Central to Albany Buffalo Pittsburgh with great restaurants (Rochester, Syracuse: 2013, apartments)
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It looks like there are multiple places that fit our wishlist. So now I'm looking for points of differentiation other than obvious stuff like population size.
Such as?
Also, where would you be coming from, if you don't mind me asking?
Also, where would you be coming from, if you don't mind me asking?
Moving from RI.
I'd like to know any differences between Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse besides population size, any differences between the major suburbs like Amherst, Brighton, DeWitt. Differences between smaller cities Ithaca, Binghamton, Auburn, Corning, any others that might be a good match for us.
I'd like to know any differences between Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse besides population size, any differences between the major suburbs like Amherst, Brighton, DeWitt. Differences between smaller cities Ithaca, Binghamton, Auburn, Corning, any others that might be a good match for us.
Providence in terms of city population is actually in between Rochester and Syracuse, but its metro area would be the biggest in Upstate NY in terms of population while being a little bit bigger than the Buffalo metro in land size.
Those suburbs are more like say Warwick or West Warwick in built environment and have their villages/town center type of areas within them.
Those smaller cities are more on par with Newport in city population, give or take.
There isn't much of a Lusophone culture(Portuguese/Brazilian/Azores/Cape Verdean, etc.) in these NY areas like there is in RI, but there is a similar Euro ethnic(Italian, Irish, Polish, German, Ukrainian, Jews, etc.) Hispanic(more PR, but not as big as Providence) and more of a black(largely African American), as well as probably Asian presence in the NY cities/areas. There are other groups such as Native Americans and Middle Eastern/Arabs as well in some areas/to some degree.
There is a big water culture, but in terms of lakes/rivers/ponds/streams verses the ocean/bay.
Snowfall is generally highest east of the Great Lakes(Lakes Erie and Ontario). In turn, winter sports can be a big part of the life of some residents.
It is easy to get to the outdoors for fishing, hiking, camping, etc. In terms of the bigger Upstate cities/areas, Syracuse is the closest to "real" mountains, as you can get to the western Adirondacks within an hour and a half or so. Binghamton is within an hour or so of the Catskill Mountains to the east and the Poconos in PA are not much farther away, if at all.
Housing is probably more affordable here. Here is a list from the National Association of Home Builders in regards to Housing Opportunity Index: https://www.nahb.org/news-and-econom...ortunity-index (click on complete listing by affordability rank)
Buffalo does have a metro rail line, while the rest pretty much use strictly bus systems for public transportation.
I'll stop there...I don't know if that covers some of the things you are looking for, but that may help in terms of being more specific about what you are looking for. If there are questions about things not included, just ask.
I'd like to know any differences between Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse besides population size, any differences between the major suburbs like Amherst, Brighton, DeWitt. Differences between smaller cities Ithaca, Binghamton, Auburn, Corning, any others that might be a good match for us.
You just need to plan a visit to the respective cities to get a "feel" for them. Daily living within the biggest cities (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse) will likely be almost indistinguishable, as there are good-bad-inbetween neighborhoods and suburbs among all, differences only in quantity of amenities based on city size. Each city has a range of snowier-less snowy areas depending on proximity to snow belt, and there are flat and hilly areas in each metro, though Buffalo has more flat than hilly.
Uniqueness of Buffalo compared to the other of the "big 3"
- the largest city and metro of the big 3, with the largest airport, and the largest options of amenities
- expanded access to activities and amenities by being directly on the Canadian border, with easy access to Canadian beaches on Lake Erie, along with quick access to nearby Canadian cities and amenities (Niagara Falls, Niagara-On-the-Lake, Niagara wine country, etc) along with proximity to the 6-million person Greater Toronto Area, including commuter rail from Niagara.
- downtown is directly adjacent to Lake Erie, with miles of shoreline within city limits, marinas and parks within walking distance from the central business district, nature preserves within sight of downtown, additional marinas/parks/recreation just south of downtown on the lake, and an industrial bulk and cargo harbor further south of downtown within and just outside the city limits
- Not just one but 2 Great Lakes are within the Buffalo Metro area, with additional recreational, historical, and residential areas along Lake Ontario
- the Niagara River (the 7th largest river by flow rate in the US, almost 10x that of the Hudson, and almost 50x that of the Genesee River in Rochester) runs directly along the city with extensive sports and recreation all along its entire length.
- 2 Major League sports teams (Bills and Sabres), along with close access to Toronto major league sports
- Downtown casino in Buffalo, along with multiple larger casinos in Niagara Falls (NY and Ontario) (casinos not unique, but locations and easy access are)
- Buffalo had a dirtier and more industrial past, and was considered more of a "blue collar" city although today nearly all of the dirty industries are gone, and most of the relics of the past have been taken down and replaced, in some cases with new parks, homes, and recreation areas
FYI I like to take pictures, and here is a link to my Flickr albums where I have it broken down into several Buffalo neighborhoods and a few of the area suburbs. There are way too many photos there to just do a tour, but its a chance to peck around a little bit when discussions about certain neighborhoods come up. I live in the city, so that's where my prime focus has been. There are many suburbs, and many areas of suburbs, that I have not taken pictures of.
