PromoTheRobot Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I have not lived in Buffalo for 37 years, and always wonder about moving back.I lived in the Lakeview area, and I have such fond memories growing up there, and most of the better ones involve snow. But just like everyone else, my tolerance level for the Cold isn't what it used to be. That being said, I think that the weather thing is very negatively overrated. It is cold and snowy in just about every other Notheastern city in the US through the Winter months, maybe not quite as cold and snowy as Bfllo, but really not much different. The economic thing is the killer one for the city, that is the one that needs addressed more than anything else. Here in NH it has barely reached the 60's and it's the middle of friggin' June! My pool still as icebergs floating in it. If I moved back to Buffalo, I'd rent a condo down south for the winter months. Problem solved. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Curt Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I agree. For the first 15 years after my Marine Corp hitch, I kept coming back to WNY when construction jobs ended. Both our kids were born there as well. But after the 100 yr. old company I worked for in Dansville shut down -went to China-, we decided we'd had enough of the TOOOO long winters and headed for Florida. As many here are aware, our kids -and us for that matter- wore halloween costumes 3X too big, just to fit over winter parka's and the snow & cold runs through May. Now in TN, we get all 4 seasons with a very mild winter -a couple 'dustings' a year. Our collective heart is and always will be in WNY, but we opt to live in better climate. Ridiculous NYS taxes nothwithstanding, it's the weather that keeps us away. Best wishes with your choice. I disagree with weather being a main factor not to come back. CHI, MINN/St. Paul, NYC, Philly and a host of northern cities have harsh winters. To each his own, but I believe these other northern cities still continue to thrive is because the opportunity and the ecomomies are much better. CHI and Minn/St. Paul winters are more brutal than Buffalo but dozens of companies and corporations are based in these cities. This allows jobs to flow and people go when the jobs are no matter how cold it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glass To The Arson Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 If I ever left Buffalo... I'd be heart broken I'd be back sooner or later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metzelaars_lives Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 I always think about moving back. I keep looking at affordable houses and think I could do it. I'm self-employed and do my work online so I could take my business anywhere. Of course If I go it will be without the wife. She's not from there and somehow fails to appreciate the charms of the ol' town. The one pitfall of moving back is my alcohol consumption would likely skyrocket. PTR That sucks that your wife wouldn't be willing to move back there with you because Manchester sucks way worse than Buffalo! I go there on business once a year and the only redeeming thing about that city is the chicken fingers and mudslides at the Puritan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I lived here for the first 25 years of my life and thought I needed a change. I moved to Vegas for 2 years. Became a bar manager and absolutely loved it there. The problem is every time I would come home to visit (about 2-3 times a year) I would want to stay in Buffalo more and more. Until the last time I came back to visit I sat on a bench in the airport and contemplated getting on the plane to go back to Vegas. The day after I got back to Vegas I put in a request to be transfered back to Buffalo and started making the plans to move back. I was looking for a house when I was there and its a good thing I didnt pay $300K on a 1300sq. ft. home when I was there. I would have been rocked financially and with the economy and the housing market there I would be in big trouble now. Anyway, I moved back because I missed the City, my freinds, my family, the area in general. I never planned on staying in Vegas for the rest of my life, I just didnt plan on coming back so soon. The first few weeks after I got back I ordered my season tickets with 7 of my best freinds and that alone is worth coming back to me. You will do what your heart tells you and it will be the right decision. Good Luck Well put. Everybody knows how I feel about Buffalo. The only other place I ever lived was Syracuse for 4 years of college so I am really not an expert about other places to live. My big complaint here is the weather & but with saying this the weather is not as bad as people that do not even live here make it out to be. I have been golfing since the middle of march & we really did not get any snow here since early feb. I mean it is frustrating when it is the middle of May & the high still is only low 60s but what are you going to do. I like it here & do not buy into the notion that there are alot more things to do in other cities & all we have are "chicken wings & the bills". My sister lived in NYC for 10 years & just moved back. She