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My husband and I are potentially relocating from Boston to Syracuse as part of an occupational re-assignment from his employer. We are not terribly familiar with the area, and would like assistance from anyone willing to give it.
We are both "pre-retirees" and do not have any children, so school zones are not a factor. Finding work is obviously not an issue, as my husbands current employer will certainly keep him on board until he retires in approximately 7-10 years. Our prerequisites are only as follows;
1) We love Boston, and have lived in or around the city our entire lives. We like the "New England" charm of the architecture and the small town feel, even in the big city. We would like something similar. We don't mind being right in Syracuse, or up to 30 minutes outside the city, but we would like something with history, walk-ability, and charm.
2) As we get older, we would like the area to be safe, relatively quiet in the evening hours, and within reasonable distance to hospitals and health care facilities.
3) If at all possible, we would like to have some "small town amenities" nearby. By this, I mean things like antique shops, local businesses, and family owned cafes and/or restaurants.
4) We would like to downsize our home, and prepare for life as retirees. Therefore, we also want to maximize our savings by minimizing our housing costs. Currently we live in a 6000 sq foot home and it is simply too much space. We would like a single family home, 2500 sq feet or less, and would like to spend under 200,000 dollars. We believe that budget should be sufficient in the Syracuse area.
We would be grateful for any recommendations of areas which could meet these preferences. Thank you in advance. Your local knowledge and insight is most appreciated by both of us.
Marcellus would be a great fit. It has a New England feel in the village and it is right down Route 175 from Community General Hospital. It is walkable and big box stores are within 10-15 away in Camillus.
Skaneateles would work, but it isn't as affordable. With that said, you may be able to find deals. Cazenovia in Madison County is very similar. Both are on lakes as well. Skaneateles is the next town to the west of Marcellus and has a very nice village, as does Cazenovia.
Fayetteville and Manlius are villages with that New England feel, with a variety of shopping nearby.
A sleeper and it doesn't necessarily have the same feel, but could work is Liverpool. It has Onondaga Lake Park right there as well.
To be honest though, Marcellus was the first place that came to mind. It has the old mill that now houses condos and it just has that feel to it. Here is the streetview: https://maps.gstatic.com/m/streetvie...034753546,,0,0
As for Syracuse, I would suggest the Meadowbrook and Scottholm neighborhoods if you want a city neighborhood. It is close to hospitals, Syracuse Stage, Syracuse University, Le Moyne College and shopping. Parts of Eastwood may work as well(Shotwell Park, east of Midler and south of James, Rugby Road area east of Teall Ave, etc.).
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 01-14-2014 at 07:52 PM..
I can't help but feel you are going to be very unsatisfied here. There is nothing here that can even come close to Boston. The only benefit will be that for what you are paying for 6ooo sqft in Boston could probably buy you anything in this area.
I would check out Westcott and Eastwood. Marcellus may be too much of a sleeper town.
I can't help but feel you are going to be very unsatisfied here. There is nothing here that can even come close to Boston. The only benefit will be that for what you are paying for 6ooo sqft in Boston could probably buy you anything in this area.
I would check out Westcott and Eastwood. Marcellus may be too much of a sleeper town.
You don't think Marcellus would work in terms of a small town, quiet feel for some one approaching retirement? I'm only asking due to your location and experience.
Small town feel for someone coming from Boston is very different than a Syracuse small town feel. Even the city of Syracuse feels small town to me.
As someone who came from a big city and moved to Marcellus, I can tell you it is a sleeper town that will bore you to tears. The village is walkable, but there isn't a whole lot going on there. The Village Tavern is about as exciting as it gets and even then, it is the same 30+ people in there every time I have been there and they all grew up less than 5 miles from Main Street.
Small town feel for someone coming from Boston is very different than a Syracuse small town feel. Even the city of Syracuse feels small town to me.
As someone who came from a big city and moved to Marcellus, I can tell you it is a sleeper town that will bore you to tears. The village is walkable, but there isn't a whole lot going on there. The Village Tavern is about as exciting as it gets and even then, it is the same 30+ people in there every time I have been there and they all grew up less than 5 miles from Main Street.
I see what you are saying in regards to Marcellus and being from L.A. Boston is compact, but more dense and pretty easy to get around.
Eastwood does have an Antique Shop on James and there may be events at the Palace Theater. There are some restaurants and down James into East Syracuse there's a Wegmans. So, that may work for the OP if the smaller communities aren't what they are looking for. Here is some Eastwood info: Gustav Stickley Art Pottery Mission Oak Grueby L&JG buying buying Dalton's
If they are looking for similar amenities, they won't find it. If they are looking for a complete change in life, Marcellus would work.
I don't know if they are necessarily looking for Boston like amenities from what I read in the OP. Similar could be Skaneateles or Cazenovia in terms of a smaller town.
Another area that may work is the Hoopes Park and Lake Ave areas of Auburn. It has the Harriet Tubman and Seward Homes, a Downtown Wegmans, an Art Gallery on Genesee Street, a walkable Downtown and it is on a Finger Lake. I have heard shaky things about the hospital though. Community General is about 20-25 minutes away. There is a prison there as well, but the crime rate is below the national average. There's also the Auburn Public Theater in Downtown and the Merry Go Round Playhouse at Emerson Park.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 01-15-2014 at 09:50 AM..
Your collective insight has helped to point us in a direction to begin our search. As it pertains to "Boston amenities", we don't really have that ambition as much as we desire to find a community reminiscent of quaint New England charm, and the safety and cleanliness that comes with that. Even in the city of Boston, the communities are very close, quaint, and largely individual. For example, the back bay is far different than the financial district, and the north end is far different than the south end. The city itself has a "small town feel" even in the urban neighborhoods. That is the sort of thing we are hoping to find, whether it be "in" Syracuse itself, or in a nearby suburb.
I love local theater and arts, antique shops, and small cafes. My husband loves the outdoors, walk-ability, and "small town camaraderie". So really, whether we find that in a neighborhood in Syracuse, or on the outskirts, it is of no difference to us. We have lived in urban, suburban, and rural areas before, and really, we can find good just about anywhere. We just don't want to be too far away from some sense of community, some semblance of commerce, and some people. So, anything "too far" out there wouldn't work.
Thank you again so very much.
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