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That is a myth based upon a reality that has not been true for at least 20 years. According to the NY State Department of Labor 34% of those employed in the Rochester MSA are employed in what can be described as white collar professions in Buffalo the percentage is 12% higher coming in at 38% (i.e. 34% time 112% = 38%). Old myths die slowly indeed but Buffalo is a banking, research and insurance town now. The blue collar steel mill days ended in the early 1980's.
I won't argue the statistics, but there is a bit of a cultural difference between Buffalo and Rochester that is still there based on their past blue-collar vs white collar background. I spent 22 years in Buffalo growing up, and 30 years in Rochester. (I just moved away from Rochester last year.) While living in Rochester, I continued to spend lots of time in Buffalo visiting family and friends - Rochester and Buffalo are different culturally, although it's not dramatic - and it's not a negative. It's just something to consider when considering what type of community may be the best fit for someone.
Hey Don, what part of NJ are you comparing? Most places east of us and closer to the ocean are moderated and not as cold, and I think the state extends to the south a fair amount (relatively speaking of course.)
Oh and Southeast florida gets a more rain too, but it all comes in quick bursts punctuated by bright sunny days, not over a 3 week stretch of damp, gloomy, drizzly 38 degree days. So the amount of rain doesn't say that much. But you are right overall, I'm sure NJ doesn't have THAT drastically different weather conditions. I was just trying to be very honest about the weather to people looking at our area. :-)
I won't argue the statistics, but there is a bit of a cultural difference between Buffalo and Rochester that is still there based on their past blue-collar vs white collar background. I spent 22 years in Buffalo growing up, and 30 years in Rochester.
The problem with your analogy is that you are comparing the Buffalo of your childhood in the 1960's and 1970's to the Rochester of 2010.
I am a professional and have been here for about half a decade now and do not notice a blue collar attitude. I would imagine that one's perception of an area is based in large part with the crowd one hangs with. Take NYC for example: There are the sophisticated business type white collar crowd, but there is also the Vinnie Barbarino group as well. The fact that Rochester is the most blue collar metro in NY State is not something to be ashamed of, in fact quite the opposite as many factory jobs pay well above the national average.
Hey Don, what part of NJ are you comparing? Most places east of us and closer to the ocean are moderated and not as cold, and I think the state extends to the south a fair amount (relatively speaking of course.)
Oh and Southeast florida gets a more rain too, but it all comes in quick bursts punctuated by bright sunny days, not over a 3 week stretch of damp, gloomy, drizzly 38 degree days. So the amount of rain doesn't say that much. But you are right overall, I'm sure NJ doesn't have THAT drastically different weather conditions. I was just trying to be very honest about the weather to people looking at our area. :-)
Edison - near the population center of the state. You know the part that gets the 2 foot 'noreaster snowfalls a couple of times every winter - more so over the past few years.
I'll warn you the weather is not good a lot of the time... I think you would find that it's quite a bit worse than Jersey.
This year has been particularly miserable... In winter it's all just drab... a gloomy sun-free environment without any color, just shades of black and white. I suppose some might like to see the snow on the trees and so on.
But other than that you should really like it here!
Hey Don, what part of NJ are you comparing? Most places east of us and closer to the ocean are moderated and not as cold, and I think the state extends to the south a fair amount (relatively speaking of course.)... So the amount of rain doesn't say that much. But you are right overall, I'm sure NJ doesn't have THAT drastically different weather conditions. I was just trying to be very honest about the weather to people looking at our area. :-)
Quote:
Originally Posted by donbuy
Edison - near the population center of the state. You know the part that gets the 2 foot 'noreaster snowfalls a couple of times every winter - more so over the past few years.
Regarding weather, we've read up on average snowfall totals via city-data and 'that other demographic site' -- (C-D is better!) City-Data says you get about eight feet of snow in an average year. Does that sound about right?
We currently live in NJ's 'northwest suburbs.' Hence, we often get snow when NYC gets rain. Last winter, nearly six feet of snow dropped on us. That was more severe than normal but we handled it fine and it gave us a taste of what we can expect in WNY.
The snow can really vary from town to town. Just this past December they had almost 4ft from 1 storm in South Buffalo, I'm less than 10 miles south of there & we only received about 2ft, Tonawanda & Amherst didn't get much of anything (maybe a few inches). Typically we get a few feet more in the Southtowns than they do in the Northtowns (but that doesn't always hold true as they got more up north in '09/10). I would say 8-10 feet across the metro sounds about right.
Officially Buffalo averages about 90 inches of snow per year at the weather service. Niagara County to the north gets 50 to 60 inches per year. The lower amount in the western part of the county the higher part in the eastern half. Southern Erie County averages 120-160 inches per year.
On a side note according to the US weather service Buffalo is the sunniest million plus metro east of the mississippi river for the may through september period. You can see the comparison detail on the NOAA Buffalo web site.
Officially Buffalo averages about 90 inches of snow per year at the weather service. Niagara County to the north gets 50 to 60 inches per year. The lower amount in the western part of the county the higher part in the eastern half. Southern Erie County averages 120-160 inches per year.
On a side note according to the US weather service Buffalo is the sunniest million plus metro east of the mississippi river for the may through september period. You can see the comparison detail on the NOAA Buffalo web site.
You mean far Southern Erie County. OP, EA & Hamburg are considered Southern Erie County & we haven't come anywhere near that since Ive been living here (I don't think we've even broke 100). Those high averages are from the rural hill areas south of Hamburg (Boston, Colden, Springville).
You mean far Southern Erie County. OP, EA & Hamburg are considered Southern Erie County & we haven't come anywhere near that since Ive been living here (I don't think we've even broke 100). Those high averages are from the rural hill areas south of Hamburg (Boston, Colden, Springville).
You are correct, I was referring to ski country of the southern quarter of the county. Here is a link to the average snowfall map from the Nationa Weather Service - this is the 30 year avereage for the 1970-2000 period, the new 30 year average data for the 1980-2010 period will be implemented later this summer my guess is that the totals will drop since the winter's of 1976-77 and 1977-78 were Buffalo's two snowiest winters on record and that data will no longer be included in the official National Weather Service averages: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/buf/lakef...nowseason.html
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Overwhelmed by the response - thank you!
thank you, thank you, thank you! 
