Buffalo, NY

[ols386]

I live in Michigan, but most cities who experience a lot of snow, know how to deal with it, and are good at moving snow, and keeping the roads pretty clear.

Ice is more of an issue, generally speaking, and driving on snow is not the same as driving on ice. It's trickier than driving on snow.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

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.

Thanks for the tip on living north vs. south of the airport. That's something we never would have known, until it was too late.

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!

Honestly, this whole thing totally took us by surprise. We don't know yet where we'd be looking to live. As I mentioned in a later post, the company pays for the majority of housing. That's another thing DH needs to get more info on. We have been told it's a nice area, but you know how that goes. The good thing is they would reimburse us the money they would have spent, if we got there & decided we wanted to rent elsewhere. Our DS is a career college student at this point , so we don't need to worry about schools. This would have been invaluable info, when he was younger.

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!

Thanks for the info. You make it sound like a fantastic place to live. It's great to love where you live. We moved from one FL city to another four years ago. I'm definitely not loving where we live at the moment, but that's a different topic.

We like having the option of going to sporting events, especially if one of our teams of choice are playing the home team.

I'm sure our DS would love being close to ski resorts, when he came to visit. (I've already told DH I won't even consider giving this a try, if we can't fly DS up for a weekend every month or two. He's in college now & couldn't move with us.)

Losing power is my greatest fear with hurricanes. I can't stand being in the dark. We leave two lights on 24 hours a day. We've gone to a hotel with a generator, when we've had a rare hurricane warning. I suppose we could do the same thing there.

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!

The architecture up there would definitely be more interesting than it is here. Where we live, it's one Florida style home after another.

The city of Good Neighbors sounds really nice at the moment. Moving from one FL city to another has been quite the culture shock. It's a dog eat dog kind of world down here.

I'm with you on living the snowbird life. We plan to spend our summers in NC & winters in FL, when we retire.

 

[Skywalker]

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.


That's quite a picture you painted.


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 think the bolded part says it all! You will move every year or two so if you don't love it, it's fine, you will move on. But at least you can experience it! Living a couple of years in Buffalo and then a couple years somewhere else, etc. sounds infinitely more exciting than staying in Florida.

I live in Toronto (about two hours up the highway) and we have often had great times "shuffling off to Buffalo" on some weekends. It's a great city. Make sure you come on up and visit us while you are there.

Don't be afraid of winter, it's a fabulous season. And the springs, summers, and falls are gorgeous. Come on, go for it!

 

[rigs32]

How has no one mentioned Jimmy Griffin yet? In 1985 there was a massive storm that closed schools for just about a week. The mayor of Buffalo told people to just stay home with a six pack. That's the sort of attitude towards snow WNYers have - we just deal. But a storm like that is very rare. I do remember walking to the grocery store with my mom and building massive snow forts.

Taxes are often based on services. I know some people that moved south for cheaper taxes and then moved right back once their kids hit school age. It also costs more if your town has its own police force rather than utilizing the county sheriff.

Housing costs are generally cheap in WNY, especially if this move comes with a pay increase.

 

[focusondisney]

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.


That's quite a picture you painted.


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.

Oh my gosh, for only a year or two?! You have to do it!! Seven feet of snow really wasn't terrifying, it was an adventure!! And you're adventurous, lol!!

When things like that happen, neighbors help neighbors. DH or I will snowblow our elder neighbor's drive sometimes. And sometimes the younger neighbor on the other side will snowblow our drive. The day after that storm, everyone was out side shoveling or snowblowing, having a good time socializing & working together. Kids were having a ball. Lots of people trekked to the 7-11 2 blocks away with sleds. Most came back with junk food & a couple of 6 packs. Not me. I got chocolate bars, hostess cupcakes, a frozen pizza & toilet paper!

That storm really was an anomaly. It hit South Buffalo & the immediate southern suburbs. The airport was sunny & not a flake of snow. Yes, there were some businesses that were closed for several days. I only work part time (hospital RN) & I did miss 1 day of work. My DH is in a management at his company. The company was closed for 3 days but he got paid anyway. Companies are really understanding about the weather. Is the position something he could do from home at all? My DD worked for a bank & if the weather was bad, she was able to work from home.

