Help with investigating where to live between Syracuse/Oswego (Clay: how much, movies)

[SOFR310]

Hi,
My fiance got a job with the power plant in Oswego so we will have to move to upstate NY. I personally have never lived anywhere else besides big cities (i was in San Jose/Milpitas CA before and currently in Austin TX). I went skiing a few times but never lived anywhere that snows (Well, it snowed in austin once, a few years ago, and it was the talk of the town). Needless to say, I'm a little SCARED right now thinking and planning the move. I have a few questions. They may seem silly but please answer them if you can.

My fiance work is in Oswego (or just outside Oswego) but from what I gathered, Oswego may be too isolated for me (or maybe not). So I'm looking for a city that's near Syracuse or half way between Oswego and Syracuse. Please give me some suggestions.

I'd like to live in a city where there are as few storms/blizzards as possible (snow is OK as long as it's not too icy). Has malls/shopping center. Has gyms (YMCA is OK). Has some nightlife (not the crazy bar hopping but prefer a city that does not go to sleep and turn out the light at 8pm). Near a lake where I can enjoy water sports in the summer is a plus. Has Starbuck (or something similar). Has Borders and/or Barns and Noble. Not too far from college (I plan to take some classes soon).

My fiance and I are used to going to comedy club, watch movies, go to dance lessons, play volleyball (and other sports like racquetball, tennis, etc...), go to the bookstores and read or study there, go to aikido classes, etc... I'm really hoping I could find something similar to this lifestyle in Syracuse/Oswego area (slim hope???).

Also, I am a software engineer. How's the jobs market for software engineers in this area? Will I be able to find work and how much is average salary?

I'll really appreciate any help or insight you can give. Thanks a lot.

[jrice]

Has malls/shopping center. Has gyms (YMCA is OK). Has some nightlife (not the crazy bar hopping but prefer a city that does not go to sleep and turn out the light at 8pm). Near a lake where I can enjoy water sports in the summer is a plus. Has Starbuck (or something similar). Has Borders and/or Barns and Noble. Not too far from college (I plan to take some classes soon).

Clay NY would be perfect for you--has everything you wanted, even has local bars near by and is between Syracuse and Oswego

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by jrice

Clay NY would be perfect for you--has everything you wanted, even has local bars near by and is between Syracuse and Oswego

I agree. I would also say the Clay(Liverpool mailing address) area is the best bet. It is in between Syracuse and Oswego, with access to Route 481, which is the major route to Oswego from the Syracuse area. Pretty much anything you need is in that area too. It's Route 31 corridor has plenty of retail, shopping, dining and so on too.