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We are selling our home and want to move to upstate NY...Somewhere out side of Syracuse....Maybe Fulton, Oswego, etc. Although property taxes are certainly higher there, we are looking to buy with cash or at least a sizable down...Anyone from that area that could help me out with some info? I would appreciate it.
The Oswego/Fulton area gets much more snow than the towns closer to Syracuse. For example, Syracuse has only 0.1 inches of snow so far this year. In the Fulton area they already have had almost 10 inches. Oswego County is well known for it's Lake Effect snow. When you hear the Weather Channel say "Tug Hill Plateau" they are talking about Oswego and Lewis Counties. If you love snow, then Oswego County might be a good choice.
I'm not sure why you focused in on Fulton and Oswego. Both are small depressed towns without much going on. Most people in Oswego County like hunting, fishing, NASCAR, and beer. At least that's their reputation. Fulton used to have manufacturing jobs like Nestle, and Miller Brewing but both closed within the last 20 years. Now Fulton is banking its hopes on an Ethanol Plant. The City of Oswego has a State College with about 8,000 students. SUNY Oswego is the main economic engine of the City of Oswego. The other major employers are the two Nuclear Power plants just east of Oswego near the shore of Lake Ontario.
If you are looking for a more rural setting (instead of a suburban housing development) but still want to live close to shopping, parks, and Downtown Syracuse I suggest the northern part of the Town of Clay, or the rural parts of the Town of Lysander around Beaver Lake near Baldwinsville. Both are just south of Fulton. The rural parts of Lysander and Clay are in Onondaga County, just north of the Syracuse suburbs.
Northern Clay is still rural, but there are a couple new small housing developments popping up. Also a large housing development of 300 homes is planned near Brewerton. The terrain is generally flat. The one negative of northern Clay is a large transfer Station where high tension power lines connect. For this reason, that site is the only shovel ready chip fab site in the Syracuse area.
The rural part of Lysander is rolling hills. It's very close to Baldwinsville, a nice small village along the Erie Canal. Lysander has housing developments around Baldwinsville, and Radisson, a large planned community. Lysander is currently saving farmland it keep it's rural feel. I believe Lysander (Baldwinsville) and Clay are both really great places to live. You can't go wrong with either towns. But maybe you are looking to live further away from civilization?
I assumed you don't want a subdivision, so correct me if I'm wrong. And if you could tell me what you are looking for in a community maybe I could make more suggestions. Hope this helps a little!
Oswego County is a decent place to be, imho. Outside of Fulton and Oswego (which are much like Bellafinzi decribed, and if you love snow, Oswego would be paradise), there are plenty of small villages to choose from, like Phoenix, Central Square or Parish, and they have managed to keep their rural character intact, excusing some suburban sprawl that has been making its way into the county. Property taxes are high, but most places are affordable on a moderate income.
You might want to look at the Syracuse suburbs previously mentioned since they have good schools and low crime rates, or communities like Tully to the South, and Cazenovia or Oneida to the east. Best of luck and if you have any questions, just ask!
Don't listen to them. Oswego is a beautiful city on par with what you imagine any New England port would look like: we have a humongous lake, marinas, etc. There are lovely parks and granite municipal buildings. The city is split in two by the river across which there are two bridges, something like Portland, Ore.
There is a small downtown with banks, bookstores, and an Art Deco multiplex. The college offers entertainment in the form of live theater and opera along with several various degrees. Public schools are pretty good and still offer free music lessons. A decent local hospital and teaching hospital with further specialists in downtown Syracuse. Shopping consists of Penneys, Walmart, Bed & Bath, Lowes, several Dollar type Stores and of course groceries. Other than that you have to travel about 25 minutes away to the Clay mall.
People here are friendly and crime is minimal. The average home price is approx $70,000. and can go as low as the $40's for a fixer upper. Most of the houses directly in town are 1900 vintage and many on the main drag are rented out to students. You can buy a pretty decent relatively newish (last 30yrs) four bedroom, 2 1/2 bath for around $160,000. either in the city or within 10 minutes away. For the same in CA your going to pay about 5-10 times that.
Commute times are nonexistant unless you need to drive the half hour to Syracuse for work. Jobs in the relative region are fine if you're a nurse or an engineer, otherwise hard to come by all over upstate. Best if you bring yours with you.
Snow is another matter. We must get more than anyplace in the country. However, summers are the nicest anywhere to be found. Day trips of 1-3 hours can take you to the 1000 Islands, Finger Lakes, Niagara Falls, Adirondack Mtns, as well as Rochester, Ottawa (Canada's Capital - good for the different perspective), and nearly to Toronto (one of the best cities going). The city is full of hills (think San Francisco) but we don't have much local skiing. Golf is cheap $8. for six holes walking, and movie matinees are still $4.50. Google any real estate office in Oswego as they all deal with the same properties, and good luck in your relocation.
Very informative posting, Sgoldie. I've heard much the same from others experienced with Oswego.
What's your (and others') opinion about how avoidable the college students are in Oswego?
Do they monopolize the older houses?
