Long Island Transplant thinking of moving to the Rochester area (Buffalo: relocating, property taxes)

[I'minformed2]

You don't have the ocean... but you have Salt free lake Ontario AND the finger lakes both in very close proximity, Lake Ontario actually bordering Rochester. I have noticed quite a few loang Oailand accents in Rochester in recent years. It seems that some of you realize that other parts of the state of NY aren't 3rd mortgage expensive and have nicer people. Just don't let the secret out to too many people. We don't want them crouding western ny and turning it into ANOTHER Long Island. That is what is happening here in NC, where I currently live. I was born and raised in Rochester and after 11 years, I'm moving back home too.

[Maggie7556]

Pittsford is the most pretentious place I have ever seen. It has it's charm, but not enough to make it worth the price. Plus the traffic there is terrible. There is only one main street through Pittsford and it seems to be stopped up every time I have driven through there.

[Muggy]

My family moved to Pittsford when I was five. I went through the school system k-12. I still have friends and family there.

What would you like to know?

There are a few pretentious pockets, but it's mostly nice, white collar types. Coming from L.I. you will laugh at the suggestion that Pittsford has "traffic problems."

Here are some random thoughts:
- It is mostly an automobile town
- The taxes are high
- There are some very nice parks
- The majority of housing is single family homes (some mcmansions)
- Quaint village
- Big yards
- Still a lot of farmland
- Great schools
- Some amazing houses from 1800's
- You'll see BMW's in the school parking lots
- No police force, very little crime (patrolled by County Sheriff's Office)
- Erie Canal runs through village and part of town

[I'minformed2]

I'm actually in Pittsford right now, staying with my brother. This area is fairly affluent and a little uppity, but I wouldn't call it "pretentious". Most of the people here grew up in blue collar housholds on the west side and then worked their way up the ladder. That is exactly my brother's story. We grew up in Greece, in a very modest house with 10 people. There are definitely other very picturesque towns in this area that are much more affordable as well though. Webster is the most popular in Monroe County right now, and Victor in Ontario County, which is still only about 25 minutes outside the city.

[mhogan10010]

Originally Posted by i'minformed

Yunas.... there has never been a more WRONG statement. I moved south years ago from Rochester to Raleigh, NC and it was the stupidest thing I've ever done. Rochester has WAY more to offer if you are seeking a nice community feel and a great place to raise kids (Pittsford is one of the top 50 school districts in the nation....nearby Brighton is in the top 10). DO NOT MOVE SOUTH. So many people like me do and then realize that it sucks here. It's too hot in the summer, and instead of snowing snowflakes like it does in Rochester; it snows disgusting, irritating, ugly, yellow pollen from march to june... literaly, it falls in sheets, you can see it falling from the trees and it turns everything yellow until it rains, and then it turns stains everything that gets wet yellow. Not to mention that it will all but put you in the hospital if you have even minor allergies. Definitely stay in the Northeast, and choose Rochester if you want a well rounded community that is easy to feel at home at. In case no one has guessd. I'm moving back to Rochester this summer. I'm talking from experience in BOTH. This whole sunbelt thing, is OVERRATED.

People talk about how much they are going to do outside once they move south. I lived about 80 miles East of Raleigh in the heart of the coastal plane. You think Raleigh is hot, oh my gosh. If you have ever been there, you could leave Raleigh going East and about the time you hit Wilson you could feel your car AC start to labor. And yes the allergy situation is abominable. I never had any sinus trouble till I moved to Tennessee, and it only worsened in NC. I think you have to be born in it to build up a tolerance for it.
Anyway, I find that I do much more out of doors since I moved back North. There, you live in the AC during the late Spring till Late Autumn. If you open your windows, then everything in your house is coated in pollen. I just don't see why people think that it is so much more outdoors oriented than the North. Most Southerners I met seemed to think that anything up North was the equivalent of Detroit or Newark. When I would tell them that Michigan was a beautiful state, invariably someone would say, "I didn't see nothing that I liked." When pressed, they had relatives in the run down suburbs of Detroit or maybe Flint. Well, no wonder!!!

[kugaloo]

