Plattsburgh v. Burlington; Does it really financially pay to live on the NY side? (Milton: real estate, rent)

[RTgirl]

OK So I really like Burlington. And Vermont for that matter. The move has gone well and we're settled in with no thoughts of returning to Long Island. Probably ever.

We both work in Burlington 3 nights a week, and plan to stay in Burlington for at least another year or two. But DH is looking at taking classes at SUNY Plattsburgh.

Like the rest of Burlington, the rent we're paying is a bit much for what it is. We're considering buying a house or building it looks way cheaper to do so on the NY side.

But is it worth tacking on 45-60 minutes inlcuding a ferry ride onto a commute into Burlington to get a cheaper place in Plattsburgh? I know plenty of people at the hospital who do it. I'm just not sure I want to be one of them. I'm completely spoiled by my 7 minute commute right now.

I really like Burlington, but our priority is to get DH done with his degree and save up some money.

Is there not much of a difference?
Does Plattsburgh really suck compared to Burlington?
Is this a doable practical compromise, or should I just cough up the cash and stick it out to be in Burlington?

[MRVphotog]

Probably a stupid question but the classes your DH wants to take at Plattsburg are not available at UVM, Champlain or St Mikes or costs too much?

There are cheaper housing costs maybe a 30 min commute from Burlington, would that be any better than commuting from across the lake?

[quickdraw]

Living in Burlington vs living in Plattsburgh-you get what you pay for. Hence the price difference.

[RTgirl]

MRV- Unfortunately Plattsburgh is the only one that offers the particular program he might get into.
I'm looking at places near the interstate in between Burlington and South Hero... Is it sketchy to get over the causeway from South Hero into Milton during the winter?

Quickdraw- I know... I'm not sure if I can bring myself to do it. When I figure in the commute time, the ferry, the aggravation and the Plattsburghness... it might not be worth it in the end. We might just have to downsize to an apt... or work more.


But it's still better than our previous situation in Long Island, so I'm happy about that.

[vter]

Well, there is a Target in Plattsburgh! . You'll have to work out the financials with the commuting - don't forget that you'll have to pay for the ferry. I know for 2 people it's $25 round trip.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by RTgirl

the Plattsburghness...

Yep

But I'd move there in a minute if a loved one needed to go to school there.

Though I'd encourage him/her to get it done as pronto as possible.

[j_jimerino]

I'm not really sure what the taxes shake out too, but for what its worth the real estate seems much cheaper and while the gas tax is a bit higher the roads seemed much better thought out and taken care of.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by RTgirl

OK So I really like Burlington. And Vermont for that matter. The move has gone well and we're settled in with no thoughts of returning to Long Island. Probably ever.

We both work in Burlington 3 nights a week, and plan to stay in Burlington for at least another year or two. But DH is looking at taking classes at SUNY Plattsburgh.

Like the rest of Burlington, the rent we're paying is a bit much for what it is. We're considering buying a house or building it looks way cheaper to do so on the NY side.

But is it worth tacking on 45-60 minutes inlcuding a ferry ride onto a commute into Burlington to get a cheaper place in Plattsburgh? I know plenty of people at the hospital who do it. I'm just not sure I want to be one of them. I'm completely spoiled by my 7 minute commute right now.

I really like Burlington, but our priority is to get DH done with his degree and save up some money.

Is there not much of a difference?
Does Plattsburgh really suck compared to Burlington?
Is this a doable practical compromise, or should I just cough up the cash and stick it out to be in Burlington?

How much would you pay in state income tax living in VT vs state income tax in NY, and is the savings enough to offset the cost of being an out-of-state student at Plattsburgh?

[Djuna]

I'm looking at places near the interstate in between Burlington and South Hero... Is it sketchy to get over the causeway from South Hero into Milton during the winter?

No way, the roads are very well plowed all along US Route 2.

[nunoco]

Since there are two identical threads from RTgirl, and this one has some not-so-veiled Burgh-bashing, I'm reposting what I wrote on her other thread here...

Quote:
Originally Posted by RTgirl View Post
"Is there not much of a difference?
How does Plattsburgh stack up to Burlington other than obviously smaller in size?
Is there no contest?...
We're not suburban, family types with kids- we're mid 30s professional people. We ski, sail, have a huge garden, and drink lots of wine. We like to go out maybe once a month, but not to bars with college kids."

The best answer is, yes, there's a difference, which you've pretty much enumerated.
Is there no contest? It depends on the contest. Not helpful, huh?
The pros: You can definitely ski, sail, have a huge garden and drink lots of wine far more cheaply in Plattsburgh. And if you want to go out once a month, and don't like the Burgh (though I recommend Irises' martini night, Geoffrey's trivia night, and Anthony's Bistro just about anytime, as well as several other places, like Bobby's, where you can get your blue-collar on at the horseshoe pit), Montreal and Burlington are great places to shoot the works.
The cons: I hate commuting. It's one reason I moved here. You can get a monthly ferry pass, but it's expensive. You'll have to research that and do the math. And know that for some strange reason, never explained, gas is more expensive in Plattsburgh. So I just don't know. And you're right; this isn't a great place for 30-somethings, especially singles. Couples without kids? Well, it depends...
The skinny: I've never lived in Burlington, but I've lived in places like it. Those places, and Burlington, are great. Love em. But there's a certain smugness that can bleed into great "lifestyle" towns and blind their inhabitants to truly interesting places elsewhere that may have shabbier covers.
Twenty-five years ago, remember, now-trendy Brooklyn was a place no self-respecting Lower East Side hipster, let alone Upper West Sider, dared set foot in. And now look.
Not saying Plattsburgh is the new Brooklyn, but it has its charms. And it has potential, which it slowly is discovering. The college has some great speakers (and it's a good value for many academic programs). The community supported agriculture is fantastic, if you know where to look. Umm, organic pork. The nature at your doorstep is breathtaking. And there's my personal favorite, a late Friday afternoon beer run to Richard's Bait and Tackle shop. Trust me.
Anyway, the absence of "cool" is actually refreshing; there's nobody to keep up with in Plattsburgh, because, well, your town just got made fun of on Saturday Night Live. But SNL used to make fun of Brooklyn, too.
You have some time to decide, sounds like. Investigate Plattsburgh for yourself.
And good luck.
Because I think, if you take a long look, it will be a difficult decision.