Buffalo, NY

[tarheelmjfan]

My DH just got a job offer in Buffalo, NY that would increase his income substantially & make us consider working for someone else. They called him out of the blue, so we have no idea what to expect. Coming from South Florida it will obviously be cold for us, but I'm hoping you all can tell me exactly what to expect. We don't have preconceived notions, because we don't know anything about the area. We're mostly concerned about winter. How difficult is it to get around in the snow & ice for someone who isn't used to it? How many months of snow & ice should we expect?

If DH isn't able to get to work, he doesn't get paid. That makes the weather a major consideration for us. In short, how bad do the winters get & how do you get around?

 

[chartle]

I live just south in Pittsburgh but drive by going back and forth to visit my sister in Rochester and my son in Albany.

As for snow, let me put it this way, they park the snow plows facing the lake daring the snow to come and they paint them like nose art on WW II bombers.

At least its pretty flat. Where I live they have some of the steepest streets in the world. Some are as steep as splash mountain.

 

[chartle]

I live just south in Pittsburgh but drive by going back and forth to visit my sister in Rochester and my son in Albany.

As for snow, let me put it this way, they park the snow plows facing the lake daring the snow to come and they paint them like nose art on WW II bombers.

At least its pretty flat. Where I live they have some of the steepest streets in the world. Some are as steep as splash mountain.

But let me add unless its a really bad storm, we had 3 feet in one Sunday 25 years ago its usually just a day of disruption.

 

[gillep]

I grew up in the Northern suburbs of Buffalo NY and my mom and her husband still live there, and never plan on leaving. My father was a distributor for the Buffalo News and only ever missed work for 2 days (the entire paper shut down), and his job was 7 days a week. My mom is a home health aid, and her clients really depend on her getting to them, especially when they can't leave their homes, and for the most part she has no issues, and her husband is a nurse and is required to be at work, and he has also always been able to make it in. The plows are amazing and very efficient, that isn't to say that a huge lake effect storm isn't an issue, but those are pretty few and far between. You need to learn how to drive in the snow, but as long as you are proficient the normal Buffalo snow isn't going to be an issue getting to work or school (unfortunately for all the kids that living there that pray for snow days that never materialize). We usually had the probability of snow October - May but it varies quite a bit each year and like I said the normal Buffalo snow isn't going to be a problem, as long as he knows how to drive in it, the large storms pose issues, but there is usually a lot of warning, so he can make plans to stay at work or something, if that is possible, instead of leaving and missing work.

I am not sure where he is going to be working, but I will say that the South towns get a lot more snow on average (the airport more or less is the divider) my mom lives north of the airport and she will get a dusting, while the South towns will get a couple feet. My husband and I have moved around a lot, and if our jobs were available in that area, I would very highly consider moving back to the Northern suburbs of Buffalo, especially if we wanted to raise kids. Good luck with your choice, like I said my husband and I have moved for each of our jobs a couple times, and it is always really stressful, as it is such an unknown gamble.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I live in Lockport.
Its about a 40 minute drive to downtown buffalo.
Today it was 87 out and tomorrow will be 84 but then a cold front comes through on Friday leaving us with highs in the upper 60's on Saturday but it should bounce back to the mid 70's next week.
That's just to give you an idea of temps in the summer...
Winters can vary a lot. A couple of winters in a row we have pretty crazy amounts of snow. In November 2014 Hamburg got 7ft!!!
We had a couple of blizzards the following February.
And air temps we -10 a few mornings that February with wind chills in the -30's.
And then there are times when its been 70 on Christmas Eve.
And then there's the lovely lake effect snow bands that may shift to the north towns or ski country or anywhere in between.
It's a mixed bag of fun really lol.
It's really not too bad overall though.
Expect snow and cold anywhere from October to May but its not full on winter that entire time don't worry!
In the winter you drive like normal.
Your DH shouldn't have too much trouble getting to work.
If its THAT bad many places will close and companies understand because well its the city of good neighbors.
Come join us Buahahaha

 

[emer95]

I think you will love it here! We have 4 beautiful seasons, and the city has had an incredible resurgence recently, especially with Canalside downtown. We have excellent restaurants, architecture, and a great music scene.

