Good Town Upstate For Small Family???? (Albany, Saratoga Springs: transplants, co-op, house)

[Paul3086]

Hi All,
I'm retiring from the NYPD and am looking to relocate to the upstate adirondack region from Long Island. I have a wife and 13 year old daughter. We're looking for a semi-rural town in which we can find a 4 bed house on 1+ acres for around $250,000-$300,000. Naturally a decent high school and activities for a 13 year old are important. She is an avid dancer (5 days a week since kindergarten). Distance from NYC is NOT important. Hope never to see the place again LOL!

[Sgoldie]

There are two distinctly different sections of the Adirondacks, the Eastern half and the Western half. The Eastern half is more populated and more sophisticated than the other side and the people come from different parts of the state as transplants or seasonal cabin dwellers.

In the East you will find it to be more expensive around the Olympic Village, lots of nice shops, skiing, and with Paul Smiths college located in another cute town not far away. More year around activity I would presume and of course closer to Albany. The food will be more upscale here. Either of these two towns will probably less shocking to your daughter who is use to more civilization.

In the West you'll find hunters and fishermen and the forest ranger school at Wanakeena, more wildlife too. I don't know if there's dance but there is skiing in both sections. There's an artists co-op and museum at Old Forge which is quite active, a movie theatre, a couple of nice wilderness boy scout camps closeby, and the seasonal water park.

[Tioga]

Just to throw another possibilty at you..buy a suburban/rural place near a medium size town. Spend the rest of your $$ on a weekend place up in the Adirondacks. I live in Tioga county. It's fairly rural. I love the Adirondacks. I go up there whenever time/money allows. But, the rural parts of the southern tier(Chemung, Tioga, Broome, Chenango) have been a relocation spot for more than a few prior NYPD/FD types. Why? Well: you can buy rural at a great price; within 30-45 min of the stuff you might need to get to...stores, schools, all the medical specialties and hospitals...dance instruction-schools for your daughter, etc..Plus, if necessary, NYC is a just a ~3 hour drive away. Just something for you to think about as you plan "your escape".

[Sgoldie]

Yeah, I was thinking that myself. Your daughter may not be too pleased with you if the hottest thing going on on a Saturday night is to go watch the black bears forage through the town dump. (More likely in the western half though not far fetched anywhere in the mtns)

You might want to check out something just to the north of Albany yet still on its fringes for accessibility to activities and shopping. Clifton park, Saratoga, or even Glens Falls. Ps- Be aware that there is still not cell phone service on some stretches of the northway to Montreal.

[plattsburgher]

I was reading some of the posts and just thought I would mention that half of Pburgh seems to have come here (from college, post 9/11, relatives, lifestyle, etc. from LI)...........There is definitely a ballet company (who has instructors come down from Montreal periodically) and who performs the Nutcracker here every year without fail. I believe there are at least two dance studios (Guibords and Langlois) who have been here forever and teach
everything from hip-hop to ballet to ballroom to tap, whatever. Just didn't want you to think there are no dance classes here.............This is the weekend for one of the groups recitals and there is so much interest that they have to split all the groups up and have them perform on different days/nights this weekend for the end of the year performance. My older daughter took dance for her high school play choreography and some of her teachers here were trained in NYC. The younger daughter has done hip hop and my friend and her daughter are performing a mother daughter routine tomorrow night. I think you might be able to get a much more sane lifestyle, but also keep what is important to your daughter..............It's a pretty good combo up here..........plus Burlington has lots of theatre and we have summer theatre (from NYC), and of course you get Montreal and Lake Placid within about an hour's drive............think it is worth considering for a compromise area.......................Good luck!

[Ellwood]

I would recommend Saratoga and the outlying villages (Schuylerville etc.) Schools are very good and Saratoga Springs has cultural activities including dance for your family. Brampton Woods is a development, but with a rural feel, costs begin about $260K. C&S are builders who are very good and HONEST.

[Paul3086]

Many thanks to all of you. I will have to do some intense researching as well as visiting this year. We do not plan to move until next summer. Thanks again.
Paul

[jdmcockatiel]

stay away from middletown. its like the bronx of orange county. same nyc gangs and problems just on a smaller scale.

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by Tioga

Just to throw another possibilty at you..buy a suburban/rural place near a medium size town. Spend the rest of your $$ on a weekend place up in the Adirondacks. I live in Tioga county. It's fairly rural. I love the Adirondacks. I go up there whenever time/money allows. But, the rural parts of the southern tier(Chemung, Tioga, Broome, Chenango) have been a relocation spot for more than a few prior NYPD/FD types. Why? Well: you can buy rural at a great price; within 30-45 min of the stuff you might need to get to...stores, schools, all the medical specialties and hospitals...dance instruction-schools for your daughter, etc..Plus, if necessary, NYC is a just a ~3 hour drive away. Just something for you to think about as you plan "your escape".

I second this. With a special nod to Broome County. Good luck!

[jrice]

Check out Onondaga county--close enough to Adirondacks for those weekend getaways but close enough to civilization that your daughter can have a social life