Upstate New York
Ava Lawson 
My partner and I are considering a move. We are familiar with OH and western PA but the uncertainties of political changes over the last few years makes us wary of buying there.
I know NY state generally pulls toward a moderate center, and that most governors aren't too wackadoodle. My idea of upstate NY is probably informed by places like Ithaca and Chatauqua, and other charming little towns, but I know there's also faded areas like Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo etc.
So, just wondered from people who know and have lived here or visited there a lot - is it OK? Too hideous to even describe? Is it beautiful during the summer? (Hopefully we'll be somewhere warm during the 111 inches of snow winter seasons.)
| by Anonymous | reply 101 | December 2, 2022 3:07 AM |
It's awful up there. They love guns, hate gays, blacks and Democrats.Hope you enjoy Lee Zeldin representing you.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | October 12, 2022 2:32 PM |
Only positive think I can say about Rochester is that it is headquarters to Wegmans supermarket and you will not have to search very hard to find one.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | October 12, 2022 2:36 PM |
What you need is a place with good local and state government, regardless of which party controls them. New York and Pennsylvania can be ruled out at a state level, so your best bet is probably somewhere in Ohio.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | October 12, 2022 2:36 PM |
If you stick to areas near to universities, you'd be okay.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | October 12, 2022 2:39 PM |
It depends how "up" you go, OP. From my experience rural upstate NY is green and dead and dreary.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | October 12, 2022 2:42 PM |
"charming little towns" are usually run by assholes OP.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | October 12, 2022 2:44 PM |
Clearly R2 is clueless. First recommendation, don't get info on anything of importance to you from an anonymous website, ie datalounge. Most people are woefully ignorant about geography, especially here regarding "upstate" NY. But to answer your question, Chipmaker Micron is building a $20 billion factory outside Syracuse. Buffalo has had more outside investment over the past several years than any other upstate city, see DC developer Douglas Jamal's work there and has one of the best medical/bioinformatic campuses in the NE. I can go on, but if your serious look at legit sites for more info.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | October 12, 2022 2:44 PM |
That may well be r7, but it's till Repug country. It's cool that they have nice things though.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | October 12, 2022 2:47 PM |
I’m a completely spoiled and biased Manhattanite transplanted from CT, so take my snobby opinion. I have had occasion to travel to the Schenectady/Albany area recently.
There are beautiful vistas driving in the mountains, but the towns are depressed and depressing. You could find some good farm-fresh food and hiking/fishing. There are decent ski areas.
I saw some attempts at “charming little towns” but they are corny and seedy and second-tier to actual charming little towns downstate. There does seem to be a sense of “community”, but it might be hard to establish it if you’re an “outsider”. Lots of pickup trucks and camo, lots of empty and down-and-out.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | October 12, 2022 2:55 PM |
Rochester has many liberal areas and you can't go more than 5 miles without finding a Wegmans.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | October 12, 2022 3:21 PM |
Jed, move away from there! California is the place you wanna be!
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | October 12, 2022 3:47 PM |
Believe it or not OP, “upstate” isn’t a monolithic area. The Hudson Valley has some beautiful (and pricey!) towns, but central and western NY and the Southern Tier can be pretty depressed and grim—especially in the winter. Would be interested to hear from R9 which “charming little towns” in the Albany/Schenectady area he’s referring to, because there are older suburbs in that region—particularly Delmar and Niskayuna—that are nice, relatively affordable, and fairly liberal. And it’s an area with a lot of colleges.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | October 12, 2022 4:01 PM |
R7- It may add up to $100 Billion .
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | October 12, 2022 4:34 PM |
“but the uncertainties of political changes over the last few years makes us wary”
oh god
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | October 12, 2022 4:58 PM |
Op, places like Pittsburgh are liberal oases that are fairly immune to state stupidity.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | October 12, 2022 6:16 PM |
Buffalo and Albany are solidly democratic cities, but plenty of MAGAs in the surrounding areas.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | October 12, 2022 6:58 PM |
As a school teacher, a friend makes more money upstate than the amount she earned while living downstate. She works in a high tax district, that might be the reason, This woman makes $95,000 as a kindergarten teacher.