For only a short 2 year stay, don't let the weather scare you off. Make the decision on all those other factors. If you have any specific questions about the area, feel free to pm me.

 

[gillep]

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.


That's quite a picture you painted.


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 am not going to lie, I am a little jealous, I would move back to Buffalo for a two year term in a minute if DH's job would pay, I am so sick of California! I drove in Buffalo all through high school, and went to college near Albany NY, and never had a 4WD car, nor chains of any kind (I have actually only ever seen cars with chains in Tahoe), my husband was also born and raised in NY, and we went to school together, and he never had a 4WD either. My mom got her first 4WD vehicle 2 years ago, but before that had never driven one before, so it definitely isn't required if you become a proficient driver. We did always have snow tires that we had put on the car each fall/winter then swapped them out for our all season tires in the spring/summer.

It really is the city of good neighbors, in the winter my brother and I were tasked, by our parents, with shoveling and salting all of our neighbors' walkways when we got home from school if it has snowed so that everyone would be able to get to their homes after work and we weren't the only kids out there each day, and my mom's husband snow blows his elderly neighbor's driveway for her without her ever asking, and as a thank you they repair his riding lawnmower for him, as that is the business that her kids run.

 

[PrincessV]

Does everyone there drive 4WD vehicles or could we get by with chains?

I never had chains, didn't even switch to snow tires! Used all-season tires year-round. Huge amounts of snow were never an issue; most WNY municipalities plow well. Ice and slush are what you'll mostly contend with - and the only way to get good at handling them is experience. I kept a bag of cheap cat little, a shovel, and a -30* rated sleeping bag in my car at all times - cat litter can help provide traction if stuck on ice, shovel for digging out if needed, sleeping bag for emergency stranding. I only ever needed the cat litter when I was parked on a hill and wheels were spinning.

The city of Good Neighbors sounds really nice at the moment. Moving from one FL city to another has been quite the culture shock. It's a dog eat dog kind of world down here.

It really is, isn't it? It was by far the hardest adjustment I had moving down here.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I'm also from NY state but in the center of the state so about 2.5 hours from Buffalo. The one thing that no one else has mentioned yet is the perpetual grey skies in the winter months - likely due to the great lakes and other bodies of water which cause "lake effect" weather. I find this to be the hardest part of living in this part of NY (aside from the ridiculous taxes). Know that a sunny day is few and far between during the months of November through February or March. I found this site which says that Buffalo has about 155 days of sun per year. This means that there are approximately 210 days of non-sunny days. In my experience, most of these non-sunny days are in the winter.

http://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/new_york/buffalo

Compare this to Orlando's 233 sunny days (per that same site).

I find this to be oppressive in the winter and I don't have a seasonal effective disorder - I just need a bit of sun to brighten my day. I can handle cold, snow, rain, etc. but grey skies (with no precipitation) day in and day out makes me sad.

Just food for thought.

 

[nkereina]

I live in Buffalo currently and re-located here from Rochester, NY 12 years ago, which is about 60 miles east of Buffalo. Tons of good info here already, but thought I'd throw in my two cents as well.

First, I highly recommend looking for homes in northern Erie county or Niagara county. North of the city always has significantly less snowfall than the city and south of the city. The area south of the city, or the "south towns" are in a snow belt that gets pummeled with lake effect snow from Lake Erie on the regular during the winter months. Lake Erie is the most shallow of the Great Lakes and therefore has the greatest chance for lake effect snow storms. The immediate suburbs of Buffalo directly impacted by this would Hamburg, West Seneca, and Orchard Park where the Buffalo Bills play. There's other areas too, but I'm only speaking in terms of the major/closest suburbs of the city.

