Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My fiance and I are moving to the Buffalo area from the DFW area to be closer to her family and just for a fresh start in general. I have a few questions (and overall, VERY curious), as I've never actually been here before (but am planning on visiting soon.) We're both fresh out of college and have a decent amount of money saved up for the move. I plan on starting grad school once I get settled (however long that takes.)
If anyone else has moved from DFW (or just been there), what are the similarities and differences between the two areas? (specifically the Collin County area in DFW, where I was born, raised and currently live)
We're looking into the Southtowns for Apartments / Townhomes to rent. The most we'd want to spend is $1000 a month, but we could probably got a bit higher if necessary.
I did a cost of living check and it says the COL is lower in Buffalo, but does that take taxes and such into account?
I'm a smoker and I understand that the taxes on cigarettes are extremely high in New York State. On average, how much is a pack of cigarettes? Does the state have a smoking ban for bars / restaurants?
How quickly will I adapt to the winters here? Coming from North Texas, we usually get a few inches of snow during the winter, but obviously Buffalo is a whole 'nother story.
In the long run, how much does a decent house in a middle class area generally cost?
I appreciate any and all answers. I'm looking forward to the move, as I've grown tired of the brutal summers and the overall attitude of some of the people here.
My fiance and I are moving to the Buffalo area from the DFW area to be closer to her family and just for a fresh start in general. I have a few questions (and overall, VERY curious), as I've never actually been here before (but am planning on visiting soon.) We're both fresh out of college and have a decent amount of money saved up for the move. I plan on starting grad school once I get settled (however long that takes.)
Better that you find your grad school and get a part-time job first and have her find one.
If anyone else has moved from DFW (or just been there), what are the similarities and differences between the two areas? (specifically the Collin County area in DFW, where I was born, raised and currently live)
Have not been there, but isn't DFW a large city area? We are not.
We're looking into the Southtowns for Apartments / Townhomes to rent. The most we'd want to spend is $1000 a month, but we could probably got a bit higher if necessary.
If you want to go to grad school and go to, say, UB, then the Southtowns are pretty far (like the other side of the city and the longest commute....). You need to find the school before the home
I did a cost of living check and it says the COL is lower in Buffalo, but does that take taxes and such into account?
What taxes? We are 8.75% sales tax. Gasoline tax is very high . OTOH, if you are renting, you won't be paying property/school tax. COOL is fairly low.
I'm a smoker and I understand that the taxes on cigarettes are extremely high in New York State. On average, how much is a pack of cigarettes? Does the state have a smoking ban for bars / restaurants?
You go to the Rez and get Native cigarettes if you want them cheap ( my daughters both do). Smoking bans in all bars and restaurants (due to the laws of the Albany nanny state)
How quickly will I adapt to the winters here? Coming from North Texas, we usually get a few inches of snow during the winter, but obviously Buffalo is a whole 'nother story.
So far this year, we have had maybe 4" snow total. it's a rare year. It might get us later -- and we can get it bad if lake Erie doesn't freeze. We do get winters like this alternating with really bad ones. Average is about 20 " by now and no, it isn't a big thing.
In the long run, how much does a decent house in a middle class area generally cost?
What town? How old? How big? In a newer pricy burb, in the $200K- way up. In a normal town, you can find homes under $100K built from the last century on. Townhouses and condosare significantly less and so are their taxes (town/property)- they can go in the $80K for an older decent one. My dau. has a 1905 victorian single home she got for the mid $70K range about a decade back; homes on our block ( 1940/50/60/and a few newer) go from $90-140K
I appreciate any and all answers. I'm looking forward to the move, as I've grown tired of the brutal summers and the overall attitude of some of the people here.
We have never broken 100 degrees here, according to NOAA. "Brutal summer" is the high and humid 90s of August. It lasts about 3 weeks.
My fiance and I are moving to the Buffalo area from the DFW area to be closer to her family and just for a fresh start in general. I have a few questions (and overall, VERY curious), as I've never actually been here before (but am planning on visiting soon.) We're both fresh out of college and have a decent amount of money saved up for the move. I plan on starting grad school once I get settled (however long that takes.)
If anyone else has moved from DFW (or just been there), what are the similarities and differences between the two areas? (specifically the Collin County area in DFW, where I was born, raised and currently live)
I understand DFW is pretty congested and has some long drive times, expect to drive much less up here (typically)
We're looking into the Southtowns for Apartments / Townhomes to rent. The most we'd want to spend is $1000 a month, but we could probably got a bit higher if necessary.
