Info for fans visiting Buffalo

[gaf]

Yeah, that's clearly an issue. And consolidation of gov't services in order to lessen those taxes is -- as nearly anything at a community level -- moving at a snails pace.

snails pace is a little optomistic after Williamsville and Sloan (?) opted to keep their village status..
And I totally agree on earnings vs. what your dollar gets you. I'm still not paying what I paid in 1994 to see hockey games (comparable seats; MSG vs. HSBC). So if you make 150K in the NYC area you'd probably only need about 65K to have the same or better standard of living in the Buff..
whatever, it is what it is, and peoples perceptions are what they are.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Yeah, that's clearly an issue. And consolidation of gov't services in order to lessen those taxes is -- as nearly anything at a community level -- moving at a snails pace.

They're afraid to consolidate government because that would mean cutting jobs which would further tax the employed workers. Its a vicious cycle like with the unions getting increased pay and benefits while bankrupting the employer, effectively forcing the employer to leave the country / state to find a cheaper workforce.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't...until they turn around the economy and start offering tax / utility incentives to businesses they're not going to grow. Why go to NYS when Texas and other states are rolling out the red carpet for them. I purposely steer away from any investing in NYS as I don't want to pay the taxes there, let alone get hit with that nice personal wealth tax that has encouraged quite a few wealthy people to find 'permanent' residences in states like Texas and Florida.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

Loving all the feed back guys. It's huge and I greatly appreciate it. I'm still a young buck (26) and have NO clue yet as to what my financial intake will be if I should get this job (if/when I do or don't get it I'll break the mystery for those who cares) so right now I'm thinking apartments or town houses for rent. Where is the best area to look for that sort of thing? If it's sort of close to Amherst it would make any potential commute all the easier.

Once again guys, this is huge and thank you so much for it. If I get this job it's a huge move for me (struggling artist syndrome, still living off the table scraps of others and living with the parents sadly) and I can use all the help, information, and tips I can get. You guys are beyond awesome and if I get the job I'll gladly meet up with any one of you at some point and buy you a brew of which ever choice.

And I know it's not far away as I was there when I was young, but it was almost two decades ago... how close are the Falls to Buffalo? Aren't they adjacent?

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Loving all the feed back guys. It's huge and I greatly appreciate it. I'm still a young buck (26) and have NO clue yet as to what my financial intake will be if I should get this job (if/when I do or don't get it I'll break the mystery for those who cares) so right now I'm thinking apartments or town houses for rent. Where is the best area to look for that sort of thing? If it's sort of close to Amherst it would make any potential commute all the easier.

Once again guys, this is huge and thank you so much for it. If I get this job it's a huge move for me (struggling artist syndrome, still living off the table scraps of others and living with the parents sadly) and I can use all the help, information, and tips I can get. You guys are beyond awesome and if I get the job I'll gladly meet up with any one of you at some point and buy you a brew of which ever choice.

And I know it's not far away as I was there when I was young, but it was almost two decades ago... how close are the Falls to Buffalo? Aren't they adjacent?

The Falls are roughly 20-30 minutes north of Buffalo.

As for homes, Amherst is definitely a good place to live (it's been consistently ranked among the safest towns in the country). If you're worried about the commute, Clarence is another area to look at also.

I'd imagine you'd be able to find something decent near UB's North Campus (which I still think they screwed up by not building it in the city, but I digress) that fits your budget. Probably a good first place to look.

 

[Chainshot]

Loving all the feed back guys. It's huge and I greatly appreciate it. I'm still a young buck (26) and have NO clue yet as to what my financial intake will be if I should get this job (if/when I do or don't get it I'll break the mystery for those who cares) so right now I'm thinking apartments or town houses for rent. Where is the best area to look for that sort of thing? If it's sort of close to Amherst it would make any potential commute all the easier.

Once again guys, this is huge and thank you so much for it. If I get this job it's a huge move for me (struggling artist syndrome, still living off the table scraps of others and living with the parents sadly) and I can use all the help, information, and tips I can get. You guys are beyond awesome and if I get the job I'll gladly meet up with any one of you at some point and buy you a brew of which ever choice.

