Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am a 24-year old professional that just got a job offer to work in Big Flats, NY, and now I’m seeking advice on where would be the best place to live. I’m originally from the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County specifically. The great thing about that area was that everything was within reach… malls, colleges, hangouts for young adults, etc. The Catskills were 30 minutes across the river for summer/fall hiking adventures, and NYC was an easy train ride down the Hudson. So I guess it was great for me because it had all of the things that you get in a city (and more), but it was spread out enough that it had a nice medium town feel.
Now I live in the Oneonta area and hate it. There’s almost no social scene for people in their mid-20s, the area is mostly low-income, and it feels like I’m in the middle of nowhere.
The areas I’m looking at primarily are Corning, Horseheads, Elmira, and Ithaca.
Socially, I’m a liberal single guy who likes to get out with other people in their 20’s. I’m a big user of Meetup for activities like board gaming/bowling/adventuring, as well as a contra dancer. I’m also looking for a place where I can find a non-religious choir. And I'm not into bars at all.
My initial thought was Ithaca, but it’s a much longer commute than the other cities. And I’ve been hearing that the commute on route 13 is terrible in the winter months – would love to hear more about that. (I’m looking to move in July).
I would move this to the general portion of the NY forum. With this said, I'd either go with Corning, Horseheads(particularly the village, if you like walkability), perhaps the outer West Side of Elmira, West Elmira(CDP) and maybe even the village of Elmira Heights.
Ithaca is a good 45-50 minute drive to Big Flats. So, perhaps the Horseheads area is a happy medium due to its location near Big Flats, while still being close to Elmira and Corning, as well as a reasonable drive to Ithaca(about 30-35 minutes). Horseheads also has the area's regional mall and the bulk of the big box shopping. It also has the bulk of the upper middle class neighborhoods in the area(particularly in/around Horseheads North(CDP)), with West Elmira(CDP) also having its share.
Route 13 is worse between Ithaca and Cortland than it is between Ithaca and Horseheads. Unfortunately to the southwest of Ithaca there is not really a good alternative to 13 (not like there is to the northwest with the more sheltered and actually shorter series of county roads).
I strongly doubt the social scene is much better in Elmira/Horseheads or even Corning for twenty-somethings than it is in Oneonta. At least in Ithaca there are grad students and possibly the lucky young professionals who found work in that area. Corning might have some young professionals, but I doubt many of the footloose type.
The west edge of what one of our frequent posters calls "planet Ithaca" is also the west edge of a cultural divide in upstate. When you tune your FM radio between 88 and 92 MHz and find more Christian preaching than bluegrass, punk, jazz, and NPR, that's one way to know that you crossed the border.
The closest contra dance listings I could find in a quick search are in Spencer (considered rural Ithaca for this purpose). Fortunately for you that's south side of "planet Ithaca". If you're not crawling home from bars, a satellite comunity apartment may be worth looking into for you. Alpine Junction is basically an intersection to center a housing search, but around that mostly fictional location you might find rentals in any of Odessa, Van Etten, and Newfield. Both Odessa and Van Etten have alternate roads down to the Horseheads area than Route 13, not that they'd be any better in snow but at least different. Get a Subaru if you don't have one already.
Getting to The City not driving involves the 'hound (generically speaking - actually Short Line Bus | Schedules & Tickets ) unless you pay to fly, or your employer has private flights that you can qualify to use.
Route 13 is worse between Ithaca and Cortland than it is between Ithaca and Horseheads. Unfortunately to the southwest of Ithaca there is not really a good alternative to 13 (not like there is to the northwest with the more sheltered and actually shorter series of county roads).
I strongly doubt the social scene is much better in Elmira/Horseheads or even Corning for twenty-somethings than it is in Oneonta. At least in Ithaca there are grad students and possibly the lucky young professionals who found work in that area. Corning might have some young professionals, but I doubt many of the footloose type.
The west edge of what one of our frequent posters calls "planet Ithaca" is also the west edge of a cultural divide in upstate. When you tune your FM radio between 88 and 92 MHz and find more Christian preaching than bluegrass, punk, jazz, and NPR, that's one way to know that you crossed the border.
The closest contra dance listings I could find in a quick search are in Spencer (considered rural Ithaca for this purpose). Fortunately for you that's south side of "planet Ithaca". If you're not crawling home from bars, a satellite comunity apartment may be worth looking into for you. Alpine Junction is basically an intersection to center a housing search, but around that mostly fictional location you might find rentals in any of Odessa, Van Etten, and Newfield. Both Odessa and Van Etten have alternate roads down to the Horseheads area than Route 13, not that they'd be any better in snow but at least different. Get a Subaru if you don't have one already.
Getting to The City not driving involves the 'hound (generically speaking - actually Short Line Bus | Schedules & Tickets ) unless you pay to fly, or your employer has private flights that you can qualify to use.
As far as hiking groups in the area, some (not necessarily on meetup or Facebook) are:
Trailblazers of the Southern Tier (centered on Elmira/Sayre)
Three Rivers Outing Club (centered on Corning)
Cayuga Trails Club (centered on Ithaca)
Asaph Trail Club (centered on Wellsboro, PA - there are many nice hiking trails in Tompkins and Schuyler counties, but Tioga County PA has the nearest "big woods")
Triple Cities Hiking Club (centered on Binghamton area)
That is in New York? Never heard of it. Sounds more like somewhere out West. Take the L out of Flats and it sounds like somewhere down South. Now, Big Tax sounds more properly Northern.
To the OP, I would check out the Corning and Horseheads/Elmira areas first before deciding on Ithaca. Ithaca is a cool place for young people but I think Corning is more realistic.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Now, Big Tax sounds more properly Northern. 
