Move Back to Buffalo?

[Big Turk]

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...

 

Yes. I went to college in Saint Louis for 4.5 years, came back to Buffalo, got a job and then was asked to help train co-workers in Cincinnati about 3 months later. I accepted, and was only supposed to be down there about 6 weeks. After the 5th week, my DM approached me and advised me that I likely would not have a job if I returned to Buffalo and that they wanted me to stay out there...I decided wtf and stayed. I then proceeded to move around Ohio for the next 8 years going from Cincinnati to Middletown to Columbus to Marion. During this time I met and married my wife, telling her how I wanted to move back home eventually. Well, eventually came a lot quicker than I thought and she basically forced the issue after her teaching contract expired a few months after we were married. Within 4 months we had located a house to buy and I was able to transfer with my company. I cannot answer the whole single thing, but I don't think this area is any different from other areas---it all depends on where you look.

 

Personally, it was a no brainer that I was moving back here. There is a sense of community that doesn't really exist in other places. I really knew Buffalo was special when I went to college and all my friends used to say how where they were from sucked and I would always go on bragging about how great Buffalo was. It actually turned into a running joke over the 4 years and we would all laugh about it everytime it was brought up.

 

What I always hear from people who have left the area is that they love the area but there aren't any jobs or they don't like the downward spiral the city is in, etc. I love this area and I figured that its easy to leave but its not so easy to do something about it. Nothing will ever get fixed if everyone just continues moving away and hopes someone else deals with the problems. What really shocks me is how people always talk about how bad things are here, but they seem to ignore the problems that exist where they moved to. 3 hour commutes, housing prices that require you to work 3 jobs to pay a mortgage, lots of worse weather related problems(heat/tornadoes/hurricanes/torrential rains every day in the summer(Florida)/bone chilling cold, etc), and costs of living that are outrageous. To me, it seems lots of people think the grass is greener on the other side, but once they are there, they realize its not all its cracked up to be.

 

We are coming up on my favorite time of the year here---festival season. If you want to know just how crazy the festivals are here, bring some out of town friends here in the summer and take them to the Taste of Buffalo, the Italian Fest, the CanalFest, etc... most places have 1 or 2 festivals taking place in the summer---we are the festival capital of the US---people from out of town literally cannot believe it.

 

I am dragging on and on here, and ultimately the decision is yours to make. I just know I made the decision to move back almost 4 years ago now and I have not regretted it once...

[evilbuffalobob]

Do it.

 

Buffalo (the city) is great. Free concerts all summer long. 7/10 The Cult; Lockport Molson Canal Series (FREE).

 

Let's not forget- NY State (formerly the Empire state) is now the Welfare State. If you have any kind of brain (at all) and average motivation- you are automatically on top of the heap (of s h it that Democraps allow to flourish in NY and migrate to NY).

 

S.C.U.M.B.A.G. Paterson- the Blind leading the Blind.

[Big Turk]

There's good reason why housing is so affordable here. Like the Bills, this city will break your heart. Stay away.

 

I bet housing is affordable in most places these days since half the people who bought 1 bedroom houses that cost 300,000 dollars are being foreclosed on...whats the foreclosure rate out by you these days? The area has never broken my heart. There is a quiet, growing and unmistakable movement by successful relatively young people to move back--perhaps not being saddled with or not being willing to accept the notions of the past that nothing can change and realizing that things can change if enough people want them to is the reason. Yes, please stay away. This area is undergoing change, and perhaps the best change is that we have gotten rid of people like you. So in ending...stay away. Your attitude will never help fix the problems here---only perpetuate more of the same ones.

[The Senator]

I bet housing is affordable in most places these days since half the people who bought 1 bedroom houses that cost 300,000 dollars are being foreclosed on...whats the foreclosure rate out by you these days? The area has never broken my heart. There is a quiet, growing and unmistakable movement by successful relatively young people to move back--perhaps not being saddled with or not being willing to accept the notions of the past that nothing can change and realizing that things can change if enough people want them to is the reason. Yes, please stay away. This area is undergoing change, and perhaps the best change is that we have gotten rid of people like you. So in ending...stay away. Your attitude will never help fix the problems here---only perpetuate more of the same ones.