Last edited by RocketSci; 12-01-2022 at 11:40 AM..
Rochester or Buffalo seem to be the pretty obvious choices here. Honestly you would be best off visiting each city for at least a long weekend, multiple if possible, to really get a feel for each area. They are both pretty similar, relatively speaking, but certainly have their differences as well. When I moved to the area we had to decide between Roc or Buff and ultimately went with the outer western Rochester suburbs and do not regret our decision at all. However, we do go to Buffalo quite a bit for concerts and Bills games so its only about an hour from the western Roc burbs which I really like. I can't really comment on the food scene for either city because we really don't go out to eat much but I hear pretty good things about both.
Looking through RocketSci's amazing photos a townhouse complex caught my eye. Looked up the location and checked the real estate in that neighborhood and there were a few for sale and for rent in our price range! It's the Waterfront neighborhood in Buffalo - looks perfect! I guess I need to ask about it in the Buffalo forum.
Looking through RocketSci's amazing photos a townhouse complex caught my eye. Looked up the location and checked the real estate in that neighborhood and there were a few for sale and for rent in our price range! It's the Waterfront neighborhood in Buffalo - looks perfect! I guess I need to ask about it in the Buffalo forum.
We're enjoying those street views you provided ckhthankgod. Now we are getting amped up about this move!
After identifying the Waterfront neighborhood in Buffalo as a potential area to target I want to use it as an example of some things we like. It seems like a peaceful, well kept, tidy neighborhood tucked away yet convenient to all of the amenities we want (with possible water and skyline views which would be amazing.) It looks a little idyllic with a walking path and the water and nearby park and attractive townhouse complexes, but right outside the neighborhood is cool downtown Buffalo. This is all just my impression from photos, maps/ street view, and this video
We were in NY a couple months ago and drove through Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. Thought they all looked like cool cities, but we didn't spend any real time in any of them, it was just a quick first-impressions tour. For example we didn't see that Waterfront neighborhood in Buffalo (wish we had known about it.) I went into the Buffalo office, wife and I stayed in Amherst though, not the city. Several Buffalo colleagues had recommended Amherst and after looking around that town my wife specifically said she liked the Snyder neighborhood and some of Williamsville around Main St.
Last edited by Bengineer; 12-01-2022 at 01:27 PM..
We're enjoying those street views you provided ckhthankgod. Now we are getting amped up about this move!
After identifying the Waterfront neighborhood in Buffalo as a potential area to target I want to use it as an example of some things we like. It seems like a peaceful, well kept, tidy neighborhood tucked away yet convenient to all of the amenities we want (with possible water and skyline views which would be amazing.) It looks a little idyllic with a walking path and the water and nearby park and attractive townhouse complexes, but right outside the neighborhood is cool downtown Buffalo. This is all just my impression from photos, maps/ street view, and this video
We were in NY a couple months ago and drove through Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. Thought they all looked like cool cities, but we didn't spend any real time in any of them, it was just a quick first-impressions tour. For example we didn't see that Waterfront neighborhood in Buffalo (wish we had known about it.) I went into the Buffalo office, wife and I stayed in Amherst though, not the city. Several Buffalo colleagues had recommended Amherst and after looking around that town my wife specifically said she liked the Snyder neighborhood and some of Williamsville around Main St.
Waterfront Village is a unique neighborhood for the area - walking distance to downtown, right on the marina, connected to Seaway bike trail (which connects to other Empire State trails all the way to Albany and beyond), tucked away and almost hidden in plain sight, more expensive than most neighborhoods in Buffalo, but not the most expensive. Not much individual private land for property owners (no big lot homes), but lots of open public space along with private shared spaces on many of the condos. Adjacent Lasalle Park is getting ready for a major upgrade of over $100M thanks to donation from Ralph Wilson fund. The residential part really feels like a separate world in that neighborhood, even though it is close to everything.
Based on your interests, besides Snyder and Williamsville (good choices) you may also want to look at parts of North Buffalo mainly along Hertel between North Park and Main, Elmwood Village, Parkside, Central Park, maybe the Deerhurst area in Kenmore and Tonawanda. These are all middle and upper-middle neighborhoods, along with some wealthier households. All are within or fairly close to walkable business districts with shops and restaurants in family friendly neighborhoods. (There are other neighborhoods that may fit, like parts of the West Side, Allentown, etc, but start at the above first).
Last edited by RocketSci; 12-01-2022 at 02:17 PM..
Waterfront Village is a unique neighborhood for the area - walking distance to downtown, right on the marina, connected to Seaway bike trail (which connects to other Empire State trails all the way to Albany and beyond), tucked away and almost hidden in plain sight, more expensive than most neighborhoods in Buffalo, but not the most expensive. Not much individual private land for property owners (no big lot homes), but lots of open public space along with private spaces on many of the condos. Adjacent Lasalle Park is getting ready for a major upgrade of over $100M thanks to donation from Ralph Wilson fund. The residential part really feels like a separate world in that neighborhood, even though it is close to everything.
I think it might be perfect for us. I started a thread asking about it in the Buffalo forum. Your description "a separate world, close to everything" is so appealing to us. Really excited about this location. All started with your photo!
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