If it is just you and your fiance, check out the city. $1000 can put you in a very nice place with many amenities and you would be relatively close (about a 15min commute) to many schools and jobs
I did a cost of living check and it says the COL is lower in Buffalo, but does that take taxes and such into account?
Taxes are much lower in Buffalo than all the other municipalities so another reason to live there.
I'm a smoker and I understand that the taxes on cigarettes are extremely high in New York State. On average, how much is a pack of cigarettes? Does the state have a smoking ban for bars / restaurants?
Quit. You can, I did after 11yrs. Smoking is banned with a few exceptions (licensed cigar bars and the like). You can buy your cigarettes on the native reservations but they're not stupid, they know the market price of cigarettes outside of the reservation and the state has been putting steady pressure on the native sellers to pay tax on this.
How quickly will I adapt to the winters here? Coming from North Texas, we usually get a few inches of snow during the winter, but obviously Buffalo is a whole 'nother story.
The cold can be brutal to adapt to (however *real* cold is only about a weeks worth of weather, coming in "snaps" of a couple days each) but play it smart. Dress well and use your head, you'll be fine. We are probably not that much colder but somewhat snowier. Definitely not as hot in the summer (your summers sound awful). You're continental (high, dry,bigger extremes). Right now, our temp is 40 and will be that all day. Your temp is 49 and will be 71. So the "cools" are similar. On average we are about 20 degrees less than you.
In the long run, how much does a decent house in a middle class area generally cost?
Depends on how you define middle class. Our cost of living will be far lower than what you are used to and I live in a nice neighborhood, I own a double and I rent out one of the units. I basically pay $300 / month for housing (and there are better deals to be had).
I appreciate any and all answers. I'm looking forward to the move, as I've grown tired of the brutal summers and the overall attitude of some of the people here.
You go to the Rez and get Native cigarettes if you want them cheap ( my daughters both do). Smoking bans in all bars and restaurants (due to the laws of the Albany nanny state)
I can't speak for DFW but there are smoking bans in all Austin bars & restaurants (along with many other places in Texas).
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReppingDFW
Hello everyone,
If anyone else has moved from DFW (or just been there), what are the similarities and differences between the two areas? (specifically the Collin County area in DFW, where I was born, raised and currently live)
I lived in Austin for about 10 years but I'm really not familiar with DFW. WE do have a poster that just moved here from DFW (SouthernYankee) and another regular that grew up in WNY but now lives in Dallas (Big D JT). Hopefully one of them will see your thread as they would be able to give you the best info/comparisons.
We're looking into the Southtowns for Apartments / Townhomes to rent. The most we'd want to spend is $1000 a month, but we could probably got a bit higher if necessary.
You can find a 2-3 bedroom Duplex in the Southtowns for $750-$850/month. These are in very safe neighborhoods.
I did a cost of living check and it says the COL is lower in Buffalo, but does that take taxes and such into account?
For the most part yes. The biggest part of the tax issue is property tax & in all honesty property taxes across most of Texas aren't that low either. You also have to consider that property taxes here are high in part because they fund the public schools & the public schools here (especially in the outer suburbs) put the public schools in Texas to shame.
How quickly will I adapt to the winters here? Coming from North Texas, we usually get a few inches of snow during the winter, but obviously Buffalo is a whole 'nother story.
I adapted to the Buffalo winters much easier than I did the Central Texas summers.
In all honesty its not that bad. Dress warm, get use to driving in snow/ice & find things to do during the winter. The worst thing you can do is to hibernate in your house all winter long, you'll just become miserable. Embrace the winter, have fun with it & its not so bad. That being said we have a grand total of 3 inches of snow so far this year & today the temps will be pushing 50.
In the long run, how much does a decent house in a middle class area generally cost?
In Hamburg you can purchase a 3 bedroom, 1500-17500 sq foot Colonial that was built within the last 10-15 years for maybe $150,000 - $175,00. You can easily find older houses for $100,000-$125,00. I've even seen smaller Cape's go for $75,000.
Last edited by jblake78728; 01-06-2012 at 07:56 AM..
I can not answer several of your questions because it's been about 6 years since i'v lived in the Buffalo area. However, I was born and raise in one of the suburbs there and my hubby was from the DFW area, Keller to be more exact.
We lived there for 5 years before he finally said enough, he couldn't take the winters anymore. Every winter he would get horribly sick with sinus infections that would turn into broncitis. He hated ALL the snow, especially driving in it, he had a 30-40 minute commute and complained everyday about it, in the winter anyway.
