Lesbian Family Friendly Ithaca? (New York, Utica: high crime, daycare, houses)

[Lisa_Ann_4]

My wife and I have a child and are pregnant with our second. We currently reside in a small town in Arkansas while I finish getting my Ph.D. and then we are moving to Ithaca (hopefully). We've found three or four possible houses all around the Ithaca Montessori School and Cayuga Heights Elementary School. By the time we move our daughter will be starting kindergarten and our youngest will be in need of a daycare. She has her teaching degree and I have my psychology degree.
I want to know if the schools there are tolerant or accepting. And if we can find decent jobs or if we'll be seen as outcasts. The schools all say that they are heavy in parent involvement and we are very much a part of our children's activities and lives so would we have to sit alone at ball games or music events or would we be able to make friends? Also a lot of people have said that the schools are very big on social statuses, is that true? We have enough money to live comfortably but we aren't the Trumps.

If you think this isn't the kind of place we would be welcomed in could you suggest other areas? We love the "small town" feel of Ithaca and its a few hours from Manhattan so thats a major point for us also. We don't want to move lower than Virginia though, we do want to stay up East. Shes originally from Queens and has always loved upstate NY and Ithaca.

[ki0eh]

I know the search function isn't exactly the best on here, but believe it or not, there's a previous thread on this topic: //www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...lace-same.html

[Lisa_Ann_4]

Thank you, I didn't even see that post.

But what about on the job front? Will it be hard to start a career there? Is it overpopulated so jobs are hard to come by?

[ki0eh]

Generally Ithaca has low unemployment but tremendous under-employment. It's pretty rare for two spouses both to have salaries commensurate with similar career level positions in metropolitan areas. Of course the cost of housing is somewhat lower than in the northeast corridor metros. It is a small town, it does attract the similarly educated, and if you drive a few miles out of town you can see why the county was included in Federally defined Appalachia.

[ckhthankgod]

Jobs will depend on factors like skills, education and availability. This website might help in terms of your job search: Central New York Jobs

[august schuyler]

I have been living in Oneida County for the past 8 years with the exception of a big mistake moving to high crime tourist trap Santa Fe New Mexico.

I seem to recall that Ithaca used to have a gay community center in a small old cottage like building. I can't find this anymore on the net. Does it still exist or is everything gay comm now thru the colleges-univ?

Also, I am middle aged and starting over financially. Some say Ithaca is snobbish. Will I be snubbed or pretty lonely as an artistic, free spirited, Buddhist, educated poor person in Ithaca? I am still recovering from Santa Fe xenohobia and snobbery.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by august schuyler

I have been living in Oneida County for the past 8 years with the exception of a big mistake moving to high crime tourist trap Santa Fe New Mexico.

I seem to recall that Ithaca used to have a gay community center in a small old cottage like building. I can't find this anymore on the net. Does it still exist or is everything gay comm now thru the colleges-univ?

Also, I am middle aged and starting over financially. Some say Ithaca is snobbish. Will I be snubbed or pretty lonely as an artistic, free spirited, Buddhist, educated poor person in Ithaca? I am still recovering from Santa Fe xenohobia and snobbery.

You would do fine......Ithaca might seem too good to be true for you.

[tchemgrrl]

What little snobbery I can imagine not getting called out in Ithaca is more of the intellectual stripe. Think "what do you mean you don't listen to NPR?" Not so much "Oh, this old thing? It's a [fill in designer name here]." The two can overlap (in, say, discussions of the local Walmart or rural surrounding areas) but from your self-description I don't think you'll have any problem.

[august schuyler]

NPR is almost the only station I ever listen to nowadays--and their BBC late at nite. One of the only places to get the Whole story: should be called "Radio Free NPR".

[august schuyler]

LGBT Bicycling group forming in Utica. Contact via Pride Along the Mohawk website.