Hey all New Yorkers I miss NY, moved south feel like I made a BIG mistake! (Champlain: sale, real estate)

[bellafinzi]

Originally Posted by mn242

thanks. we visited Saugerties, Woodstock (fun but $$) Margaretville, Andes, Bovina, Roxbury (virtually every town in eastern Delaware County), Oneonta, Cooperstown, Rhinebeck, Columbia County including Hudson and Catskill, western Mass (Great Barrington, Stockbridge-both very nice and very $$). Also drove South on 17 through the old borscht belt towns of Monticello, Liberty, Wurtsboro etc. Nicest towns we visited by far were Cooperstown, Great Barrington/Stockbridge, Woodstock (though very commercial/touristy). Most of the state is economically deprived but stunningly beautiful. Gorgeous greek revival, italinate victorians falling down everywhere and every now and then there is one that's maintained. Prices of homes are outrageous, esp when considering condition, property taxes and the general economic malaise of the state. We were hoping for some improvement but it's worse than 5-10 years ago. We would have liked nothing better than to identify our retirement dream town, but to no avail. Looked at houses selling for 500K on 20 acres (or much less), that were dumps. 2nd home market is driving up prices anywhere inside of a 3 hr drive to NYC, killing the locals, and insuring that folks like us won't return. Still have to digest the trip but that's the feeling now.

mn242

Thank you! I can see how other people could say a couple of those places are "Central NY", but to me CNY is Oswego County, Onondaga County, Madison County, Cayuga County....maybe Cortland (though, I think of Cortland as the Southern Tier). The Oneonta/Cooperstown area I call Southern Tier too.

Like I said on here in the past, I find most of the Southern Tier of NY to be quite depressing. Outside the few exceptions of Skaneateles, Ithaca, Cooperstown, Cazenovia etc., the only "alive" AND attractive places in Upstate NY are the suburbs outside the major Upstate metros of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany. Those are the only places I'd ever even consider living in Upstate. Though.... not everyone is like me. Many people like the quiet isolated towns.

[Darwill]

I am a Yankee, I miss NY badly as well, I got married in the south and my husband is a redneck to the core, he absolutely refuses to move north of the mason-dixon, so I am envious that you get to go back! enjoy it!

[Tioga]

...Wait a second while I look out the door..yep..there's some of my depressed-upstate NY neighbors getting ready to jump off their roof rather than face the agony of living here!?!...What's up with the posts on these upstate inquiries?. I must be blind as my travels around Broome/Tioga/Cortland/Chenango/Madison/Otsego/etc...counties have not appeared to be a trip through an upstate gloom and doom hell.

[smalltownusa]

Originally Posted by Tioga

...Wait a second while I look out the door..yep..there's some of my depressed-upstate NY neighbors getting ready to jump off their roof rather than face the agony of living here!?!...What's up with the posts on these upstate inquiries?. I must be blind as my travels around Broome/Tioga/Cortland/Chenango/Madison/Otsego/etc...counties have not appeared to be a trip through an upstate gloom and doom hell.

yeah, you'd think we all fall alseep to the sound of screaming NYers who can't stand their existence anymore and can't afford the Uhaul cost of heading to Ra-lee so they jump off their roofs.....

I just spent the weekend in the Keuka/Canandaigua Lake area for the weekend (on a mototrcycle) and the scenery is nothing short of breathtaking.......it's like I'm riding through a Monet painting.....have to make sure I'm hanging on as I practically get mesmorized by the views.....

[Upstate Dave]

Couldn't agree more on the beauty of the area. Regarding the posts about people leaving and/or returning, I try to remember that folks that post in forums like this will not completely represent all points of view.

My wife & I love living in upstate NY 3 out of 4 seasons.... and we are interested in living in a place with a little less "regulation", especially as we get closer to our retirement years (ages 51 & 47 right now). It's not a situation that makes us want to jump off a local bridge, but I suppose some folks really do feel trapped and unhappy (those here and those that have left).

[Berkshires413]

Originally Posted by mn242

thanks. we visited Saugerties, Woodstock (fun but $$) Margaretville, Andes, Bovina, Roxbury (virtually every town in eastern Delaware County), Oneonta, Cooperstown, Rhinebeck, Columbia County including Hudson and Catskill, western Mass (Great Barrington, Stockbridge-both very nice and very $$). Also drove South on 17 through the old borscht belt towns of Monticello, Liberty, Wurtsboro etc. Nicest towns we visited by far were Cooperstown, Great Barrington/Stockbridge, Woodstock (though very commercial/touristy). Most of the state is economically deprived but stunningly beautiful. Gorgeous greek revival, italinate victorians falling down everywhere and every now and then there is one that's maintained. Prices of homes are outrageous, esp when considering condition, property taxes and the general economic malaise of the state. We were hoping for some improvement but it's worse than 5-10 years ago. We would have liked nothing better than to identify our retirement dream town, but to no avail. Looked at houses selling for 500K on 20 acres (or much less), that were dumps. 2nd home market is driving up prices anywhere inside of a 3 hr drive to NYC, killing the locals, and insuring that folks like us won't return. Still have to digest the trip but that's the feeling now.

mn242

I'm from Columbia County, NY and I live in the northern Charlotte suburbs now... and I can relate to what you are talking about. I look on line at the properties for sale there in Columbia County, and the condition, prices of the houses, etc... it is crazy. The town I grew up in, Chatham, you can still find a decent house in the 2's... but beyond the town itself, the area has become a total NYC weekender playground. I witnessed it all through out the late 80's, 90's and after I left in '99... I would go home to an area where I used to know everyone... and total transformation had took place. NYC's people have taken over...which has a bit of a silver lining for some... a lot of my friends still there make their living as contractors and make a decent living because of the city people's second homes, etc... but it is a tough place to move back to... But, having said that, I would rather raise my kids there...or somewhere in N. England... than here in NC... The area is just home to me... and it is so nice...... I just, as you do, wish it hadn't gotten so damn expensive. Oh well, where there is a will there is a way - and I'm not staying here in NC... been here a year and change and cannot adjust... at all.

It's funny though, I can relate to some of the local NC people disliking all us northerners down here... after seeing what happened to the area where I grew up. It's like this whole country is becoming a housing/area version of musical chairs or something. Sign of the times.... Lots of people scrambling.... and looking for a place they can afford to live their lives and be happy... but something tells me that the system in this country is being rigged against the middle class. Hmmm... I'll save that rant for another time...

[I'minformed2]

It's funny, but I feel the exact same way as you do when it comes to understanding the southerners point of view. I understand why they get so frustrated, and share their frustration with northerners moving south in droves. Personally, I think it hurts both regions

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by smalltownusa

yeah, you'd think we all fall alseep to the sound of screaming NYers who can't stand their existence anymore and can't afford the Uhaul cost of heading to Ra-lee so they jump off their roofs.....

That is a funny one! Where is this "Ra-lee" you speak of?

[Tioga]

People talking about property prices within NYS need to keep one fact first and foremost....where...in NYS. Even w/the rise of prices locally over the last 5 yrs here(no doubt helped by the local Lockeed Martin site's good fortune)..I think prices are still doable. I'll just pick one listing(now sold) at random from a recent local realty guide(from the local paper)...Nice 3bdrm ranch/basic-not high end..that's just been remodeled...30+ acres...3miles from town...good school district....pond for fishing...hunting possible..space enough for horses, etc...went for $120K.( I picked one that's been sold to avoid a conflict here).

[VA Yankee]

I read these posts and agree how beautifull update NY is but without a decent job to support me who has time to admire it. I looked at moving back but there just wasn't any jobs available.