how is cazenovia ny- outside Syracuse (Buffalo, Albany: wood floors, apartment, condo)

[77t]

heard it is nice town bladwinsville also are they in area of syracuse...

[Glen NY]

Yes both towns are near Syracuse and both are nice towns. Cazenovia is a rural area with a pretty lake side community. Baldwinsville is a bit more populated with a mix of rural farming areas, new subdivisions and and a large villige. Good luck

[Mollikins]

Originally Posted by 77t

heard it is nice town bladwinsville also are they in area of syracuse...

I grew up near Caz in the neighboring town of DeRuyter on DeRuyter Lake.

Caz is a small village about 20 mins from Syracuse. Cazenovia Lake is bigger than DeRuyter Lake, but both offer beautiful country when the weather is cooperative. It is the home to Cazenovia College which at one time was exclusively a women's college but finally entered the "real world" sometime in the 80s. The whole village has that "artsy-fartsy" feel/look about it .

Being a small village, Caz has the reputation of being cold to outsiders. Not much happens during the fall & winter months (except LOTS&LOTS&LOTS of snow !), but come late spring & summer when the "lake people" return or tourists show up, then they're just as friendly as could be. Can you say CHAAAA--CHINNNNGGGG !!!!!

A small college town out in the "relative boonies," doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment for students or residents except snow mobiling, skiing (many close by ski areas) or ice fishing. But being close enough to Syracuse can help to ease those winter blues. Otherwise you're surrounded by many more small towns/villages offering the same or less than Caz. It's not for everyone ......... unless you like that kind of lifestyle.

Property taxes have been know to be high, but that may have changed in recent years ..... as our lake house is in the Town of Caz, and WE haven't notice a decrease, but that could be said for just about anywhere nowadays !

Sorry I can't offer much info on Bville, as I've only driven thru it on occasion !
Hope this info helped you some !

[mom2kids]

I agree with Mollikins...I was a college student at Cazenovia from 1982-1984 and a Work study/financial aid reciepient.....attitude about the town and college is that it is designed for the rich snobs that like"cozy country living" but god forbid your'e not in the same financial bracket.

[cazmama]

The town does have some very nice traditions. There's an annual Christmas Walk with a tree lighting ceremony, July 4th celebration with fireworks over the lake. During the summer months, there's a weekly farmers market and concerts in Lakeland Park overlooking the water at night.

The lake itself is a small walk to mainstreet and there is a smalll public beach. There's also a yacht club which requires application.

The college really doesn't intrude itself on the town. I always enjoy seeing the students back...overall, a pretty quiet bunch.

As far as the snootiness factor, I find most everyone friendly. I think its more that this is a small town to which many young people seem to return with their families. I think if you grew up here and return, you probably don't have the time or need to make new friends b/c your old friends and your family is already here. That said, there is a newcomer group that meets monthly which provides a nice way to meet other new people.

The public schools are excellent. One of the best districts around & its relatively small compared to fayetteville-manlius nearby. I don't know about the need for teachers.

Hope this helps.

[Sgoldie]

HB,

Cazenovia is a lovely little village. My mother went to college there the first year after it had been changed over from a seminary to a women's college. She said it was more like a finishing school with teas, white gloves, and the whole schmear every afternoon, and students from around the world.

It's not terribly big, but is upscale with a small downtown of a block or two, and a couple of mansions converted to fine dining restaurants and one into a state park.

Here are links - www.cazenovia.com (for a clickable map), www.lincklaenhouse.com,
www.thebrewsterinn.com,
and across the street the Lorenzo State Historical Site (searachable thru NYS Parks).

It retains a private sort of atmosphere with very nice colonial homes, well kept, in the village and a mix of newer and older ones along the lakefront (expensive). It's rather hilly terrain coming into town and a slight hike to further population (Syr) though not too bad. There's a small village park and boat launch, mostly small sail, a short stroll from the few shops and library.

[hmtklein]

I lived in Cazenovia for 4 years while going to college. I lived there in the summers and lived off campus for two years. I was dating a local guy so I think I got see the local side of things instead of just the campus. The people are nice - very typical for upstate NY. The campus doesn't effect town too much. The town is downright dinky. There are a few nice bars and restaurants - but not a heck of a lot. Caz has most of the necessities - grocery store, drug store... no movie theatre or department stores. The homes on caz lake are beautiful. Near by Manlius is cute tooo.

[mom2kids]

hmltklein when did you graduate from Cazenovia??? I graduated in 1984....just wondering..actually, as far as schools go I recieved an excellent education there, I then transferred to Alfred University after graduation.

[WinterMorn]

I attended the college when it was a girls-only jr. college, 9/48-6/50. These were the most idyllic two years of my life. Coming up from Long Island, the people, both in the college and in the town, were a breed I'd never before known--relaxed, kind, unsophisticated. By my third week, I was tutoring in all my classes--I had no idea there was a difference between CJC and Cornell--but the enchanting mystique of the place, the simple, meaningful traditions, like songs after dinner (sit-down), smoking in sophomore hall, the cozy infirmary housed, like other facilities, in an old house in town, all made it worth it. I never completely cut ties with Cazenovia, and periodically for the past ten years, I've checked in to see if by some miracle, there's a brand new (not rehabbed) condo or apartment I could rent, but there never is. While I seek new for housing, when it comes to the college, scholastic strides notwithstanding, for me, much was lost when creaky wood floors gave way to tile, and faculty blessed to a man and woman with endearing eccentricity gave way, as I'm sure it has, to the uniformly articulate pedagogues of today. Charming, bustling little towns dotted Route 20 from Albany to Buffalo 50 years ago; Cazenovia the loveliest of them all; the NY Thruway greyed out Route 20 much like Walmart greys out small shop owners when they lumber into town. Big fish -- what a mistake.

[doggerslover]

Cazenovia is not a good place to move to if you want to make friends and flow into a new social life. It's a very arms-length community. Also the idea that a certain "class" of people there tend to be very stand-offish is certainly true. And it's not the "wealthy" people there who are that way -- I found an incredible resistance to newcomers amoung the lower-to-middle income group, MUCH more so than the 'upscalers." I think that is the case because there are tons of "legacy families" there who are the owners of small businesses or farms who simple have all their family and friends in place, and that's that -- you really can break down that wall and they don't want new contacts. You can't really do anything about that. So if you're looking for "warm and friendly," stay clear of Cazenovia. We came from an "upscale" community in New Jersey to live in Caz for about a decade, and we joke among our family and friends now about how nearly impossible it was to bond with anyone in that town. The college students were always great -- outgoing, interesting young people, but they too felt "shut off" from the "townies," many of whom very much resent the college expanding to become a 4-year college, co-ed, and more involved in the community.

It's just a town that you need to have been borned and raised in -- to an established local family, no matter the income level -- in order to be considered anyone's friend. New people ALWAYS feel like outcasts, and you end up making friends with THEM, not with local natives!