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I am 26 and looking to move out of my parents house and I would like to live somewhere upstate (hudson valley and all places north) Westchester/NYC just to expensive. I can't drive so I am looking for some place that is either very walkable or has descent public transportation and is reasonably affordable. I have a degree in fine art and I am looking to one day open an art gallery so a place that is kind of artsy would be nice. I'm kind of interested in Saratoga (I've been there once and it seemed nice) but I'd like to know some other options. I'm from Utica and looking to get out of here.
Let me suggest Syracuse, NY. It has a reborn, revitalized downtown that has to be seen to be believed. You can buy a house on the SW side of downtown, on the south side of Cheney ST. which borders on a park for a very reasonable sum, for example, about a 15 minute walk (on the bus route) from downtown. I used to live at 113 Cheney - bought it for $7,000 in 1980. I didn't own a car then but had a motorcyle (which I didn't use in the winter, of course). I owned a restaurant in the Armory Square district. The revitalization of downtown Syracuse was just beginning 20-25 years ago but today it has created the kind of environment that I think you are attempting to describe. You are from Utica so you could easily visit this area, I would think, and may even know about it.
Recluse, could you explain why you're so eager to escape Utica? I've heard it's had a long economic decline, but is it unliveable in other ways too? Its crime-rate seems pretty high. Does it feel menacing these days? Any hope of a turn-around?
A lot of the towns I've mentioned before on this site are very walkable--one of the reasons I've asked about/recommended them: Ithaca, Cooperstown, Clinton, Hamilton, Skaneateles, Hammondsport, Canandaigua, Geneseo, Alfred, Geneva (though a few neighborhoods there are rough, most of it is lovely and interesting), etc.
Guess I might as well make my Ithaca pitch. Not so large that you wouldn't be able to get around most the town by foot (but the hills can be a challenge). Very good transit system (bus, TCAT) for a smaller city. Home to Cornell University and Ithaca College (also has some classes downtown for Tompkins-Cortland Community College). Besides the art museums at the schools, there are several galleries in the city. The main downtown area is a pedestrian mall which has both permanent and temporary exhibits.
On the down side, the cost of living is higher than most other upstate cities its size. Low unemployment levels and student off campus housing demands tend to keep rents fairly high. But there are some bargains if you live away from the student areas.
Might not be exatly what you're looking for, but certainly worth investigating. Best of luck.
For Rochester, if you live in the Park Ave, Upper Monroe, or South Wedge neighborhoods, I would say you could walk just about anywhere you would need. The bus service can take you anywhere else. As a plus, all of the busses are equiped with Bicycle carriers so you can bike to the bus stop, load on the bike, travel across town, and ride to your destination. Also the Erie Canal path and Gennesee River trails systems (both paved) link near the University of Rochester. If you are living in the Park Ave area, you are very accessable to downtown as well as to the Memorial Art Gallery.
Another (possible plus) is that Rochester generally gets less whitestuff (snow) compared to Buffalo, or Syracuse.
I think Ithaca would be a great match based on what I've read about it but I've browsed around at some apartment listings and the cost is so much. It seems like you have to be pretty wealthy to live in the nice areas. And Rochester sounds interesting but every time I open the newspaper there's an article about the crime there, even though I've read other posts that say all the crime is confied to a couple of areas, It still makes me feel nervous about being there. I guess I'd have to give the city a visit to see for myself.
What types of ranges were you looking for in apartments? Both in size and cost.
Also don't forget if you are not a NY state person, then the rents will seem high, but the upstate areas are low compared to the rest of the state. Also as has been mentioned in various other messages, Taxes are amongst the highest in the nation here, but that money goes to fund some d*mn good schools and social services (generally speaking).
hey recluse- ive been thinking about ithaca as well...ive been checking craigslist dot com and seems apts are pretty reasonable, good luck in your decision!
I am 26 and looking to move out of my parents house and I would like to live somewhere upstate (hudson valley and all places north) Westchester/NYC just to expensive. I can't drive so I am looking for some place that is either very walkable or has descent public transportation and is reasonably affordable. I have a degree in fine art and I am looking to one day open an art gallery so a place that is kind of artsy would be nice. I'm kind of interested in Saratoga (I've been there once and it seemed nice) but I'd like to know some other options. I'm from Utica and looking to get out of here.
I've been to Saratoga once as well, and it seems nice. Old fashioned, but nice. It's not far from Albany, which is a plus.
I went to college in Saratoga and have not been there for more than 20 years but-it is a very nice town but is a town driven by the college and by the race track. The college keeps it active when school is in session, and the track keeps it active in the summer. It is a walkable town for sure, but employment would consist of the shops/stores/hotels/restaurants/bars (there are a LOT of Bars) or the college. It is under 30 minutes to drive to Albany where more jobs are to be found. But, if you want to stay without a car, I am not sure if Saratoga would be diverse enough for a long-term stay. Sadly, because of the track and college, it does have the feel of a transient town, meaning students, parents visiting, people there for track, etc. A great deal of the economy is also dependent on the above.
Hope this helps, it is a very pretty place to be, but beyond that I think it would be unsatisfying without a car for transportation to other areas.
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