And I know it's not far away as I was there when I was young, but it was almost two decades ago... how close are the Falls to Buffalo? Aren't they adjacent?

With normal bridge traffic over the two sets of Grand Island bridges, it's 20 minutes to the Falls.

Amherst has plenty of places to rent and buy, has pretty low crime rates per a few safety studies, and is close to a number of suburban amenities (nothing unusual, just one's typical malls/shopping, etc....).

I haven't rented local in a decade, so I don't have much direction there. Perhaps someone else could point you in the right direction...

 

[Clock]

Consider buying. Really. Plenty of decent houses in good areas to be had (or at least worth investigating) for comparable payments to an apartment, especially when you factor in tax benefits and the benefits of equity.

 

[Yatzhee]

Rental for you I am going to guess is 1 bdrm. Roughly 500 a month. The SouthTowns are a bit pricey, Amherst is a mix of single family, duplex and college dwellings.

Wheatfield has some decent housing both rentals of homes and Apt.
Stay clear of the downtown areas of both the Falls and Buffalo, not a good scene at this time.

Say 550/600 a month for a decent 2 bdrm, 50 to 70 a month in electric, 70+ for cable (Time Warner), Gas is roughly 2.90 to 3 bucks a gallon, however, if you go the Indian Reservation, prices there are roughly 2.60 to 2.75, depending on how oil prices flow.
Be prepared for 8.5 to 9 percent sales tax.
The main grocery stores in the area are Tops, Wegmans, Budweys and the occasional Surefine. Aldi's is a discount price grocery store in the area utilizing some locally based products, and some very good prices to.

Be prepared to get addicted to Buffalo Chicken Wings.
Pizza and Subs are big up here as well.

Beer (the most important subject)
You can get what you want here, like just about any other location. There is, however, particular brands that are heavily consumed in the area, both are Canadian Beer's due to our proximity to Canada, obviously.
Labbatt Blue (light, lime)
Molson (Golden, Canadian, Export)
I highly recommend these 2 beers.

If you smoke, 10 bucks a pack (welcome to New York)
You can get them on the Res (Indian Reservation) for as low as 2 bucks a pack.

Skiing in the southtowns (Holiday Valley, Kissing Bridge).
Some very nice state parks within travel distance. I recommend a trip to Letchworth State Park, the Gorge is absolutely breathtaking with the waterfalls, but, watch your step, people tend to get lost, hurt or both their from time to time.

Get your passport!
You will want to visit the Toronto zoo and other spots around Canada. Very nice up there, especially in the summer. If your a hockey nut (your here, you must be), there is plenty of bar leagues and other, younger leagues around to play or simply watch.

 

[Chainshot]

Rental for you I am going to guess is 1 bdrm. Roughly 500 a month. The SouthTowns are a bit pricey, Amherst is a mix of single family, duplex and college dwellings.

Wheatfield has some decent housing both rentals of homes and Apt.
Stay clear of the downtown areas of both the Falls and Buffalo, not a good scene at this time.

Say 550/600 a month for a decent 2 bdrm, 50 to 70 a month in electric, 70+ for cable (Time Warner), Gas is roughly 2.90 to 3 bucks a gallon, however, if you go the Indian Reservation, prices there are roughly 2.60 to 2.75, depending on how oil prices flow.
Be prepared for 8.5 to 9 percent sales tax.
The main grocery stores in the area are Tops, Wegmans, Budweys and the occasional Surefine. Aldi's is a discount price grocery store in the area utilizing some locally based products, and some very good prices to.

Be prepared to get addicted to Buffalo Chicken Wings.
Pizza and Subs are big up here as well.

Beer (the most important subject)
You can get what you want here, like just about any other location. There is, however, particular brands that are heavily consumed in the area, both are Canadian Beer's due to our proximity to Canada, obviously.
Labbatt Blue (light, lime)
Molson (Golden, Canadian, Export)
I highly recommend these 2 beers.