Are you looking to live in the city, or a suburb? I agree with other posters. Where you choose to live will have a big impact on the amount of snow you receive. I live in the south towns and we love it here. Our schools are consistently rated in the top ten, we live right by a gorgeous park, but we get hammered with the snow. My friends in the northtowns, who also have outstanding schools and are very happy with where they live, get barely any snow. Comparatively speaking, I should say.
Learning to drive through snow/ice is tricky, but you'll become a seasoned winter driver in no time.

Ask any more questions you like! I love bragging about my hometown!

 

[gillep]

I think you will love it here! We have 4 beautiful seasons, and the city has had an incredible resurgence recently, especially with Canalside downtown. We have excellent restaurants, architecture, and a great music scene.

Are you looking to live in the city, or a suburb? I agree with other posters. Where you choose to live will have a big impact on the amount of snow you receive. I live in the south towns and we love it here. Our schools are consistently rated in the top ten, we live right by a gorgeous park, but we get hammered with the snow. My friends in the northtowns, who also have outstanding schools and are very happy with where they live, get barely any snow. Comparatively speaking, I should say.
Learning to drive through snow/ice is tricky, but you'll become a seasoned winter driver in no time.

Ask any more questions you like! I love bragging about my hometown!

I have to say to the bolded that I have found that this is a really prevalent feeling. All of my friends that I grew up with have left the area over the years, but we all love going back to visit our families, and pretty much only have good things to say about the area. Any time that I meet another person who grew up in the area, they are always super excited to speak with another Buffalonian, and also speak very fondly of the area, that's not to say that the area doesn't have issues, every place does, but it really is a very nice place.

The resurgence the downtown has been amazing to witness over the years.

 

[focusondisney]

Welcome to Western New York!! The whole area is on the upswing. Jobs are increasing & the downtown area is seeing a lot of new development. Amazon has just announced it is coming here, Geico has a large office, Yahoo has a facility & there is a solar panel manufacturing facility nearing completion. Our medical corridor in downtown has 3 large regional hospitals already, with our Children's hospital set to move to a new state of the art building on the campus in November.

We are a bridge away from Canada with many visitors regularly going either way. Sports: a minor league baseball team which has a downtown stadium that does fun theme nights & a Friday night bash with fireworks, Bills football (personally, not a big fan) & the Sabres hockey (that's my favorite sport!). Looks like you're a college football fan. UB is in the north towns & their team is on the rise with a good sized stadium & they are moving up in the ranks the last several years.

The weather: yep, it snows. I have lived thru about 6 "once in a lifetime" events in my 60 years. I had the 6+ feet in 24 hours event too, a couple of blizzards that got me stuck at work or unable to get to work & a surprise snowstorm that dumped 2 feet in downtown in a few hours. I am not a fan of snow, but I've lived in the south towns my whole life anyway. You get used to it. There are excellent ski resorts within an hour of the city & lots of snowmobiling trails.

But, it doesn't snow every day. Sometimes it gets to the 40's in January. We can got for weeks with only a little dusting of snow. I can go for weeks without shoveling. Schools get closed for bad weather a few times a year. But that is usually more in the south towns & many times it is more precautionary than absolute not.

On the other hand, we have a beautiful water front that has several marinas & lots of boating, fishing & recreational opportunities. We have a theater district that gets major plays. Hamilton is coming in 2018 I believe. An internationally renowned art museum. UB has a well respected medical school, a law school & there are many fine universities with many masters & doctorate schools.

As previous posters have said, the north towns get much less snow usually. So getting around is often easier there. It's just the way the winds hit the area. Hopefully the company he is going to has a relocation department or HR staff that can show you around & help you figure out the best area for you.

Also, we get snow. We don't get hurricanes or full force tropical storms. Our rare earthquakes are along the lines of something announced on the news & not felt. Tornadoes are rare but do occur. Flooding can happen in any area of the country, but no houses get washed away here. Power outages are usually short & the result of ice or windstorms. Usually power is restored quickly, but there have been a few isolated instances of longer outages. But that is really not the norm.