I'm a native New Yorker who was raised in Manhattan. Now that being said, you can pretty much assume what I am accustomed to. My wife and I decided to move to her hometown of Rochester to raise a family and open a wine bar. My first impression of Rochester was that it was a whole lot slower than most smaller cities throughout America. The city of Rochester is not small by any means - it's just not as busy. I think it would fair to mention that I have spent time in several upstate cities; Saratoga, New Paltz, Albany, Ithaca, and it would be safe to claim that Rochester lacks a substantial pulse compared to the other towns listed. Rochester is a conservative town. Conservative across the board: politics, economy, culture, etc. Growing up in a very liberal city, I have found Rochester to be a boring, culturally absent, depressing excuse for a city. I think the people who have money (old timers that have prospered from Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, and Kodak's better days) are either old coots who know to hold onto it for dear life because the getting will never be as good, or young snot children of the coots who drive around in Porsches. I have been here for 8 agonizing months and I have read their daily newspaper, the Democratic & Chronicle, everyday and I would be dammed if there isn't an article in it that doesn't articulate how much more Rochester is sinking into an economic sink hole. The job situation sucks for anyone outside the medical, and possibly, the wine industry. This town has a powerful academic community, but most graduates take what they have learned to other major cities (big article NY Times, http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstra...F0894DE404482).
I live in the "city" which is more like a desert because people just frequent the same 5 stores on Park Ave. I've also read an article from a local paper that quoted a local politician saying, how can Rochester have suburbs if there is no real downtown or city to speak of? He is right. There is nothing worthy of city status here except the crime, which of course is thriving - murder capital of New York State - look it up. And don't get me started on the winters - long, dark, cold and snowy, although I did experience what the locals consider a balmy one.
Long story short, Rochester sucks if you want to live a life other than an economic depressed, slow moving, culturally void, crap town.
We are moving back to NYC this September. Rochestarians, I'm sorry about this scathing report but you know it's true.

[Lax]

No offense Kugaloo, but do you actually live in Rochester? Most of what you say is not true in the least. I've lived in Rochester, Albany and have worked in several east coast cities and Roch was no slower than any other with the exception of NYC and Boston. You really must have no experienced the city if you think it was conservative. I lived in 3 seperate neighborhoods. 2 of them being the south wedge and upper monroe had several houses sporting gay pride flags in the front yard. I noticed other gay pride flags in other neighborhoods. Not something that you would see in a conservative area. I have also read stats that show the Rochester area having a larger homosexual population than most places in the country.
It has much much more to offer than the other cities you mentioned such as Albany, Saratoga, Ithica, etc. It has much more to offer in culture than most cities of it size and certianlly more than the few cities you mentioned in your post. It had more museums, art galleries, public art, parks etc than most places i've been to on the east cost (obviously except for bigger cities like nyc and boston).
There is much much more going on than 5 stores on park ave. You find things to do in the park ave area (more than 5 stores), the east end, south wedge, neighborhood of the arts, high falls (yea its not as big as they expected but there is still entertianment) , etc.
Many of my peers have found jobs in the tech field also.
What you say is just not true. Either you are lying about living there or you are living under a rock.

[I'minformed2]

Seriously Kugaloo; spoken like a true arrogant Manhattanite. Rochester is actually overwhelmingly "blue". Monroe County is a "blue" county as well. I think you should move back to New York City and tell all of your friends down there that if they have attitudes like yours they can STAY there. Rochester has plenty to offer for a family, a single person, an empty nester; anyone.

[aquaecny]

I live in NYC now, but I still prefer the upstate mentality. At least people in Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Saratoga, Ithaca, Buffalo are pleasant and very friendly. You can't necessarily say that about NYC! The quietest moments of my day are actually the morning commute on the subway. Everyone sticks to themselves, and are not at all 'accomodating'. I believe all of these cities that I have mentioned are "blue". There are quite a bit to do in all of the cities. The downside is, a majority of NYC people are greedy and want everything available when they want it. Yes, there are more options available in NYC, but to be honest, there are way too many options available. It is very overwhelming and actually makes it difficult to choose.

It comes down to this.... both Upstate/NYC have their advantages and disadvantages. You need to weigh what you really want. Is this more important than that?

[New_Yorker]

Smart move i'minformed. When will you be back in the Empire State?

I learned a lesson vicariously through my friend who had moved to Arizona. He was so pumped up to start a new life. New home, new people, new this and that. What most people don't take into account is that the "newness" wears off, and you realize there is no perfect place.

My friend moved back within a year; right back to Long Island. He got married, just had a son, bought a home. He hasn't been happier.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by i'minformed

Yunas.... there has never been a more WRONG statement. I moved south 4years ago from Rochester to Raleigh, NC and it was the stupidest thing I've ever done. Rochester has WAY more to offer if you are seeking a nice community feel and a great place to raise kids (Pittsford is one of the top 50 school districts in the nation....nearby Brighton is in the top 10). DO NOT MOVE SOUTH. So many people like me do and then realize that it sucks here. It's too hot in the summer, and instead of snowing snowflakes like it does in Rochester; it snows disgusting, irritating, ugly, yellow pollen from march to june... literaly, it falls in sheets, you can see it falling from the trees and it turns everything yellow until it rains, and then it turns stains everything that gets wet yellow. Not to mention that it will all but put you in the hospital if you have even minor alergies. Definitely stay in the Northeast, and choose Rochester if you want a well rounded community that is easy to feel at home at. In case no one has guessd. I'm moving back to Rochester this summer. I'm talking from experience in BOTH. This whole sunbelt thing, is OVERRATED.