Niagara County is where Niagara Falls is located and is just to the north of Erie county, where Buffalo is located. From the city of Buffalo, the closest point of Niagara County is probably a 15-20 minute drive so it's not far. Niagara County borders Lake Ontario, which is the northernmost point. I live in the "sweet spot" in terms of lake effect snowfall. I live in Wheatfield, which is almost on the border of Niagara County and Erie County. It's far enough north where I'm rarely impacted by Lake Erie and far enough south of Lake Ontario where I don't catch the storms as often as the towns further north of me do. Grand Island and North Tonawanda are also situated well for this. We still get 90+ inches per year, but less likely to be impacted by major storms where things start to shut down. I'm 20 minutes from downtown Buffalo and 10 minutes from Niagara Falls, and 15 minutes from Amherst which is probably one of the more "commercialized" suburbs in terms of malls, stores, chain restaurants, etc. So aside from the snowfall, it's a convenient location.

Even in the sweet spot, snow starts in November or December. If it hasn't snowed at least a little by then, I'm surprised. It typically lasts through April. It's no doubt a long, dreary season. Even if it's not snowing, the cold is biting and it's just gloomy. You also will not contend with the heat in the summer like you have in South Florida. This weekend, it will be 70 degrees in Buffalo as a cold front moves through and meteorologists are predicting we will not hit 90 degrees at all this summer. If swimming in pools and boating are your thing, late June, July, and August are really the only reliable months for that. After Labor Day, 60s are typical. Doesn't mean it won't stay warm for at least a few weeks, but the temps dwindle fast. Another thing to note is the beaches here are all on the lake shores. I personally don't care for the beaches in Buffalo but just across the border in Canada, their beaches on Lake Ontario are pristine! Not as good as an ocean beach, but as close as you can get in this area.

Keep in mind the taxes. Income/property tax I think may be the highest in the country in New York? Consider that also when considering the job opportunity. It will also be a big culture change. This area sees a ton of Canadian tourism for shopping, etc. due to the exchange rate. There's also a large Polish population. Its a big blue collar city, so you're not going to see high end shopping like Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom, but the area has been getting better at bringing in some big name restaurants and stores that we've never had. There's been a ton of progress and changes for the better since I've moved here 12 years ago, so you'd be making the move at a good time to experience that.

What are your interests? If you're outdoorsy, the park system in Buffalo is amazing and the hiking is great as well. Maybe we can opine on some of the activities/interests you have as it relates to Buffalo if you want to share!

 

[dish rag]

The city of Good Neighbors sounds really nice at the moment. Moving from one FL city to another has been quite the culture shock. It's a dog eat dog kind of world down here.

I agree tarheel fan. It is a dog eat dog way of life in Fla. I've been living here many many years and have grown used to it and know what to expect. My wife is not a US resident and we travel back and forth often. She can handle her self but has learned to be very careful when dealing with people in the Orlando area. I look forward to my time away from here and hope soon to not return. I shake my head a bit when reading so often on the dis that so many people have the strong desire and dream to move to Florida. It's not any better than other places, the quality of life is way below what it is in Canada. Orlando is certainly not a place to live on limited means. I've been in Buffalo but have never lived there, it seems like a nice area.

 

[msb578]

I've seen mention of October and April a few times here...

Significant snow in October is not typical. It can happen, and did so in a huge way about 10 years ago, but a couple of October "dustings" is more likely.

April, average snowfall is a bit higher than October. In May, snow is a fluke (but can happen).

Personally, I find these months beautiful (yes, a bit chilly though). And I wouldn't trade the summers for anything.

 

[Grmnshplvr]

lived here my whole life. For the most part the snow is annoying but not anything that will have you stuck (usually) we usually get 1 good storm a year and almost always have ample warning that it is coming. With that said, our weather men do cry wolf quite a bit but I guess better than being unprepared. We pretty much all have AWD, in my opinion its a necessity here. I think chains are illegal in NY state actually. You'll need a snow brush for your car, and brushing it off early in the morning gets old real fast every winter but I do love have 4 seasons. Practice driving in some empty parking lots to get a feel for how your car will react in a skid. DO NOT BRAKE. You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly....just keep in mind 6-12 inches does not by any means shut our city down so be prepared for there to be school/work. most of the schools allow 2 snow/cold days a year....we usually use them but rarely go over. For the cold it has to be -20 with the windchill before they'll start closing schools so you'll need lots of gear for the kiddos. The thing about our winters is that we handle it well. Streets are usually plowed and salted...not so much in the city, it can be hard for them to get through to clear them but in the suburbs I haven't found it to be an issue.