If you smoke, 10 bucks a pack (welcome to New York)
You can get them on the Res (Indian Reservation) for as low as 2 bucks a pack.

Skiing in the southtowns (Holiday Valley, Kissing Bridge).
Some very nice state parks within travel distance. I recommend a trip to Letchworth State Park, the Gorge is absolutely breathtaking with the waterfalls, but, watch your step, people tend to get lost, hurt or both their from time to time.

Get your passport!
You will want to visit the Toronto zoo and other spots around Canada. Very nice up there, especially in the summer. If your a hockey nut (your here, you must be), there is plenty of bar leagues and other, younger leagues around to play or simply watch.

Good points. If he's in Amherst, throw Dash's onto the list of market choices too.

As for utilities, I have my FIoS bundle for cable/DVR, home phone and my wife's cell all for $200 when comparable service from TW (with the wife's cell on Verizon) was costing me over $250 a month. Add in the improved upload speeds and the expanded channel selection and I'm very happy to pimp FIOS.

Sales tax ... SC has 6% base with county variables and IIRC Charleston Co. was 7.5% the last time we were there. Not like I have my receipts handy though...

The passport isn't necessary if he opts for the elevated level license. Not that having one's passport isn't a bad thing, but if on a budget, it may be faster/cheaper in the short-term to just get the EL.

 

[TehDoak]

Swinging back around -- you may want to check out this from two years ago:

Where the Urban Dream Life Is Going Cheap

I won't get into the whole pay-scale arguement. Housing costs differences alone are easy enough to point out -- what one can purchase for say $500,000 in Buffalo vs. the same thing somewhere like NYC or Boston or DC or Chicago. Eh. Some people boil it down to just a number. *shrug*

In defense of Chicago, with 500k and a bit of elbow grease, you could buy a plot of land, build a 3 flat, and turn in to a 40k a year income producer. I know in NY, Boston or DC, that might not be true, but the same idea of "opportunity" is there. And while I think its there in Buffalo to some degree, it in no way is available on the same scale or magnitude as it is in a big city. Choosing to live in Buffalo is all about what you value. You want friendly neighbors, a big house, and a low cost of living...Buffalo is for you. But you want a thriving job market, opportunities to really advance your career, you should probably look elsewhere (depending, of course, on what job market you are in)

 

[TehDoak]

I am going to be completely honest with you. I will be graduating with an accounting degree in about 1 year. I have job offers like crazy up here because there are a lot of accounting jobs here. All my family lives up here and I have have a good amount of friends that still live here. In saying all this, once I pass the CPA exam, I am out of here faster then you can ask why. The city is depressing. It is getting taken over by poverty, low level citizens that want to do nothing with their life but shoot people and live off the system. Their is literally 2 upper class neighborhoods here. My cousin moved out of here right after college and lives in a little town in NJ. When I went to visit him all I could say is, there is nothing like this in Buffalo. Older updated houses, with a little town with all family owned business where people actually love to work. You go there and you get motivated. You come to Buffalo and all you want to do is hang out and do nothing. Buffalo is getting bad. Nothing gets done here and the politicians are worse then any city I have seen. Don't get me wrong, this city has potential but it is too far along in ruins to bring up. You would have to ship out at least 150,000 people who are bring this city down and bring in people that want to work. We can't even go to our nice restaurants anymore with people getting shot outside of them. My advice, look for a job in a city that cares about its people. You will pay some of the highest taxes here and get nothing from it.

I think you are going to find that in any city, big or small, there are going to be people abusing the kindness of others and milking the system for everything its worth. It's a human nature problem, not a problem localized to Western NY

 

[Chainshot]

In defense of Chicago, with 500k and a bit of elbow grease, you could buy a plot of land, build a 3 flat, and turn in to a 40k a year income producer. I know in NY, Boston or DC, that might not be true, but the same idea of "opportunity" is there. And while I think its there in Buffalo to some degree, it in no way is available on the same scale or magnitude as it is in a big city. Choosing to live in Buffalo is all about what you value. You want friendly neighbors, a big house, and a low cost of living...Buffalo is for you. But you want a thriving job market, opportunities to really advance your career, you should probably look elsewhere (depending, of course, on what job market you are in)

Certainly there are benefits to any area.