could not be happier. Taxes are high & it sucks but with that being said the affordable housing makes up for it imo. I realize the taxes do not add value to your house & you would rather be putting towards your property but if your going to live in your house the rest of your life what is the difference. You mentioned 300K for a 1,300 sq ft house. When I hear this that just blows my mind. Here $300K gets you a 3,000 sq ft house in a subdivision in the suburbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChevyVanMiller Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I lived in Syracure then Albany for many years before moving back. I'm fortunate to work in tourism in Niagara Falls and make a great living. Your question is a perfect lead-in to the upcoming Buffalo and Niagara Homecoming Events.Homecoming They are designed to celebrate all that the two cities have to offer and help former residents find jobs/homes if they are considering moving back. All sorts of free or low-cost events. Hopefully, all locals will come out and celebrate WNY and some of you ex-patriates will come home for the festivities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metzelaars_lives Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 My wife and I and our 2 year old live in Denver and we are thinking about a return to WNY as well. Denver is a great place to live, but my family is still on Grand Island. Cost of living out here keeps us out of the better neighborhoods and I would like to raise my daughter in more of a community feel. I go back and forth wondering if I'm crazy to consider moving back or if it is the best thing for my family (better schools in WNY and I think overall nicer people). I also live in Denver so we're in the same exact boat (except I'm still single). I think about it every single day- sunny every day (except the last month), no humidity, the Rocky Mountains, healthy economy, Rockies games vs. Bills home games, family, WAY better food... I would agree with you about the community feel in Buffalo but I would have to argue with you about the people though- I think overall people are friendlier out here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 That sucks that your wife wouldn't be willing to move back there with you beacuse Manchester sucks way worse than Buffalo! I go there on business once a year and the only redeeming thing about that city is the chicken fingers and mudlsides at the Puritan! Manchester isn't that bad. Especially since we have pro hockey and baseball now, and downtown has a cluster of decent bars and clubs. (They don't call it "Manch-Vegas" for nothing!) And it's only an hour to Boston. By the way, the Puritan is a hype. There are better places to eat. Try C.R. Sparks in Bedford. Although I will say the Puritan makes their own terrific ice cream. Try the Almond Joy, Grape Nut or Baklava ice cream next time. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazedandConfused Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I have not lived in Buffalo for 37 years, and always wonder about moving back.I lived in the Lakeview area, and I have such fond memories growing up there, and most of the better ones involve snow. But just like everyone else, my tolerance level for the Cold isn't what it used to be. That being said, I think that the weather thing is very negatively overrated. It is cold and snowy in just about every other Notheastern city in the US through the Winter months, maybe not quite as cold and snowy as Bfllo, but really not much different. The economic thing is the killer one for the city, that is the one that needs addressed more than anything else. The weather reverses to become a big plus in the late spring, the summer, and the early fall. This is not merely subjective opinion but meterological fact. Just as Alaska is called the land of the midnight sun simply because it is further north and gets more sunlight around June 21, So to with Buffalo as there is more raw sunlight here than in many Sunbelt cities approaching, during and after the Summer Solstice (for about 4-5 months of the year Buffalo is the sunniest city in the NE, The real kicker though is that the huge Lake effect snows that come in the early winter (until the lake freezes over) is caused by the land and the water being able to evaporate as much. In the summer this temperature differential breaks up lighter cloud cover and not only do we get more sun but more of it gets through. While Sunbelt climes like Fla, DC, NO and ATL are sweltering with the humidity and the temperature both striving for triple digits, it is a very rare day it hits 90 here, and often there ie air conditioning from the lake. Having grown up in Chicago, the complaints about Buffalo weather mostly amuse me. The wind comes sweeping in off the planes to Chicago and in November the high temperature dropped below freesing and one would not see a temp above 32 for months. In January, here usually was a streak of a bout a week or so where the high temperature was zero (note this is the high for the day) and temperature was always in negative numbers for almost a week, Buffalo gets dumped on by snow, but the added moisture also warms the temperature and single digits