Actually, one of the more annoying things about the area is loud-mouthed illiterates, like you. Were you able to comprehend English, you would realize - simply be reading my posts in this thread - that I do live in Buffalo and, having resided in both the Marina and Olmstead Parkways neighborhoods, am quite passionate about what goes on in this city. You would also realize that my frustration stems from the inability of the current political culture to accomplish much of anything, and also with the lack of passion of the citizenry to do much of anything to change the status quo.

 

I'm sure the area has never broken your heart, because you're probably too stupid to realize how great this city once was and could be again. So why don't you list the activities you're engaged in, organizations you belong to, causes you've championed, etc., etc., to help return the area to the glory and prominence it once enjoyed? Or are you one of the 'quiet' members of this "growing and unmistakable" movement of which you speak?

 

Myself, I belong to the Olmstead Conservancy, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, Darwin Martin House, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers, and Shea's Performing Arts Center. Besides financial support, I'm an active volunteer in the preservation and restoration efforts of all of the aforementioned. I was also very actively involved in the effort by Scott Fisher's group to unearth, preserve, and restore the Erie Canal Harbor original street grid and building foundations, and the historic Commercial Slip when most of the citizenry accused us of 'obstructionism' and was willing to bury it all and settle for just another stamped concrete plaza. Supported the very futile effort to bring back the S.S. Canadiana, and am a very involved and very vocal advocate of bringing down the Skyway, restoring access to the waterfront, restoring Front Park, and building a true 'signature bridge' north of the current Peace Bridge.

 

Are you even the least bit familiar with any of those issues? Maybe I've met you at some meeting of any one of those organizations? Probably not - you seem more of a talker than a doer. My suggestion to you is go get yourself a big tall glass of STFU.

[PromoTheRobot]

Actually, one of the more annoying things about the area is loud-mouthed illiterates, like you. Were you able to comprehend English, you would realize - simply be reading my posts in this thread - that I do live in Buffalo and, having resided in both the Marina and Olmstead Parkways neighborhoods, am quite passionate about what goes on in this city. You would also realize that my frustration stems from the inability of the current political culture to accomplish much of anything, and also with the lack of passion of the citizenry to do much of anything to change the status quo.

 

I'm sure the area has never broken your heart, because you're probably too stupid to realize how great this city once was and could be again. So why don't you list the activities you're engaged in, organizations you belong to, causes you've championed, etc., etc., to help return the area to the glory and prominence it once enjoyed? Or are you one of the 'quiet' members of this "growing and unmistakable" movement of which you speak?

 

Myself, I belong to the Olmstead Conservancy, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, Darwin Martin House, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers, and Shea's Performing Arts Center. Besides financial support, I'm an active volunteer in the preservation and restoration efforts of all of the aforementioned. I was also very actively involved in the effort by Scott Fisher's group to unearth, preserve, and restore the Erie Canal Harbor original street grid and building foundations, and the historic Commercial Slip when most of the citizenry accused us of 'obstructionism' and was willing to bury it all and settle for just another stamped concrete plaza. Supported the very futile effort to bring back the S.S. Canadiana, and am a very involved and very vocal advocate of bringing down the Skyway, restoring access to the waterfront, restoring Front Park, and building a true 'signature bridge' north of the current Peace Bridge.

 

Are you even the least bit familiar with any of those issues? Maybe I've met you at some meeting of any one of those organizations? Probably not - you seem more of a talker than a doer. My suggestion to you is go get yourself a big tall glass of STFU.

Bravo, Sen. If your groups can ever use some produced radio PSA's let me know. I could help, no charge of course.

 

PTR

[Chandler#81]

Actually, one of the more annoying things about the area is loud-mouthed illiterates, like you. Were you able to comprehend English, you would realize - simply be reading my posts in this thread - that I do live in Buffalo and, having resided in both the Marina and Olmstead Parkways neighborhoods, am quite passionate about what goes on in this city. You would also realize that my frustration stems from the inability of the current political culture to accomplish much of anything, and also with the lack of passion of the citizenry to do much of anything to change the status quo.

