Certainly plenty of beautiful towns to choose from in upper NY! I am also partial to the Adirondacks, and especially the Saranac Lake area ... but then again, we just bought an old farmhouse in Gabriels - 7 miles down the road.

I was also going to suggest Corning. Seems like it is a great match for what you are looking for.

You've gotten some great suggestions. While you're in the process of thinking it over, you might find some harder facts at City-data.com. Facts and pictures vary according to the info that has been submitted, some more, some less. But it should give you a decent idea of the socio-economics of each area. Such as population, density, housing (new starts/existing) employment, etc.

Then plan a visit. Lots of beautiful country up here. Sandy

Meant to say diversity of facts. Sandy

Skaneateles is a great place and we go there often for Doug's Fish Fry. After we eat we walk around town and go over to the lake. Be warned, though, that Skaneateles is an Indian name meaning "land of hopeless liberals". LOL- It would be a great place to move to. Hillary almost moved there, I think.
Paul F B

Another vote for Corning. I have lived here 50 years and the only other place we would consider retiring to would be the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the Corning Museum of Glass (at which I am a docent) there is the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. Close by there is the National soaring Museum, The wings of Eagles Warplane museum and the Curtiss Museum. There is a great Civic Museum program and a dynamic Symphony orchestra. 171 Cedar Arts has all sorts of programs and brings in musical groups. Corning has been rated third as an arts community. It has an outstanding community college. For a small city there is more than enough to keep busy.

Other places in Steuben and Yates county to consider would be Hammondsport at the foot of Keuka Lake and Penn Yan at the northern end of the east branch. I think it has been rated as one of the top places to retire. Keuka College is near by as is Hobart in Geneva.

Skaneateles is your best bet.

Some pictures showing the Village of Skaneateles and Skaneateles Lake.

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The Lake is one of Finger Lakes and the village of Skaneateles is located on the north shore of the Lake.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures of Skaneateles

This is a great thread. What an amazing state, eh?
I just came back from my first visit to the Adirondacks, including a lovely afternoon in Saranac.
My place is in Norther Delaware Co.--Bloomville--and I love it here.
No shortage of great spots--and great spots to protect from the big boxes and other blights.

Thanks everyone! I admit I haven't read through the entire thread yet... just wanted to thank everyone for responding so quickly!

I'll comment more later after I've read your comments about all these great places.

I totally agree with Wayne, take a nice long roadtrip. I live in Lewiston and it's probably as "quaint" as it gets. We have no big box stores but they are available in Niagara Falls about 15-20 minutes away when you need them. We have a historic village in the center of town which used to contain a McDonald's. It was funny because the McDonald's was in an 1800's building and the drive thru was on the wrong side of the car so they had to reach into the passenger side window of your car with a basket on a long pole. Anyway, the McDonald's eventually got voted out because it wasn't in keeping with the historic nature of the village. There's lot's of beautiful land here and it's very safe here so we never lock anything. I do wish we had a closer Tim Horton's but those are the breaks.

Here is a link that might be useful: LEwiston, NY

As I read your description of an ideal small upstate town I immediately thought of Skaneateles, The picturesque downtown gets quite "touristy" in the summer, but that's good for the communtiy finances. By all means, spend a vacation there. The town is close enough to Syracuse, Auburn and Cortland to give you a choice of where to shop and find important services. It is not too terribly far from the NY State Thruway (Rt. 90), Rt.81, and the very attractive and NOT high speed Rts. 5 and 20. I live 25 miles from Skaneateles in real farm country in order to reap the benefit of low property prices and taxes. My "town" is Conquest and there isn't even a traffic light here. I shop between Auburn and Syracuse and doctor and vet in places between. For gardeners, I would suggest the longer drive to Rochester where I have found many great nurseries. If you are interested in "Nowhere", where I live, look for the intersection of NS state route 38 and intersatate route 90. You'll probably need a magnifying glass. I grew up on the shore in CT and my favorite place in the world is coastal ME. I stay in upstate NY because my kids settled here. It really is a good place to live. We do get a lot of snow, but seldom have any other form of dangerous weather. Again, I urge you to vacation in Skaneateles. Maybe you can get away in a few weeks when the foliage is fabulous.
Mudlady

Try Angelica NY. It is way off the beaten path. It is quaint and maybe the only fight you'll have is the good ole boys and the deer across the truck. But as I recall it was not a huge issue.