Things he loved about the area were...the food!! in the warmer months all the stuff to do (beaches, lawnfetes and the parks), he also loved the people (pretty friendly bunch up there). Overall he misses the area but will never go back because of the winters.
I still have family back there and from what they tell me a pack of smokes is roughly $10.00. You use to be able to get them cheaper from the Indian Reservations all around the area but they have since stopped selling brand names there and are only allowed to sell thier own brands now.
I wish you all the best in your move, I Love and Miss the area everyday, I just wish the hubby did too.
My fiance and I are moving to the Buffalo area from the DFW area to be closer to her family and just for a fresh start in general. I have a few questions (and overall, VERY curious), as I've never actually been here before (but am planning on visiting soon.) We're both fresh out of college and have a decent amount of money saved up for the move. I plan on starting grad school once I get settled (however long that takes.)
If anyone else has moved from DFW (or just been there), what are the similarities and differences between the two areas? (specifically the Collin County area in DFW, where I was born, raised and currently live)
We're looking into the Southtowns for Apartments / Townhomes to rent. The most we'd want to spend is $1000 a month, but we could probably got a bit higher if necessary.
I did a cost of living check and it says the COL is lower in Buffalo, but does that take taxes and such into account?
I'm a smoker and I understand that the taxes on cigarettes are extremely high in New York State. On average, how much is a pack of cigarettes? Does the state have a smoking ban for bars / restaurants?
How quickly will I adapt to the winters here? Coming from North Texas, we usually get a few inches of snow during the winter, but obviously Buffalo is a whole 'nother story.
In the long run, how much does a decent house in a middle class area generally cost?
I appreciate any and all answers. I'm looking forward to the move, as I've grown tired of the brutal summers and the overall attitude of some of the people here.
Cheers,
Repper,
I moved from WNY suburbs (Amherst) to DFW (far north Dallas) in 1999. I still go back to WNY a couple times a yr.
Couple of things... You may not want to be in the Southtowns if you're going to grad school as you'd likely be commuting a ways. Look at being either in the city or surrounding suburbs like Amherst, Tonawanda, Kenmore. If it were me and I had no kids and was young, I'd look at either Allentown or Elmwood sections of city. You probably wont need to rent a $1000 apt either. $800 should get you something nice.
In my experience, living in WNY is cheaper than DFW - especially if you rent.
The COL calculators almost always factor in taxes.
Smoking in WNY is very similar to here in Dallas. Not allowed in bars, restaurants, etc. The smokes cost close to $10 a pack for Marlboro's there. I guess we're up to about $6 here. Nice thing in WNY (as someone else pointed out) is you can go to the Indian Reservations and buy their brand (Seneca is one of the bigger ones) for way less.
Adapting to winter weather varies by the individual. Do you remember last winter here when schools were closed for 4 or 5 days in a row? That weather (low 20's & light snow) is typical in WNY winter but nothing would ever close because they know it's coming every yr and prepare for it. They have very efficient plowing and road treatments. My advice is try to find activites to do in winter. Don't just sit inside and avoid stuff because it's cold. Get a NorthFace jacket, hat and gloves, good boots and get out there
Decent house in middle class neighborhood... I'm thinking something like 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1500 sq ft in Amherst built in 60's/70's (but updated) could be had from around $120k. Newer built in E. Amherst or Clarence will start closer to $180k
I've got 25+ yrs of experience with WNY and 10+ yrs in DFW, so please feel free to pick my brain on anything you want.
Best of luck. I'm a bit envious of your move!
My fiance and I are moving to the Buffalo area from the DFW area to be closer to her family and just for a fresh start in general. I have a few questions (and overall, VERY curious), as I've never actually been here before (but am planning on visiting soon.) We're both fresh out of college and have a decent amount of money saved up for the move. I plan on starting grad school once I get settled (however long that takes.)
If anyone else has moved from DFW (or just been there), what are the similarities and differences between the two areas? (specifically the Collin County area in DFW, where I was born, raised and currently live)
We're looking into the Southtowns for Apartments / Townhomes to rent. The most we'd want to spend is $1000 a month, but we could probably got a bit higher if necessary.
I did a cost of living check and it says the COL is lower in Buffalo, but does that take taxes and such into account?
I'm a smoker and I understand that the taxes on cigarettes are extremely high in New York State. On average, how much is a pack of cigarettes? Does the state have a smoking ban for bars / restaurants?
