Any 'Bedford Falls' Types of Towns Left? (New York, Buffalo: real estate market, houses)

[chrislee1973]

I am looking to move to a 'Bedford Falls' from It's a Wonderful Life type of town. Good people, Main Street w/ possible Town Square. A place where people actually do 'Neighborly Things' and where kids can grow up without the ghettoness of Chicago.

Do such places still exist?

[bellafinzi]

If I'm not mistaken, 'Bedford Falls' was based on the small community of Seneca Falls, NY...which is located in the Finger Lakes just 45 minutes west of Syracuse.

So you've come to the right forum. Upstate New York has many great small villages.

[chrislee1973]

Thanks! It's funny you say that. I was looking @ real estate there today. Call me crazy, but I'm looking for that type of charm that big cities tend to lack now.

[homeward bound]

Ahh, a new target for my evangelizing!

I say this 'cause I've (too?) often extolled upstate NY for its great number and variety of wonderfully unspoiled small towns, and several towns in particular--exactly for the Bedford Falls qualities you're looking for.

In no particular order:

Gilbertsville
Angelica
Hammondsport
Canandaigua
Cooperstown
Clinton
Hamilton
Homer
Skaneateles
Aurora

All of these have town centers, or actual town squares and still-plenty-alive Main Sts./old business sections Several are right on--I mean, a stone's throw--from their own Finger Lake.

(Seneca Falls is still very nice, too, by the way.)

Feel free to send me a private message (just click on message poster's name at upper left) and I can flesh out why I extol these towns, and which ones have the most Bedford Falls-ish features. Or you can just look on previous messages I've posted.

These are just the great towns we've visited with an eye toward resettling in them--we've yet to check out many, many others that doubtless are just as good.

We're moving back upstate--probably to the Cooperstown area--just as soon as we can, exactly for your right-place-to-raise-a-family reasons. You'd think we could find the same kind of small town feel in (mostly beautiful) Virginia, where we've been for 23 years, but it just isn't so....

[Sgoldie]

That's what all of upstate is about, the Bedford Falls type thing. There are a couple of large cities but there's hundreds of the kind of place you're looking for. Here's some representative pictures from around the state -

[Pidgett]

The mythical village of Bedofrd Falls, made famous in "It's A Wonderful Life," is indeed, supposed to be in New York State. However, it is not based on Seneca Falls as a poster has stated earlier. It is based on a Buffalo-region village as deducted by the song in the movie, "Buffalo Gals" (Can You Come Out Tonight?).

[Sonnenwende]

Regardless, the pics you posted Sgoldie are great.

[theburro]

Milford, New Hampshire
Bennigton, Vermont
Cazenovia, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Middleburg, Virginia
Norris, Tennessee

I'm sure many others; these are a few I'm familiar with.

[shantrese]

Originally Posted by chrislee1973

I am looking to move to a 'Bedford Falls' from It's a Wonderful Life type of town. Good people, Main Street w/ possible Town Square. A place where people actually do 'Neighborly Things' and where kids can grow up without the ghettoness of Chicago.

Do such places still exist?

Auburn Ny is a great place to live People are very friendly and has that small town warmeness.

[missustoad]

I grew up in Oswego County. Very snowy, but people help each other out and are very friendly in the winter. The houses in Oswego County are VERY inexpensive, and you can drive into Syracuse and shop at some of the malls.

Another item: Utica, NY, once the armpit of the state, had a recent revival. The real estate values were actually falling, and then a huge wave of Bosnians and other refugees settled in. The Bosnians were very good at construction, plumbing, etc. and they bought and repaired many of these old houses. Now the real estate market is moving up again. I still wouldn't pick Utica, but it shows you how some people with some energy can improve things.

The real estate in the Fingerlakes is really high in price but the farms, fields etc. above/below the region are very reasonable. I hope that you consider upstate New York.