in Buffalo are rare. The winter here is not pleasant. It generally seems to start early and crawls along to go late. However, I would trade the harsh weather of the Windy City (though actually it got that name from a Carl Sandburg poem about the local politicians) for Buffalo weather almost any day (accept 2 or 3 Lake Effect snow days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynchneedsfood Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Buffalo is great for school... I attended high school there, went to college there, but had to move because there just weren't any entry level positions in my career field. Now I'm in the air force, I manage over a billion dollars worth of assets, and every bone in my body wants to come back. I have lived in 7 different cities, San Antonio, St Louis, Cleveland, London, Chicago, New York, but Buffalo just has so much. London has been my closest home away from home, as they mirror a lot of the festivals Buffalo has (i.e. The taste of Buffalo, The Allentown Art Festival, etc) its just on a much larger scale. I was home in buffalo on vacation last year for about 2 months, and I loved just being in Buffalo - eating at Edritos, Just Pizza, going to the strip on chippewa, Watching the Sabres and Bills, The not so lovely waterfront was peaceful, my family close, I was just loving it. On the other hand, finding the right spot to meet singles in there late 20's/early 30's will be hard - but they are there. Maybe because I have so many memories, I hold it so dear to me, but from what I realize outside of Buffalo- its very hard to find a community that is so rich in culture, food, and the arts. Forget what the polls say and find out for yourself, if you have the chance to travel and see some other areas you might like find out for yourself if you want to commit to Buffalo, because once you're there it is so hard to leave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Has anyone on here ever left Buffalo after college and then moved back? Does it work? Do you find yourself wanting to turn around and leave again? I'm thinking of moving back there this fall, but I'm not sure if I can. Are there any single girls in their late 20's/early 30's? Whenever I go home, it seems that the city is mostly college kids and full-blown adults and not so many people in between. Biggest things luring me back are Bills season tickets, family and the food, but is that enough? Any peronal testimonies would be appreciated... It's funny. I'm in almost the extra opposite position as you. I just finished grad school here and I'm starting to look for my "career." I love it here and have a lot of friends, but since I grew up here, went to college in Rochester, & then grad school in Buffalo, I think for my own piece of mind, I'd like to get a way for a couple of years. It is harder to find single ladies past the age of 25 (my last 2 girlfriends were 20 and 40 ). Ultimately, I'd like to get away for 4 or 5 years then settle down back in WNY with a family because 1) you can actually by a house and 2) it is a great pacae to raise a family. The funniest part is that I've been waiting for 3 years to finish school and move because I jsut had the itch and wanted to see other things. However, I really want to be here for this season and I just started "talking" to a girl who I kinda like. However in typical Buffalo sports fan fashion, I'll stay, get dumped by the girl, see the Bills miss the playoffs by a game, and never find a job in my field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I moved away about 6 years ago. Im 30 now. Me and the GF have put plans in place to move back in 2012 (she is also from WNY). Our families are in Buffalo. We long to be with our families and friends and be in WNY. Ive lived in CT and that place is misery. Now I live in Jersey across from Philly and its not that bad. I do get paid travel back home to Buffalo every couple weekends. I just want to live there full time though. Especially when a family starts up. I have a good job now. I am saving $ for the next 3 years and the gf is going to finish her masters. Then she will find a job in WNY and I will go to UB to get a doctorate in Physical Therapy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBaumer Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Went to Chicago for 11 years after college and loved it. Met my wife there and SHE fell in love with Buffalo (the people, the cleanliness, the food, family atmosphere, etc.) On the cab ride back from O'hare to condo, she asked if I would want to move back to Buffalo. We said we would write down pros and cons that night and we never got to the cons! We bought a house sight unseen and within a month, bam. I was so excited to head home and I would not live ANYWHERE else in the world. The best thing employment wise is to find a sales job where you can work remotely - problem solved. 50% of the people in my company don't even work in an office and it is the BEST way to go. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 To the OP, I am actually trying this now. I moved down last year to Atlanta, where I had a tougher time adjusting, due to the lack of people at work around my age and the stress of the job. So I am moving back up to go to grad school at Muff State. Really, I could have stayed down here, but the incentive for me to stay in ATL was low as the family I do have here is moving away, and that the adjustment to the "intelligence" here was tough. so i am moving back up this weekend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed83HOF Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I am actually doing the opposite...I am from and still currently reside in Utica, but not for much longer I am in my early 30's, born & raised here, now divorced, own a house, had a very well paying job for this area over 50K/ year (but was miserable), was in school for a masters (dropping that) to go back to get a second bachelors degree in an entirely different field so that I go move forward and get the graduate degree I want. To do this I have to sell my house I can't afford everything...I am at least going to the Syracuse area for right now...the programs are better around there than here...and well I need a change of scenery...but I still need to be close to Buffalo...I have been going to games since 1990 (even had seasons)...I cannot give that up I do think however when the bachelors is up it will be time to move to the west coast... It is kinda scary to make such a leap and drastic change in my life...but I have come to realize that life is too short to not be happy...When I was going for my bachelors back in the 1990s I was sure management was what I wanted to do, after 12 years and lots of successes I still found myself unhappy & unfullfilled...I feel that now is a turning point where I can take a shot and try something else.... I think through everyone's stories you can see that you do need to get away for a bit, but family and home do play a strong role...I know from hanging out in Syracuse, like 45 miles away, with my current gf - the Itlalian food I am used to and that is in abundence here is much harder to find out there...so to the OP, good luck in your decision - you need to do what you think is right for you and is going to make you happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metzelaars_lives Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 It's funny. I'm in almost the extra opposite position as you. I just finished grad school here and I'm starting to look for my "career." I love it here and have a lot of friends, but since I grew up here, went to college in Rochester, & then grad school in Buffalo, I think for my own piece of mind, I'd like to get a way for a couple of years. It is harder to find single ladies past the age of 25 (my last 2 girlfriends were 20 and 40 ). Ultimately, I'd like to get away for 4 or 5 years then settle down back in WNY with a family because 1) you can actually by a house and 2) it is a great pacae to raise a family. The funniest part is that I've been waiting for 3 years to finish school and move because I jsut had the itch and wanted to see other things. However, I really want to be here for this season and I just started "talking" to a girl who I kinda like. However in typical Buffalo sports fan fashion, I'll stay, get dumped by the girl, see the Bills miss the playoffs by a game, and never find a job in my field. Leave. Buffalo. Now. Moved to Denver a year after I graduated from Canisius College, smartest thing I ever did in my entire life. Allow me to recommend the west as opposed to Charlotte like everybody else you went to high school with... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Never NEVER Give-up Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Born in 1960 Left Buffalo for Winston-Salem NC in '95 Moved to Milwaukee in 97 Moved to Raleigh in 2000 Chose Bflo over Chicago in 2002. Will eventually move south, but not sure when. Certainly for retirement. When we moved away it was very hard on my wife & kids - lots of tears. But it was the best thing we ever did. We grew up, became more independent, formed friendships all over - our family away from home. We are still close to those friends! When people move away from home - their comfort zone - at some point you realize it is what you make of it. You have to put yourself out there, say hi first, introduce yourself first - when you do that something magical happens. I theorize that for those people who leave their homes and move to a new place - they are all in it together, so there is a natural inclination for one to extend their hand in friendship and form new relationships. When we moved back, everyone here was happy. Did I see my family more - nope. They are not a reason to stay, nor a reason to move back. Thought I'd see my friends more - nope. Everyone is wrapped up in their lives. If they lived here forever, they have that history and established relationships - no time to make new ones or establish old ones (thank God for e-mail & texting!). When you move away to a place others are also moving to, everyone is open to new friends and those bonds form quickly/deeply! Cost of housing - yeah houses are cheaper in the Buff, but $6000 in taxes per yr is a cash flow nightmare. I can afford more house if the taxes are lower. I had a $300,000, 2500 sq ft house in Apex NC (Raleigh). I moved home to an 1800 sq ft house for $175000. The