$95,000 is not much by DL's high falutin' standards, where most posters seem to be millionaires with one, two or three residences, lol, but much more than she was making downstate.
Another friend's social worker son moved upstate, he's in his mid 20s, his starting salary was $60,000. Seems like more than he would have made downstate.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | October 12, 2022 7:11 PM |
There's a very large and educated gay population in Rochester.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | October 12, 2022 7:12 PM |
The winters are brutal, the same kindergarten school teacher friend, needs their own generator. My friend and her family experienced more than a few electrical blackouts.
Anyone considering a move, has to decide how to deal with aging in these sorts of areas. Especially when they can no longer drive. Sure there are car services, but for me, as a person who doesn't drive, I would never consider moving upstate. It's great if you can have second home there, but any move upstate permanently should be fully researched beforehand.
I would also assume anyone considering moving to such an area is now able to work from home..
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | October 12, 2022 7:17 PM |
Check out Geneva, NY, OP.
Beautiful. Near the Finger Lakes/Waterfalls. Seemed historic and classy when I was there some time ago.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 21 | October 12, 2022 7:19 PM |
If you live in a small college town, like Clinton NY, you might be able 1. To stomach it and 2. Get most of what you need in town in the winter.
Yes, the winters are brutal and driving is especially dangerous in the winter there if you are elderly.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | October 12, 2022 7:33 PM |
[quote] Op, places like Pittsburgh are liberal oases that are fairly immune to state stupidity.
Um, no.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | October 12, 2022 8:39 PM |
The Fingerlakes area is gorgeous as is Western NY (where Chautauqua is). But it really cold in the winter. The summers are much more pleasant than in NYC.
Except for the faded cities, most of NY is red politically.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | October 12, 2022 8:57 PM |
Rochester isn't a bad little city. The U of R and Eastman certainly help it. Winters are long and gray, yes.
The Finger Lakes area is gorgeous but cold AF 3 months a year.
Generally, upstate is pretty cloudy. I think Buffalo wins for city with the least hours of sunshine each year. Maybe Seattle beats it.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | October 12, 2022 9:19 PM |
The difference between the vague term "Upstate New York" and "Western New York" explained. There's a map at the link that shows the delineation. Most people in "downstate NY" tend to refer to the rest of the state as "Upstate" when it's really not.
[quote] Western New York is in some contexts considered a sub-region of "Upstate New York" (when that term is used to describe all of New York State outside Long Island and the New York City metropolitan area); in most cases however, New Yorkers identify by specific regionalities such as Western New York or Central New York over vaguer terms such as Upstate New York.
I lived in the suburbs of Buffalo and also in Attica, NY (yes, where the prison is) for over 10 years. There are racist, backwards dickwads there, but then again, I now live in NorCal now (an hour north of SF) and there are plenty of racist, backwards dickwads here too. I really miss it. It's beautiful there year round (especially FALL and summer), although I did have a problem with so many months of grey sky and driving during winter was a bitch. Now I suspect that would be less of an issue with the advent of many jobs becoming more remote, and I now have a disease in which I need to limit myself from prolonged exposure to sunshine (yes, really; no I'm not a vampire).
I really want to move back there, but there are some impediments in my way presently. Cost of living is roughly half of what I pay now (1695 for a converted garage studio as opposed to my daughter who just moved herself and her baby into a 2 bdrm/1 bath upper apt with a yard surrounding the entire house). Gas and food are cheaper too. Utilities can be a bummer though too (AC in summer, heat in winter).
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 26 | October 12, 2022 9:30 PM |
R23…fuck, yeah. Pittsburgh is affordable, gay friendly, with everything you can want from a city without having to fight douche bags to experience it.