 

I'm sure the area has never broken your heart, because you're probably too stupid to realize how great this city once was and could be again. So why don't you list the activities you're engaged in, organizations you belong to, causes you've championed, etc., etc., to help return the area to the glory and prominence it once enjoyed? Or are you one of the 'quiet' members of this "growing and unmistakable" movement of which you speak?

 

Myself, I belong to the Olmstead Conservancy, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, Darwin Martin House, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers, and Shea's Performing Arts Center. Besides financial support, I'm an active volunteer in the preservation and restoration efforts of all of the aforementioned. I was also very actively involved in the effort by Scott Fisher's group to unearth, preserve, and restore the Erie Canal Harbor original street grid and building foundations, and the historic Commercial Slip when most of the citizenry accused us of 'obstructionism' and was willing to bury it all and settle for just another stamped concrete plaza. Supported the very futile effort to bring back the S.S. Canadiana, and am a very involved and very vocal advocate of bringing down the Skyway, restoring access to the waterfront, restoring Front Park, and building a true 'signature bridge' north of the current Peace Bridge.

 

Are you even the least bit familiar with any of those issues? Maybe I've met you at some meeting of any one of those organizations? Probably not - you seem more of a talker than a doer. My suggestion to you is go get yourself a big tall glass of STFU.

 

OUTSTANDING, SENATOR! Thank you for your fantastic contributions!

 

As for the matter at hand, you have doth handed him his ass-eth.

[Paup 1995MVP]

Left Buffalo in '86 for better work options.

 

Living in Atlanta since.

 

I think huge response to the original querry shows the passion for city - love it or hate it.

 

Being away all these years may be clouding my memory, but for me, the winters in Buffalo aren't nearly as dreadful as summers in Atlanta. Aghhhhh. You can't stand outside for two minutes without sweat rolling off your back.

 

I have such great memories of summers in Buffalo. It's when people came out from hibernation and made the most of the 4-5 months (say, mid May through mid October) ideal temps.

 

As far as snow goes, I have fond memories of the first snowfalls of the year. Plenty of great recollection of brisk, clear, still evenings in December with several inches of snow in the neighborhood roofs, and a classic Rockwell-like vision of christmas lights reflecting off the snow in the darkness. The only sound was the crunching of snow under my boots.

 

Maybe it all comes down to who's an optimist and who's a pessimist. The weather was not a factor for me. Those glorious summers were the payoff for the months of cold wind and snow blowing off the lake.

 

The snow always made it seem more like Christmas to me. In reality, it was only the period from around mid-January - mid March when it started to get old. But, there was always the spring thaw and subsequent summer months only weeks away.

 

It's not even technically summer yet, and I've already had it with the heat here in Atlanta. High 90's all week. And it ain't a "dry heat". It is fking miserable. Except for some activity at the neighborhood pool and the occasional walker, there is hardly any sign of life around the neighborhood throughout the summer. It's like a ghost town. In Buffalo, you could hear the boisterous screams of children playing, all day long from late June through Labor Day.

 

Sadly, it's Buffalo's backward thinking power brokers who keep Buffalo in the dark ages. It's easy to blame politicians, but let's face it - they're elected officials. Any proposed endeavor or project that could be a boost to the future of Buffalo is quickly squashed by political infighting and the lack of anyone to stand up and make a friggin decision. The degree of apprehension is astounding. And of course, the taxation issue doesn't attract or retain businesses (translation -jobs).

 

Would I move back to Buffalo? We've talked about it for years. I could see it happening. Unless you're in Atlanta society or philanthropy, there is not much of a feeling of community here. The most interaction Atlantans have with each other is when they're giving the finger to another motorist during the work commute.

 

Buffalo is a friendly place. The knock that "there's nothing to do" is absurd. Obviously, if you're into surfing it's not a great place, but I swear, I could come up with list of recreational activities and attractions located within 1-2 hour drive that would beat that of almost any other American city.

 

I have this fantasy that one day the state and local politicians will realize that their only hope is to reduce property taxes and eliminate the state income tax. Ex-patriots like myself would be flocking back. New jobs would be created at a pace not seen since the industrial revolution. So much potential. I believe one day the area will thrive again. I just don't know that it will be in my lifetime.