How quickly will I adapt to the winters here? Coming from North Texas, we usually get a few inches of snow during the winter, but obviously Buffalo is a whole 'nother story.
In the long run, how much does a decent house in a middle class area generally cost?
I appreciate any and all answers. I'm looking forward to the move, as I've grown tired of the brutal summers and the overall attitude of some of the people here.
Cheers,
Well first I would say you should not do a cost of living comparison between Buffalo and DFW, but rather a comparison with the community you plan on living in. So if your plan is to live in the Southtowns compare Hamburg, Orchard Park, Elma, etc. I think you will find that Buffalo has a low COL because of the price of housing, which is skewed down due to the fact that there is a massive supply of homes in the bad neighborhoods of Buffalo. There are over 10,000 abandoned homes, and the city itself offers to sell many of them for $1...
Some COL calculators may include taxes, others do not. I find the taxes outrageous, and that is a large contributor to the lower home values, and thus "affordable" homes in this area. The asset you purchase is offset by an ever growing liability, property taxes. You may be able to find a decent home in Tonawanda for $100k, but that comes with a $4k tax bill. A 200k home may well run 6-7k in taxes in the burbs. So as you might imagine, homes are not quite as affordable as their price may indicate.
Cigarettes are indeed $10 per pack. Albany uses the fact that they are unhealthy as a false pretense to do what they do best, stick it to the taxpayer. Sure cigarettes are bad and I'd like for everyone to quit but it's not the government's business. Lots of behaviors can be dangerous, overeating, under-eating, not exercising, exercising too much, not sleeping enough, etc. Is it the government's place to eliminate or discourage all things that have the potential for harm? I certainly wouldn't put it past NY to try. Not because they care of course, but think of all the tax and/or fee revenue they could generate. It's probably only a matter of time before you'll have to buy an "Obesity License" to exceed a certain BMI. In typical NYS fashion you will likely have to pay a "user fee" on top of it
I don't know what your political leanings are but be sure to be either apathetic to politics or a liberal if you plan to move here. If you're a conservative or libertarian this region's politics are down right unbearable.
Know that the public employee unions control the politicians at all levels of government, and have been very successful in enriching their members. Get used to hearing about how regular union workers work crazy overtime their last 3 years in service, or happen to become "disabled" before retiring in order to score six figure pensions (six figure pensions that are NOT taxed by the state) and healthcare until the day they die. Likely though, they won't simply retire, but rather will get transferred to a different branch or level of government so that they can earn a similar salary while collecting their pension on top of that. Get used to politicians expressing outrage at such clear abuses of the system and then . . . well, NEVER doing anything.
Know that you do not have a right to your labor, but rather that every New Yorker - including many illegal aliens - has the right to live off the proceeds of your labor never having to actually work themselves.
Know that nothing new gets built in WNY. It seems all proposals are subject to multi-year environmental impact studies and a multitude of lawsuits before ultimately being abandoned. Of course, some things will get built from time to time - usually with heavy taxpayer subsidies to campaign contributors or political insiders.
Of course if you are a liberal, New York is the socialist Utopia you've always dreamed of! In that case, you can enjoy some of the positives of the region:
Low traffic enables you to get to most any location in a short, stress free drive
Summers are absolutely perfect, in my opinion
The people are good - friendly and down to earth for the most part
There is some fantastic bar food
There are a good amount of sporting / cultural events for a city of this size
Some wonderful architecture and history
As far as the winters, I've never known anything else but I would say that it helps to have some winter activities to get you through to spring. I would look into skiing, ice-fishing, snowmobiling, etc. Allegheny State Park shuts down half their park during the winter and keeps the snow covered roadways and trails well groomed exclusively for use by snowmobilers. It can be a lot of fun.
Is it just me or is there an increasing trend of DFW residents moving to the Buffalo area? Sure, we all say it's because of family but I'm sure the scorching hot summers had some influence too
If anyone else has moved from DFW (or just been there), what are the similarities and differences between the two areas? (specifically the Collin County area in DFW, where I was born, raised and currently live)
I'm sure my answer will change in 6 months from now seeing as I just moved to Buffalo from Dallas in Oct. '11. Personally, I don't see many similarities at all with exception to the smoking bans. Buffalo doesn't have giant apartment complexes like Dallas. The complexes here are a lot smaller. In Buffalo you'll see multi-family homes which is not very common in DFW. You might have one giant house converted into 2-5 (possibly more, I'm not sure) units- Each family would have their own unit.