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | October 12, 2022 11:00 PM |
R27 Honey, I grew up there and lived there for years. I have forgotten more than you will EVER KNOW about Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh may have small livable areas in the city, mostly slivers of the East End, but affordability went out the window years ago.
For all the new smug assholes that have moved into Lawrenceville and East Liberty and driven up the rents, Pittsburgh is still by and large a racist, homophobic place that hates anything new (bicyclists, new cuisines, anything made or thought of after 1950).
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | October 13, 2022 1:47 PM |
Stay out of Sullivan County. Debra lives there, and you can hear her screeching from Peekskill.
Just another dumbass celebrity pretending to be a rustic farmer.
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | October 13, 2022 1:52 PM |
[quote]R27] Honey, I grew up there and lived there for years. I have forgotten more than you will EVER KNOW about Pittsburgh.
What a meanIngless sentence. I don’t need to know anything about its past to know it’s very livable now.
[quote]Pittsburgh may have small livable areas in the city, mostly slivers of the East End, but affordability went out the window years ago.
You can live (and own a home) in Pittsburgh on $40k. Yup. That’s right. Pittsburgh is consistently ranked as one of the top affordable cities in the country. I don’t live in the tiny sliver of the East End that you speak of and I’m doing just fine. You’re just spewing bullshit on this one.
[quote]For all the new smug assholes that have moved into Lawrenceville and East Liberty and driven up the rents, Pittsburgh is still by and large a racist, homophobic place that hates anything new (bicyclists, new cuisines, anything made or thought of after 1950).
Now I know you’re lying. Not only is Pittsburgh bike friendly with new bike lanes going in around the city, but the city has engaged with vendors on ride share options for bikes, scooters and Vespa like bikes. Clearly you’ve haven’t been back since your childhood or you know about the food scene.
And racism and homophobia? It’s a pretty, chill liberal college city that is far more welcoming than most of liberal America.
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | October 13, 2022 2:44 PM |
What R20, and another commenter said about the weather and aging. You have to be prepared for the brutal winters, especially if you're older. It could get hard.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | October 13, 2022 3:05 PM |
[quote]Rachael Ray lives there
Yet another reason to avoid this area.
| by Anonymous | reply 33 | October 13, 2022 4:39 PM |
Ray and her S&M freak husband also own a home in Tuscany, a 6 acre compound in Southamption and a three apartment combined unit in Union Square in the city. There's yet another home in Lake Luzerne. All this for 2 people. they don't have kids.
Why is RR so rich? Doesn't she simply open up cans and cartons and dump them in pots? She's hardly a chef. Most of her meals are not healthy,. they are loaded with fattening ingredients. Not to mention she always looks so slovenly, her hair is even awful, it's string, thin and always looks dirty. Time for a new hairstyle.
Heard RR earns about $30 million a year from endorsements alone. Not sure what she earns from her TV show and her line of pet food. She's worth over $200 million.
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | October 13, 2022 4:51 PM |
You seem nice, OP. You deserve far better.
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | October 13, 2022 4:57 PM |
You're the dumbest person who ever lived, R30. Fuck yinz.
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | October 13, 2022 6:52 PM |
[quote] Not only is Pittsburgh bike friendly
sooooo bike friendly.....when trump trash yells, "bike fag!" at any number of bikers riding down Penn Ave.
sooooo bike friendly when even a city council person yells at bikers.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 37 | October 13, 2022 6:54 PM |
[quote] You can live (and own a home) in Pittsburgh on $40k.
Sure, if I want to live in McKees Rocks or Carrick or some other stank trash pit. Shit, why not just live in Braddock?
Hell, I can also live in Johnstown for 40K, but I'd rather live on the fucking moon.
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | October 13, 2022 6:55 PM |
Hello OP,
I have a farmhouse in Upstate New York -- Delaware County -- and it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Especially in Summer and Fall, up to October. I would suggest if you have the resources to buy a small house there as well as a condo in a warmer part of the world.
