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Thank you so much, ckhthankgod....that is a very helpful site. Unfortunately, my husband will not like those numbers! We are about an hour south of Scranton.
Perhaps, but I don't think the difference between those places in the Finger Lakes and Scranton are that much different. It sounds like you may be closer to Hazleton, Allentown/Bethlehem or the Stroudsburgs.
My husband and I just came back from a trip in the Watkin's Glen area and absolutely LOVED it. I know we were only there for 4 days and only saw a bit of it (didn't get out of the Seneca Lake region), but I loved the quaint feel of Watkin's Glen, Penn Yan, and even Geneva. I've heard many other areas are equally as charming. We are at a point right now where we are not exactly thrilled with where we are living, and are starting to consider a move. There is nothing to do where we are at and crime is really on the rise. My husband has a job as an electronics worker right now, I have been a stay at home mom for many years, but have an old degree, which I have slowly been updating in medical office assistance. We also have a daughter who will be going into 10th grade. I would be willing to work just about anywhere to be able to live in an area like that, so I certainly wouldn't have to find a medical office. My husband is a bit concerned with the winters, although we have awful winters where we are now, so even a small improvement would be nice! It definitely seems like an affordable area, but I'm not sure how plentiful the jobs are, how good the schools are, or how horrendously awful the winters are. Also, are there better areas near the other lakes? I really prefer the small town feel as opposed to total rural living. Thanks for any info anyone has!
I live in the FLX. Moved here last year. My advice would be to find a job for your husband before moving. Jobs aren't available everywhere. They can be tough to find. Many people here own there own business.
Compared to the rest of NY, the FLX is very affordable. You do have the option of renting a decent house/apartment or purchasing a house. There are plenty of houses for sale for $70K nearby. Sure, you can spend more. With a house that inexpensive, you won't be getting a mansion or a 10 acre lot, but most people aren't looking for those things.
Schools in general are decent. Most are pretty small. So if you're coming from a city, it may be a bit of a shock.
Winter here varies dramatically! Ithaca and Watkins Glen get much more snow that the northern end of the lakes. It also varies depending which lake you're near and which side you're on. There's also elevation differences especially Canandaigua and west that can affect the weather. Rochester gets significantly less snow than Syracuse. I mention this because the lake effect snow does affect the region. It doesn't affect where I am though. I'm far enough west and just south enough of the Thruway that hasn't built up yet.
The southern end gets MORE snow? I thought it was the other way? We definitely won't make a move until he finds ajob. I will work in Walmart or a grocery store if I have to. It would be worth it to get out of our current area and up there! I LOVE it there! I very well may be PMing you in the future. Thanks!
The southern end gets MORE snow? I thought it was the other way? We definitely won't make a move until he finds ajob. I will work in Walmart or a grocery store if I have to. It would be worth it to get out of our current area and up there! I LOVE it there! I very well may be PMing you in the future. Thanks!
Ithaca gets more snow than Geneva. There's larger storms that hit Ithaca and Cortland than Geneva.
There's a Walmart in Canandaigua, Geneva, and Waterloo. Lowe's in Canandaigua and Waterloo also. Wegman's (groceries) in Canandaigua and Geneva. Tops in Canandaigua, Geneva, Waterloo, and Penn Yan. There are numerous mom and pop places as well.
I would recommend visiting several times if possible. Visit during different times of the year. It's different each season, but being from PA it's not very different. Visit several different towns/villages. See which one has the best feel for your family. Keep in mind that many areas are very touristy during certain times of the year. Some people can't deal with that. If you live in the middle of a place like Canandaigua, this may be an issue for some folks. I would find a town that would be my #1 pick to live in. I'd come up with 3 or 4 that would work, then look for jobs.
Also if you're looking to be in tow, then only look at houses IN town. It gets rural really fast around here. Some villages are just a step above rural and others aren't.
One thing about weather here. We don't tend to get hit with Noreasters like Albany and east does. In Geneva, we don't get hit with lake effect snow either. Last winter, we had 2 storms with significant snowfall. And by significant I mean 6"-8". The majority of our snowfall comes from puny snowfall overnight. Many mornings we'd wake up with 1/2"-1" of snow from overnight. Many days it would evaporate by evening. We didn't have any idea this past winter, but once in awhile there's that to deal with. Pretty much the same as PA.
Something to also consider....think of where you like to shop and eat. The chain places. Don't worry about pizza or sandwiches. There's as many pizza joints here as there are fish in the lakes! If you shop exclusively at Target, then that will probably limit where you want to live unless you want to drive an hour to get toilet paper. For some people, this is a big issue. I know people who have to live within 15 minutes of Olive Garden or they can't function.
Seriously feel free to send me a pm. I can give you more details that way. Happy trails!
I definitely want to be in a community setting...not an area that turns into a ghost town in the winter and is insanely crazy in the summer! I loved Geneva when we were there, but is it insanely crazy with college kids?
I'd recommend checking Naples, my favorite FL town... beautiful village dominated by vineyards and the most appealing hills, plus it has easy access to all the western lakes from Keuka westward, close to Bristol for skiing, and reasonably close to Rochester.
I definitely want to be in a community setting...not an area that turns into a ghost town in the winter and is insanely crazy in the summer! I loved Geneva when we were there, but is it insanely crazy with college kids?
Nothing is a ghost town. You do have to remember that the majority of places have small populations. Sounds like you're looking to live in the heart of a village/city. Many areas can be crazy during certain events year round not just summer. Lots happens here year round. We're a year round area. Yeah, we get a lot of tourists during the summer, but some areas have more than others.
Geneva isn't insane with college kids. HWS only has about 2,000 students. Yes, you see them out and about when school is in session. But in generai they're not bad. Ithaca on the other hand is completely overrun with college students. There's about 30,000 of them there! No escaping them there. There's a lot more in Ithaca than Geneva however.
For me, Ithaca is too crazy and too big for me. It's lovely to visit, but man I could never live there. Too crowded for me and way too much freaking traffic. There are some fantastic museums and Cornell programs nearby.
One place that does seem like a ghost town is Watkins Glen. I've been through there a few times a year and it's definitely a summer place. There are people who live there year round, but the population soars in the summer. It's too crazy for me. The older I get, the more country I get!
I'd recommend checking Naples, my favorite FL town... beautiful village dominated by vineyards and the most appealing hills, plus it has easy access to all the western lakes from Keuka westward, close to Bristol for skiing, and reasonably close to Rochester.
Rochester is an hour away. That makes for an awfully long commute especially in the winter. When living here, there's much more to life than the vineyards unless you're looking for booze. Pretty much every town has easy access to the various lakes especially if you're close to 5 & 20. I'm in Geneva and Skaneateles is 45 minutes away. Canandaigua is 20 minutes to the lake. Ithaca is a little more than an hour.
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If you shop exclusively at Target, then that will probably limit where you want to live unless you want to drive an hour to get toilet paper. For some people, this is a big issue. I know people who have to live within 15 minutes of Olive Garden or they can't function. 
