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Also, if this job relo works out we will need to make new friends...so if anyone has any advice on best places to meet people or at that point I will be asking you all to meet the SlimRicky's for a brew at the local pub.
I was born in Canada and have lived down south before also. I chose to relocate here to WNY about 18 years ago. For the most part I haven't regretted it and you will make friends here that you wont anywhere else because the people are great around here.
That has changed over the last two years or so. Getting older, cant stand dealing with winter and snow and perhaps the thing driving me out the most are the taxes and politics. The very same reason I left Canada. I wish nothing but the best for Buffalo but I want out while I can still get out. That feeling amplified ten times over the last six months or so with a reassement on our house that had us nailed for over 8K in taxes and it still isn't enough in this place. It will never be enough here. Every level of government knows nothing other than to increase taxes here.5
I will come back for visits in the summer, Bills games in the fall and Sabres games around Christmas.
Otherwise, adios.
We've been here for a little over two years now (came from Michigan). I've posted many times about Buffalo and what it look likes from a "newbies" perspective. If you are considering the city: We live in the Parkside area (Buffalo seems to be made up of different neighborhoods, Parkside, Allentown, Blackrock etc) and we love it. Our neighborhood is filled with century old homes and has wonderful character. It is safe, clean and easy walks to Delaware Park, the Zoo, Hertel Ave and short drive to just about everything else.
Summers here are lovely (although we're experiencing a unusal heat wave at the moment) and the winters in the city are snowier than I'm used to (southeast Michigan doesn't get heavy snow) but they are too bad.... the city keeps the roads plowed and getting around isn't a problem at all.
There's tons to do in the general area of Buffalo. You'll have a great time exploring everything. Buffalo and it's surrounding areas have retained a lot of their historical buildings and history.
In spite of what you might here the crime in this city is NOT what people want to make it out to be. Of course there is areas that are not as safe as others but you'll find that no matter where you go.
As I posted in another thread; our neighbors are nice but not very "neighborly" we really haven't gotten to know anyone here... Don't know if that is just our neighbors or if it is inherent in Buffalo.
We have yet to choose a church and are thinking about joining an Irish club in the area (we were very active in the Irish community in Michigan) so that should help us meet new friends.
At any rate, good luck to you! And if you have any questions on being a new resident of Buffalo that I could help you with just get in touch with me through the forum here.
We've been here for a little over two years now (came from Michigan). I've posted many times about Buffalo and what it look likes from a "newbies" perspective. If you are considering the city: We live in the Parkside area (Buffalo seems to be made up of different neighborhoods, Parkside, Allentown, Blackrock etc) and we love it. Our neighborhood is filled with century old homes and has wonderful character. It is safe, clean and easy walks to Delaware Park, the Zoo, Hertel Ave and short drive to just about everything else.
Summers here are lovely (although we're experiencing a unusal heat wave at the moment) and the winters in the city are snowier than I'm used to (southeast Michigan doesn't get heavy snow) but they are too bad.... the city keeps the roads plowed and getting around isn't a problem at all.
There's tons to do in the general area of Buffalo. You'll have a great time exploring everything. Buffalo and it's surrounding areas have retained a lot of their historical buildings and history.
In spite of what you might here the crime in this city is NOT what people want to make it out to be. Of course there is areas that are not as safe as others but you'll find that no matter where you go.
As I posted in another thread; our neighbors are nice but not very "neighborly" we really haven't gotten to know anyone here... Don't know if that is just our neighbors or if it is inherent in Buffalo.
We have yet to choose a church and are thinking about joining an Irish club in the area (we were very active in the Irish community in Michigan) so that should help us meet new friends.
At any rate, good luck to you! And if you have any questions on being a new resident of Buffalo that I could help you with just get in touch with me through the forum here.
Hello Transplants (and those that live there too):
I am considering a job relo to the Buffalo area. I have visited several times and think it seems like a nice area. But living there and visiting I realize can reveal different outlooks.
I grew up in a snowy region of the country and can deal with the "white stuff". But I am interested to hear how do you like Buffalo? What do you like? What do you not like?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Im from Baltimore & lived in Colorado Springs & Austin before coming to WNY. We have been here for about 2 1/2 years so far & absolutely love the area. Ive always liked snow & winter sports so the snowfall was more of a reason to move here rather than a reason not too. The mild summers (at least compared to what I & grew up with in Baltimore & dealt with in Austin) were a pleasant bonus. The area offers all the normal metro area amenities & anything above & beyond that you may crave can easily be found in Toronto. Being someone that enjoys the outdoors the amount of freshwater & proximity to the wilderness of the Southern Tier were also big draws. The taxes are high (especially property taxes) but if you do your research you can easily find a nice house in a good neighborhood where the taxes arent going to kill you that is going to be priced much less than something similar in other metro areas. overall I find the cost of living to be much better than any of the places Ive previously lived. The school systems in the suburbs are for the most part very good. For me, being a father of 2 young girls & seeing firsthand the horror that is the Texas Public School System this is a very big draw. Rush hour traffic (or lack of) is a nice change of pace after dealing with the mess that is I35 in Austin for the last 10 years.
