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I'm moving to Binghamton from Oak Park, IL, this August for a PhD program. I've secured an apartment for the first academic year, but I'll be looking to buy a house before the lease is up. Can anyone recommend a nice area around Binghamton that is maybe a bit closer to Syracuse? I will be in NYC fairly often and would like to be a little closer to Hancock Airport than I would be if I stayed in Binghamton. Of course, I also don't want to have to drive an hour to get to Binghamton U. campus. I'm looking for something in between, maybe a bit closer to campus than the airport.
I'm not a super rural person, but I'm also not super urban. Are there any smallish but cute towns in the area in which I'd like to buy? Something that might be similar to, say, Brattleboro, VT, in vibe? A bit on the artsy side, with maybe a yoga studio, a few restaurants. You know.
There is nothing between Bingo and Syracuse along I-81 that in any way resembles Brattleboro, VT. Ithaca is the apex of a triangle between Bingo and Syracuse and is slightly artsy but it's a 1 hour drive to Bingo in good weather and 1.5 hours to Syracuse. There are no direct flights from Bingo to any NYC airport. You'll have to drive or take a bus.
Homer is the closest thing to fitting due to being a bigger, walkable village with a decent “Downtown”. It does have this art center as well: Center for the Arts | Homer NY
With this said, except for south of the village due to the city of Cortland, it is quite rural once you leave it.
Ithaca is only an hour away from Syracuse, if that via Route 13 to I-81 North. Its airport does have flights to Newark.
I’d even say to look into nice areas of Cortland like the NW portion of the city near Route 281. That area is close to the village of Homer, isn’t too far from Ithaca(about 25-35 minutes) and it isn’t far from the on ramp to I-81 to Syracuse. SUNY-Cortland is nearby as well and it has some events you may be interested in too.
Another thing, Binghamton University is actually in Vestal, which is a solidly middle class town. It isn’t walkable, but if you don’t mind an urban neighborhood, Binghamton’s West Side(south of Main Street) and the western half/two-thirds of the city’s South Side are generally nice, working to upper middle class areas of that city. Both areas are also in close proximity to the BU campus as well. So, that may be something to consider as well.
Closer to Syracuse, the Chenango Valley school district is a solid/nice suburban area just north of Binghamton. Port Dickinson is a village within that SD.
Hope this helps...
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 07-02-2018 at 12:50 PM..
If you want between 'cuse and bingo ( as,tgey are locally called), then really unless you want cow country, Cortland is about your only option. It's on i81 between the two. Whitney point is another consideration, closer to bingo than Cortland, but on I 81 too. The point (as its locally called) is smaller than Cortland and more rural.
Vestal isn't bad at all, the Vestal parkway has,about all you'd want in stores and restaurants.
You can buy a house for $100k-$150k in vestal or anywhere aroubd here, it will just depend on location and preferences of lots of land or a city goid sized lot.
Our real estate market is fairly stable, though recent interest rate hikes has caused a spur of increases. Point here is you may not gain a fortune when you sell after your degree, but you certainly shouldn't lose either.
If you don't mind telling us, where have you secured your apartment?
Even from bingo the cuse airport isn't that far. If would depend on how often you have to go. We usually fly out of Hancock, about a 45 min drive in low traffic.
Also, Manhattan is only a 3-4 hour drive from bingo, either via state rt 17/becoming i86, or down 81 south to Scranton and over.
I have a friend who routinely cones up from the city, he cones up to i86 and across, is here in 3.5 hours from the Bronx.
Homer is the closest thing to fitting due to being a bigger, walkable village with a decent “Downtown”. It does have this art center as well: Center for the Arts | Homer NY
With this said, except for south of the village due to the city of Cortland, it is quite rural once you leave it.
Ithaca is only an hour away from Syracuse, if that via Route 13 to I-81 North. Its airport does have flights to Newark.
I’d even say to look into nice areas of Cortland like the NW portion of the city near Route 281. That area is close to the village of Homer, isn’t too far from Ithaca(about 25-35 minutes) and it isn’t far from the on ramp to I-81 to Syracuse. SUNY-Cortland is nearby as well and it has some events you may be interested in too.
Another thing, Binghamton University is actually in Vestal, which is a solidly middle class town. It isn’t walkable, but if you don’t mind an urban neighborhood, Binghamton’s West Side(south of Main Street) and the western half/two-thirds of the city’s South Side are generally nice, working to upper middle class areas of that city. Both areas are also in close proximity to the BU campus as well. So, that may be something to consider as well.
Closer to Syracuse, the Chenango Valley school district is a solid/nice suburban area just north of Binghamton. Port Dickinson is a village within that SD.
Homer is the closest thing to fitting due to being a bigger, walkable village with a decent “Downtown”. It does have this art center as well: Center for the Arts | Homer NY
With this said, except for south of the village due to the city of Cortland, it is quite rural once you leave it.
Ithaca is only an hour away from Syracuse, if that via Route 13 to I-81 North. Its airport does have flights to Newark.
I’d even say to look into nice areas of Cortland like the NW portion of the city near Route 281. That area is close to the village of Homer, isn’t too far from Ithaca(about 25-35 minutes) and it isn’t far from the on ramp to I-81 to Syracuse. SUNY-Cortland is nearby as well and it has some events you may be interested in too.
Another thing, Binghamton University is actually in Vestal, which is a solidly middle class town. It isn’t walkable, but if you don’t mind an urban neighborhood, Binghamton’s West Side(south of Main Street) and the western half/two-thirds of the city’s South Side are generally nice, working to upper middle class areas of that city. Both areas are also in close proximity to the BU campus as well. So, that may be something to consider as well.
Closer to Syracuse, the Chenango Valley school district is a solid/nice suburban area just north of Binghamton. Port Dickinson is a village within that SD.
You'd need to live very close to an airport to make flying more logical than driving or taking the bus to NYC - it isn't that far and buses run frequently throughout the region due to the number of college students traveling to/from NYC on the regular.
If you are intent on flying, live in Ithaca or Dryden and use the regional airport in Ithaca - but it will make your daily commute around 40-45 min each way
The OP should be aware that housing prices in and around Ithaca are considerably more expensive than around Bingo. A 45 minute commute from Ithaca to BU is unrealistic.
^This is why I mentioned Homer and Cortland, as both are minutes from airports in Ithaca and Syracuse, while still being a reasonable drive to BU(about 40-45 minutes away).
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