Sorry, I got carried away! Just know, Buffalo really isn't as bad as people think. Many people come here expecting to hate it & fall in love & never leave. Jim Kelly, the former pro quarterback didn't want to come to Buffalo so bad, he did everything he could to avoid it. He eventually came. And he's still here. In the Southtowns!

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

DH and I grew up in a Buffalo suburb and after we got married moved to the Syracuse area. Tons of snow (and endless winters!) but it was doable until we retired and it just got to be too much. Now we're in Texas!

 

[Hikergirl]

You have no experience with snow? I'd look at some past news reports of snowfall for Buffalo, and look at annual averages. Its not pretty LOL, and I live in NY (southern).
I would also check income taxes for NY before deciding, your dh may make more money but you'd be going to one of the lowest income tax states to one of the highest.
Buffalo made Forbes list of 10 most dangerous cities in the US. Stick to the suburbs if you move there.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

You have no experience with snow? I'd look at some past news reports of snowfall for Buffalo, and look at annual averages. Its not pretty LOL, and I live in NY (southern).
I would also check income taxes for NY before deciding, your dh may make more money but you'd be going to one of the lowest income tax states to one of the highest.
Buffalo made Forbes list of 10 most dangerous cities in the US. Stick to the suburbs if you move there.

That article was proven to be very inaccurate.
Also if you look at average snowfall we don't usually get the most in the state. It's just just when we get a lot it's over publicized.

 

[Hikergirl]

That article was proven to be very inaccurate.
Also if you look at average snowfall we don't usually get the most in the state. It's just just when we get a lot it's over publicized.

Ok, but you can easily search crime rates in Buffalo, there are plenty out there. I've been there, my best friend's husband grew up there, the city isn't where you want to live. Like I said, stick to the suburbs.
And I know about Buffalo snowfall, being in NY, you guys are always big news when you have big snowfall. Some years we even make the news down here, and I grew up in The Capital District where we got alot of snow too. NY gets alot of snow, Buffalo gets alot, didn't say anything that wasn't true.
And my point was that the OP is moving from Southern FL to Buffalo, she should be aware of how much snow is possible, especially if they have no experience traveling in it or dealing with it.

NY is a big, beautiful state, with alot to offer but I wouldn't recommend anyone actually move here without doing some serious research about everything and anything that will effect their quality of life here.

 

[focusondisney]

That article was proven to be very inaccurate.
Also if you look at average snowfall we don't usually get the most in the state. It's just just when we get a lot it's over publicized.

Except for the taxes. Sadly, that part is true.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

It's COLD and the snow. I used to live in upstate NY as a kid...about 45 minutes from Buffalo. I still have family there. My little brother lives there. I won't even visit between October and April.

I would never leave Florida to go to the Buffalo area.

 

[cabanafrau]

If significantly colder weather is really unappealing to your family I'd really think long and hard.

 

[PrincessV]

I grew up in the northern 'burbs and spent several of my young adult years living in the city - I've been a Floridian for the second 20+ years of my life.

I very much miss the culture, the food and the people. It's not called the City of Good Neighbors for nothing! Best people anywhere. ♥ Ted's Hot Dogs. La Nova pizza. Anchor Bar wings. Chef's, Swiss Chalet, John & Mary's, Friendly's... oooh, how I miss the restaurants! The architecture of the city, the museums and theaters, and of course the sports (go Bills!!) are heads and tails beyond what I have here in FL.

