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We are really excited to be moving to the Rochester area. On our way up right now from FL. We'll be renting a house in Perinton and want to take some time to get to know the area before buying a home.
I'll post our various questions here in this thread. I will start with just a few and add more later.
Would you say the communities around the Rochester area are pretty stable and steady in terms of reputation, atmosphere, character, etc? Are there any particular communities that have changed rapidly or any that you feel are on a marked positive or negative trajectory?
Do you find that the presence of RIT influences the surrounding area? (My husband was thrilled to find Rochester has a Maker Space.)
Any local radio shows that cover local topics? I figure that could be one way for us to sort of get acclimated and informed about local issues, events, public figures, etc.
We are really excited to be moving to the Rochester area. On our way up right now from FL. We'll be renting a house in Perinton and want to take some time to get to know the area before buying a home.
I'll post our various questions here in this thread. I will start with just a few and add more later.
Would you say the communities around the Rochester area are pretty stable and steady in terms of reputation, atmosphere, character, etc? Are there any particular communities that have changed rapidly or any that you feel are on a marked positive or negative trajectory?
Do you find that the presence of RIT influences the surrounding area? (My husband was thrilled to find Rochester has a Maker Space.)
Any local radio shows that cover local topics? I figure that could be one way for us to sort of get acclimated and informed about local issues, events, public figures, etc.
1. Brighton, Pittsford, Penfield, Perinton, etc. Generally, the eastern suburbs are viewed as being nicer/more affluent. The second part may depend on who you ask.
2. To some degree due to providing the area with a source of potential tech talent and in the case of those that are deaf, it also offers this: https://www.rit.edu/ntid/
3: Radio stations will depend on the type of information you are looking for. Is there anything in particular that you have in mind?
I kind of struggled with the wording of my first question. I'll try to explain a little more what I was trying to get at. When you think about the current reputation, atmosphere, and character of the various communities around Rochester - have they been that way as long as you can remember and is there not much chance they'll be changing any time soon? Are there certain towns that have changed a lot in the past 10 years? Any areas that were previously desirable but you feel are going downhill?
To some degree due to providing the area with a source of potential tech talent and in the case of those that are deaf, it also offers this: https://www.rit.edu/ntid/
We had learned that Rochester has a large deaf and hard-of-hearing population. Is the above link the primary reason for that? We both know basic ASL and would love to become truly fluent.
I kind of struggled with the wording of my first question. I'll try to explain a little more what I was trying to get at. When you think about the current reputation, atmosphere, and character of the various communities around Rochester - have they been that way as long as you can remember and is there not much chance they'll be changing any time soon? Are there certain towns that have changed a lot in the past 10 years? Any areas that were previously desirable but you feel are going downhill?
Those towns mentioned have been that way for a long time and do not look like they will be changing anytime soon. Meaning, they will stay highly desirable into the future.
Some towns have changed demographically, but it has usually been a steady thing. In turn, some may feel a town is going "downhill", but that may not be the case necessarily, as those coming in may also be relatively middle class. Hence, why I say that such a response will depend on who you ask. With that said, the area's Western suburbs tend to get viewed in relatively "lesser" regard than the Eastern suburbs due to being more of a mix economically, culturally(by some, known for having more of an Italian, black and Hispanic flavor in parts together or separately) and more blue collar. That's not to say that there aren't affluent parts of those suburbs which include more diversity/white collar folks and so on, but there is a reputation that comes into play built upon some of those things, perhaps from people from those more affluent towns. Towns like Greece, Gates, Chili, Henrietta(though it may be the town that could appeal to a wide range of people/plenty of shopping) and parts of Irondequoit(ironically more Eastern Irondequoit) come to mind. Outer western towns like Ogden(Spencerport), Hilton(inc. parts of north Greece), Riga(Churchville) and the Brockport area seem to not get the same rep and are more of a suburban/exurban/even rural mix.
I will say that Webster in terms of an Eastern suburb seems to be more "balanced" for lack of a better word.
