Cute, Safe, Affordable town to move to? (Syracuse, Ithaca: school, university)

[ki0eh]

Around 1990 when I was bored working the graveyard shift tending computers at Cornell I did kind of a proto-GIS analysis on the Cornell staff directory. I divided the staff into faculty (tenured and tenure-track), mid-level (needing college degrees), and other (dining, cleaning, etc.). Then I divided the home addresses listed (most had them, back then) into 14850, Tompkins County non-14850, and outside Tompkins County.

Although I threw those papers out years ago, I remember that faculty was about 75% likely to live in 14850, mid-level about half and half, and other maybe 20%. And that 20% was concentrated on Ithaca's Southside historically black neighborhood.

(Other items of note: probably about half of the "other" group commuted in from outside Tompkins County, a few even from Bradford County PA; and the 25% non-14850 professors were nearly all engineering or agriculture.)

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Around 1990 when I was bored working the graveyard shift tending computers at Cornell I did kind of a proto-GIS analysis on the Cornell staff directory. I divided the staff into faculty (tenured and tenure-track), mid-level (needing college degrees), and other (dining, cleaning, etc.). Then I divided the home addresses listed (most had them, back then) into 14850, Tompkins County non-14850, and outside Tompkins County.

Although I threw those papers out years ago, I remember that faculty was about 75% likely to live in 14850, mid-level about half and half, and other maybe 20%. And that 20% was concentrated on Ithaca's Southside historically black neighborhood.

(Other items of note: probably about half of the "other" group commuted in from outside Tompkins County, a few even from Bradford County PA; and the 25% non-14850 professors were nearly all engineering or agriculture.)

Interesting....So, that was an great example of how many times race and economics are tied together. Very good information and it is telling as to how this relationship still is something that prevalent in our society today.

Also, doesn't Ithaca have a decent sized Black community on it's Northside around say, North Albany, North Cayuga and the streets in that area? I remember going to a church there with my father once. I think streets like State and Buffalo also have some businesses that are marketed towards the Black community there as well.

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Also, doesn't Ithaca have a decent sized Black community on it's Northside around say, North Albany, North Cayuga and the streets in that area? I remember going to a church there with my father once. I think streets like State and Buffalo also have some businesses that are marketed towards the Black community there as well.

When I was there (bear in mind I moved out of NYS in 1996) the local Black area did wrap around a bit west of downtown to maybe North Albany. North Cayuga and North Tioga seemed to have more Cornell grad students mixed in with the long-term locals. Of course my impressions date from when the co-op market was in that neighborhood http://www.greenstar.coop/greenstar-history/ and likely has changed since.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

When I was there (bear in mind I moved out of NYS in 1996) the local Black area did wrap around a bit west of downtown to maybe North Albany. North Cayuga and North Tioga seemed to have more Cornell grad students mixed in with the long-term locals. Of course my impressions date from when the co-op market was in that neighborhood http://www.greenstar.coop/greenstar-history/ and likely has changed since.

Yeah, it seems like the Black community there pretty much is centered around the churches there and particularly St. James AME Zion on Cleveland Street.

[CNYDC]

We recently moved to Skaneateles, NY and love it. The village is only about 2700 people, but because there is a small tourist influx during the summer, there is shopping and services consistent with a larger place. Schools are great. Scenic beauty is exceptional.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by CNYDC

We recently moved to Skaneateles, NY and love it. The village is only about 2700 people, but because there is a small tourist influx during the summer, there is shopping and services consistent with a larger place. Schools are great. Scenic beauty is exceptional.

I don't know if it is necessarily "affordable". Definately a nice and beautiful community though.

[boomvang]

Skaneateles is a beautiful place , however I would not characterize the influx of tourists as "small". I suppose it's all relative, but to me the place is a zoo on nice summer days. A nice zoo, but a zoo nonetheless. It is so nice that I almost would overlook the crowds, but as ckhthankgod points out, it is not too cheap. Where $300k will buy you a palace almost any place in upstate NY, that amount will buy a quite ordinary place in Skaneateles.

[CNYDC]

For the last three summers, we were vacationers in Skaneateles before deciding to stay year-round. I can tell you that most of the influx in the summer are people who own cottages on the lake and can really be considered part-time residents. We always rented a house, but based on how hard it was to find accommodations each year, it was clear that transient vacationers are rare. As a result, it has a true small town flavor where everybody knows each other, even during the summer.

As for house prices, Skaneateles is definitely more expensive than much of the rest of central New York. But because this area never saw the run-up in prices that the rest of the country experienced, its still relatively affordable at a national level (for a town with similar amenities).

[cheriedg]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

True...I think it is as much, if not more about economics than race. There is a decent upper middle class Black population there too, due to Cornell and IC. All things considered though, I think you are right in regards to the economic factor.

I actualy am going to take this one step further, I lived in this area for just about 30 yrs until i moved to another state. I do not live in the city of Ithaca but much of my life revolved around the city of Ithaca, work, socailizing, shopping, and soforth.

There is a big difference in the city of Ithaca during the months when the college's are in session and when they are out. For the people that have lived in this area all their lives the summer months are a breath of fresh air~ Ithaca almost returns to 'everyday America' ~ then the students start coming back in to town.

Also there is in the breakdown of peoples social classes. For those that are not students~ and in their 20s to 30s ~ its not the most exciting place to be. As the city has the breakdown of the age groups of College professors and older staff ~ then there is an age gap where there is not that many folks in Ithaca of that age~ then you have the students.
If you are born and raised in Ithaca~ some will hang out with the students and some resent the students. Thus making Ithaca always a controlversey (sp?) place to live.

I have never noticed a ethnic problem in Ithaca in all my years of living here~ its always more about the locals vs the college life.

Since moving away~ I now live in a town that has peace~ funny thing~ we have a college closer to our home, than I was to Ithaca back then~ but here, its manageable.

I dont know what Ithaca does/doesnt do that continually allows the tension. Sad though.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by cheriedg

I actualy am going to take this one step further, I lived in this area for just about 30 yrs until i moved to another state. I do not live in the city of Ithaca but much of my life revolved around the city of Ithaca, work, socailizing, shopping, and soforth.

There is a big difference in the city of Ithaca during the months when the college's are in session and when they are out. For the people that have lived in this area all their lives the summer months are a breath of fresh air~ Ithaca almost returns to 'everyday America' ~ then the students start coming back in to town.

Also there is in the breakdown of peoples social classes. For those that are not students~ and in their 20s to 30s ~ its not the most exciting place to be. As the city has the breakdown of the age groups of College professors and older staff ~ then there is an age gap where there is not that many folks in Ithaca of that age~ then you have the students.
If you are born and raised in Ithaca~ some will hang out with the students and some resent the students. Thus making Ithaca always a controlversey (sp?) place to live.

I have never noticed a ethnic problem in Ithaca in all my years of living here~ its always more about the locals vs the college life.

Since moving away~ I now live in a town that has peace~ funny thing~ we have a college closer to our home, than I was to Ithaca back then~ but here, its manageable.

I dont know what Ithaca does/doesnt do that continually allows the tension. Sad though.

Interesting...I kind of get that sense too, but I think that is the case when you live in a city or town with a college. Even here in Syracuse, there seems to be a different vibe between the areas around the University and the other parts of the city, especially West of I-81.

Then, you have the different vibe from when school is in and when it isn't in. There still are things going on around the University, but it is just toned down a bit.