I'd go back in a heartbeat, but...
I do not miss the looong winters. At all. The snow wasn't the main issue, as I lived in a town that plowed and salted so well, our road was dry as a bone by the time we left the house in the mornings. (The snow was a lot less fun living in the city, on a one-way street with no driveways - that thing got plowed once, after the first big dumping, and that was it; plows couldn't fit down the street after a foot of snow accumulated on the side, plus parked cars. I had to dig my way out many days.) But the endless gray days were a major problem for me - so very depressing. I've been in FL so long, I forget how profoundly it hits me until we have a few days straight of gray and rainy, and I remember again. But here, it only lasts a few days. In WNY, I remember weeks and weeks of it. Plenty of folks are fine with that, but if you're not, it's HARD. I go back to visit every once in a while, and if I go in winter I realize I can't ever live there year-round again. But I'd sure love to find a way to summer there and winter down here someday!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks so much to all of you for the response. We're still weighing the pros & cons. DH also needs to get more details on the official job requirements, nail down the salary, clarify the benefits, etc. As I mentioned earlier, this offer was totally out of the blue. We hadn't even considered pursuing other options, until they called yesterday. You're info will help us decide, if it's something we want to pursue further.

I live just south in Pittsburgh but drive by going back and forth to visit my sister in Rochester and my son in Albany.

As for snow, let me put it this way, they park the snow plows facing the lake daring the snow to come and they paint them like nose art on WW II bombers.

At least its pretty flat. Where I live they have some of the steepest streets in the world. Some are as steep as splash mountain.

That's quite a picture you painted.

I live in Lockport.
Its about a 40 minute drive to downtown buffalo.
Today it was 87 out and tomorrow will be 84 but then a cold front comes through on Friday leaving us with highs in the upper 60's on Saturday but it should bounce back to the mid 70's next week.
That's just to give you an idea of temps in the summer...
Winters can vary a lot. A couple of winters in a row we have pretty crazy amounts of snow. In November 2014 Hamburg got 7ft!!!
We had a couple of blizzards the following February.
And air temps we -10 a few mornings that February with wind chills in the -30's.
And then there are times when its been 70 on Christmas Eve.
And then there's the lovely lake effect snow bands that may shift to the north towns or ski country or anywhere in between.
It's a mixed bag of fun really lol.
It's really not too bad overall though.
Expect snow and cold anywhere from October to May but its not full on winter that entire time don't worry!
In the winter you drive like normal.
Your DH shouldn't have too much trouble getting to work.
If its THAT bad many places will close and companies understand because well its the city of good neighbors.
Come join us Buahahaha

Three feet of snow sounded bad. Seven feet sounds terrifying. Does everyone there drive 4WD vehicles or could we get by with chains? This job would require us to move to another location every year or two. The company pays for the majority of housing, so we would still have our home in Florida. We're pretty adventurous. The possibility of experiencing a lot of different areas & climates makes the idea more attractive to us.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Three feet of snow sounded bad. Seven feet sounds terrifying. Does everyone there drive 4WD vehicles or could we get by with chains? This job would require us to move to another location every year or two. The company pays for the majority of housing, so we would still have our home in Florida. We're pretty adventurous. The possibility of experiencing a lot of different areas & climates makes the idea more attractive to us.

I don't know of anyone that uses chains here.
We just drive our cars and go with the flow.
If you get stuck someone is gonna help push you.
If you start fishtailing you go with it.
Once you've driven in it you're fine.
And the huge amount of snow don't happen terribly often.
If you can live somewhere north of the city you'll find we don't get as much.
South towns and ski country get the most and places like Holiday Valley and Kissing Bridge are delighted to take it lol.

 

[Immadismom]

I'm very surprised to see only one mention of taxes on here. I grew up in the south towns of Buffalo. My family still lives there. I currently live in NC. My property tax on my house is around $2,000, and I pay MAYBE another $700 or so in property tax on my two cars. My brother has a comparable home in the south towns of NY. His property tax bill on his house alone is over $11,000 a year!! That's almost $1,000 a month. Add to that the higher sales tax, higher cost of gas, pretty much everything costs more there. The snow is just another inconvenience. But the cost of living would be the deciding factor for me. It would have to be a HEFTY pay increase to offset the COL hike you'll likely encounter.

I miss my family daily, but I'm very happy here in the south!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How many months of snow & ice should we expect?

Hard to say - one Easter the minister stood up and the beginning of service and said "I don't know whether to say Happy Easter, or Happy Holidays!". It was snowing.