I am looking at a job in Rochester NY. I noticed the crime statistics for Rochester seem pretty bad. It seems only the worse area to live would be Detroit. On the positive side the cost of living seems pretty reasonable. My wife would also need a job. It looks like the only large employer left is the University of Rochester. How is the running? Is the crime really that bad?
Really? the ONLY worse place to live is detroit?
How about camden, newark, oakland, flint, east st louis???
The stats you are seeing are for the city, which has some tough neighborhoods and its share of poverty and challenges. The burbs are really nice, have great school districts, etc. The area has an insanely low cost of living.
There is an excellent running community here. Most weekends have multiple road races to choose from, and there are some of high quality. There is an excellent cross-country club team - GVH.
Believe it or not, the weather here is nearly perfect from about mid April until late November every year. Winters are a different story.
My brother lived in Rochester, NY from 1992 until 2012.
He loved it but jobs and girl friends were hard to find.
The running scene seem pretty good but they average 100 inches of snow a year so I think you need to take up XC skiing and/or snowshoeing.
The city proper is awful. Many of the surrounding towns and villages are very nice. Fairport, Pittsford, Penfield, Webster are all have low crime rates, good schools and affordable housing. Unfortunately the propery taxes are so high that it negates some of the affordability of housing.
The racing is pretty competitive for a small city. A good number of high 14 low 15 minute 5k runners and lots of races with small cash prizes top 3 like $300 $200 $100.
McHale McStuffin wrote:
There is an excellent cross-country club team - GVH.
excellent 50+ year old club team you mean. The Chargers and STC are much better open teams from the area.
It's a great place- a lot to do and you CAN run outside all year.
There are a lot of running opportunities. I live 3 hours from Rochester and would consider moving there.
I go there often- have relatives.
The crime in the city is bad but you won't go there often- the surrounding areas are great.
UofR, RIT, etc. There are some minor league teams in various sports.
Lake Ontario, etc.
I went to U of R and spent 5 years there. The city has changed a bit. If you are not a big city person you might like it. For me it is a bit too small. The running scene is pretty good (much better than buffalo which is a bigger city).
The weather of course is horrible. I wouldn't worry about the crime. I soemtimes hung out in some less than great areas of the city and never had any problems. Those areas are easily avoidable and you would never need to go in them unless you really wanted too.
Overall I would say it is not a great place, but is in a location that is not far from some great stuff while still being able to live in a city. You are an hour from the finger lakes which are beautiful and have a ton of wineries, 4 hours from the adirondacks and catskills which have tons of outdoor activities, and of course near lake ontario. Depends what you are into.
To actually answer your question.
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=e773f549-71e9-463c-8fbc-a49bfd10b8d4&c&ch
Wait, I misunderstood your question. Sorry
Wait, I misunderstood your question. Sorry
Oh, and I will second the comment about girlfriends being hard to find. I have never been to a city with less attracitve women.
mellow seeds wrote:
Oh, and I will second the comment about girlfriends being hard to find. I have never been to a city with less attracitve women.
Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, it's not the girls of Rochester but could be you?
Seriously, what a stupid thing to say.
There are plenty of neighborhoods within the city limits that are perfectly fine to live in. As other posters have said, however, if schools are in the mix, pick a suburb. If you like gold chains and trans ams, then look west side, all other interests, look east side. If you like the city, but need to think about schools, Brighton is just adjacent with a good school district.
runn wrote:
mellow seeds wrote:Oh, and I will second the comment about girlfriends being hard to find. I have never been to a city with less attracitve women.
Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, it's not the girls of Rochester but could be you?
Seriously, what a stupid thing to say.
No I haven't thought that. I have been to most cities in this country and rate the women in rochester at the bottom lookswise. I had no trouble finding women in rochester who were willing to date me, the problem was that most of them were not attractive. When you live there, you don't realize it as you come to accept the mediocrity. Even an hour west in buffalo the women are way better looking.
I have lived in the greater Rochester, NY area all my life (age 30 now).
My personal recommendation: Don't move here unless you (1.) plan to live on the county outskirts or just outside Monroe County, (2.) have money, and (3.) are okay with the cold.
THE NEGATIVES:
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First off, mellow seeds is almost 100% correct. I know you're already married, but other readers should know: The women here are TERRIBLE. There's always something wrong: princess complex, ugly as sin, already taken, weird quirks in general, FAT FAT FAT, or she's one of many (in strangely high prevalence) single moms. Sad, very sad. It is a bit of a sausage fest...and by "a bit" I mean a big ol' kielbasa whack in the face.
On crime: It's simple: If the zip code begins with 146, take moderate to high caution (with the general exception of 14623). This leaves suburbs in the clear, as previous posters have said. The Rochester area is made up of a patchwork of good neighborhoods among bad neighborhoods, and if you want a systematic breakdown on them all, reply and we'll find a way to exchange email addresses or something.
On schools: Avoid Rochester City Schools like the plague...and by plague, I actually mean a disease with a higher mortality rate than the plague.
On costs: As with almost all parts of the U.S., cost of living compared to New York City is cheap. However, it's quite a bit higher than many parts of the country. New York State has a plethora of TAXES that many states don't have. The property taxes, given the area, are disgustingly high in areas close to Rochester. Laws, regulations, and the extra costs that they create make it more difficult to start a business in New York State than many other states. Lastly, the winters necessitate many higher costs besides higher and longer-duration heating bills. You absolutely NEED snow tires. You absolutely NEED a plowing service or a pickup truck with a plow on it, and so forth.