taxes: $6000 here, $3000 in NC. That gave me $3000 more to spend on my house in NC - an extra $250 per month - that's almost a car payment! Jobs - If you don't have a job in Buffalo - it always feels that your prospects are horribly bleek. And it is bleek untiil you find something! Network, network, network - is the only way to find a job in Buffalo - unless you want to sell or collect from debtors. Because taxes are so high, being unemployed in Buffalo is a killer - note the cashlfow nightmare above. Your expenses stay high, but your income is gone. That's why so many choose to move away so "quickly" (according to family members who don't want you to leave), you go much deeper into debt, more quickly here than in other locations. Weather: To each his own. But I notice as I get older, I am less tolerant of inclimate weather. I want to see the sun every day, whether warm or clear/crisp - I don't care. One thing I noticed about weather: When you live in Buffalo - whenever you want to go out or go somewhere - you MUST consider the weather, is it gonna snow, how much, will it freeze. Is it gonna rain, etc. In other locations (NC for me), it always seemed sunny (of course it wasn't - but the breaks between sunny days are shorter) and that helps with one's attitude - you feel better, more alive! How many of you don't see your neighbors between Halloween and Easter? "Hey you lost weight!" Or "you got a new dog!" Winter here can be like going away for 6 months!!! Bills & Sabres - Nothing like being home when they play. And when you have something really important to do on a Sunday afternoon, you DVR the game and you have the roads/stores to yourself - getting twice as much done in the 3-hour period than one can normally do. Then you can watch the game at night (unless it's like the Jet's game late last year when Losman fumbled the game away!!!! - Then you just spare your heart and skip the game!!) Ultimately this area will continue to have trouble as long as we retain the high number of politicians (soooo in it for themselves & not their constituents (sp)). This keeps progress from happening, keeps the taxes high, job prospects bleek, new employers want no part of that story. Add the less than ideal weather and staying or going becomes less of a personal choice than a requirement to survive and move elswhere for work and a better quality of life for you, your spouse & kids!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_soul-dier Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I left buffalo in 2006 for medical school, ever since i left ive been waiting to get back. Ilive in NYC now...its great here...but its not the kinda place i want to spend the rest of my life ....i miss buffalo a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Born in 1961. Moved to Buffalo in 1967. Attended Williamsville schools Attended UB, graduated from Buff State in 1991 (yeah, I was a bit too busy partying I guess). At the age of 17 I moved into an apartment in Cheektowaga, Dick Road, right above a Chosen Few clubhouse. Moved into the city and spent most of my adult life in the Elmwood Village. Bought a house on Bryant in 1998, despite working in a series of dead end jobs. In 2002 I got a great job offer in San Jose, CA where many of my family members had previously moved to. I miss Buffalo every day of my life. I was an arborist for ten years and the wild and native animals, plants, and ecosystems are deeply imprinted in my soul. I see places like Yosemite, Big Sur, Lake Tahoe, etc and these are beautiful places but for me they don't resonate like when I'm hiking through Zoar Valley or boating on Lake Ontario. I miss the sights, smells, and sounds of the Western New York countryside. I also miss the people, the lifestyle, the restaurants, the familiarity of the region, and of course the Bills and the Sabres. All this being said, I have no regrets for having left. I am spending quality time with my family, have made many good friends, and enjoy living in an area where the sun shines over 300 days per year. I think like many people in Buffalo I suffered a bit from seasonal affective disorders and would get a bit down from time to time, especially after a tough Bills' loss. I'm also living in the mecca of hi-tech, the Silicon Valley and it's a very interesting and diverse place to be. I think, especially for younger people, that it's a good move to live elsewhere for awhile just to get a sense of the wider world out there. One can always move back. As far as moving back, I have real estate listings emailed to me every day. My wife and I, also a Buffalonian, will probably retire in Western New York in some beautiful country property. Like many of you have expressed, I get more averse to the winters as I get older. We'll probably try to snowbird away from Bflo during the cold months. I'll make the most of my time away and look forward to the day that I can move back and enjoy WNY as a retiree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 This is with out a doubt the most fascinating TBD thread I have ever seen. I just want to stick my name in here so I can get back to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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