And in this case it depends on what one's career is - there may be an opportunity here that does not exist somewhere else (shocking, I know, since the paradigm many WNYers and WNY expats live in is that there is no opportunity here). I've mentioned before, I can do my job from the moon if I have a reliable ISP. That the office is in town is a plus, but it need not be one's only source of input. As people unshackle from the office, the points in that article are definitely worth exploring.

As for the Chicago comparison... one close friend who works in the IT biz by splitting time between clients in both IL and NY has some very interesting things to say about how the recession has racked up Chi-town (at least in his clientele range, small businesses typically below 2K headcount) vs. how the WNY area had no bubble to burst and keeps plugging along at 1%-2% growth. He's paying the bills with his WNY clients, in a nutshell. Not that it won't reverse -- the next boom is just as likely to miss WNY as all of the last 30 years of boom-and-bust cycles have.

 

[SabresFan79]

I echo every nice thing that's been said about Buffalo. I am Buffalo born and bred, but lived out of town for about six years during college and immediately after law school. I now live in Orchard Park, and literally thank God for every day that I have in my wonderful neighborhood and in my wonderful Buffalo community. The taxes in this area are high, but considering the relatively cheap cost of living coupled with all of the other benefits of this community, I could not imagine a better area in which to live. If you move here, give it a couple of years and you'll be "from" Buffalo. By then, you'll know what it means.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

Be prepared to get addicted to Buffalo Chicken Wings.
Pizza and Subs are big up here as well.

Good news is that I'm already addicted to buffalo wings. Well, my gut won't tell you that's a good thing but I digress... same with pizza and subs. Yay carbs!

Beer (the most important subject)
You can get what you want here, like just about any other location. There is, however, particular brands that are heavily consumed in the area, both are Canadian Beer's due to our proximity to Canada, obviously.
Labbatt Blue (light, lime)
Molson (Golden, Canadian, Export)
I highly recommend these 2 beers.

The very first time I was drunk was on Labbatt. I'm familiar with her and have a long standing love affair with her.

If you smoke, 10 bucks a pack (welcome to New York)
You can get them on the Res (Indian Reservation) for as low as 2 bucks a pack.

Thankfully not an issue.

Skiing in the southtowns (Holiday Valley, Kissing Bridge).
Some very nice state parks within travel distance. I recommend a trip to Letchworth State Park, the Gorge is absolutely breathtaking with the waterfalls, but, watch your step, people tend to get lost, hurt or both their from time to time.

They ski on things other than water?

Get your passport!
You will want to visit the Toronto zoo and other spots around Canada. Very nice up there, especially in the summer. If your a hockey nut (your here, you must be), there is plenty of bar leagues and other, younger leagues around to play or simply watch.

This is one thing I need to work on, getting my passport. Even if I don't get the job, they are sending cruises out of Charleston now so it would be good for me to do. However, I'd love to see Canada and Toronto. Too bad I don't have the cash now.

And now for my big concern: As a single guy... how are the wimmen folk? I know I'm spoiled here in Charleston, where they are absolutely gorgeous. However, will they be barefoot in the kitchen makin' me sammiches?

 

[NotABadPeriod]

Good news is that I'm already addicted to buffalo wings. Well, my gut won't tell you that's a good thing but I digress... same with pizza and subs. Yay carbs!



The very first time I was drunk was on Labbatt. I'm familiar with her and have a long standing love affair with her.



Thankfully not an issue.



They ski on things other than water?



This is one thing I need to work on, getting my passport. Even if I don't get the job, they are sending cruises out of Charleston now so it would be good for me to do. However, I'd love to see Canada and Toronto. Too bad I don't have the cash now.