Dude, totally agree. The Atlanta summer heat is just miserable. The air is stagnant, absolutely no breeze and mid 90's by noontime. And NOONE is outside in this mess. And by midsummer, the pools are TOO HOT to swim in from the neverending heat. I love the cold winters, and there is almost no COLD days in Atl.

 

The best thing the South has to offer over Buffalo is the WOMEN. Nothing against anyone who has a Buffalo woman in their life. (I am sure there are SOME attractive ones) But on the whole in my opinion Buffalo has some of the ugliest women collectively that I have ever seen. The gene pool for beauty is just not there. Anyone want to flame away they can. But I have to go jump in my pool because I am too hot.

[DazedandConfused]

Dude, totally agree. The Atlanta summer heat is just miserable. The air is stagnant, absolutely no breeze and mid 90's by noontime. And NOONE is outside in this mess. And by midsummer, the pools are TOO HOT to swim in from the neverending heat. I love the cold winters, and there is almost no COLD days in Atl.

 

The best thing the South has to offer over Buffalo is the WOMEN. Nothing against anyone who has a Buffalo woman in their life. (I am sure there are SOME attractive ones) But on the whole in my opinion Buffalo has some of the ugliest women collectively that I have ever seen. The gene pool for beauty is just not there. Anyone want to flame away they can. But I have to go jump in my pool because I am too hot.

I would guess no flaming of your views as being untrue is warranted. My experience has been from traveling a few places is that as far as beauty and personal attractiveness goes that like people tend to accumulate like people around them.

 

Thus there is some convenience as ugly folks tend to see a lot of ugly folks around them and attractive folks tend to find a lot of attractive folks around them. This strikes me as a pretty reasonable outcome.

[Big Turk]

Are you even the least bit familiar with any of those issues? Maybe I've met you at some meeting of any one of those organizations? Probably not - you seem more of a talker than a doer. My suggestion to you is go get yourself a big tall glass of STFU.

 

Sorry...I am too busy operating businesses that actually employ people, thus adding to the job market in this area...

When I open my next franchise, perhaps I'll give you a call...

 

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

Even in Maryland it can get pretty nasty (hot) in July and August. I love how the natives aka hillbillies usually say...."ah dunn luvvvvz da heat".

 

Yeah, if you dunn luvv da heat how come the entire neighborhood is deathly silent during the day...like a nuclear bomb had gone off recently...just crickets and the wind, and maybe an occasional tumbleweed. Summer Cabin Fever.

[Big Turk]

Even in Maryland it can get pretty nasty (hot) in July and August. I love how the natives aka hillbillies usually say...."ah dunn luvvvvz da heat".

 

Yeah, if you dunn luvv da heat how come the entire neighborhood is deathly silent during the day...like a nuclear bomb had gone off recently...just crickets and the wind, and maybe an occasional tumbleweed. Summer Cabin Fever.

 

yeah, that whole eastern corridor there between NYC, Philly, and Baltimore/DC can get pretty nasty during the summer when they hit the triple digits for days on end during heat waves and have high humidity to boot...

 

from my personal experiences, I would have to say the worst heat/humidity I have ever had to endure was in St. Louis during the summer. Not only would it hit 105-110 with many more days in the mid to upper 90s and humidity high enough to make you feel like you could barely breathe, but the temperature wouldn't go down at night hardly at all. There were a lot of times we would be getting ready to go out to the clubs around midnight or so and it would still be in the high 80's or low 90's, along with stifling humidity. The running joke there was the weather forecasters were on crack because they would always predict these lows of 75 or 78 or whatever, and you would be coming home at 3 or 4 am and it would still be like 85 out...everyone was like there is no freaking way the temperature is getting down to 75 tonite...

