Rochester area compared to Sacramento area? (Greece, Irondequoit: house prices, neighborhoods, school districts)

[bekah_rae]

Hello,

My husband and I may be moving to the Rochester area. We are from Northern CA.

Is anyone familiar with both Rochester, NY and Sacramento, CA? If so, could you compare the two.

From what I've read about Rochester it seems fairly similar to Sac. Sacramento itself has some ok areas, some not great areas, but many nicer suburbs.

We would like to live in a suburb, not right in the city. Somewhere that is within about 15 mins commute to Rochester would be ideal.

I've read from precious posts that Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Brighton are good suburbs. Any other recommendations?

Thank you!

[Corrion14621]

You might also want to look into Irondequoit it’s very close to the city as well and the northern half of town is on the lake which is awesome.

Also there are some great city neighborhoods around Cobbs Hill that are along the Brighton border. The houses and streets there are really just as nice as what you’ll find in Brighton. Although if you have kids and care about schools it would defiantly pay to be on the Brighton side of the border.

If you have anymore questions about the towns feel free to ask.

[purdue512]

All good suggestions above and you are already looking in some of our mighty fine neighborhoods. It will come down to what size / price house you want, if there are considerations for schools (kids) or not, and the type of surroundings you are looking for...

Here is a blog post I wrote a while ago summarizing all the Neighborhood Associations I could find in the city. Many have websites with more specific information:

http://rocville.com/?Rochester-Neigh...ions&PID=15091

Tell us more... and WELCOME!

[ckhthankgod]

Keep UN mind that commutes are most likely going to be shorter in Rochester, as the city is more dense than Sacramento is. Rochester is 35.8 sq. miles, where as Sacramento is 97.9 sq. miles. So, living in a first ring Rochester suburb is probably similar in proximity as an outer city Sacramento neighborhood. Brighton, Penfield, Irondequoit, Chili, Gates and Greece are first ring suburbs and the neighborhoods range from fine to very nice.

[Doggz3]

The Greater Rochester metro area is much smaller than Sacto's metro area (about 40% the size), so things will seem smaller and closer in than what you are used to. However, snow in the winter will make Rochester distances seem farther than what you are used to in Sacto - you should take that into account when considering the distance between home and work.

The housing prices will strike you as ridiculous cheap (though, honestly, i have not taken a close look at Sacto prices since the recession started so I may have An exaggerated sense of what house rpices are like in that part of the Central Valley. By Davis standards, house prices will be ridiculously cheap. You will find a ranch home in Brighton for $125 to $175k that would go for $450 to $550 K in Davis). The architectural styles in the Rochester suburbs will also be very different to what you are used to - a lot of colonials, and in the city a lot of four squares.

Pittsford is a lot like a cross between Walnut Creek and Danville in the Bay Area - very nice but much more affordable. Same kind of people in general. Brighton is a little more urban feeling, especially in the parts furthest north and west.

I would stick to those two areas.

Hard to be more precise without more information.

[loveautumn]

Please also check out Fairport/Perinton area. It's a great area, great schools, sports, large mall close by (Eastview).

[HowardRoarke]

I'd also recommend Fairport and W. Irondequoit.

Keep in mind one can live in, say, Brighton but be within the Penfield school district. I mention this because friends just bought a house there and the property taxes were much lower than BSD.

[Doggz3]

That's a great point - portions of the Town of Brighton fall into the Rush-Henrietta, Penfield and Pittsford school districts.

[Corrion14621]

Originally Posted by Doggz3

That's a great point - portions of the Town of Brighton fall into the Rush-Henrietta, Penfield and Pittsford school districts.

The vast majority of the Brighton neighborhoods are in the Brighton school district. Only the neighborhoods in the very extreme south of town would be in those districts, and they are somewhat detached from the rest of town.

[Lovin'Roc]

Doggz3 captured some of the nuances of the Rochester area that only someone who knows the Northern California scene can convey. Unsaid is the state-of-mind that comes with the local towns. Pittsford tends to be like Walnut Creek in that it is far more conservative than Brighton, which he aptly compares to Davis in terms of its liberal-leanings. But keep in mind this is all relative; the Rochester area as a whole is far more conservative than Northern California. Be prepared for a culture shock. And Brighton is not a laid-back kind of liberal town like Davis. There is no Wavy Gravy or Whole Earth festival here. It is a East Coast liberal bent with a strong emphasis on the quality of schools.

You will be floored by the affordability of the Rochester region and the standard of living. You will be struck by the lushness of the landscape. If you like the outdoors the region offers a host of activities. You can be on good eastern-style ski slopes in 45 minutes at Bristol Mountain. You can put a boat into Lake Ontario or one of the beautiful Finger Lakes. There is a growing wine region which tends to feature quality white wines.

Rochester is not expanding in the way that Sacramento is, which looks to me more like LA every time I return. Rochester is a slow-growth town. We weathered the recession much better than anywhere in California. I would like to say that the future is bright, we have a lot of high tech companies and a highly educated population, but we are dealing with a significantly down-sized Kodak and Xerox.

Did I mention we have Wegmans?

I've been here for sixteen years and love it.