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This might sound a bit strange, but it you'll just bear with me...
I'm a semi-retired teacher who lives in SE PA, and I absolutely despise the summer heat and humidity here. While I have friends and family members who have purchased southern "snowbird" properties in Fl and the Carolinas, I would actually like somewlhere to go to escape the summers here. I was thinking a small condo (must allow dogs in community) or even a bungalow. I don't want to have to drive too far, so Maine is out, but I did see that Rochester has one of the coolest summers on the East Coast. Right now, here in my town, it's almost 90 degrees with insufferable humidity - and it's not even June yet!!!!!
Anywhere in particular I should start looking? Would you consider Syracuse or Uttica just as cool? I don't need much of a night life, just some good shopping in a nice area. Any ideas would be appreciated (also where to avoid).
Not sure what your budget is, but the most desirable would be a place on one of the Finger Lakes - Canandaigua, Conesus, Skeneateles, Seneca. If you want to be closer to Rochester there are many options on Lake Ontario or Sodus Bay that would be great in the summer as you get a nice cooling breeze off Lake Ontario. In my fantasy retirement life I would spend my summers in the Finger Lakes and my winters in Florida (Sanibel or Naples).
Not sure what your budget is, but the most desirable would be a place on one of the Finger Lakes - Canandaigua, Conesus, Skeneateles, Seneca. If you want to be closer to Rochester there are many options on Lake Ontario or Sodus Bay that would be great in the summer as you get a nice cooling breeze off Lake Ontario. In my fantasy retirement life I would spend my summers in the Finger Lakes and my winters in Florida (Sanibel or Naples).
Thanks, breezy. Love your name . Don't know much about the Finger Lakes or Lake Ontario, but I'll surely check them both out. I guess my budget depends on how my investments have panned out in a year's time. In this economy, it's anyone's guess. Thanks again. Can't wait to do some reasearch
I think Canandaigua would be a nice choice for you. It's right on Canandaigua lake (one of the Finger Lakes) and has small town charm and is quiet, yet also has convenience of being fairly close to Rochester (about 35 minutes to downtown Rochester) and some of it's more upscale suburbs (Victor, Mendon, Pittsford; 10, 15 and 20 minutes respectively) that have much more retail/restaurants. Ontario county also has lower taxes than Monroe County and has been rated as "the best rural county to live" in the country.
If you don't need to be near a larger city such as Rochester or Buffalo (also known for its summer climate), consider the Jamestown area (or Chautauqua Lake) which is a few degrees cooler, thanks to its higher elevation & proximity to Lake Erie. I find the climate here to be nearly ideal. It's also close to PA. And as a retired teacher I might expect you'd enjoy the Chautaqua Institution, quite a magical place in the summer.
Wow, these places DO seem magical! Of course ideally, it would be best to rent in a place before purchasing...but with three canines, that's not really a possibility. Perhaps I can do a few jaunts for a couple of days at a time (while kenneling the "babies") and get a better idea of several of these suggestions. I am MOST grateful to you, Folks!!
Other communities in the Finger Lakes you may like are Seneca Falls, Waterloo, Skaneateles, many parts of Geneva, much of Auburn, Ithaca, Watkins Glen and perhaps Geneseo. There is an outlet mall near Waterloo, as well as Fingerlakes Mall in Auburn, Pyramid Mall in Ithaca and the very nice Eastview Mall in Victor.
There are some other locations closer to Syracuse and in the Utica-Rome area that you may like too. Before you ask, if you are interested, look into Clinton, Cazenovia, Cicero, Sylvan Beach, Baldwinsville, Liverpool, Brewerton, Whitesboro/Whitestown, Fayetteville-Manlius area and New Hartford.
Also, in the immediate Rochester area, look into places like Webster, Irondequoit, Brockport, Fairport, Spencerport and the northern part of Greece, among others. Maybe even the Charlotte neighborhood in the city of Rochester too.
Not sure if I would agree with the previous posters. Maybe the Finger Lakes would be cooler, but only if you live right on one of the lakes (in a $500,000 house). I would recomemnd anywhere within 1 mile from Lake Ontario. For instance in Greece you can feel it getting cooler when you cross over the Lake Ontario State Parkway. Not to many condos, however. There is the Lake Breeze condos in the Charlotte neighborhood in Rochester and you can easily walk to the beach an harbour area. You may find a bungalo to rent in Greece, Charlotte or Sea Breeze (Irondequoit). Sodus Point is worth checking, although I think they might be pricey.
The places listed are nice, but it gets very humid here too. 80s and high humidity is very common here. It is not as hot as some of the southern places, but still very humid.
The Finger Lakes are nice, but would I recommend either Charlotte, Irondequoit or Sodus Point. Lake Ontario is huge; living there is almost like being on the Ocean. Which in my opinion is more exciting the finger lakes.
Charlotte is the northern most of all the city neighborhoods, but it feels more like its own village. There are a few quitter streets + a nice beach front park, a walking pier, and the oldest surviving lighthouse on the American side of Lake Ontario which is now a museum.
In case you didn’t know charlotte is where the Genesee River ends and flows into Lake Ontario. The west side of the river is Charlotte the east side is not in the city but rather the town of Irondequoit. In addition to being on the other side of the river (the Summerville neighborhood of Irondequite) Irondequoit also has its own mini Charlotte, which is called sea breeze; and they are only a few miles apart.
Lastly Sodus point is a small town on the lake about halfway between Rochester and Syracuse. They also have a lighthouse, beach, park, and pier. I guess the draw there would be that it’s more of a small county town away from the cities. I think it also tends to be more popular with summer folks while charlotte and Irondequoit both tend to have more year round residents.
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. Don't know much about the Finger Lakes or Lake Ontario, but I'll surely check them both out. I guess my budget depends on how my investments have panned out in a year's time. In this economy, it's anyone's guess. Thanks again. Can't wait to do some reasearch
