Talk to me about Buffalo, NY

Greetings my jetboating family. Hope everyone is surviving the storms in the mid eastern portion of the states, and hope the rest of the country is doing well also.

Had something with work pop up on me Friday out of the blue. Potential significant upgrade in my position within the company has become available. Like, holy crap OMG I can't believe I'm being considered level upgrade. I've setup a meeting with the CEO to discuss on Wednesday (travelling for business Mon/Tue). Not a formal interview, but an informal discussion and a level of interest gauging type conversation. If it was just a position change, we would have already agreed and be moving forward, BUT.......it will require a relocation to Buffalo, NY area from our current home in Georgetown, IN.

SO, I'm researching schools/homes/etc in Buffalo. Getting a ton of information in my head, and it's quickly becoming a lot to sift through. I've come here to look for any opinions of people that have lived there, live there now, or have family there. What's good? What's bad? Hows the boating scene? How bad is the snow? Schools to avoid or target (have a 7th grader and Kindergartener)? neighborhoods to avoid or target? What's the social feeling in town? Political leanings of the city? How's the "friendliness" feel?

It's a REALLY good opportunity for me professionally, but we really wanted to move south not north, so that's a hiccup for us. We've spent a few days going back and forth and it's really coming down to how good the compensation is, and what the work life will look like.

SO, let me here it. What's your take on Buffalo, NY?

That’s great news!
Plenty to do up there in the fall/winter. Bills games and snowmobiling!!!!!

Babin Farms said:

That’s great news!
Plenty to do up there in the fall/winter. Bills games and snowmobiling!!!!!

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You forgot to mention shoveling, lol...

Check out City Data and Area Vibes for a list of stats and demographics.

As far as the cold and snow goes, you will adapt if you want to. The new synthetic fabrics and layering provide plenty of warmth while being comfortable and not looking like Bib the Michelin man.

Pretty much the areas with the highest property values and prices will be the best areas. Get a place in the country where you have plenty of room for your kids to play on your property, and plenty of either existing storage-barn-or the ability to put up a barn to put your stuff in. One of the best ways to make living in a place with real winters is a heated garage with a good floor drain, yiu won’t have to scrape windshields or wait for the car to warm up. Also you’ll want a wood stove to keep heating costs down and as a source of heat if the power goes out for a long time.

As far as politics goes, well there’s plenty of dope on the net to answer that question. The real question for you is how much of your new increased earned income are you willing to part with because others say they need the money you earned, that’s through direct state income taxes as well as other “fees” like surcharges and excise taxes. Is the Buffalo area using your taxes and fees to increase the standard of living or are they kiting these funds for other pet projects while decreasing the standard of living. But nothing beats going there for a week and immersing yourself into the local culture and asking the correct non leading questions to get your answer.

I’ve always heard that upstate NY is very beautiful! It’s also a sportsman’s area with good fishing, hunting and boating. You’ve got Lake Ontario and Lake Erie RIGHT THERE and a short drive to Lake Huron, so plenty O boating opportunity.

New house, new place to live, new bigger boat that can easily handle the bigger water.

Best of luck!

zipper said:

You forgot to mention shoveling, lol...

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But how often does it get that deep? A good snow blower should make quick work of most of the snow.

FSH 210 Sport said:

But how often does it get that deep? A good snow blower should make quick work of most of the snow.

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Never mind, I was thinking about Lake Ontario...wrong Lake in NY. , but it gets plenty from Lake Erie too.

zipper said:

You forgot to mention shoveling, lol...

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That’s one thing I am NOT going to miss!!!!

One term you will learn is ”Lake Effect Snow” when along the eastern shore of Lake Erie, snow occurs as the cold winds blow across the early winter ice-free lake. This can lead to quite substantial amounts of snowfall.

Not a place for me in the winter, although I do quite like the fall in that area.

Jim

Lot of good points made so far. My perspective from down the road in Syracuse…

• You’re probably not moving to Buffalo for the rest of your life. So is a little bit of risk worth the increase in pay and responsibility? I said yes to that decision three times (California, Minnesota, Virginia) and no once (Texas) before i finally got back home to NY. All of those were good decisions for me and for my family.
• Saw a recent report that put New York public schools as #6 nationwide. I’ve lived in a lot of places, and that feels about right.
• Winter is what you make of it. I get 120” of snow a year, and we walk 3-4 miles on our roads and trails every day. Snowshoes are a great workout.
• I can’t speak to Buffalo’s boat scene, but the marinas are FULL, so someone is finding value in it.
• Bills games are unlike anything you’ve probably participated in. We try to get there once a year. Great fans.
• @FSH 210 Sport is right…a garage is a must have. So is a real snow blower.
• You would be a half-day drive from the Finger Lakes, and from the St Lawrence River. Great boating and fishing in some beautiful areas. And a half-day boat ride along the Erie Canal and Seneca River to my lake. Some long-ish sections of the canal and river are 5-10 mph and take a little patience, and other sections are 30mph. And you’ll see eagles and herons along the way while you’re catching walleye, catfish, pan fish, and maybe a sturgeon if you’re lucky.

Good luck with your decision!

I don't have any firsthand knowledge of the area, but I would you say if you love the outdoors and don't mind snow, maybe a place just outside of buffalo? See pic for areas affected.