I haven't been in Canandaigua in years, but was there today. It is another suggestion.
Mudlady

Hey Guys, I am moving to Sullivan County in three weeks from Florida/Georgia. I have never been to New York, but was raised in Kentucky and Ohio, so I know about snow. What is that area like?

Hi, I'm wondering just how small a town you had in mind?
I visited friends from East Aurora recently and don't get me wrong I love this town. The old homes are beautiful, but my friends were complaining if they wanted something they had to travel to Buffalo to get it. They were wishing for a Walmart! They were some of the people outvoted on Walmart.
Anyway I live outside of Batavia ny- wish I had some pictures- they just renotated the downtown with a new Cityhall and street lights that have an older look. There is Walmart in the town of Batavia (not city). Every thing is handy here yet 10 min. away in Elba, Alexander, E. Bethany, etc. are small towns with rolling hills, and land prices which would be unheard of elsewhere.

I had a friend from outwest who said her first flight over NY was unreal- all that green she wasn't used to- she thought Ny was paradise- have to agree.

mizack2,I was hoping that someone who presently lives in Sullivan County would answer your question,but not so far. Well,it is many years since I was down there,but my husband and I used to go to Sullivan County from where we lived in New Jersey.Sullivan is in the Catskill Mountains,and we went there for skiing in winter and white water canoeing in spring.My husband had been going there for years for the good hiking there.

I have no idea what it is like there now other than that the terrain and weather are the same as always.Hilly,cold winters and warm summers. This link should provide more information. http://www.sullivancounty.net/

Nancy

I am not that familiar with all the neat little towns in NY because I don't get around much but since moving here 15 plus years ago I have been to East Aurora and I fell in love with it. I don't know if it has been mentioned but they still have an old operating 5&10 called Vidlers where you can find some of the coolest 'stuff'. It is really a cool little historic village and it was the first one that I thought of when I read your post. Personally I would rather live down south.

Penny

I just found GardenWeb and stumbled upon this wonderful thread. We make a habit of visiting villages all over upstate NY, and there are so many really charming ones. One that comes to mind is Cambridge, just about due east of Saratoga Springs on Route 22, near the Vermont border. Even has one of the country's few remaining "railroad hotels," facing the old depot, that claims to be the "Original Home of Pie A La Mode". Sadly, the hotel was foreclosed on. Take a look at these pictures, though. Someone did a fabulous job restoring this building. Maybe you'd like to run a hotel! I'd bet you anything the bank would like to sell it at a bargain price: http://www.cambridgehotel.com/

One of the absolutely most charming small towns we've ever seen, however, is over the border, south of Corning: Wellsoboro, PA. The nearest mall of any kind is an hour away, they have a thriving downtown that is all in an historic district complete with restaurants, hotels and a real department store. The McD and Pizza Hut are outside the historic district. Get a load of this. This town has block after block (after block!) of real gas lights. I mean, they're lit with gas! They're on 24/7 and the effect, especially at night, is absolutely heart-melting. There are farms, organic and otherwise, throughout some of the most beautiful rolling-hills countryside I've ever seen. People don't lock their doors in that town - we checked. Wellsboro is the county seat, so there's a big old courthouse, medical facilities, a beautiful library, the town park with a fountain in the center, and a recreation area complete with basketball court and huge outdoor swimming pool. When folks just have to shop in a mall, they drive to Corning. Of course, jobs are an issue. Be an attorney, work from home, or be content to earn retail wages.

See their website: http://www.wellsboropa.com/

Lonnie C

oh lovely thread! i'm hoping someone will chime in with some more information about the colton,canton,potsdam area. we're putting our farm in vermont up for sale in the spring and thinking that that particular piece of the adirondacks feels right. we love the landscape,college towns within twenty minutes,lots of water everywhere. our vermont place is right outside burlington,and potsdam and canton remind me of burlington around twenty five years ago. it's grown too big for us now,,we're looking for less traffic,more acreage and more time to enjoy retirement!
for the op,spend a weekend or two exploring,it's nice peaceful country up here.