On fun, part 1: New York State also has some very unexpected laws that prohibit fun and make a minor criminal out of anyone who doesn't go out of their way to research what's on the books.
On weather, part 1: I seriously disagree with a previous poster who said you can run outside all year long. Winter here is TERRIBLE. In an area with plowed sidewalks or other paved areas there's massive ice build-up that is un-attended, or massive slush build-up. In an area without sidewalks, the depth of the snow will guarantee frost-bite on your ankles or great frustration trudging through feet, not inches, of snow. In Rochester especially, there is a nearly constant wind that chills you to the bone. Global warming can't even help. Last year, while much of the country was enjoying one of the warmest years on record, western New York State was suffering one of the coldest years on record, and this February (2015) will finish as the coldest on record for our area, period. Last night it was -8 degrees Fahrenheit at my house, -11 last Thursday night, and that's just 2 nights of well more than a dozen negatives this year. The recommendation for attic insulation for this area is R-40, but few houses have that, so take a close look at any renovations necessary when buying a house.
Overcast skies and rain occupy your days more than a third of the year in Rochester. IF YOU LIKE SUNSHINE, DON'T COME HERE.
THE NEUTRAL:
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On economics: The thing to remember with western New York State is that it's relatively immune to bubbles and busts. So depressions never hit as hard as the rest of the country, but neither do booms. Despite major industry leaving or declining (Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb), the universities have created quite a lot of innovation and start-ups. There are many small engineering firms in the greater Rochester area. If you have an engineering degree AND EXPERIENCE I can't imagine you having trouble finding work, should you choose to stay in the area but move onto a different job from the one you are considering.
On neighborhoods: If you like a rural setting, there are some rural but not too rural areas within a nice drive (20-50 minutes) of Rochester. If you like a suburban setting, Rochester has some upstanding communities, although I've found some haughty and condescending attitudes among the eastern suburbanites. If you really want an urban setting, you probably won't get it without compromising safety, although there is a good hipster crowd to befriend.
On weather, part 2: While summers can reach the low 90's, late spring, summer, and early fall is very pleasant here. The last 15 to 17 years have suffered a drought in at least 1 of the 4 seasons, though, so wherever you look for a home, ensure that you have a VERY reliable water-supply.
THE POSITIVES:
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On fun, part 2: If you compare Rochester to a major world city (L.A., Chicago, Toronto, New York, etc.), you'll be bored out of your mind. Ditto if you compare to a major American city (Seattle, Dallas, Miami, Philly, Boston, etc.). However, Rochester is just a step below that, which is enough to create several cultured activities (dance, theater, classical music, art & galleries), as well as numerous events of more popular fare (indie music, wine-tastings, concerts, festivals). This is a good wine-producing region in general, and if you like Rieslings you will be especially happy. Nightlife isn't exactly stark-raving wild, but there is are some clean and contemporary areas with dance clubs and and cocktail bars, just not in the prevalence or magnitude of other cities. Almost every sporting passion is supported, from skiing slopes to ice-skating rinks to a 'local' NFL team (Bills) and a 'local' NHL team (Sabres) to minor league baseball and hockey to clubs of whichever sport you prefer. There are numerous places to have fun outdoors. THE VALUE OF THE LAKES AND PARKS IN THIS AREA CANNOT BE OVERSTATED.
Now, on to the meat & potatoes.
On the running community: Very healthy community, in my opinion. There is a healthy volume of competition at all ages (for men, at least) in 5k's from low 14 guys all the way on up. Post-collegiate track competition is a bit under-represented, as are road 10k's, but half-marathons, marathons, and ultra-marathons are available. Open cross-country races and trail-running also available. There are several clubs to fit your ability and surface-preference, with 3 major clubs being GVH, GRTC, and Yellow Jacket. 3 different local timing services and numerous certified 5k courses keep things standardized. If there is any serious complaint, it's perhaps that there are TOO many 5k's in the area, so sometimes the competition is too widely spread. Hilly, flat, and generally scenic courses are all available.
Beware winter. I lived in Buffalo.
If you think anything starting with 146 is dangerous, I feel sorry for you.
Most of these posters grew up in fairport/pittsford during high school (in their mom's basement) and are commenting on what it's like to live in Rochester. They probably couldn't drive to downtown from their Mom's suburban Fairport residence.
Keep that in mind.
It is c-c-c-cold in that area about 5 months a year.
146......... wrote:
If you think anything starting with 146 is dangerous, I feel sorry for you.
Most of these posters grew up in fairport/pittsford during high school (in their mom's basement) and are commenting on what it's like to live in Rochester. They probably couldn't drive to downtown from their Mom's suburban Fairport residence.
Keep that in mind.
I never lived in Fairport/Pittsford/East Rochester. I am from the rural outskirts.
I still think 146__ deserves moderate to high caution. My cousin has been beaten, my best friend had his tires slashed twice, and even in 14623, which I thought deserved some exception, a friend of mine from college has been surrounded at knife point. So yeah, it's real. And this speaks nothing of the direct shootings or stray bullets.
If you think 146 shouldn't be called dangerous, I feel sorry for what may become of you.