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I know this is a very broad question, but what is it like in Watkins Glen as far as a place to live? Is it easy to get to the larger cities to take advantage of cultural venues? Are the people nice? Is it safe? Is there a decent selection of restaurants? Is it a liberal-minded community? How are the schools (middle and H.S.)?
Just trying to get a general idea at this point. Thanks in advance for any replies!
The next-bigger city is Elmira, although both Ithaca and Corning are within 45 minutes on two lane roads. Mall and box store area is Horseheads/Big Flats on I-86 next couple of exits west of NY 14. Nearest Apple store level shopping is Rochester, or perhaps Syracuse for a change of pace. Ithaca is certainly close enough for dinner out after exhausing the possibilities of more local restaurants.
WG itself is the one Finger Lakes venue that has traffic concerns recognizable to those from larger coastal metros - on summer holidays and weekends, especially race weekends and the Italian Festival. They have now signed a back street runaround in the village. Depending on where you are going, there are gravel or county road bypasses that might help.
Schuyler County is distinctly less politically liberal and ethnically diverse than Tompkins (Ithaca area). It is far more typical of small town-rural America. It is yet far from being a jet set hangout, you don't have to drive far off a main road to see evidence of poverty befitting the Appalachian Region the Federal government assigns the county to.
Much of the tourist traffic misses nearly adjacent Montour Falls village, where the housing stock seems a bit better kept than in WG village. If traffic is too bad you could always ride your bike on the trail over to Walmart in WG. It's in the separate Odessa-Montour school district.
In this area, terms like "larger city" and "cultural venues" are all relative.
It is a little over an hour and a half from WG to Syracuse (city pop. around 150,000), about the same to Rochester (pop. 200,000+). 40 minutes south to Elmira (pop. 30,000), the same east to Ithaca (also about 30,000). I find that a lot of this area just kind of bleeds together into a giant rural area punctuated by Walmarts and other box stores.
In terms of highways, you have the Thruway (I90) to the north and I86 to the south...everything else is 2-lane and relatively rural. There are certain routes that are notoriously treacherous in the winter/bad weather - I don't know them off the top of my head, since I live farther south on the I86 corridor.
The Watkins Glen wineries, state park, and the raceway bring in a variety of visitors, especially in the summer.
I'd agree with the above poster who commented on the conservative small-town nature of the area. I think the people are generally friendly...it might take a while for folks to "warm up," since the area - in terms of residents - can be fairly insular.
There are definitely pockets of poverty. The Watkins Glen school district serves a little over 1000 students, and you can be certain that there will be kids of every economic class in your child's classrooms. (I personally am a fan of smaller districts like this, but I know they are not everyone's cup of tea.) I'm kind of spitballing here, but I'd guess that with that size student population and 16 sports teams, if your child wants to participate in athletics, he/she will get an opportunity to play - unlike at larger schools where athletes have to try out to make a team. I don't hear much about the WG schools in the news down here, either good or bad...
Watkins Glen is great little town if you work, live nearby, or spend a vacation there. It's safe clean, people are nice. Trips to Syracuse/ Rochester are a bit timely, Elmira /Corning are close by but not much going on. Elmira has an Airport so thats handy. Summer time is prime time with great outdoor activities but a bit crowded. You will need a car to get around. Like always, rent for a spell including winter to get the full picture.
We moved to the outskirts of Watkins Glen recently. The folks in town we've dealt with (banking, insurance, dmv, etc.) have been very friendly. Our new neighbors (so few neighbors though) are counted as our friends now. There is definitely an air of poverty in the area, but it seems like family ties, hunting, clean air, space, and community keep most folks happy enough. Don't have school-aged kids so I can't speak for that. I think I do remember just reading in the local paper that WG and Odessa schools are pooling together for a football team next year, both schools lacking he numbers needed for a full team. There is lots of tourism in the area. (That's how we found this place.) Most tourism is about the wineries, racing, and the beautiful state park. A big concern for the town is whether or not to allow Crestwood, which has taken over US Salt, to store LPG in the empty salt caverns. Oh, the drama! Seems like fracking is being held at bay for now, but who knows which way the wind will blow when political offices change?
The next-bigger city is Elmira, although both Ithaca and Corning are within 45 minutes on two lane roads. Mall and box store area is Horseheads/Big Flats on I-86 next couple of exits west of NY 14. Nearest Apple store level shopping is Rochester, or perhaps Syracuse for a change of pace. Ithaca is certainly close enough for dinner out after exhausing the possibilities of more local restaurants.
WG itself is the one Finger Lakes venue that has traffic concerns recognizable to those from larger coastal metros - on summer holidays and weekends, especially race weekends and the Italian Festival. They have now signed a back street runaround in the village. Depending on where you are going, there are gravel or county road bypasses that might help.
Schuyler County is distinctly less politically liberal and ethnically diverse than Tompkins (Ithaca area). It is far more typical of small town-rural America. It is yet far from being a jet set hangout, you don't have to drive far off a main road to see evidence of poverty befitting the Appalachian Region the Federal government assigns the county to.
Much of the tourist traffic misses nearly adjacent Montour Falls village, where the housing stock seems a bit better kept than in WG village. If traffic is too bad you could always ride your bike on the trail over to Walmart in WG. It's in the separate Odessa-Montour school district.
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