You ask about the politics. It is Republican, but on the whole "old" Republican which is really Democratic, now. Also, Upstate NY, for complex reasons, is very unlike New England, excepting Vermont (which it resembles). It is very iconoclastic, individualistic, with a high tolerance for eccentrics and really no homophobia to speak of.
I agree with an earlier poster to avoid Sullivan County, beautiful but ruined. I would suggest: Greene, Delaware, Chenango. These areas have weekenders, and some year-round New Yorkers, which can be nice.
Villages I would suggest: Coxsackie, Margaretville, Roxbury, Andes, South Kortright, Delhi. All beautiful. Be careful of any house built after WWII, it will probably be poorly built.
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | October 14, 2022 9:57 AM |
I’m a snotty city dweller, so upstate to me means anything south of Albany. Hudson, Old Chatham, Kinderhook, Rhinebeck, Kingston, Tivoli are all lovely but pricier than the other areas mentioned due to their proximity to NYC. You’ll find a ton of annoying people like me in these towns - but they have life (great restaurants, cafes, galleries) and are very gay, especially Hudson.
| by Anonymous | reply 41 | October 14, 2022 10:34 AM |
It wasn't that long ago you could get something lovely in the Kingston area.Well... a few years ago.
| by Anonymous | reply 42 | October 14, 2022 10:56 AM |
[quote]You can live (and own a home) in Pittsburgh on $40k.
You can own a HOUSE. Wish you kids hadn't ruined the English language.
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | October 17, 2022 2:13 PM |
True upstate New York is kind of depressing... big Stefanik country. The Adirondacks are pretty.
| by Anonymous | reply 44 | November 17, 2022 3:33 PM |
Huge, historic snow likely for parts of upstate New York, esp. Buffalo. Potentially 50" of snow for Buffalo. In November.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 45 | November 17, 2022 3:36 PM |
[quote]My idea of upstate NY is probably informed by places like Ithaca and Chatauqua, and other charming little towns, but I know there's also faded areas like Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo etc.
The towns are "charming" if you have money. Go down the hill in Ithaca and in certain areas, and it's like the rust belt. The economy sucks for working people in this country everywhere and there's a lot of despair. Ithaca used to have a manufacturing plant (guns, I think) that employed a lot of people - but I don't know what people are supposed to do to survive any more, with no manufacturing left in a lot of places. Work at undignified service jobs, mostly. Good luck, anyway.
| by Anonymous | reply 46 | November 17, 2022 3:48 PM |
The Taconic State Parkway is especially lovely!
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | November 17, 2022 3:58 PM |
I live in Buffalo, NY which is not upstate — it’s the Southern tier, or Western NY.
There are so many pro’s here like: low cost of living, no traffic, no crowds, fresh air, friendly people, and generally a more calm/relaxing lifestyle . If you like the outdoors, NY state has so many terrific state parks and areas for walking, hiking, getting outside and again — no crowds!!
The downsides are: yes, there are Republicans up here and a lot of people driving pick-up trucks with hunting equipment in them. They’re not going to bother you but be aware they are all around. It’s not a wealthy or tourist area so don’t expect a lot of “charming” downtown villages with expensive restaurants and tasteful shops. Yes, it snows a lot and it’s very cold. Summers are short.
| by Anonymous | reply 48 | November 17, 2022 4:15 PM |
It really depends on what you're looking for OP -- native New Yorker here; my younger brother went to Syracuse for college, married a local and stayed. I've visited once or twice a year over the last 2 decades -- it's inexpensive to buy a house, there are lots of bars, they get ridiculous amounts of snow. Most middle class people live in the ring of suburbs, not so much in Syracuse proper. Aside from the University there's not much downtown and thee is one "old factory loft conversion" area but not many people live there. Neighborhoods with the late 19th / early 20th cant housing stock tend to be poor. There are Democrats, but my sis-in-law admits that most people there are a bit provincial and sheltered just because of the demographics and the way most of America tends to self-segregate.
