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Old 11-12-2007, 05:29 PM
 
3 posts, read 14,203 times
Reputation: 12

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This is a broad question but any replies would be sincerely appreciated.

Myself and my fiance, who grew up on family land near Cooperstown, are thinking of moving back to his land to raise our (prospective) children and make our life there. The land is about 20 minutes from Cooperstown and Cherry Valley depending on where we decide to build. I understand it's about an hour-ish from Ithaca.

So my question is this: what is life like for families w/young children? More specifically, we are quite liberal (we've both been living in Seattle for over a decade) and would want to find alternative schools in the area (like Montessori, Waldorf or similar) and are hoping to find like minded folks in their late 20s, 30s early 40s to get to know and be in community with.

We're not extreme hippies but yes our values lean in a DIY, Green, Liberal direction.

I'm from Cape Cod, MA but went to college in Western Mass (Hampshire College in Amherst) and one of our primary reasons to move back is our belief that even public schools in NY and MA are far superior to schools out west (sorry Seattle but it's true!!).

Can anyone offer any input on liberal lifestyles, schools, natural markets and so forth.
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Old 11-12-2007, 06:19 PM
 
Location: state of enlightenment
2,403 posts, read 5,227,737 times
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Hi. I live in Oneonta, about 20 miles south. There are organic farms, natural food stores, yoga classes, anti-Bush signs everywhere. If that's not enough like you say there's always Ithaca. You've got the right idea. When gas is $10/gal in the not too distant future with farm skills you'll be ahead of the game. You'll be able to produce your own biodiesel and if worse comes to worse hitch up the mule team. Haven't seen much alternative energy interest aside from proposed wind farms. If you have any specific questions please feel free to ask.
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Old 11-12-2007, 11:26 PM
 
Location: Capital Region - NY
52 posts, read 246,007 times
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IMO, I think that you would be happy in Ithaca. Very liberal, crunchy, clean living. Cooperstown is also nice, but I think that Ithaca may fit your bill a bit better.
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Old 11-28-2007, 11:55 AM
 
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Thank you! Yes, our plan is to grow our own food and live in a sustainable straw bale home that we build ourselves. We probably will do a bio-d conversion on a diesel truck we have.
But Cooperstown/Cherry Valley is where the land actually is... But it sounds like the right place for us. I'm also a home based travel agent and might find an agency to work with in Oneonta.

Thanks again!
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Old 11-28-2007, 03:33 PM
 
Location: NY
417 posts, read 1,887,397 times
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You may have to do some looking to find like minded folk (strawbale, self-sufficiency, Montessori) now, though Oneonta is a pretty progressive place (of course it ain't Ithaca), but I think the population of like-minded people will only grow. You won't find the lifestyle 'ready-made,' but you'll be in near the ground floor with it. We live west of Oneonta, but I still spend a good deal of time in NYC (our plan to extract ourselves completely is taking longer than we hoped), and I've talked to many intelligent, progressive, green-minded young people who want out of the rat-race. And I'm not talking about the 'make a bunch of money and build a country mcmansion' types. The area around Oneonta/Cooperstown and to the west is attractive to many of these people- its far enough from NYC and not 'hot' enough with the types who want a Martha Stewart (tm) country house to entertain on the weekends at that it is somewhat affordable. Cooperstown is fairly nice, but there is a kind of corporate/ESPN vibe underneath it all. I remember going to the Hall of Fame and the Farmer's museum many, many years ago and Cooperstown had a sort of slightly musty, anachronistic feeling. Then I passed through one summer ten or so years ago and thought, 'hmmmm, seems to be changing....' and now it has really changed. Lots of RVs, Hummers and pleated khaki pants around induction time! But it is just off the beaten path enough that things can only go so far!
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