 

The story I always tell people about St Louis is the first day I ever spent there. We drove down in late August with all my stuff as I was starting college there(Saint Louis University). Got there late at night and it was freaking stuffy as hell. Stayed in a hotel as it was the day before we could register for the school year. Next day, get up, go to the campus to move everything in and sign up for things. Campus is undergoing construction all over, as they had just decided the main road thru campus was going to be turned into a sidewalk and be blocked from traffic. No trees anywhere, just concrete and dirt as far as the eye could see. Have to walk across campus to the registrar's office. This is about noon or 1pm and it is freaking hotter than hades out there. St. Louis Cardinals were playing a game at old Busch stadium on the astroturf and it was so hot on the field the players were getting their feet burned from the small metal spikes they were wearing. They had to literally bring the huge hoses out and spray down the players with the hoses at the start of every inning. The announcer was calling for the game to be cancelled and that it was ridiculous how hot it was on the field. A bunch of people in the stands were being treated for heat exhaustion and dehydration(drinking lots of beers on a day like that was a lot of people's way to beat the heat apparently). On field temperature was approaching 165. Air temperature was 99 with a heat index of over 120. My dorm room was on the 8th floor and of course the dorm I was put in had no air conditioning. A fan was not one of the things I had packed from home, so I spent the most uncomfortable night of my life laying in my dorm room sweating and waiting for any breeze to come thru the window, but it never came. I think I lost about 10 pounds that night. I never want to have that feeling again...

 

Whatever the reason is for St Louis staying so hot even at night---some people say its the heat island effect because they have chopped down so many trees in the city, others say its because the city is dipped down in a valley that somehow holds the heat in---if you watch the weather channel on a typical summer night at around 9 or 10 pm, you will see the 2 hottest places in the country on most nights are the desert southwest(usually Phoenix since they are an hour or 2 behind), and St. Louis, which is usually 8-10 degrees warmer than all the other cities around it on the map...noone has ever explained why this is satisfactorily to me, but all I can say is I told my friends when I left I'd love to come see them, but I will never go back there in the summer, and never have...

[trolls_r_us]

Buffalo has heart. It might sound dumb, cliche, cheezy, etc. but it is true nonetheless. Some cities have it, some don't. Buffalo is one that does.

 

Having lived in Buffalo for about 5 years now, I actually get the feeling that it is in better shape today than it was in June of 2004. There is so much construction downtown, so many new projects on the drawing boards or in various stages of completion, new condos and apartments in the city, the zoo and the parks look better in the past few years than they have in recent memory. I could go on and on. You can drive around downtown and see several new or completely redone buildings that were not there when I arrived 5 years ago. Lots of things are happening.

 

Is Buffalo perfect? Hell no! There are a LOT of problems here, just like anywhere else. But I really feel like this area is slowly moving in the right direction. It is going to take time but I have seen a level of citizen activism and a combination of small and large projects that bodes well for the future.

 

Buffalo has so many strengths and advantages that go untapped. It's like this city is embarrassed to tell the world what is available here. That has to change somehow.

[trolls_r_us]

oh, I forgot to add this too: if you want to spend a weekend in the mountains, pack up your car/truck, pop in some classic rock CD's, hop on the I-90 for a cruise, and in about 4-5 hours you will be right in the middle of the Adirondack Park, depending on what part you want to go to.

 

I used to live right there myself (ADK park) because I love the outdoors and all the camping/hiking/fishing opportunities. But it got boring as hell after a while.

 

Then I realized I could just live in the city and take trips whenever I felt like it. I've been doing it ever since, and strangely I never choose to head up in the midst of winter.

 

And yeah, I said "the city."

 

For some people that means NYC, for me it means Buffalo!

[The Senator]

Sorry...I am too busy operating businesses that actually employ people, thus adding to the job market in this area...

When I open my next franchise, perhaps I'll give you a call...

 

Again with the smug arrogance, and false bravado. On the one hand, you attempt to admonish me with the argument that there's this

 

"quiet, growing and unmistakable movement by successful relatively young people to move back--perhaps not being saddled with or not being willing to accept the notions of the past that nothing can change and realizing that things can change if enough people want them to is the reason."

 

Yet when I ask you what you are doing as part of this "movement", you excuse yourself with

 

"Sorry...I am too busy operating businesses that actually employ people, thus adding to the job market in this area..."