Now for the downside ................. NY politics/government is a complete joke. Nothing ever seems to get done & the only answer they ever seem to come up with is to raise taxes. I honestly dont see this mess ever getting better as the problems dont seem to stem from one party or the other so its not a matter of voting out one in favor of the other as they are both basically incompetent. Albany needs an enema but I just dont know if enough good candidates exist to even make it worthwhile as you are likely just going to end up replacing bad with bad.
Another downside ..... while Buffalo has some absolutely fantastic old gothic style architecture it also has its fair share of run down abandoned buildings, factories & housing. Some of the housing has been cleaned up recently but nothing ever seems to happen with the commercial & industrial stuff. Ive been told by several life long residents that this is because certain groups stand in the way of demolition yet no one wants to invest the $$$ for restoration. In the end the buildings just continue to fall apart & remain an eyesore. Its really a shame because they are only adding to Buffalo's bad reputation (which IMO is over blown to begin with).
JBlake78728---out of living in Austin, Baltimore and Colorado, how would you compare Buffalo to your favorites? Does it outrank those? It sounds based on your post it is more favorable to Austin, but howabout Baltimore or Colorado? Getting out of a ratrace traffic and into an area with lots to do outdoorsy-wise sounds great to me.
I just wanted to touch on your last point, regarding Buffalo's beautiful architecture and run down buildings. Buffalo also has the stain on it's past of having demolished architecturally special buildings. I know that in the middle of the 20th century there wasn't the awareness about preserving architecture that there is today, but this city actually demolished perfectly sound Frank Lloyd Wright buildings!
But yes, behind NYC and Chicago I'd say Buffalo may be the most important city in the nation for architecture, which is saying something for a city of it's size.
JBlake78728---out of living in Austin, Baltimore and Colorado, how would you compare Buffalo to your favorites? Does it outrank those? It sounds based on your post it is more favorable to Austin, but howabout Baltimore or Colorado? Getting out of a ratrace traffic and into an area with lots to do outdoorsy-wise sounds great to me.
I will say that I loved just about everything about Austin other than the heat, the lack of a real winter & what I believe to be a poor public school system. If Austin was in a northern state it would easily be my favorite on the list . The cost of living in Texas is also very low & in all honesty I think if you looked at similar jobs they would tend to pay a little more in Austin than they do in Buffalo. Factor in no state tax & you can do very well for yourself in Texas if you dont mind a hot summer that can last from April until November, no winter & checking your shoes every morning for scorpions.
I hated Colorado Springs. The lack of fresh water & trees as well as the overall brown color of most everything really turned me off the area. Everything away from the downtown area is basically an endless strip of similar looking subdivisions. The city also had a serious lack of entertainment options for its size. One thing I love about the Buffalo area is that most of its suburbs are nothing like the suburbs in the west. Towns like Orchard Park, Hamburg, Williamsville, Tonawanada, Lancaster, etc all have charm & character. They are more than just the bedroom community suburb you'll find in much of the west & south.
I love Baltimore but hate the traffic & high cost of living. My parents still live there & I visit a few times a year but doubt I would ever seriously consider moving back unless some unreal offer came our way.
everyone is entitled to their own opinion but to say colorado springs lacks trees and color (especially in comparison to Buffalo) is false. If you lived in Colorado you definitely should be familiar with the phrase "colorful colorado" you say there is no color and trees? ever visit garden of the gods? pikes peak? the national forests? actually colorado springs is similar to Buffalo except has more natural beauty. but the suburban sprawl is about the same as buffalo. Colorado has more lakes and rivers than Texas so I'm not sure why you would say it's a turn off about Co Springs but not Texas. I've been trying to stay out of the "wonderful wny" posts but when Buffalo people post something so ridiculous as this i can't stop myself.
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. The cost of living in Texas is also very low & in all honesty I think if you looked at similar jobs they would tend to pay a little more in Austin than they do in Buffalo. Factor in no state tax & you can do very well for yourself in Texas if you dont mind a hot summer that can last from April until November, no winter & checking your shoes every morning for scorpions. 
