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Just wanted to put my two cents in..was raised in Rochester, moved out west for a change a few years back, and can definitely say that suburban Rochester's quality of life in terms of raising a family, lack of traffic, short commute times and cheap housing despite the high property taxes justify its position for middle class families. Granted, while the economy is sub par compared to the rest of the nation--the southern tier sure makes it look good though!--I have faith that relatively low tax suburbs like Henrietta can turn the place around, slowly but surely. While I'm in the process of moving to the southeast, I will say at least upstate doesn't have to deal with alot of nasty problems most of this nation faces, from overcrowding schools, disgusting traffic, rampant road rage, and illegal immigration. Granted they are present, but are minuscule compared to the Southwest.
At least the bad areas are concentrated in the city, and you know where to avoid them. In places like New Mexico and Arizona, it's very hard to find neighborhoods with the same kind of safety a place like Pittsford or Webster has. If I ever am lucky enough to get an offer to move back, I just may do it for the sake of knowing there's still a safe place to raise a family.
This is well put. It's always comforting to see the two extremes in the pro or anti Rochester forums as usual. I think it's accurate to say that the quality of life in Rochester for a middle-class family is great. Like paleo99 said, you can get back and forth to work quickly and safely, housing is cheap, crime is low in suburbia, etc etc etc. That's great for all the people who enjoy their families and want safe comfortable lives.
Are you going to find a high-entertainment, lively and fun downtown...no. You'll have a few things to do on the weekends, but you're not going to be thrilled and blown away. You're also not going to find a powerhouse economy with 10 Fortune 500 companies or Miami weather. You're dealing with a belt of cities that have experienced a tough and rude awakening within the past 50 years. They're slowly stabilizing, but it's going to take time. What this survey (which I don't know that I agree with) is trying to say is "here are the cities where you can have a very good quality of life if you're in the middle class". Nothing more, nothing less. You're not getting NYC ammenities, Charlotte population growth or a DC economy...you're getting a good quality of life in the metro (aka suburbia...Greece, Mendon, Webster, etc...).
This is well put. It's always comforting to see the two extremes in the pro or anti Rochester forums as usual. I think it's accurate to say that the quality of life in Rochester for a middle-class family is great. Like paleo99 said, you can get back and forth to work quickly and safely, housing is cheap, crime is low in suburbia, etc etc etc. That's great for all the people who enjoy their families and want safe comfortable lives.
Are you going to find a high-entertainment, lively and fun downtown...no. You'll have a few things to do on the weekends, but you're not going to be thrilled and blown away. You're also not going to find a powerhouse economy with 10 Fortune 500 companies or Miami weather. You're dealing with a belt of cities that have experienced a tough and rude awakening within the past 50 years. They're slowly stabilizing, but it's going to take time. What this survey (which I don't know that I agree with) is trying to say is "here are the cities where you can have a very good quality of life if you're in the middle class". Nothing more, nothing less. You're not getting NYC ammenities, Charlotte population growth or a DC economy...you're getting a good quality of life in the metro (aka suburbia...Greece, Mendon, Webster, etc...).
I don't know why people say Rochester weather is so terrible! From mid april through the end of october Rochester weather is way better than Miami, thats 6 months. November through mid april Miami is better, also 6 months. Winters are not too good in Rochester but summer and fall are horrible in Miami. Nightlife is not too bad in rochester also, I am never bored at all there.
THANK YOU....Miami style weather? who wants that?!?!?! Its humid as hell almost all year, no real change in seasons (except for hurricane seasons). Rochester, and all of upstate NY has FOUR seasons, yet for whatever reason, it is always mocked and essentially looked down because of winter. It was a beautiful day here today, sunny and 78 degrees......oh gee, what HORRIBLE weather this region has.
Secondly, I suppose good weather is just an opinion. I lived there for nearly 30 years, and I hate Rochester weather. If you like snow or cold weather, then I suppose Western NY is for you. It often snows through April, especially when you've had enough of the snow, another storm rips through. May is cool still, mostly comprising of moderate rainy days, where lows still dip into the low 40s. You can really only count on Memorial Day to Labor Day, as there have been MANY summers that have been cold on both ends. Oh, and let's not forget everyone freaking out during the cold summers because they have to wait a very long time for the next one. Then, you lose your summer to have 60 days of fall, and then it's freezing again in early November.
It may have been nice yesterday, but the average weather in Rochester is no fun:
I think you are exaggerating a bit. April will get some snow but most of the days are fine. May is not mostly rainy either. Many summers are not cold. Most summers are fine with averages in the 80s and 70s. I don't remember any summer were people were freaking out because it was cold. Early November is not freezing either.
If you blow the weather out of proportion like you did above it looks bad. If you look at it realistic, its fine, if you like the winter from December to March.
I'm sorry, I forgot to mention the 95 inches of snow and the depressing average of 61 days of sunshine (average over last 55 years for completely sunny days). Perfect for snow-mobiling, skiing, going to movies, etc...
I think you are exaggerating a bit. April will get some snow but most of the days are fine. May is not mostly rainy either. Many summers are not cold. Most summers are fine with averages in the 80s and 70s. I don't remember any summer were people were freaking out because it was cold. Early November is not freezing either.
If you blow the weather out of proportion like you did above it looks bad. If you look at it realistic, its fine, if you like the winter from December to March.
I don't see where I was exaggerating at all. If you look at the average low for April, it's 35 degrees. I was saying that it isn't uncommon to get snowstorms in April toward the end. Let's not forget that May is spring, where it rains a lot. May gets 2.85 inches of rain, which leads into 3.36 inches for June. Some of the rainiest months a year. By November 14th indicates that the average (taken by the National Weather Service over the last 50+ years) is 33 degrees for the low. This means that it's also not uncommon to get freezing temperatures before that, and it's often freezing on a consistent basis by mid-November.
Mix some personal experiences in there, and you have, what I consider to believe non-ideal weather. I don't see where I've exaggerated. You can get all this information from the links I posted above.
Not to nit pick but those are lows. You generally see lows in the morning before anybody wakes up. During the day and early evening its not that cold. Unless you are up and running around at 5 am, you won't have to deal with those temperatures. Its also not freezing consistently by mid-november. You usually don't see that until December. I'm sure you've seen plenty of times where we will get a small dusting of snow in November or December but then melts by 9 am.
I know of the weather websites and you seem to be selectively picking certain data and applying it generally.
I definitely agree that they're lows. However, you can't say that people are fully enjoying spring in April, as there are frequently snow storms, even toward the end. November gets cold. It does consistently freeze at night-time! That's a fact!
Rochester has a continental climate with extreme weather. Summers are warm and winters are cold. Summer lasts for three months, and there have been bad summers. I've heard complaints about the weather from family, friends, co-workers, random community members, etc over the years... If you like the weather in Rochester, that's fine. Don't try to make it into a five-month summer location though! Summer is bordered by short falls and springs and winter, on the other end, is the longest and most abundant season.
I do not agree with you at all. I never see "frequent" snow storms in April. I still think you are blowing things out of proportion a bit. You get warm weather form mid May until September. I can't remember a "bad" summer. This is coming from somebody that hates heat too. I look forward to the mild weather. Its Mild in October, November, April and May. Its only really cold from December to March with a few days or weeks that make exception. Winter is not the longest at all. Sorry, I just can not agree with what you say.
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