I live in Harlem and find it kind of depressing, but my brother always feels stressed out in NYC -- so different strokes.
| by Anonymous | reply 49 | November 17, 2022 4:22 PM |
I have friends who live in Accord, and it's stunning. Apparently during the pandemic, 10,000 Brooklynites snapped up all the real estate there and drove the values up like crazy, so I'm assuming it's more blue there. It's about 30 minutes away from Woodstock, which has some good restaurants.
| by Anonymous | reply 50 | November 17, 2022 4:30 PM |
R48 is not from Buffalo. Bflo is not in the south tier nor would it be considered to be by anyone from the area.
| by Anonymous | reply 51 | November 17, 2022 4:39 PM |
Seems like a lot of people who don’t live upstate flapping their gums without true experience. I live in maligned Sullivan County and couldn’t be happier. We have a gorgeous house on the Delaware. Great lot. Two extra buildings. Good price. Decent taxes. About 15 minutes from Bethel Woods. Progressive. There’s a strong gay community. We’ve made good friends. If you’re open to the possibilities instead of concentrating on limitations (10 miles to major stores, a drive to medical services) go for it. We did and haven’t looked back.
| by Anonymous | reply 52 | November 17, 2022 4:54 PM |
OP Chautauqua is lovely, for a few weeks during the summer or symposia du jour, otherwise, no. Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse…kill me now. You might as well throw in Utica and make it a true tour of hell.
Consider Snedens Landing, New Paltz, Cold Spring/Kingston (et al. Hudson Valley), Livingston Manor/Catskills…Greenwood Lake has an earthy charm if you’re looking more down market.
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | November 17, 2022 6:05 PM |
Go further south. Cold Spring, filled with gay men and antique stores. Right in the beautiful Hudson River Valley.
A much better choice.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | November 17, 2022 6:09 PM |
Kingston is a dump with one of the highest murder rates in the country. Beacon is a better option but not cheap.
| by Anonymous | reply 55 | November 17, 2022 6:10 PM |
Four feet of snow accumulation predicted for upstate New York (Buffalo, etc.) this, the weekend before Thanksgiving!
| by Anonymous | reply 56 | November 17, 2022 6:31 PM |
Cost of living vs remoteness. Much of upstate is truly isolated. Not that Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, etc aren’t livable - but you do feel kinda trapped. Depends if you want a 700 square feet 1BR near the/a major city or a 3BR+ big house far away from major metropolises. I’ve tried both - and for me, I realized I would sacrifice the space to live in an area that I enjoy.
| by Anonymous | reply 57 | November 17, 2022 6:34 PM |
I swear we have a new one of these threads every other month. I grew up in the cow-desert between Rochester and Syracuse so I always notice them and comment on them. I could see myself retiring in Rochester someday - having grown up in it I really don't mind the snow. And anyway it won't be as bad in the warming decades to come! Probably smart to start heading northward now
| by Anonymous | reply 59 | November 17, 2022 7:04 PM |
I never go farther north than Peekskill!
| by Anonymous | reply 60 | November 28, 2022 3:29 AM |
I know someone who moved to Olivebridge, know anything about that area?
Seems like they made a huge mistake, but won't admit it. They work from home, that's not the problem.
| by Anonymous | reply 61 | November 28, 2022 5:24 AM |
There was a Diane Keaton movie about this.
| by Anonymous | reply 62 | November 28, 2022 5:42 AM |
It is common for nyc families to have an upstate cabin. To permanently relocate there is a different story. I suggest you get a cabin in the winter to see if you can survive. It is a lot of work to maintain property in the winter, and money.
| by Anonymous | reply 63 | November 28, 2022 5:49 AM |
[quote]What is the problem [R61]?
