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Originally Posted by mcj79
My wife might have a job opportunity in the area, she is originally from upstate NY but we don’t really know the Binghamton/Owego area. How gay/lesbian friendly is the area?? Are there any areas or neighborhoods better then other for a lesbian family? Are there any nice lesbian friendly bars, coffee shops and what not? How open are the schools are there social groups for kids that are open to gay families? We know housing is reasonable priced in general but are not sure on the best areas to live and hang out. Are there any areas were you can be near to dining and night life, shows or sporting events? We are hoping to be able to get a 3+bed, 2+bath, with lots of living space, maybe a game room or finished basement, and a good sized yard for the doggies. Would appreciate constructive feed back on the area.
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I can't tell you too much about what places would be friendliest for a lesbian family. In general, I would say that the city of Binghamton would probably be more lesbian-friendly than rural communities, but that is a **big** generalization and a lot would depend on the individual neighborhood. In any case, because of your desire to be near night life, dining, etc., Binghamton may be a better bet than the surrounding rural areas. Be aware though, that Binghamton isn't exactly the liveliest place for night life.
On the other hand, there has been a huge effort in recent years to make the city artist-friendly, and that has helped to bring more people downtown. The first Friday night of each month there are a bunch of galleries open downtown and there is sort of a festival feeling as people wander from one gallery to the next. I'm personally not that much of an art lover, but I've gone to several of these First Friday events and enjoyed them and the community atmosphere they foster.
One thing you might want to consider before moving to the Southern Tier of NY is that the area has recently been experiencing a huge natural gas rush, due to the possibility that there is a large amount of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, which lies beneath PA, W VA, part of Ohio, and parts of NY. There has been a tremendous amount of hype about the Marcellus; a lot of land has already been leased to gas companies. Whether you view this as a good thing or a bad thing depends on what you think of living in the midst of natural gas development. Some people think it's very exciting and a great thing--they're looking forward to the prosperity that they believe the gas drilling will bring. Others are worried about the possible negative consequences: water and air pollution, increased truck traffic and noise, the possibility of ending up with a well or pipeline in or near your neighborhood, the slight but nonzero chance of accidents at drilling sites, etc. I'm one of those who is very concerned about the possible bad consequences of the drilling.
It's possible, of course, that the hype is just hype, and that large-scale gas development will not take place here. Right now the price of natural gas is low and the leasing seems to have cooled off quite a bit. But that could change if the price goes back up. If natural gas drilling is something you feel you couldn't live with, I would hesitate to move here if I were you. I really hate saying that, since in many ways this is a great place to live: the scenery is beautiful, the air and water are clean, and the people are friendly. My husband and I have been very happy here for more than 20 years, but if the gas drilling goes forward on a large scale, we will probably end up moving to some other area. One additional word of caution: If you do decide to settle near Binghamton and you want to buy property, you should check to be sure that you will own the mineral rights to that property; otherwise, as I understand it, the person who does own those rights could sign a lease with a gas company whether you like it or not.
I'd like to wish you the best of luck and I hope you will be very happy in your new home no matter where you decide to settle!