Plattsburgh NY v. Burlington VT; Is it really cheaper to live on the NY side? (appointed)

[RTgirl]

OK So I really like Burlington. And Vermont for that matter.

The move from up from LI has gone well and we're settled in with no thoughts of returning to Long Island. Probably ever. (And yet already I'm thinking about the next move! I'm so bad.)

I've only driven though Plattsburgh a few times so maybe I've not seen the cool part of it, but it looks like... well ... upstate NY. (Big bonus points for the Target however.)

We both work in Burlington 3 nights a week, and plan to stay in Burlington for work at least another year or two- maybe longer. 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/building a house and it looks way cheaper to do so on the NY side.

But is it worth tacking on 45-60 minutes including 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?
How does Plattsburgh stack up to Burlington other than obviously smaller in size?
Is there no contest?
If you think it's better, can you tell me what's good about it other than the cheapness of it?
Did I drive through on a bad day and I have the wrong impression?

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.

Is Plattsburgh a doable practical compromise, or will we be disappointed and annoyed by the commute?
Should I just cough up the cash and stick it out to be in Burlington?
Or should we eat the commute and come over to NY?

I like to be on the smart side of the financials, but not at the expense of my standard of living and overall happiness.

Your opinions please..... Thanks!

[nunoco]

Originally Posted by RTgirl

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, sounds like. Investigate it for yourself.
And good luck.
Because I think, if you take a long look, it will be a difficult decision.

[wondertrev]

No comparison when it comes to the cost of housing. You also have fewer hippie, freaky types in Plattsburgh, and much less serious crime (there must be a correlation on between those 2 points). If you're already going to be in Burlington for work, you'll have plenty of opportunity too eat out or see a show in Vermont.
As far as skiing, Vermont is great, but easily accessible. On the NY side, you have Whiteface, Titus, and Gore easily accessible.
As far as the commute goes, I know coworkers at SUNY who come over from VT, and I have neighbors that commute to VT. Many buy a beater car (old Honda or something) and leave that on the opposite side of the lake. Over a couple of years it's probably a wise move. Also, remember that you can get discount ferry tickets at the student center at SUNY.
In my view, the only advantage to VT is the gun laws.

[RTgirl]

(and as posted on the VT forum)

So here's an update for those of you who probably don't care. I've been hanging out a on both sides of the lake the past few months....

I am big enough to admit when I have wrongly judged a town, and I think that Plattsburgh is looking more likely every day.

The chimichanga I had Smoked Pepper last night might have put it over the top.

DH is definitely going to be taking classes there and we just gotta figure out the logistics of living there and working in Burlington.

I'm not quite sure how to put this but, Burlington proper might just be "too cool" for me. I like the idea of Burlington, but on most days I'm happy to stay put on my side of the river in Winooski. Plattsburgh has a similar manageableness that I can dig. And the fact that I might be able to buy a house over there instead of renewing yet another $1500/mo lease is very very appealing. (If I can figure out how to get a frigging mortgage... that's another post)

I'll still work in Burlington, but I've found a lot of nurses that do the commute without a problem. It's an hour. The ones that don't like the drive have a little crash pad that they split each pay a few hundred a month for which might be an option.

I'm still thinking about it. But I want to say thanks to everyone for their input and apologize for whatever implied or actual Plattsburgh bashing I may have done in the past. I stand corrected!

[nunoco]

Good luck, RTg, with the move and the mortgage!
And don't apologize. Your post opened up a good (and needed) discussion.