Upstate NY, in general, doesn't seem like a place where one can remain as they age and are no longer able to drive. This person grew up in Manhattan, walked everywhere and when they didn't do that, they took public transportation. Also, it gets freezing cold upstate and the snow is usually much worse than downstate. All this is amplified as we age and lose mobility. Of course, not every older person slows down, my 87 year old neighbor still drives.
I would also wonder if the hospitals are good upstate NY. This person had cancer, most of their doctors are at Sloan-Kettering. Which means if there's anything which requires a series of tests which cannot be done in one day, they'd have to stay downstate for a few days.
There are many problems with living upstate NY. I could never do it. Upstate NY seems like a place where it would be better to have a weekend home than to live there permanently, especially for people who grew up downstate.
| by Anonymous | reply 65 | November 28, 2022 10:45 PM |
The answer to the question is easy; just don't go all the way up; about 50 to 70 miles northwest of the The City is great.
It even goes over the border to PA and NJ and involves 4 counties:
Orange County and Sullivan County in New York.
Pike County in PA.
Sussex County in NJ.
These form a 4 county quadrangle just 2 hours from New York City.
| by Anonymous | reply 66 | November 28, 2022 10:53 PM |
What’s the Mohawk valley like
| by Anonymous | reply 67 | November 29, 2022 3:21 AM |
It's harsh and economically depressed, R67
| by Anonymous | reply 68 | November 30, 2022 1:36 AM |
[quote]Upstate NY, in general, doesn't seem like a place where one can remain as they age and are no longer able to drive. This person grew up in Manhattan, walked everywhere and when they didn't do that, they took public transportation. Also, it gets freezing cold upstate and the snow is usually much worse than downstate. All this is amplified as we age and lose mobility.
[quote] There are many problems with living upstate NY. I could never do it. Upstate NY seems like a place where it would be better to have a weekend home than to live there permanently, especially for people who grew up downstate.
R65 What do you think all the people who live there do? It's not the Yukon. There are many problems with living downstate or in the city, also.
| by Anonymous | reply 69 | November 30, 2022 2:12 AM |
I hope you love winter OP. It lasts really long and is full of huge, long snowstorms.
| by Anonymous | reply 70 | November 30, 2022 2:16 AM |
It's burying us now in northern Wisconsin. Got a foot already, it's been snowing for hours. Isn't going to stop until morning. I'm so tired of digging out of this shit. It's headed that way next. Enjoy!
| by Anonymous | reply 71 | November 30, 2022 2:22 AM |
People are buying in more rural areas in NY.
I think these people want to still have a flat in NYC too.
| by Anonymous | reply 72 | November 30, 2022 2:28 AM |
I was raped in Peekskill.
| by Anonymous | reply 73 | November 30, 2022 2:29 AM |
I love people telling OP to move to Hudson Valley instead. Isn't Hudson Valley a lot more expensive? I'm sure OP is looking further Upstate because it's cheaper and within his budget.
| by Anonymous | reply 74 | November 30, 2022 2:31 AM |
[quote][R65] What do you think all the people who live there do? It's not the Yukon. There are many problems with living downstate or in the city, also.
These people are used to living upstate, they put up with the inconveniences because that's all they know. Didn't you read the rest of my post? Does everything have to spelled out to the comprehension impaired at DL?
I was mostly referring to NYC people who grew up in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and even Long Island, people who can literally walk to a store. Don't have to worry about getting snowed-in or needing generator.
There are lots of city people who drive, but don't have cars, while others who live downstate, never learned to drive.
A friend who grew up on Long Island, lived in Brooklyn for awhile, he then bought a house on LI. He loves to walk, he sometimes walks to stores in his LI town. Of course, if he has to go food shopping, or buy a lot of items, he uses his car.
Upstate seems very problematic for us 'city folk'. Got that?
| by Anonymous | reply 75 | November 30, 2022 3:04 AM |
[quote]People are buying in more rural areas in NY. I think these people want to still have a flat in NYC too.
