Oh, and if you want to buy the Elmira Country Club, that's for sale too.

I wanted to like Elmira; I really did. But it is one of the most depressing places I've ever seen. Eldridge Park was empty except for some twenty-somethings hanging out. So disappointing. The most exciting thing in the whole town is the cemetery. Really.

The area where the historic homes are is sad. You might have one house that's just beautiful, but right next to it someone has taken one of these beautiful Victorians and turned into an apartment house, and not a nice one either. Why would I want to spend tens of thousands of dollars to bring one of those houses back to it's former glory when I'd be living next door to a house with 20 people living in it?

I've never seen so many washing machines and old furniture on people's porches. And junk cars! Haven't these people heard of the junkyard? Why keep all that junk in your front yard!

There's a lot of talk about the "development" of Elmira. The downtown looked fine - brick sidewalks, beautiful, albeit empty, buildings... not too different than Corning really. But people need jobs. Everywhere you look there are people just hanging out doing nothing.

Either way, there's no excuse for being a slob. And sorry tviz25, and the rest of the Elmirans, please don't take this personally but I just spent a week there and that's all I saw, everywhere I looked - people who didn't care about themselves or their town. The city needs to do something about the blight.

You can put in all the brick sidewalks in the world but it won't matter if the houses in town all look like crack dens.

tviz25 · 05-14-2007, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ellie C.

The post office/couthouse is up for sale. It's an incredibly beautiful building. So is the art museum. So are 37 other empty buildings (many beautiful and historic) for sale or rent in downtown Elmira. See them at the link: http://www.cityofelmira.net/edd/properties.html (broken link)

Oh, and if you want to buy the Elmira Country Club, that's for sale too.

I wanted to like Elmira; I really did. But it is one of the most depressing places I've ever seen. Eldridge Park was empty except for some twenty-somethings hanging out. So disappointing. The most exciting thing in the whole town is the cemetery. Really.

The area where the historic homes are is sad. You might have one house that's just beautiful, but right next to it someone has taken one of these beautiful Victorians and turned into an apartment house, and not a nice one either. Why would I want to spend tens of thousands of dollars to bring one of those houses back to it's former glory when I'd be living next door to a house with 20 people living in it?

I've never seen so many washing machines and old furniture on people's porches. And junk cars! Haven't these people heard of the junkyard? Why keep all that junk in your front yard!

There's a lot of talk about the "development" of Elmira. The downtown looked fine - brick sidewalks, beautiful, albeit empty, buildings... not too different than Corning really. But people need jobs. Everywhere you look there are people just hanging out doing nothing.

Either way, there's no excuse for being a slob. And sorry tviz25, and the rest of the Elmirans, please don't take this personally but I just spent a week there and that's all I saw, everywhere I looked - people who didn't care about themselves or their town. The city needs to do something about the blight.

You can put in all the brick sidewalks in the world but it won't matter if the houses in town all look like crack dens.

The things you said are very true. Except the golf course for sale is the Mark Twain Golf Course. The main problem with the city is that so many people have a negative attitude about it, which influences other people to think the way they think. Its sad to see a city with so much potential, especially in downtown, go to waste because people are lazy and sit around all day and don't do anything except complain about how bad Elmira is. If more people looked at the good things, Elmira's downtown would be booming.

Derrick8 · 05-19-2007, 08:16 PM

I agree with tviz25 to many people have a negative attitude about elmira.Also people make Elmira sound worst then it really is.

molly malarky · 05-27-2007, 04:01 PM

She has no kids did you read? All of upstate ny is prison land usa..All the predators who arent allowed back in their communities stay near the prisons because they have no money to go anyplace else. Elmira is just a boring do nothing town..its grey cold and dismal style of homes that havent been fixed up since Mark twain lived there. Its fine if you can escape on a plane, crime is so low unless cow tipping bothers you

tviz25 · 05-28-2007, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by molly malarky

She has no kids did you read? All of upstate ny is prison land usa..All the predators who arent allowed back in their communities stay near the prisons because they have no money to go anyplace else. Elmira is just a boring do nothing town..its grey cold and dismal style of homes that havent been fixed up since Mark twain lived there. Its fine if you can escape on a plane, crime is so low unless cow tipping bothers you

Please dont talk anymore if you unless you want to say something more intelligent that what you just did. First of all, learn how to use proper punctuation so I can understand what you say. Second, what exactly do you want to do in a city, because all you people do is say how boring it is and don't offer any suggestions on how to better the city. Your last sentence just sounds retarded. Where are there all these cows you are talking about? I haven't seen any just walking around town having a good time. The crime really isn't low at all. Read some of the other posts on this site. And where exactly do you live?

NY-FLgirl · 06-07-2007, 07:47 AM

I suspect those who say Elmira is boring are younger in age. I grew up there and felt the same way. As you get older and have children, you appreciate the town much more. Elmira is a place for taking scenic rides through the countryside, going for a long walk in the fall where you smell the fresh air and feel the leaves crunch beneath your feet, picking a bouquet of lilacs in May to place on your nightstand or witnessing that first snowfall of the year with the gigantic snowflakes that seems so peaceful.

It's true, the jobs aren't plentiful. But you don't have to make much to have a nice life since the housing is still inexpensive. I have lived in Florida for 4 years. I make the same hourly wage I did living in Elmira and paid double for my house. I am counting the days until I can go back.

tviz25 · 06-07-2007, 02:16 PM

I am actually 16 and don't think it is boring

vicarian · 06-07-2007, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tviz25

I am actually 16 and don't think it is boring

Well, it's great that you have a great sense of pride in your community, but please try and understand that a lot of people have the impression that Elmira isn't a very nice place. I read your posts, and although I respect you for defending your community, I think you might a little 'too' defensive.

And as for the malarky woman, she sprayed a dozen posts on the forums talking about how upstate is nothing more than sexual predators and convicts, how cold it is (she was from Plattsburgh), and how's she moving down south. And it's people like her that give Northerners a bad name in the warmer climes.

SheRuns · 06-08-2007, 07:29 AM

I grew up in Elmira and after having spent most of my adult life - 40 years - in other places, I am planning on retiring there next year. Although the population has diminished from its earlier heyday, primarily all the industry went south, there is a community spirit I have been unable to find anywhere else. The pace is slow and easy going and complete strangers find the time to talk to one another. As far as crime, I don't think it's worse than anywhere else and probably much less than a lot of other places.