Why Does Everyone Dislike Elmira,ny? (Buffalo, Rochester: amusement park, crimes, hotel)

[ana.m.]

I agree.It's the last place on earth I would chose to live in.Cannot wait to leave!!!

[skaneatelesmom]

My sil and bil live in Elmira. They have a beautiful home in the area known as west Elmira. Their kids walk to the country club and to small local stores. I think where they live is as good as it gets for Elmira. The downtown is depressing. It needs a shot in the arm, but no one is lining up to do that. My in laws live in Horseheads. That town has come a long way. It offers decent shopping, diversity, and natural beauty. There are some huge houses there and more and more executives from Corning Glass are choosing to live there. The schools are good and there is a big emphasis on sports.
Joanne

[upstate nyer]

I have now lived in Elmira for 16 years and raised my son from age 2 here. I do own a house but I don't know for how much longer since the taxes are insane. A recent article stated that Chemung Co is in the top 10 counties in the U.S. for high taxes and I believe it. The cost of housing isn't bad but you can't own unless your rich because of the taxes and I'm not rich. The only things to do in this area are go to museums or shop. There isn't much else. Sure we have the Jackals (hockey) and the Pioneers (baseball) but you have to be into that for it to interest you. They are working hard at promoting the use of the river with festivals and such and they do have the carousel up and running at Eldridge Park. Now if they can just protect it from the vandals. My house has been vandalized 3 times in the past year and the police do nothing (when they finally show up). The school system is improving but is very frustrating for students, parents and faculty alike. Both my son and I are glad to be done with the school system now that he has graduated. He's leaving for college and never plans on moving back to the Elmira area ever and I can't blame him. I would love to get out myself. Don't know where I would go though since everywhere probably has its own problems.

[aka_mouse]

Originally Posted by upstate nyer

I have now lived in Elmira for 16 years and raised my son from age 2 here. I do own a house but I don't know for how much longer since the taxes are insane. A recent article stated that Chemung Co is in the top 10 counties in the U.S. for high taxes and I believe it. The cost of housing isn't bad but you can't own unless your rich because of the taxes and I'm not rich. The only things to do in this area are go to museums or shop. There isn't much else. Sure we have the Jackals (hockey) and the Pioneers (baseball) but you have to be into that for it to interest you. They are working hard at promoting the use of the river with festivals and such and they do have the carousel up and running at Eldridge Park. Now if they can just protect it from the vandals. My house has been vandalized 3 times in the past year and the police do nothing (when they finally show up). The school system is improving but is very frustrating for students, parents and faculty alike. Both my son and I are glad to be done with the school system now that he has graduated. He's leaving for college and never plans on moving back to the Elmira area ever and I can't blame him. I would love to get out myself. Don't know where I would go though since everywhere probably has its own problems.

What are the taxes on the average home there? $3k a year? I have some bad news for you, you'll go somewhere else with "lower" taxes and the higher house price will make up for that. If you cannot afford to own a home in upstate NY, then you cannot to afford to own a home - period.

Everyone says the south is cheap but the cheap housing in the south is not in the cities, its out in the redneck zones. Then you're just living in a low density slum.

[stacyny73]

I think elmira is a bad choice to move to or if you live in it you should move...you will never get anywhere here unless your retiring. Elmira has nothing to do here. Downtown is nothing but lawyers and banks. If your rich you can go to clemens center and see a show. Shopping centers are all in a different town. People are rude and very nosy...Probably depressed cuz they can't get out. There are no jobs and if you get one your paid below what your worth. There are no places for kids to play except maybe a little park with a swingset. The river is a filthy mess full of shopping carts and tampons and also a ton of tires. I lived here my whole life and can't imagine why someone would want to come here except maybe a job transfer to one of the two prisons. As for crime, well its anywhere you go but it is so boring here must be that cops are fining kids on skateboards for riding them anywhere. Its ridiculous. Nothing for kids to do...Oh and as far as concerts in the park and eldridge, there ok if your over 70 years of age and you like polka. Like I said its a nice retirement town, but then again you better have money because Elmira is in debt past its ears and prices are high here. Supply and demand rule definateley applys here. Also look in the census, you will find the population has gone down by 10,000 within a couple years.

[stacyny73]

Originally Posted by aka_mouse

What are the taxes on the average home there? $3k a year? I have some bad news for you, you'll go somewhere else with "lower" taxes and the higher house price will make up for that. If you cannot afford to own a home in upstate NY, then you cannot to afford to own a home - period.

Everyone says the south is cheap but the cheap housing in the south is not in the cities, its out in the redneck zones. Then you're just living in a low density slum.

well if you read what she wrote you would see she read it. Obviously its true and anyone who moves here will see that....How old are you? Elmira is in debt....so everything is high price.

[Logan11]

Have they finally finished the I-86 bypass around all those businesses near Elmira? That is always a major nuisance ....to hit those lights etc. as I breeze west toward my cousin's house in Allegany County. That's all I have ever seen of Elmira though...no idea what the city looks like.

Originally Posted by ana.m.

I agree.It's the last place on earth I would chose to live in.Cannot wait to leave!!!

[JWKessler]

I think the fact that most people only see Elmira from Rt 17/I-86 and that part of town doesn't make much of an impression. I only saw what would be considered "downtown" once several years ago when we drove out (from that other paradise - Binghamton) to see Mark Twain's grave. All I can remember was an extreme lack of maintenance. Everything seemed to be a bit run down.

The Wings of Eagles air museum could have been a nice addition, but it seems to be on shaky financial grounds. I used to enjoy going to the air show every year, but I don't think that is held anymore.

Harris Hill and the glider ride is probably the best thing going in Elmira. Even without taking the ride it's worth a visit.

[Elmira expat]

Originally Posted by Barefootgirl55

When a town or city loses its economic vitality...........


people leave

buildings deteriorate or become vacant

properties tend to look run down and unkempt

crime tends to flourish

It doesn't help that it's located in an area known for gloomy, snowy, wet weather for much of the year.

.

All of that sounds like Elmira circa early 1990s. Hoever, tviz is right; Elmira has improved a lot since then. Some may view the arena as a white elephant, but even if the Jackals play to half a packed house every game and the arena management doesn't use it to its full potential by bringing in other attractions, the arena still will generate more income for the city than those mostly empty buildings and parking lot it replaced.
Still, the reality is I make a better living here in Virginia than I would if I were still in Elmira. The cost of living, particularly housing, is way more expensive here, but there is much more to do here and in the nearby D.C. area and a lot of it is quite inexpensive.
I can see improvements in Elmira from when I left seven years ago, but I'm also aware of how it appears from the outside. It may be a wonderful place to some who live there, but as Elmira media mogul Robert Pfuntner likes to repeat, "perception is reality," and many people perceive Elmira as being economically depressed — even if that's improving (which it appears to be with fewer empty storefronts in the downtown and more industry, such as Nucor, moving into the area). It just shows how bad things were at one time.
And it's not just Elmira. The same kinds of things can be said about communities across upstate New York.
Good luck with the economic recovery and I look forward to checking it out in a few weeks.

[aka_mouse]

There was an article in the Buffalo News just yesterday or the day before about the growth of personal income. Interestingly only Elmira and Binghamton posted %ages that where above the nation average in all of upstate.