Which translates to: not having to put up with outages, needing a generator and 20 feet of snow. People who can afford two residences, can remain in NYC when it gets too horrendous upstate NY
| by Anonymous | reply 76 | November 30, 2022 3:10 AM |
NY State is HUGE, OP! "Upstate" to people in NYC means anything north of the city and Long Island. So that's a lot of ground to cover. Even Hudson Valley/Caskills is a huge area, with part on one side of the Hudson and another part on the ohter side, and very different.
THen you have Syracuse, Ithaca, Rochester and Buffalo metro areas....all different.
And why are people talking a out Pittsburgh in a thread about NY State?
| by Anonymous | reply 77 | November 30, 2022 3:25 AM |
R75 you sound unbearable.
| by Anonymous | reply 78 | November 30, 2022 1:54 PM |
Being unable to drive is not problematic, because learning to drive is easy.
| by Anonymous | reply 79 | November 30, 2022 2:18 PM |
Well for people used to urban living that can walk for most things having to drive everywhere is a big lifestyle change r79.
However it's a silly complaint for this thread, anyone interested in moving to Upstate NY knows they aren't going to have a walkable lifestyle.
| by Anonymous | reply 80 | November 30, 2022 2:24 PM |
Hudson is too far. South of Poughkeepsie is livable - still connected to NyC. I know many eldergays who sold their real estate equity in NYC for retirement funds and moved up there. Isolating - far. Many better options IMO. Even outside Philly - at least still connected via public transit to Philly and NYC, top notch health care and not necessarily car dependent.
| by Anonymous | reply 81 | November 30, 2022 5:53 PM |
Live on the Metro-North, and you'll be just fine!
| by Anonymous | reply 82 | November 30, 2022 6:43 PM |
[quote][R75] you sound unbearable.
Not unbearable at all sweet cheeks, just an extremely sensible person. Most of my friends and family who left the city to live in 'the country' now regret their move.
These 'city people' never planned out how they will live as they age, become ill etc. In fact, one of them is now dealing with some rare cancer, which cannot be treated upstate. This young man, early 30s, who is ill, spends more time in Manhattan staying with a family member because the rare cancer cannot be treated where he lives on a 'family compound' upstate. His parents have three houses on their property.
Face facts, upstate NY doesn't always work out for everyone who moves there. Why argue?
| by Anonymous | reply 83 | December 1, 2022 3:31 AM |
DL, where people truly don't understand how anyone could live outside of the NY metro. Never change.
| by Anonymous | reply 84 | December 1, 2022 3:39 AM |
I recently did a quick work trip to the Thousand Islands region, just across the St. Lawrence river from Canada.
I stayed in Alexandria Bay. Very charming, but a tad touristy. Seemed like a lovely place to live, but not for me, because I cannot do cold weather.
| by Anonymous | reply 85 | December 1, 2022 3:51 AM |
[quote]Being unable to drive is not problematic, because learning to drive is easy.
I swear, reading comprehension on DL is non-existent. I stated, many of these people who moved upstate from Manhattan and the other boroughs, were older and never learned to drive. You try learning to drive in your 60s and beyond. People become slower or have illnesses which affect their mobility.
A n older relative who has lived on Long Island since the 1970s, drove everywhere, they've developed vertigo and recently stopped driving. Not sure how they will now get around. Car service? Friends? Two of their adult children live in Manhattan, while the others left NY years ago. Peoples lives change, it's not too difficult to understand this.
As far as non-drivers, two close friends, gay married men in their early 40s, do not drive. They never learned to drive. They shop with a cart or they simply have their food delivered.
Why are people at DL so obstinate, they refuse to comprehend that a lot of New Yorkers do not drive and have no desire to do so? I'm sure this is true of people in other states who grew up in metropolitan environments, they never learned to drive.
| by Anonymous | reply 86 | December 1, 2022 3:51 AM |
[quote]I'm sure this is true of people in other states who grew up in metropolitan environments, they never learned to drive.
