Any Rochester NY DVC'rs

[Michaeljsz]

I know this may be along shot, but I was wondering if there were any fellow DVC'rs on here from Rochester NY that may be able to fill me in on life there. We live in Northern CA and I may be taking a job there. Anyone?????

 

[Rochester Disney Fan]

I can tell you for starters that Cost of housing is cheap (except for the property taxes, but those are probally equivlent to CA) , Education is good, Employment is stable and crime is low.
I moved here for business from Baltimore in 1988 and have no regrets.

(I also have twins, boys age 6)

 

[andijean]

Born here and haven't left here. I will second the other posters input about the cost of living. It is very affordable and compared to CA the housing is also very affordable. Rochester is a very easy city to get around in with nice suburbs to raise a family. Most of the suburbs can get into the city within 20 minutes. Also, most of the public schools in NYS are very good b/c of the standards set by the NYS regents. Also, busing is provided by the schools. I know one of my co-workers from N CA was saying they had to drive the kids.

One of the things we love about it is the finger lakes. They are so beautiful with so much to offer. In under an hour the outdoor activities both summer and winter are endless. The finger lakes also have a quickly expanding wine industry.

The only negative for me is that weather wise it can be kind of gray here sometimes. The four seasons are great, but sometimes not enough sun.

Any other questions, I will try to answer.

 

[tinkerbell of winter]

Rochester is great! I visit there at least a few times a year, the Strong Museum is great for kids and there are always shows and concerts coming to the Blue Cross Arena. There is a lot to do especially in summer! Lake Ontario to the north, NY Wine country to the south.

 

[InTheBubble]

We really do have an excellent arts and museum community here. Great schools and friendly people. My "commute" to work is 7 minutes! The taxes are high as a percentage of home value, but real-estate is very affordable. You also will learn what "Lake Effect Snow" is as well! However, our summers can't be beat IMHO.

 

[nickspace]

I grew up in Rochester and it is a nice place to live. However winters are very long and cold.

 

[Halle]

Transplanted to Rochester in 1979. Agree with all of the above posts.
Three of our four adult children have stayed here and wouldn't leave the area....speaks volumes.
Schools are excellent. I think that I'd shy away from the Rochester city schools. I'd shy away from any city schools though.
We have fantastic parks to cross country ski and hike in. We are home to many outstanding Universities. Local golf courses have hosted the Masters, PGA and the LPGA is here every year. Our hometown grocery store, Wegmans(check out their website) has been cited the best family run grocery store. Healthcare is wonderful and affordable. Rochester is a fabulous city.
Back in the 80's the chmber of commerce had a campaign entitled 'Rochester, it's got it!' Still does.

 

[Muushka]

I grew up in Rochester also, left in 1968 (yes, I am that old!!!). My sister still lives there. I may be off base, mostly because I am only going by what my sister says, but isn't Rochester somewhat a depressed area?

I remember the loooooooong cold winters and very hot summers. Not a fan of Rochester, sorry!

 

[Muushka]

As I think of what I wrote, I lived in the city, went to city school (John Marshall) during the riots of 67. I may be a bit jaded. Wonderful lilacs!

 

[lisareniff]

Wow, I didn't realize there were so many from ROC!

We both went to college in Rochester (RIT) and stayed... that was 27 years ago. Before that we both grew up in upstate NY, so can't really give you an outside perspective. I grew up in a more snow bound area not too far away (Oswego). Specifically, we live in Honeoye Falls which is just on the southern suburban edge of Rochester.

Positives: Great schools and colleges. The arts. Golf. Hockey. The seasons. Wonderful summers and beautiful falls. Great health care. Fairly high tech population. No hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, or earthquakes.

Negatives: I refer to it as 'The PermaCloud'. It rolls in Mid-November and doesn't leave until March. The nasal sound that creeps into your speech. TAXES!!! - Really, have you looked at them?

Happy to answer any questions if you have any.

 

[Michaeljsz]

Thankyou all for the information. Im flying up in mid January for the final interview and to check out the area. i was actually born and raised a few miles south of Albany so I still call myself a NY'er but I've been gone a long time. I have to admitt the one thing that concerns me is the months and month of "Grey Skies" that everyone mentions to me when I ask. The housing is definetly affordable. We paid close to a million for 2 acres and 1800 sq ft here in CA and Ive been looking at houses in Pittsford and Penfield and the prices just blew me away. One big plus is the quick flights to WDW, personally I'm sick of Disneyland and the crowds down there. Any comments on where you think the best place to live and raise children are? I'll be working in the city if I get offered the job so dont want to long of a commute home especially if the weather gets bad. Again............Thank you for all the info, I knew I could count on fellow DVC'rs.

 

[Halle]

I'd recommend Pittsford if you prefer less acreage and Mendon if you prefer more space. Mendon has a more diverse population base than Pittsford. Pittsford is a much larger school district and they participate in a more competitive sports venue than Mendon. You will be able to buy a mansion here for what you paid there. Taxes (school) are high.