Are there areas with nice older homes that are almost exclusively families and NOT college students?
Do they essentially populate the town, or it a town first with a college second?
(We REALLY need to escape & avoid college students after being surrounded by 26,000 of them where we live now!)
Also, if someone has a sense of the college student-vs.-non-student dynamic of Clinton and Hamilton, we'd really appreciate hearing their views. These seemed like great towns, but we could move there ONLY if we could be sure we could buffer ourselves from the college students and their often barbaric conduct.
The college at Oswego actually is a plus for the area, especially regarding cultural entertainment made available to the community. There are many sections of the city not dominated by students with nice big Victorian homes. If you drive thru town you may get a wrong impression as the student rentals are basically along the bus corridor on the main downtown street. The college has now undertaken renovation to several dorms along the lake and I wouldn't be surprised if students took their rent dollars back onto campus and away from the slum lords.
There is a good balance between the city and the college, both stay within their own for the most part. Hamilton is nice, a little more isolated I'm thinking and certainly not on a beautiful lake such as ours.
I just noticed that I had been responding to you on the thread about teaching in NYS. Be aware that Oswego State started out as a Normal School which means it trained teachers, and so there is no shortage here. NYS teacher's unions make it difficult to become certified unless you start with their college program from the get-go. Might be better for you to check out the college's wanted posts for jobs there - lots of nice people. The student population is around 7-8,000 and the offerings are quite diverse now. Starting your own business may be your only alternative.
There is a lot of potential here for those with some energy and imagination. I also think it helps if you've traveled or lived elsewhere as, even though we are a beautiful town with riverwalks and all, we could use all the creative improvement we can get. As I mentioned before, the snow and the job situation are the biggest downfalls. I've been all over the US and the combination of what we have here is rare. Please come to visit, and stay.
Another note of interest as I believe you mentioned having kids, is that the college offers summer camps for learning for school aged kids. Subjects can range from juggling to meteorology to advanced math, et al. The high school also lets kids out to attend college classes during the year for advanced credit. Not bad.
Thank you for your informative views. I was raised in Brooklyn...then Queens, NY...as were my parents. My GrandParents of both sides came from 'the old country'. Now that I am Much older with family, I wish to return to NY...but not to the city. I do not like California, and that is as nice as I can say it. I have always felt a bit 'out-of-place' here on the west coast (yes, I know it sounds strange). My wife and I have the opportunity to cash in on our equity here and trade 'up' by moving there. I am aware that the taxes are a bit high, but the higher quality of life is worth the additional cost. Our youngest son will be 7 soon, and I want the best education for him. We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination, and our boy will have to attend public school. He is home-schooled now because I refuse to subject him to the awful CA school system. We will be looking at 19th Century fixers...and have an agent based in Syracuse already. We hope to be in the area by early summer '07!!
Last edited by browndago; 12-26-2006 at 02:22 AM..
Reason: edit punctuation
You might want to ask berrafinzi about neighborhoods in Syracuse for 19th C Fixers. I'm not that familiar with the city. From downtown south has some gorgeous old homes but I don't believe the neighborhood is safe. If you go farther south in the flats towards the Indian reservation it gets nicer again. I like the tall hill by Onondaga Community college and Community Hospital, close in but nice and great view. There are places between Erie Blvd and LeMoyne that look interesting. Solvay, not sure about it. Liverpool is always good, and Clay is growing. The North side was traditionally Italian (taking a cue from your name).
Of course the surrounding burbs, towns and cities are smaller but you don't have to be as neighborhood specific to find something acceptable.
Thank you for your informative views. I was raised in Brooklyn...then Queens, NY...as were my parents. My GrandParents of both sides came from 'the old country'. Now that I am Much older with family, I wish to return to NY...but not to the city. I do not like California, and that is as nice as I can say it. I have always felt a bit 'out-of-place' here on the west coast (yes, I know it sounds strange). My wife and I have the opportunity to cash in on our equity here and trade 'up' by moving there. I am aware that the taxes are a bit high, but the higher quality of life is worth the additional cost. Our youngest son will be 7 soon, and I want the best education for him. We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination, and our boy will have to attend public school. He is home-schooled now because I refuse to subject him to the awful CA school system. We will be looking at 19th Century fixers...and have an agent based in Syracuse already. We hope to be in the area by early summer '07!!
For 19th Century homes, check out the Villages surrounding Syracuse. Nice inexpensive Villages are Liverpool, and Baldwinsville. The Villages of Fayetteville and Manlius are very nice, but more expensive. I'd stay away from these villages: Solvay, East Syracuse, Minoa, Camillus. They just aren't as nice. Not many 19th Century homes, but you might want to check out the village of North Syracuse. It's in a nice central location in the northern suburbs and it's starting to get more investment lately.
I still think your best bet is the Village of Liverpool. Many older homes there. It's a village of 2,500 along the shores of Onondaga Lake. It has sidewalks and a cute downtown area. You could probably walk to Onondaga Lake Park from some parts of the village.
Also keep in mind there are old homes scattered around the suburbs on the main roads. The downside is noise from street traffic.
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