Considering move to Rochester: Advice on affluent areas (Irondequoit, Webster: cul-de-sac, real estate)
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Wife and I are looking to move to Rochester from Manhattan to raise our family (baby on the way and we do NOT want to raise children in the city). We considered NYC suburbs, but frankly we're done with the NYC metro area- it is too busy and we would like a slower pace of life. Rochester seems to be a decent upstate city and from our initial real estate searches, housing prices seem to be very cheap compared to Manhattan/Westchester/Greenwich.
Just a few questions about Rochester's affluent areas:
Which is better- Brighton or Pittsford? Our housing budget is around 3 mil- which area will offer the best housing/lifestyle for our money? Schools are not an issue, as we will likely have our children attend an area private school (recommendations?). Also, which area has a higher concentration of Columbia and Princeton alums?
We are also concerned about being perceived as flashy, as it is upstate and it seems more "low-key" and "conservative" in regards to clothing, cars, etc. How would people react to us driving a Bentley? In NYC these cars are everywhere and no one blinks twice when they see one.
What are your favorite things to do in Rochester? (In town visiting for the weekend (we love it so far!) and would like to see what locals do for fun)
If you had to decide to live in Rochester again, would you do so and why?
I'd say Pittsford and either the Harley School or Allendale-Columbia for school options. Both of those schools share athletic programs too. Browser Not Supported
Either Pittsford, Victor, or Macedon. Pittsford is closer to amenities, Victor is in the middle, and Macedon is on the outskirts, and you'll usually net a lot more property in Macedon, if that's something you're looking for.
If I had 3 million and for some oddball reason wanted to live in upstate NY, and a commute wasn't an issue, I'd definitely pick a massive home in Macedon or Victor. That kind of money will buy a LOT of real estate anywhere in this area. Heck, you could probably scope out a real, real nice home right on Lake Ontario and still have some cash to spare for toys like a boat and jet skis, if lakefront living sounds appealing to you.
Pittsford is by far the most affluent town in the Rochester area and really all of Upstate NY...but even there, $3million house is going to make you "stand out". The sky's the limit in the Rochester area with a $3 million budget. If you don't want to appear "too flashy"...you could save yourselves a lot of money and "blend in" a little more with a house in the $1-$1.5 million range. A $1.5 million house in the Rochester area is still going to be larger/nicer than most $3 million houses in the NYC region
I agree that with your means personally I would choose a nice house on the lakeshore in Webster. Webster is a very nice suburb right on Lake Ontario with many beautiful lakefront properties. It doesn't have the same concentration of affluence as Pittsford does and it lacks the charm of Pittsford Village...but a wonderful town in which to raise a family nonetheless.
I see you also asked about Brighton, also a nice town and I don't know about your housing preferences but Brighton generally has older housing stock (mostly 1920s-1950's) on smaller lots. It has more walkable neighborhood streets than many neighborhoods in Pittsford and Webster (both of which generally have newer suburban developments with cul-de-sacs and such). Generally the biggest selling point for Brighton is the fact that it's school district is among the best in the state and country (usually ranks a little higher than Pittsford)....but seeing as you are looking into private school, that is sort of a moot point here.
Why not consider one of those East Avenue mansions? They & their neighborhoods have much more character than the more recent housing stock.
I agree... Since schools are not an issue, you should think about East Ave... We moved here from Washington, DC and found East Ave to be most similar to the affluent / close-in suburbs of DC such as Potomac and Lyon Village.
On your question: Would you move again? Absolutely. We love the East Ave / Park Ave area.
We're from NYC, altho the move to Rochester from was from Mass. We specifically researched locations in the NE based on public school districts, narrowed it down to Rochester (Brighton v Pittsford).
We visited and went around both towns, and the schools. We knew immediately that we wanted Brighton. Once here, our only regret was that we didn't come sooner.
So, my advice is, you need to visit the area.
There are certainly upscale families in both towns. East side of Brighton is more upscale than other locations.
I'll second the suggestion of getting a lake house in the Finger Lakes - that's a great idea. And, your friends from NYC can visit you there.
Harley is the classic choice for private school. We were very pleased with the public schools.
Also, which area has a higher concentration of Columbia and Princeton alums?
I don't know about Columbia, but here's the link for Princeton Club of Rochester:
Events - Princeton Club of Rochester (http://tigernet.princeton.edu/~paa337/events.html - broken link)
They have a picnic each spring - you can probably build a trip here around the same time.
Wife and I are looking to move to Rochester from Manhattan to raise our family (baby on the way and we do NOT want to raise children in the city). We considered NYC suburbs, but frankly we're done with the NYC metro area- it is too busy and we would like a slower pace of life. Rochester seems to be a decent upstate city and from our initial real estate searches, housing prices seem to be very cheap compared to Manhattan/Westchester/Greenwich.
Just a few questions about Rochester's affluent areas:
Which is better- Brighton or Pittsford? Our housing budget is around 3 mil- which area will offer the best housing/lifestyle for our money? Schools are not an issue, as we will likely have our children attend an area private school (recommendations?). Also, which area has a higher concentration of Columbia and Princeton alums?
We are also concerned about being perceived as flashy, as it is upstate and it seems more "low-key" and "conservative" in regards to clothing, cars, etc. How would people react to us driving a Bentley? In NYC these cars are everywhere and no one blinks twice when they see one.
What are your favorite things to do in Rochester? (In town visiting for the weekend (we love it so far!) and would like to see what locals do for fun)
If you had to decide to live in Rochester again, would you do so and why?
Thanks in advance!
Unfortunately this sounds like a complete troll. It is not difficult to hire an outfit to explore living in Rochester or elsewhere if you can afford Bentleys and three million homes.
But presuming this soul inherited his money and does not know much...
You live in Pittsford or Brighton. Pittsford is slightly superior but if you want to politely flaunt your wealth one of the old estates in Brighton is the better deal.
If you actually want to spend that much money you buy an acreage with a suitable manor or build your own. There is no rational reason for a couple house in Rochester that costs more than 1.2 or 1.3 million.
Skip the Bentley. More trouble than it is worth. Go for a fleet...a Mercedes or BMW or two and a couple of fierce four wheel drives and a couple of muscular pickups. A Bently in Rochester is merely weird.
Stay off the lkefront other than for a summer house. It is a wicked place in January...and you may not get out until March. When you drive Lake Road and have to accelerate down the hills to get up the next you will understand. And when the ice on the local roads gets past six inches you will decide to move somewhere more rational.
The main schools in Brighton or Pittsford are at least equivalent to Harley and probably better. Unless my kid was troubled I would send to the public schools.
Don't sweat the Country Clubs....if you fit right they will come and get you.
I would point out that the only rational reason for moving to Rochester is to start a new business. If you are not of that mode...go somewhere else. The winters make it not worth the trouble and the spring is worse. It is a really shi**y place where one should live only for cause.
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