what about irondequoit? (Rochester, Greece, Webster: hardwood floors, apartments, violent crime)

[bluedawn]

hello everyone. I was hoping someone could tell me about Irondequoit. I am a single mom of 2 girls (14 and 9) looking to leave Nyc. Manhattan to be exact. I've been here all my life and its not good for a family unless u r well off. So now I am exploring my options. Please tell me about the eastern and western school districts and race relations. Also how much income is needed for a family of three. As well as anything you may think would be helpful to know. I look forward to your replies. Thanx

[I'minformed2]

Irondequiot is anything but expensive that's for sure. The schools are very good....both east and west (east are probably a little better). Irondequoit has always stuck me as "old"....it has a higher retiree population than most other places around Rochester, and the housing stock is mostly from the 40's, 50's, and 60's.....not much if any new construction in Irondequoit.....at least not compaired to the other eastside suburbs (Pittsford, Penfield, Perinton, and Webster especially) As far as "race relations" go...the town, like every other town in suburban Rochester...is overwhelmingly white. The largest ethnic group is Italians. If you are looking for an affordable lakeside suburb with good schools, a more diverse (still mostly white, but more ethnically diverse) population, and housing options...i would suggest Greece personally. I'm probably a little bias because that's my home town; but I think Greece would fit your needs very well.

[bluedawn]

Thank you so much. My greatest concern after affordability is the school system. Thanx for the tip on Greece. That is not one of the areas I have researched yet but i will now.

[melkat]

Originally Posted by i'minformed

Irondequiot is anything but expensive that's for sure. The schools are very good....both east and west (east are probably a little better). .

the reverse is true actually..west is better than east..if you live in west you always say West Irondequoit for a reason and not just Irondequoit The schools are *good* for Rochester, not *very* good

I would live in west irondequoit over Greece..but then again I would live in most towns over Greece

[AnnBee]

Actually...Irondequoit High School (west side) is ranked 117th in the state. Eastridge (east side ) is ranked 619th.

[HowardRoarke]

Originally Posted by AnnBee

Actually...Irondequoit High School (west side) is ranked 117th in the state. Eastridge (east side ) is ranked 619th.

West Irondequoit is a very nice area. Taxes can be a bit much for some folks, as the housing stock, though older, is of a superior quality than other parts of Monroe County and is higher priced (think of some as custom/high quality post war homes). I'd say W. Irondequoit homes are in the ~$160K+ range, on average, with many lower (probably as low as $80K or so) and many higher ($250K+). The newest construction appears to be around Thomas Ave., and on the other side of town on the bay. There's a nice, newer, affordable town house development on the EAST side of Thomas St., near to the bridge over the river. Plenty of apartments all over the town, as well.

The schools are great, overall, and folks there get a little bang for their buck on their school taxes vs. quality of the schools (unlike other parts of NY), as the district really does try to keep the tax rates lower than other parts of Monroe County (per-pupil costs are lower than most other districts in the county). One part of W. Irondequoit near to the Seneca Park Zoo (and the river) looks very city-like, as there are several nice streets over that way with the typical 2.5 story wood frame northern city houses, and there are many retirees in that area. Typical quality houses in that area have hardwood floors and gumwood trim, and they're probably in the $90K-$120K range. Some have personal details due to their age. Most if not all have garages.

One thing people have to deal with are a great many deer and other wildlife in the area. There are ravines and other geographic features in that part of the town one might not associate with an inner ring suburb of a city like Rochester (other than Penfield). The deer love the ravines, and the mosquitoes love the standing water which collects during the Spring as well as during wet summers. So, if you buy there stock up on bug repellant and citronella candles!

W. Irondequoit has a good mix of folks, and most are likely to be professionals and lots of small business owners. I know that part of Rochester well because a few friends of mine grew up there, and a couple of them still live in the community. One owns a successful landscaping business which is well known on the east side, mostly. There are a couple of what I would call "hidden" parts of W. Irondequoit that are very quiet yet have a strong sense of community and history (one is "the flats", there's another called "smuggler's cove", and there's Summerville). Personally, I like the area around Durand-Eastman Park, although some homes around there can be a bit pricey. The closer you are to the city the more common it is to have property crime issues (although this varies and doesn't happen on too regular a basis).. Violent crime is almost a "non-issue", in the town.

As far as race relations are concerned Irondequoit is predominantly white, with a huge Ukrainian population. I can't imagine race would be a big issue, there. There are some snobs out there but even they tend to be fiercely loyal and proud of their town and are generally civilized (I've met a few). The eastern part of the town is generally more "diverse", racially. One family we know lives off Culver north of E. Ridge, and they're fairly happy with the area.

Family incomes would probably vary quite a bit, across the town, and many may not realize this. There are millionaires out on the "Gold Coast" on the lake, and not far from there is a working class/working poor neighborhood out near Summerville, which segues into an older middle class area around the end of St. Paul street. Some nice parts of town you could get way with a household income of ~$50K-$60K, and other parts of town would be around $70K and up. Skilled trades folks, teachers, lawyers, office workers, business owners, etc., etc., etc., all call Irondequoit home.

Irondequoit is one of those "depends", towns, kinda like Greece, but generally nicer than Greece:-)

Hope this helps.

-

[cheese9988]

Originally Posted by HowardRoarke

West Irondequoit is a very nice area. Taxes can be a bit much for some folks, as the housing stock, though older, is of a superior quality than other parts of Monroe County and is higher priced (think of some as custom/high quality post war homes).

Your right about the taxes, we live in the Merchants area of Winton-Culver. When we were looking at houses, if we went up two blocks into Irondequoit the taxes jumped up $500 a year. And for the most part the streets and style of houses were not always that much different. I do like some of the neighborhoods north of Merchants though, VERY well upkept, even better than mine and we are on a good street.