Not really. There is nowhere else quite like NY. New York is the only city in America in which the majority of people do not own a car. And the top two car free cities after NY? Jersey City and Newark, part of the NY metro.
Most of America really loves their cars.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 87 | December 1, 2022 4:06 AM |
What about the Capitol District and Saratoga?
| by Anonymous | reply 88 | December 1, 2022 4:13 AM |
R83 is the definition of a snowflake! In fact there are more snowflakes like that in NYC than in any lake effect snow fall!!!
| by Anonymous | reply 89 | December 1, 2022 2:18 PM |
R86, I posted that remark in response to your post R75. You wrote: Upstate seems very problematic for us 'city folk'. Got that? I responded by observing there's an easy solution.
There's no reference to older people there. You are under the misapprehension everybody reads every post you write.
Newsflash, hon: you're not as interesting or as insightful as you think and - now you're going to have to be very, very brave - if you can fall out of love with yourself briefly you may find that, in this great big world, your experience isn't the only experience.
| by Anonymous | reply 90 | December 1, 2022 3:47 PM |
R88 There are walkable neighborhoods in Albany/Troy/Saratoga and decent healthcare (unless you have a rare cancer, I guess).
| by Anonymous | reply 91 | December 1, 2022 5:27 PM |
Micron just announced over 100 billion investment in the town of Clay 9000 jobs
| by Anonymous | reply 92 | December 1, 2022 6:29 PM |
Vermont is where you should go.
| by Anonymous | reply 94 | December 1, 2022 9:48 PM |
[QUOTE] As far as non-drivers, two close friends, gay married men in their early 40s, do not drive. They never learned to drive. They shop with a cart or they simply have their food delivered.
Yeah I knew someone like that. One partner refused to learn to drive so everything had to be oriented around him. They lived in a bad neighborhood because it was in walking distance of the bus stop.
| by Anonymous | reply 95 | December 1, 2022 9:51 PM |
I remember Billy Eichner talking about how he doesn't have a license, even when he moved to LA he refused to start driving.
| by Anonymous | reply 96 | December 1, 2022 10:23 PM |
If you want to move "upstate", I recommend Vermont.
| by Anonymous | reply 97 | December 2, 2022 12:31 AM |
[quote]And why are people talking a out Pittsburgh in a thread about NY State?
Because I have a house in NYC, the Hudson Valley and Pittsburgh and can say that Pittsburgh has what Op is looking for and won’t break the bank.
| by Anonymous | reply 98 | December 2, 2022 12:35 AM |
Anything above 163rd Street is upstate to some people.
The best way to learn is to make a road trip in late May/early June. The snow will be gone and the summer people won’t be clogging the Thruway. Start in the Hudson Valley, explore the Capital District, detour on Rt. 20 so you can visit the Beekman Boys in Sharon Springs, zip down to the Southern Tier, visit Elmira, venture forth to Steuben for the glassworks, take the back roads up through the Finger Lakes and head out west. Make a point of getting out of the car and noticing how green everything is. Friends from other parts of the country would always remark on the green of the trees and their beauty in the fall.
There are many beautiful places in Upstate New York. Sometimes Upstaters have the “let’s put ourselves down before anyone else does” attitude, but if I were in a situation where a natural calamity occurred or people needed to join forces for a good cause I’d want an Upstater by my side.
Yes, the weather can be a bit challenging at times. However, the gorgeous summer days with those blue skies, awe inspiring sunsets and millions of trees help make up for it.
There are many employment opportunities there now. One needs to leave the snark behind and have a positive attitude in order to network well and find them.
| by Anonymous | reply 99 | December 2, 2022 2:41 AM |
I never go farther north than Tuckahoe!
| by Anonymous | reply 100 | December 2, 2022 2:45 AM |
I don't mind upstate New York so long as it's in Vermont or Maine.
| by Anonymous | reply 101 | December 2, 2022 3:07 AM |