Also- there is a lot of side street parking here. I don't understand it considering the amount of snow and snow plowing going on here. In Dallas, most apartments and the majority of neighborhood homes have a driveway or parking garage. Here, people have driveways but I've seen a lot more street parking. And it's a pain in the butt to have to alternate from one side of the street to the other (but I think that may only be during the winter/plow season- not sure).
And the homes here are all older. They don't make them like they do in Texas. That's actually one of the things I've fallen in love with here. There is so much charm that you don't see in Dallas. Everything is bigger in Texas. You don't necessarily notice it, until you move out of the state. And prepare yourself do do laundry in the basement. Some places here have same level laundry but most of the places I’ve seen have basement laundry. And here- kitchen/laundry hookups are mostly gas vs. electric.
There are a lot of bars. I mean a lot. And you will NOT find authentic Mexican food here. It just doesn’t exist here. But you will find some of the best pizza and wings you’ve ever had. Did you know in Buffalo you can have chicken fingers on a sub? It’s amazing! The Italian food here is also better than anything in Dallas.
We're looking into the Southtowns for Apartments / Townhomes to rent. The most we'd want to spend is $1000 a month, but we could probably got a bit higher if necessary.
For $1000 you could rent a nice house, townhouse or duplex. The cost of housing here is considerably lower than in Dallas. But again, you’re going to be getting something a lot older and not as nice as something your could rent in Dallas.( Sorry, no offense to anyone)
I did a cost of living check and it says the COL is lower in Buffalo, but does that take taxes and such into account?
I don’t know about property tax but everyone I’ve talked to says it’s high. It’s lower in some towns but overall I hear its more than what you would pay in Collin County. Still, it’s cheaper here to rent. I was paying 8.25% sales tax in Dallas. Here, it’s 8.75% and I just noticed there’s a 2nd tax on my receipts for 4.75%. They also charge a bottle deposit.
I don’t know what those COL calculators take into consideration but it sounds like bologna. Groceries are way more expensive here. Gas is more expensive. You can go to the reservations and get it cheaper. At the res, you’ll probably pay just a little more than you would in TX.
I'm a smoker and I understand that the taxes on cigarettes are extremely high in New York State. On average, how much is a pack of cigarettes? Does the state have a smoking ban for bars / restaurants?
And yeah, cigarettes are outrageous! 10-12 a pack in town. I was smoking Marlboro Menthol or Newports from the Res. I was still spending more that I would in Texas so I started smoking Signal Menthol's. IMO Seneca’s are just nasty.
How quickly will I adapt to the winters here? Coming from North Texas, we usually get a few inches of snow during the winter, but obviously Buffalo is a whole 'nother story.
Think about how hot the summers are in Texas. Think about how you can’t wait for the temps to start dropping and how you cannot stand another day of 100+ temps. You want to go outside and enjoy the sun but it’s just too hot to do it again. Now reverse it. You’ll be sick of temperatures under 30. You want to get our of the house but do you really want to deal with the snow another day?
I think it’s an even trade off. I was sick of the scorching summers there and I’m sure I will be sick of the frigid winters here. Actually, we’ve had a pretty mild winter so far. It hasn’t been bad at all. I’m just crossing my fingers it’ll sort of skip us this year. lol I hear the summers here are beautiful so I'm looking forward to that.
In the long run, how much does a decent house in a middle class area generally cost?
I have no idea as I just moved here and am currently renting. A lot of houses here are sided. You won’t see as much brick as you do in TX. This house looks like it came right out of TX- maybe b/c of the brick? Anyway, its just shy of $295,000. Sure you could probably find something cheaper, but this reminded me of TX..
Just thought of another similarity- the tolls. We have tolls here but they are different than TX. You stop at one booth and receive a ticket. You'll stop at another booth (depending on your exit) and pay your toll. The distance you travel will determine the amount you owe. They're a lot cheaper than tolls in TX.
Also if cheap gas and cigarettes are a priority you might want to consider somewhere near a res, but these places are kind of out of the way...I suppose it depends on where you work. I personally like city living here, but I wouldn't pick just anywhere...
Great website to compare specific communities here: Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
As for taxes, Texas only has lower rates because homes tend to cost more. Tax numbers are roughly the same in many instances. In terms of NY, look into STAR, challenge your assessment and if you are a veteran, look into reductions that you qualify for.
Last edited by Yac; 01-24-2012 at 04:44 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sure, we all say it's because of family but I'm sure the scorching hot summers had some influence too 
