How grim are these cities & towns/counties? (New York, Buffalo: real estate, crime)

[homeward bound]

Cities: Salamanca, Franklinville, Hornell, Olean, Jamestown, Albion, Angola, Andover, Cuba, Wellsville, Canaseraga, Belmont, Gowanda, Medina, Warsaw?

Counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chatauqua, Orleans, Monroe, Wyoming, Steuben, Livingston, Wayne, Yates, Genesee?

Broad question about a big, varied area, I know. But any "be forewarned" advice you can give about any of these areas, I'd appreciate, especially in terms of raising-a-family quality-of-life. While we're still most intent on moving to the Finger Lakes area, we're also still looking west and east of it. (I've got a soft spot for Allegany County.) I'll ask about eastern towns & counties some other time.

Thanks in advice for the typically excellent feedback on this forum.

Muggy, thanks for your question about what we're up to. We're still a few years from moving from Virginia back to upstate NY. Gotta amass more equity in our current home to have the choices we want to have when making the move. But there's no doubt that we're headed back. We dawdled around Allegany County on our way back from scouting out the Finger Lakes again this summer, and even where New York State has a somewhat Appalchian feel, as it does in Allegany County, it also has a wonderful New England feel, but with spaciousness--a sense of history and balanced proportions and familiar distances and sane-pace-of-life charm. That "village green" feel--it's so painfully rare in most of the country, yet to be expected in just about any upstate town or small city.

[RWilliams]

I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. Most of the areas you listed are fairly rural. Personally I would avoid Jamestown and Salamanca. Gowanda is a nice little town and its not far (15 mins or so) from Springville which has a walmart super center, a tops grocery store, radio shack, pizza hut, a weekly farmers market and auction among other things, and a lowes will be opening this winter/spring. I would honestly recommend Springville as a wonderful small town to raise a family in. It has a very nice downtown area and a 1920's art deco movie theater that shows first run movies for around $5. Its also right in the middle of ski country and there are quite a few parks in the area. Its right at the end of the 219 expressway too so its quite easy to get to Buffalo and the surrounding areas from there. Its in Erie county though, I'm assuming that there is a reason you didn't list Erie county.

You would be able to find a home in Jamestown for a very good price and the utilities are low too. However there is quite a bit of crime for such a small city.

Sorry, that probably wasn't any help.

[heathersmom]

Jamestown does have a lot of crime. Randolph is close to Jamestown but very rural and backs up against the State Park. Alleghany County is beautiful as is Wyoming County, but they are just so slow economically- it is sad that most of Upstate NY sucks for jobs- from what I gather welfare seems to be the best paying gig around...Indian reservations are doing well (cigarettes and gas) ... if you don't need income you will love it.

[archtopguitar]

Well if there were lots of great jobs there would be lots more people and it wouldn't be rural!!
We lived in Allegany-Steuben county for many years and always did well there. This is the old fashioned Rural America of yesterday. The schools are good, there are lots of small colleges. You just have to find your nich as far as jobs go. The modern conviences are there, some big box stores, Wegmans Grocery Ect. The cost of real estate is low. These are self sufficent areas and small business is welcomed and supported by the people in the area you just have to bring somthing to the party!!

[RWilliams]

Originally Posted by archtopguitar

Well if there were lots of great jobs there would be lots more people and it wouldn't be rural!!

I would hope we wouldn't lose our rural areas. We wouldn't want all of Western New York to turn into Amherst. Personally I love the rural areas of NYS, very picturesque. I didn't know if the op was aware that the areas were rural, to some people that would be a bad thing. To me on the other hand it would be a pro rather than a con. But I would still avoid Jamestown and Salamanca.

[Muggy]

homeward bound, thanks for the update.

Even if you post twice a year I am interested in what you say. You have an amazing way of capturing C/WNY with your words, all of which stoke my memory and ring true with my experience growing up there.

I figure that you are about ten years ahead of me (career + family wise)... my wife and I are on the brink of starting a family and we really want to raise our kids in a community (these are hard to come by). Sorry to ask you to be my guinea pig, but I am very interested in your timeline/results.

I am committed to my current situation for about 4-5 more years. It is my goal to live on the cheap and return to the Finger Lakes are with enough cash to put a serious down payment on a modest home.

At this point, I really don't care about the nasty winters. I love the hollow sound of the heat coursing through the registers while snow quietly blankets the countryside. If you've never heard the crunch of snowshoes you are truly missing out.

I am literally having panic attacks about missing the fall colors this year. It will be the first time in MY LIFE that I will miss out on autumn in the Finger Lakes.

Anyway, good to see you post again. Promise you'll post at least 2x a year!

[just_sayin']

Well the odd ball out of those is Monroe County, which is where Rochester is and is the second largest county upstate; where as most of the other counties you mentioned were much more rural in nature. Jobs don't suck everywhere upstate. Syracuse and Albany have the best job markets upstate; both with unemployment rates below the national average, and job growth about even with it. Rochester is usually in that group as well, but has had a rough 5 years after some major cutbacks at Kodak; but that is starting to turn around as well. Buffalo, since the 1960's has been the posterchild for upstate decline sadly. It's the only upstate metro that hasn't gained population since the 1960 censusm and one of only 2 in the country (the othe being Pittsburgh, PA) There is a large community effort to turn the area around though and a lot of private investment has gone into downtown and the city lately.

[albertfknapp]

New York has alot of challenges ahead for itself. The upstate is full of good people.

[mooduscycle]

I live in Alma (population 800) in Allegany county. There are not a lot of jobs which is why this remains a rural area, but anyone willing can find work in this area (within an hours drive) to support a family, the cost of living is low. A job that pays $30k a year is plenty for a family of 4 when your mortgage payment is only $200 a month

[fish2026]

NO chance NY will lose its rural areas,because NY north of NYC is losing population. Albany may be holding steady but Rochester Buffalo Utica Binghamton are all losing steadily if not rapidly. These arent all people moving to the suburbs many are moving out of state to warmer climates and less taxes.