Moving from West Coast to Syracuse--thoughts?

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by bellafinzi

Good thing you didn't move to Montreal or Ottawa! Winter lasts almost a month longer up there and they are much, much colder. Though Montreal only averages 90 inches of snow each year, which is 30 inches less snow than Syracuse.

Winter in Toronto is about the same length as in Syracuse....

It still confuses me why so many people move to one extreme to another. In my opinion, rural Upstate NY and urban Upstate NY are not as nice as suburban Upstate NY. Which means, the inner cities of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse are mostly depressing places. And many rural areas around Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo can feel backwards and "hickish". If you want rural, move to rural areas just on the outskirts of the suburbs near an upscale town and in a good school district. The suburbs of Upstate NY are some of the most livable areas in the country...low traffic, low crime, close to shopping, good schools, normal down to earth people etc.

Stop with the suburban plug only, please. There are nice urban and rural areas in Upstate NY too. Can we at least be a fair moderator about Upstate NY?

Again, I personally would think the Ithaca area would be perfect for this couple. Considering the artistic vibe of the area, the 16% Asian population in the city of Ithaca and that it is safe and has many things going on. I believe the Northeast Ithaca area might be more rural but is still diverse and close to the city of Ithaca:Northeast Ithaca, New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here's some other Ithaca area communities to consider:Forest Home, New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Ithaca,_New_York

Cayuga Heights, New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ithaca (town), New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and the city of Ithaca:Ithaca, New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Gaffer]

Originally Posted by bellafinzi

Good thing you didn't move to Montreal or Ottawa! Winter lasts almost a month longer up there and they are much, much colder. Though Montreal only averages 90 inches of snow each year, which is 30 inches less snow than Syracuse.

Winter in Toronto is about the same length as in Syracuse....

It still confuses me why so many people move to one extreme to another. In my opinion, rural Upstate NY and urban Upstate NY are not as nice as suburban Upstate NY. Which means, the inner cities of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse are mostly depressing places. And many rural areas around Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo can feel backwards and "hickish". If you want rural, move to rural areas just on the outskirts of the suburbs near an upscale town and in a good school district. The suburbs of Upstate NY are some of the most livable areas in the country...low traffic, low crime, close to shopping, good schools, normal down to earth people etc.

Thankfully I'm in a rural area around Utica surrounded by farms which in turn are surrounded by half million dollar homes of doctors, attys, police officers, accountants and other professionals, not "hickish" at all. Apparentlly a big difference between Utica and those three "hickish" areas surrounding Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Gaffer

Thankfully I'm in a rural area around Utica surrounded by farms which in turn are surrounded by half million dollar homes of doctors, attys, police officers, accountants and other professionals, not "hickish" at all. Apparentlly a big difference between Utica and those three "hickish" areas surrounding Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

Not really. I think that statement was exaggerated. You could say the same thing about Pompey, Tully, Onondaga, LaFayette, the Baldwinsville area, Marcellus and Skaneateles in the Syracuse area. You will find a similar mix in those communites as well.

[CACHANILLA73]

Did we ever find out where is this family moving from??? I am just curious.... Don't get me wrong, I love NY, but really the winter is depresing, and it is not a cheaper as other people may think, just add the heating bill in the winter, and your house payment will be as high as in other parts of the country.
We moved here because my husband grew up here before he joined the marines and it was a place he knew.
I just can not take the winter any more, I come from the desert and my husband from the caribbean, we don't have family here, so I don't see the point in being by ourselves raising 3 young kids.
Anyone knows of a place close to a military base and/or va hospital, (husband is a combat veteran) affordable in the west coast?????????????????????/

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by CACHANILLA73

Did we ever find out where is this family moving from??? I am just curious.... Don't get me wrong, I love NY, but really the winter is depresing, and it is not a cheaper as other people may think, just add the heating bill in the winter, and your house payment will be as high as in other parts of the country.
We moved here because my husband grew up here before he joined the marines and it was a place he knew.
I just can not take the winter any more, I come from the desert and my husband from the caribbean, we don't have family here, so I don't see the point in being by ourselves raising 3 young kids.
Anyone knows of a place close to a military base and/or va hospital, (husband is a combat veteran) affordable in the west coast?????????????????????/

Try Colorado Springs. There are 4 military bases in the area and it is pretty. Maybe Spokane, Lompoc, San Diego and Seattle too. Phoenix is another place to look.

[justflow1983]

I grew up in Syracuse but I now live in Europe, so my view of the city might be skewed. My parents and all my old friends do still live there, and I go back at least twice a year to visit. Its dear to my heart and I'm glad other people are seeing its value.

I think that the Western suburbs deserve a mention too, not just the Eastern ones. Camillus, Skaneateles, Marcellus, and Baldwinsville are all great areas with their own village centers, and are much less crowded than the east. I grew up in Onondaga hill, which is fairly rural but is a 10 minute drive to Armory Square, and I did enjoy it very much. I worked in Manlius after college, and I hated that area of town. Its all one big sprawl, the traffic sucks, and except for the village of Manlius its just a bunch of shopping centers and subdivisions.

If I were to move back (and I'm considering it), I'd move to one of the inner suburbs that are undergoing a bit of a cleanup. Eastwood, Tipp Hill, Sedgwick, everything east of SU, are all very safe and have a good community to them, as well as being very affordable. They also have good access to bus routes and are close enough to bike downtown or to the university. Downtown is also coming back, its much nicer than when I remember it as a kid, and I'd love to live in one of those old highrises on Salina. Of course, I've lived in a big city long enough to love not being car dependent, and in the inner neighborhoods you can mix driving with walking and public transit. If you want to head out to the big box stores, they're still only 10 minutes away, just 10 minutes out of town instead of towards it.