I’m originally from the East side of Cleveland (Mentor, Oh) and used to travel for work. I did several jobs in Grand Island NY and it seemed to be a nice area. About 15/20 min outside of buffalo. I guess it all depends on how far you want to travel daily, then factor in snow.

Good old Buffalo. Nothing really wrong with the City/area. Live outside in Cheektowaga. Politically, Erie county is democratic, not sure if that makes a difference for you or not. If you are a gun owner, lots of regulations, as far as where you can carry. Its basically up to the business. if they display a sign saying concealed carry is allowed, good to go, if you don't see the sign, and carry in anyways and get caught, not gonna be a good day. There is a FB group that is pretty dedicated to finding out which businesses are pro gun or not. Our Winters here have been pretty mild over the last few years, but we do on average get a few big winter storms a year. Schools, really all depends on the area you select, personally when my son is old enough for school, I will be doing private, because Cheektowaga isn't high on my list. As far as boating, you are right next to lake erie, the Niagara river. I personally don't go out on either to much, unless it's middle of the week. Otherwise it is a sh*t show. I have a 19ft boat, just like you. After lake erie, there is lake ontario about 35 minutes north. Usually where I will head out to, not as chaotic, but you have to pick your days. Then about 50 mins south west there is Lake Chatuaqua, personally haven't made that drive yet, but have heard good things. Then you also have all the Finger lakes, that would be anywhere from 1 to 3 hours away depening on which lake you choose. Spring/summers can very. Not uncommon to get a string of 90+ days in the summer. Spring is usually pretty wet, but can warm up fast. Falls are a crap shoot. Hell we just had 50 degree weather this past weekend. If you like chicken wings, great, feel they are way over priced now. Tons of breweries. If your into snow activities, Ski resorts, snowmobile trails and all that are with in 45 mins of the city.

So I went to school at UB for my undergrad about 15 years ago and still frequent the area for friends, family and work.

I always referred to it as my adoptive home (from Long Island, NY). Winters were tough, but if you stay out of the Southern Towns/Areas below the City of Buffalo you will avoid most of the real heavy lake Effect. Nice areas are where home values are high. I lived a lot of my time in the northern towns like Lockport, Amherst, etc. Beautiful up there and right next to the canal.

Reasonable amount of things to do, but if you're not a sports fan it may be a bit limiting. Summers are great because it doesn't get too hot. Plenty of outdoor stuff to do in the downtown area after the major projects over the past 10 years or so near the waterfront. Plenty of restaurants, bars, places to hang out, etc. Lot of greenspaces outside the suburbs for some hiking, spelunking, etc. Lot of people head out to the finger lakes to camp during the summer as well.

Feel free to PM if you want some more local info, but most of the responses here are pretty good pieces of info. Best of luck to you and any future opportunities!

Have they offered a single-stage and two-stage allowance for the compensation package for snow removal? I have both, I suggest you play hardball and tell them you want a new Ariens 30" every 2 years, and the top of the line Toro single-stage in opposite years. A skidsteer with blower attachment tells you they're serious about you taking the position.

I have no other answers for you on anything else ?

A new Ariens every two years means he can keep the first one, then sell six or eight in a row. I’m on the once-every-seventeen-years plan, and they never die.

You can ask them to kick in a big backpack leaf blower to clear the nuisance snowfall when you’re in the 1/2 inch a day periods, and then graciously strike that one from the deal to show you’re willing to negotiate.

Request the remote position from South Florida.

Upstate NY is quite nice, but the winters are something else. I went to school in Rochester, but dated a Buffalo girl and spent plenty of time there. I find the city itself to be quite dreary (no offense to Buffalopians, lol), more poor than not, and shockingly the wings suck. There's some nice areas commutable to the city, so would suggest getting yourself a bit of land to enjoy. Mighty Taco is the shit.

scubasteve87 said:

......Winters were tough, but if you stay out of the Southern Towns/Areas below the City of Buffalo you will avoid most of the real heavy lake Effect.......

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Sooo.....The position is actually based in Silver Creek, which is just a shade south of Buffalo. I'm guessing this means the snow is worse down there? We're finding homes in the Angola and Lakeview area's that we like. Also found a couple in Forestville that seem nice. Any thoughts on that area?

Murf'n'surf said:

Request the remote position from South Florida.

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I wish I could, I really do. Honestly, if the position was anywhere south of Louisville, I would be posting something closer to "Welcome me to ..." instead

Unfortunately the position in question is a "must be present to win" type role.

2kwik4u said:

Sooo.....The position is actually based in Silver Creek, which is just a shade south of Buffalo. I'm guessing this means the snow is worse down there? We're finding homes in the Angola and Lakeview area's that we like. Also found a couple in Forestville that seem nice. Any thoughts on that area?

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Yeah, generally, that area gets with more snow. Just a week ago, where I live, had grass showing with out a single snowflake. Eden/Angola area had about 2 feet of snow, and was pretty sketchy drive I had to make to a client. I mean if your use to driving in snow, shouldn't be a huge problem. Seems everyone forgets how to drive in the snow. Silvercreek is right next to a indian reservation, so you will see cheaper gas than other areas. Dealership I bought my boat from his in that area, so that would be a plus. Also sand beaches on lake ontario in Angola area. Silvercreek, Angola, Evans, they are all more small town/village vs city.