And now for my big concern: As a single guy... how are the wimmen folk? I know I'm spoiled here in Charleston, where they are absolutely gorgeous. However, will they be barefoot in the kitchen makin' me sammiches?

That's the beauty if you live in Buffalo--Canada/Toronto becomes day trips on a budget.

Oh and the women? There are a few lookers everywhere, but the difference is the women in Buffalo might actually pronounce the word "sandwich" correctly and use it in a grammatically correct sentence too!

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

That's the beauty if you live in Buffalo--Canada/Toronto becomes day trips on a budget.

Oh and the women? There are a few lookers everywhere, but the difference is the women in Buffalo might actually pronounce the word "sandwich" correctly and use it in a grammatically correct sentence too!

SAMMICHES OR NUTHIN', YA HEAR!!!!

 

[Penalty Killa]

And now for my big concern: As a single guy... how are the wimmen folk?

The wimmen are hot.

 

[TehDoak]

The wimmen are hot.

(in the summer)

 

[JThorne]

Oh, and a tip for acting like a local: we call them wings. Not hot wings, not buffalo wings, just... wings. On occasion you might hear chicken wings.

Being 26 you would fall into the Allentown or Chippewa crowd most likely. Depends on what kind of people you like to be around. Allentown being more of the hipster/people who don't care as much and Chippewa being more of the drunks/people who DO care about image.

 

[MayDay]

I moved away from Buffalo over ten years ago. No regrets about that.

That said, now that my wife and I are starting to think about starting a family, I'd move back to Buffalo in a heartbeat. I think it's a great place to raise a family, and my wife (a Long Islander) has come to love the Buffalo area too, through numerous visits up there with me.

The only problem is not many quality jobs in my field in Buffalo.

 

[brian_griffin]

Not arguing, but to those who say "yeah, the taxes here are high, but..." imagine how freaking much better it would be without those high NYS & county taxes!!

 

[sba]

I'm so on the fence about if I still like it here or not. I've developed a bit of a relationship with a girl on the west coast that I go visit once a month...and I'm getting kind of enamored with that area as well...but I know for sure there's things I'd really miss about here if I ever left.

I dunno, the area is what you make of it really. The food is great, the people are awesome...but it really can be depressing sometimes too. I also think there's a general lack of things to do here for fun, especially since I'm not a huge drinker or anything like that. It seems like a lot of the "social life" here revolves around that sort of thing.

The cost of living is fantastic too. I live better than I should on what I make, and still get to buy a lot of cool toys and gadgets.

So yeah, I like it here and want to leave basically.

 

[Vito_81]

The wimmen are hot.

(in the summer)

While Buffalo is definitely not a top destination when looking for babes, Buffalo hotties definitely do exist.

Although, every girl does look good in a Sabres jersey

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Although, every girl does look good in a Sabres jersey

Indeed....

 

[CarlWinslow]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I've been wondering something and I'm thinking that I'll just throw it in here since you have all been so helpful.

I'm considering a move to the golden horseshoe. I've been looking in Oakville, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Catharines, Niagara... If I made this move I would immediately look to become a season ticket holder.

My question is, what is the travel time from these places to HSBC on game night including the border? Obviously its not an exact science but if you guys could ballpark it I would be able to figure out if its feasible.

I need to get out of this crime ridden hell hole known as Winnipeg.

 

[Caroline Says ll]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I've been wondering something and I'm thinking that I'll just throw it in here since you have all been so helpful.

I'm considering a move to the golden horseshoe. I've been looking in Oakville, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Catharines, Niagara... If I made this move I would immediately look to become a season ticket holder.

My question is, what is the travel time from these places to HSBC on game night including the border? Obviously its not an exact science but if you guys could ballpark it I would be able to figure out if its feasible.

I need to get out of this crime ridden hell hole known as Winnipeg.

Niagara Falls and St.Catharines around I would say thirty or forty minutes at most. Kitchener and Waterloo 2 hours and a bit.