 

You think you're the only one who runs a business or has a position of responsibility? Wake up. Most of the folks whom I encounter at the various organizations are among the great many successful business people and entrepreneurs who run businesses and create employment. We are all extremely busy, yet make time to give back to this community.

 

Like I said, you're more a 'talker' than a 'doer', better at shooting your mouth off than anything else. And, from the nature of your other posts, it sounds more like your employer - not you - is actually the one adding jobs to this area, yours being one of them. So go have a beer and enjoy your festivals, while some of us actually are trying to make Buffalo a better place.

 

(BTW, I'd be of no use to your employer's franchises - I'm no good with a deep-fryer, can't operate one of those carpet steamers, and am far too busy with my own business ventures.)

[Big Turk]

The first thing is to remove villages that have no purpose for existence here other than to suck the tax dollars of its residents(unfortunately I am one). The duplication of services in this area is utterly ridiculous, with towns the villages reside in providing the same services as the village. Villages served a purpose 150 years ago, but they serve no purpose today. We pay an additional $1,100 in taxes for what? To have the village do the same service the town does for people 1 or 2 blocks over, and could likely do much more efficiently? Of course the people running the village don't see things this way, but there are a lot of grumblings among the residents here regarding the dissolution of the village and allowing the town, or in this case the towns to take over the services the village provides at triple the expense...

[justnzane]

The first thing is to remove villages that have no purpose for existence here other than to suck the tax dollars of its residents(unfortunately I am one). The duplication of services in this area is utterly ridiculous, with towns the villages reside in providing the same services as the village. Villages served a purpose 150 years ago, but they serve no purpose today. We pay an additional $1,100 in taxes for what? To have the village do the same service the town does for people 1 or 2 blocks over, and could likely do much more efficiently? Of course the people running the town don't see things this way, but there are a lot of grumblings among the residents here regarding the dissolution of the village and allowing the town, or in this case the towns to take over the services the village provides at triple the expense...

Depew gets pretty !@#$ed by this. you can live in one part of Depew (north of George Urban and west of Transit) where they have to pay Depew, Lancaster, and Cheektowaga school taxes.

 

You are right, the villages need to be absolved or the whole structure needs to be redone. Actually, the government of WNY in general needs to be restructured altogether.

[Puckman5]

Isn't this type of arguing and infighting the very same thing that keeps Buffalo/ NYS right where it is?? Why don't the two of you exchange contact info, go have a beer somewhere and get it all figured out so the rest of us can move home.

[Big Turk]

Depew gets pretty !@#$ed by this. you can live in one part of Depew (north of George Urban and west of Transit) where they have to pay Depew, Lancaster, and Cheektowaga school taxes.

 

You are right, the villages need to be absolved or the whole structure needs to be redone. Actually, the government of WNY in general needs to be restructured altogether.

 

Yes...you don't need to tell me about it....Depew's village tax just went up $200 over last year...

 

guess they have to pay for all those police officers that ride around and do nothing, and to have the person at the police station dispatching able to sit with their feet up on the desk reading a book, like they were when I went to pay a parking ticket once...

[justnzane]

Yes...you don't need to tell me about it....Depew's village tax just went up $200 over last year...

 

guess they have to pay for all those police officers that ride around and do nothing, and to have the person at the police station dispatching able to sit with their feet up on the desk reading a book, like they were when I went to pay a parking ticket once...

believe me I know. My uncle was a detective for them awhile back, and my one cousin and my dad have been arrested by the Depew P.D. quite a bit. Besides, I am actually moving back to Depew tomorrow.

[The Senator]

The first thing is to remove villages that have no purpose for existence here other than to suck the tax dollars of its residents(unfortunately I am one). The duplication of services in this area is utterly ridiculous, with towns the villages reside in providing the same services as the village. Villages served a purpose 150 years ago, but they serve no purpose today. We pay an additional $1,100 in taxes for what? To have the village do the same service the town does for people 1 or 2 blocks over, and could likely do much more efficiently? Of course the people running the village don't see things this way, but there are a lot of grumblings among the residents here regarding the dissolution of the village and allowing the town, or in this case the towns to take over the services the village provides at triple the expense...

I take it you attend the Village Board meetings regularly and voice this opinion.