Aside from that, we have great food, the best pizza, crappy football team lol We love it here honestly, we really are the city of good neighbors.

If you're looking for a suburb close to buffalo I'd recommend clarence. We have some of the lowest taxes in the area, the best schools and are only a 20 min drive to the city.

 

[Grmnshplvr]

I've seen mention of October and April a few times here...

Significant snow in October is not typical. It can happen, and did so in a huge way about 10 years ago, but a couple of October "dustings" is more likely.

April, average snowfall is a bit higher than October. In May, snow is a fluke (but can happen).

Personally, I find these months beautiful (yes, a bit chilly though). And I wouldn't trade the summers for anything.

the October storm, we were without power for 9 days with 2 little ones! I'll never forget the sound of all the trees breaking around us.

ETA OP that was very much a freak storm and will probably never happen again

 

[Grmnshplvr]

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!

No Mighty Taco mention??

 

[PrincessV]

No Mighty Taco mention??

HOW could I forget Mighty?!?!? Look away - my Floridian is showing...

 

[Grmnshplvr]

HOW could I forget Mighty?!?!? Look away - my Floridian is showing...

SHAME

 

[gillep]

lived here my whole life. For the most part the snow is annoying but not anything that will have you stuck (usually) we usually get 1 good storm a year and almost always have ample warning that it is coming. With that said, our weather men do cry wolf quite a bit but I guess better than being unprepared. We pretty much all have AWD, in my opinion its a necessity here. I think chains are illegal in NY state actually. You'll need a snow brush for your car, and brushing it off early in the morning gets old real fast every winter but I do love have 4 seasons. Practice driving in some empty parking lots to get a feel for how your car will react in a skid. DO NOT BRAKE. You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly....just keep in mind 6-12 inches does not by any means shut our city down so be prepared for there to be school/work. most of the schools allow 2 snow/cold days a year....we usually use them but rarely go over. For the cold it has to be -20 with the windchill before they'll start closing schools so you'll need lots of gear for the kiddos. The thing about our winters is that we handle it well. Streets are usually plowed and salted...not so much in the city, it can be hard for them to get through to clear them but in the suburbs I haven't found it to be an issue.

Aside from that, we have great food, the best pizza, crappy football team lol We love it here honestly, we really are the city of good neighbors.

If you're looking for a suburb close to buffalo I'd recommend clarence. We have some of the lowest taxes in the area, the best schools and are only a 20 min drive to the city.

I also highly recommend Clarence, this is where my mom has lived for the past 20 years, and it is fantastic! Prior to that we lived in Williamsville/East Amherst, which is also wonderful, and a little bit more populated/built up if you want to be closer to Target/Wegmans and the like.

My dad also taught me to drive in the snow by taking me down the road to the church parking lot and skidding around for a bit.

 

[focusondisney]

Clarence is lovely. But I would find out where the job is before deciding where to live. If the job is at Fisher Price in East Aurora, Moog in Elma or Solar City , in South Buffalo, etc, Clarence might not be the best choice. Especially if the husband wants an easier commute if the weather is bad. And if the job is only in Buffalo for 2 years, I'd find a nice rental townhouse or apartment. I wouldn't go thru the trouble of buying to move again in 2 years.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Sorry, it may have appeared I forgot you guys. I didn't. My horrible cell phone has become impossible to type on. This is the first chance I've had to get on my laptop, since I last posted. I'll try to start from where I left off. If I don't go back far enough, please let me know.

 

[mickeymedic]

I lived near Buffalo for most of my life. Let's start with the good. There are some beautiful things to see and do in the area - Niagara Falls (I went there nearly every weekend in college), the Finger Lakes, etc. I miss a lot of the local food, too. Like fresh pirogies, Mighty Taco, real Buffalo Wings and the best hotdogs on the planet (red hots and white hots from Zweigles or Sahlen).

BUT, the taxes are outrageous. So as you are weighing your options, be sure to factor in the state income tax as well as the property taxes if you plan to buy a house. NY has some of the highest property taxes in the nation. To put it in perspective, we pay half the property tax in TN on a a house twice the size of what we owned in NY. In retrospect, it was ridiculous.