OT - Advice on whether or not relocating to Rochester, NY makes sense....

[BrucePa]

I'm in the Washington DC area and C-level executive position at a good company in Rochester is on the table.

Would any sane human being consider relocating there? It's certainly quite a distance away from family (5-7 hour drives) and my wife isn't entirely onboard with it....

This post was edited on 3/16 2:08 PM by BrucePa

 

[Blueblood4eva]

NO! Your wife has good reason to jump ship. Maybe if it was a huge leap for a CEO position and even then your wife might nix it! Nothing to do with the weather either. It is the City that time forgot. Especially after all the big boys left town.

This post was edited on 3/16 2:48 PM by Blueblood4eva

 

[Cletus11]

Have you ever lived in a similiar area weatherwise and geographic wise. If you currently live in DC, you know there is a ton of things to do all year round. Rochester gets awful cold in the winter and winter starts at Thanksgiving and lasts through the ned of March. Also, nowhere near as many things to do in Rochester than there is to do in DC area.

Question to me is do you have kids?
How long of an assignment and how much more money?
Do you like doing cold weather things (ie..ski, snowmobile, etc..).

 

[michnittlion]

Everything is relative ...

I know most people think Washington, DC >>>> Rochester, NY. But as for me, I find much of the DC region to be over-priced, characterless and, in the summer, horribly hot and humid land that may as well revert back to being swampland. Rochester NY would be preferred.


Then again, my preferred retirement locale (in 25-30 years) is Manistee, Michigan. I know I am not normal.


YMMV. Do what you want, not what the masses would suggest.

This post was edited on 3/16 2:44 PM by michnittlion

 

[Obliviax]

Lots of snow

and cold. Not all that far from Buffalo. Downtown has been pretty ravaged since the late 80's. These are the negatives.

On the plus side, housing is very inexpensive compared to DC. You would be not far from Lake Ontario. The Lake is great fishing (salmon, walleye, bass). DC to Rochester would be a huge quality of life/cultural difference.

I live in Cleveland, but opt to live on the lake. Its really great and is the savings grace for me living in CLE. If you like that kind of lifestyle, and want to "cash out" of the huge cost of living that is in DC. it is doable. But if you hate cold and snow, forgetaboutit.

 

[NewEra 2014]

"If the wife isn't happy, then nobody is happy". ***

***

 

[lionroar88]

Take a look at a map... Rochester is @ an hour or so from The Finger Lakes!


Some of the best wines in The USA can be found there. My wife and I took a trip there about 5 years ago and packed about $500 in wine in the truck before we left. We need to go back.

Lots to do in Central NY.

 

[nittlion]

I have lived in both places. Rochester is a great place to raise a family and there are plenty of good suburbs. Tons of golf courses. Lake Ontario. Finger Lakes. Downtown isn't great but that is ok. I'd choose Rochester over DC if I had a family. You will love not having the traffic/congestion.

 

[canuckhal]

My brother took a vacation trip to Rochester and loved it. If you want to explore further, you and your wife and can take a trip to check it out. If it doesn't work out, you can decline.

 

[CattyGuy51]

DON'T DO IT!!!!! I have a friend that did the exact same move.


He went from Gaithersburg to Rochester about 9 yrs ago. Rochester is in serious decline mostly because of the demise of Kodak. Kodak was a huge supporter of the arts and community events and since it has gone in the dumper so has Rochester. There are many parts of Rochester where you wouldn't want to go after dark and the housing market is very bad on the selling end. My friend just sold his house in Rochester in November and took about a 100K hit on it after 9 yrs. His home went for about 300K and he had about 400+ in it and he thought he was very fortunate.

As far as the weather, you have about 2 1/2 months of beautiful weather most of the rest is worse than awful. Listen to your wife and find another area if you want to leave DC.

 

[Fac]

Calling MMII, calling MMII where are youuuuuuuuu????


asdf

 

[Cletus11]

Good point about cost of living, huge difference between Rochester and DC. Having been to Buffalo a lot, not like that is cultural mecca. Has some big city things, but nothing like a major east coast metro. I think it comes down to how much you like big city living (or if you live in suburbs that living). As you will get none of that in Rochester. If you like to do country things and do not mind bad weather and have the ability to take some vacation time in the winter to get away (a must for most who live up there) than you might be OK with it.

I disagree it is the greatest place to raise kids. Area is pretty depressed and although I am sure there is a good school district in the 'rich' part of Rochester, in general the schools around a major city suburb or prospering area are much , much better.