Also, the Victor area/SD, including the town of Farmington in Ontario County, has been a fast growing part of the area. It is an outer E/SE suburban/exurban area in relation to Rochester, that is closer to the Thruway(I-90) and Finger Lakes, that has seen growth in terms of retail within the past 10-20 years or so. It has been a big contributor to the growth of Ontario County, which is a county that hasn't seen a negative population count in a census since 1890. So, that may be an area to look into if you want a fast growing town/SD in the area.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 06-03-2022 at 08:11 AM..
We had learned that Rochester has a large deaf and hard-of-hearing population. Is the above link the primary reason for that? We both know basic ASL and would love to become truly fluent.
Yes, I believe so. This write up(from a good source), offers some insight into the Deaf community in the area: https://rocwiki.org/deaf_community
We would generally prefer a stable, established town. Mature trees, not a lot of new construction going on, etc. In FL things can change so fast. I don't mean in terms of demographics but just the terrible lack of planning, destructive development, wiping out precious natural habitat including beautiful old trees (often for no good reason.) I get the impression that growth around Rochester is better managed and thought out, but ultimately we'd gravitate to a more established town over a fast growing one.
We would generally prefer a stable, established town. Mature trees, not a lot of new construction going on, etc. In FL things can change so fast. I don't mean in terms of demographics but just the terrible lack of planning, destructive development, wiping out precious natural habitat including beautiful old trees (often for no good reason.) I get the impression that growth around Rochester is better managed and thought out, but ultimately we'd gravitate to a more established town over a fast growing one.
In that case, where you decide to move will depend more on other factors, as fast growth/development isn’t a thing in much/most of the area or Upstate NY.
I’d also say to look into villages in the area, as they offer those things with some walkability. I’m thinking of Erie Canal villages such as Fairport, Pittsford, Spencerport and Brockport. Webster, Hilton and even East Rochester are others in the area worth looking into.
Parts of Brighton around the 12 Corners and along Monroe Avenue offers some degree of walkability as well.
So, that could be something to consider in terms of your search.
Those towns mentioned have been that way for a long time and do not look like they will be changing anytime soon. Meaning, they will stay highly desirable into the future.
Some towns have changed demographically, but it has usually been a steady thing. In turn, some may feel a town is going "downhill", but that may not be the case necessarily, as those coming in may also be relatively middle class. Hence, why I say that such a response will depend on who you ask. With that said, the area's Western suburbs tend to get viewed in relatively "lesser" regard than the Eastern suburbs due to being more of a mix economically, culturally(by some, known for having more of an Italian, black and Hispanic flavor in parts together or separately) and more blue collar. That's not to say that there aren't affluent parts of those suburbs which include more diversity/white collar folks and so on, but there is a reputation that comes into play built upon some of those things, perhaps from people from those more affluent towns. Towns like Greece, Gates, Chili, Henrietta(though it may be the town that could appeal to a wide range of people/plenty of shopping) and parts of Irondequoit(ironically more Eastern Irondequoit) come to mind. Outer western towns like Ogden(Spencerport), Hilton(inc. parts of north Greece), Riga(Churchville) and the Brockport area seem to not get the same rep and are more of a suburban/exurban/even rural mix.
I will say that Webster in terms of an Eastern suburb seems to be more "balanced" for lack of a better word.
Also, the Victor area/SD, including the town of Farmington in Ontario County, has been a fast growing part of the area. It is an outer E/SE suburban/exurban area in relation to Rochester, that is closer to the Thruway(I-90) and Finger Lakes, that has seen growth in terms of retail within the past 10-20 years or so. It has been a big contributor to the growth of Ontario County, which is a county that hasn't seen a negative population count in a census since 1890. So, that may be an area to look into if you want a fast growing town/SD in the area.
OP, I think CK hit the nail on the head with this post. As a transplant to the area I would HIGHLY recommend getting out and visiting all of the various towns/villages mentioned and really get a feel for them. We did a similar transition and rented first for a few years before we decided on which area to buy a house in. I think a lot depends on your values and lifestyle as to which area you will fit in with the best. I won't state my opinion on each individual town because I'm sure some will disagree but I'm sure you will find your "spot". Welcome to the community. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.
Also, it hasn’t been mentioned, but RIT is actually in Henrietta. So, perhaps looking in that area would be appealing for the spouse.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 06-03-2022 at 03:04 PM..
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