 

[2lion70]

We lived 16 in the Rochester area (Van Voorhis Ave - West Irondequoit) and both of our sons were born there. We also lived in the DC area (NOVA; McLean, Sterling, and Gainesville) for 20 years. Also enjoyed that area.

Upstate/western Ny has a lot of things good about it; minor league BB/hockey, Niagra Falls, Toronto (2 h-3 hours), Finger Lakes, Thousand Islands, Montreal an easy drive, camping, fishing, golf.... A great place to raise a family.

Fairfax County was good as well; excellent schools, close to DC, beach in MD or Va easy to get to....

The commute in the DC area is usually 1 of the 3 worst in the country, hot & sticky summer.

Decide what you like best and go for it.

 

[massimoManca II]

Rochester ny is one of three UNY regions I'd entertain ( others are Albany and Ithaca) .... rochester / albany / ithaca are professional towns as opposed to the cob-webbed and depressing traditional manufacturing centers that are Syracuse , Buffalo, Utica, Binghamton etc

i was raised in one of those cities - and my wife lured me to Rochester following her graduation from nearby Geneseo State College and Ive had ZERO regrets... Beautiful summers and falls, unmatched weather... Make the winters bearable.... If you like to ski and enjoy winter sports, this is the place

rochester was essentially unscathed by the housing collapse - mainly because of economic stability and the fact that housing was (and remains) so damn affordable.... You'll crap your gotchies when you see what you can get for your money...... Almost makes getting your property tax bill bearable .

Schools are top-notch so long as you stay out of the city schools ....

if your head is screwed on correctly you'll consider the EAST SIDE of Rochester .... Yeah - there's a whole East vs West snobbery that stems from the west being primarily working-class former Kodak assembly-line shlubbs , and I will say that I find the west side most unappealing.... east side has all of the gilded zipcodes (pittsford, penfield, fairport, victor, webster, brighton)

 

[nittlion]

Definitely the east side. I would favor Pittsford or Fairport; Victor is also nice but a little further out/more rural. Not sure where the job is. There are also some very good private schools in Rochester if you want to go that route.

 

[BrucePa]

Great information. Thanks all. The decision is still not easy, but at least I have a lot of pros and cons to work with.

I'm speaking with the CEO this week, then flying up for a visit. It has a market cap of over $22B.

 

[massimoManca II]

couple more thoughts....

"Traffic jams" in Rochester are hardly that.... Encountered one this evening on 590N and easily skirted it after bailing off the expressway.... My office is 25mi away on the west side of Rochester and it takes me no more than a half hour for the trip.... "Traffic jams" might add another five minutes.... Ten if it's "really bad"....

people think Rochester is a hick town but it once had a subway... While there are parts that are visibly depressed - this town has absorbed the demise of Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Xerox, and GM ( ever hear of 454 big blocks with Rochester quadra-jets? Most of GMs excellent fuel delivery work was done here 35yrs ago) exceptionally well.... Most of Kodak's diversified businesses ( health care imaging, defense optics etc) were spun off into successful seperate companies years ago and these thrive here....

You give me a cue and I'd be happy to give you my personal contact info ... You'd be welcome to ask me anything.... i'd be happy to take you out for a Genny

MMII

 

[massimoManca II]

if your friend lost 100K on his house in a Rochester suburb.

He either has Liberace- like decorating tastes and/or he lived in Greece/Gates (shitty unappealing west-side developments ) either way he's gotta be pretty stupid to take that kinda hit here.

Weather from May thru Oct is simply spectactular - Upstate NY strings together more consecutive sunny days in the summer than Fla... I'll argue that our winter is beautiful as well because people here don't lay down and sob when their roads get covered with snow

old money here in Rochester.... More millionaires per capita here than anywhere else in the US....

breaking News: the demise of Kodak happened about 25yrs ago... The arts/music/community events here hardly missed a beat without the Kodak money...

 

[massimoManca II]

Let me know if you need anything...

 

[bdgan]

I'll call BS on that

Downtown Rochester is pretty depressing. A few areas with nice bars, restaurants, and theaters but for the most part depressing. The suburbs are nice and you get some of the best housing bargains in the country. $400k would buy you a nice 3,500 sq ft home in one of the best suburbs / school districts. The metropolitan area has approximately 1.2 million people so there are a lot of things to do. Great lakes, finger lakes, wineries, great golf courses, local and Broadway theater, great shopping, great restaurants, etc.

The only downside to Rochester is horrible weather and high property taxes. Admittedly those are big issues. Winters can be brutal with 100 inches of snow and very little sunshine. They start late November and last until the 2nd week of April. May though October is absolutely wonderful - 6 months of very good weather. The high property taxes suck but are offset by low housing prices.