I too would vote for Skaneateles. I live in Tully which is 20 miles southeast of Skaneateles. I am still in tears over the "indian" translation of the name. My in-laws are over the top conservative and live on the lake (2 miles down on the east side) and they'll find that comment probably more than true!
Great little village, though. But beware of real estate prices. Great town, but don't plan on buying a house on the lake for less than $1.5 million

Re: Canton, Colton: I wrote a newspaper column for the paper in Canton from 1984-1993. It's truly a wonderful area to move to. And inexpensive. The colleges make the area really special.

I've lived in Dutchess County for most of my life but if I was going to move, I'd pick Schoharie. Mountains, fields, lovely little towns, inexpensive real estate and yet not too far from Albany if there's medical problems or you want big town shopping. Greene has much the same advantages but more mountainous. Neither of these is as cold as the Adirondacks where the climate makes gardening more limited than further south.
Western part of the state is too flat for me - I want the mountains within sight. And all that snow is discouraging.

We're in Sandy Creek, halfway between Syracuse and Watertown. Lake Ontario, rolling hills, not too much snow (tho 10 miles away they get tons!), boating, fishing, very affordable land, friendly people and the closest Wal-Mart is 40 minutes away. Jenswren check out Pulaski (Oswego County) for a quaint small town atmosphere, excellent schools, great grocery store, drugstore, hardware store (all local) and a nice, easy going lifestyle.

fallingwaters-

We sold our house and 30 acres (not a farm) in South Hero 2 years ago and haven't looked back. I lived in the Burlington area most of my life but I don't miss it at all. Traffic, big box stores and waaaaay too much money. Here life is slower, more family oriented and considerably less hip. It's a relief, to be frank. As an added plus, the schools are unbelievable (we have a 3rd grader), much better than Vermont IMO. If Canton doesn't pan out, look at Oswego County. We're 40 minutes from the culture of Syracuse and the university, but it's nice and quiet and no traffic.

sandyponder

i am too lazy to read them all, but i will put in a plug for the rochester region. east of rochester you get rolling hills, west it is a bit flat, but the big plus is that that area along the lake and about 15-20 miles in is zone 6! and the snow cover you get makes it pretty easy to raise some thing that are a bugger to raise here in indianapolis were we get all the cold, but not that much snow. freeze thaw croak, freeze thaw croak.

grins

jsf

I grew up in Colorado but have lived in New York sate for 25 years, from Wappingers to Saratoga, and lots of spots in between. The best thing about this region is that even if you do have a Walmart close by (or any of the other "don't wants" that you mentioned), you have only to drive 15 minutes away and you're back in the country. Do what I did: get some good local maps and fill your tank (that could be a deal breaker!)....and get lost! Chatham, Saugerties, Sharon Springs, Altamont, Red Hook, Rosendale, Greenwich..........haven't even made a dent.

Piperspal - You sound like me :-)

Whiteport (Bloomington), Rosendale, Kingston, Wallkill, and now Saratoga. It didn't take me long to realize that all of the big boxes are centrally located, which is good, and this area is wonderful for visiting friends. I took a friend who grew up in California to see a real apple orchard out on Rt. 29 and found a great place for gifts, yard stuff, some antiques. Always a fun place to visit.

I'll stop now..... so many good points.

I have not read every suggestion and know this link is old, but have to add this link

http://www.sacketsharborny.com

Was rated one of the prettiest town in the country last year. It is brimming with history, and has some of the best resturants I have ever been to.

Come visit.

Should add, I am a realtor, and can tell you the banks of Lake Ontario are highly sought after for thier beauty.

As a retired State bureaucrat, I've managed to see all of upstate: the good the bad and the ugly. There are so many really beautiful places, but I am surprised no one has mentioned Cooperstown. Scenic beauty, Glimmerglass opera, nice buildings (very well kept due to foundation that owns practically the whole town), BB hall of fame, etc.

Southern/middle Washington county: Greenwich!, Salem, Easton, Cambridge, Sushan... and there's really very cute towns that don't have town centers like Eamgle Mills or Eagle Falls. Anything along the Battenkill River

The only people who have lead you right per your "wants" stated in your post is adirondackgardener, wantoretire_did, piperspal and others who suggested the eastern region of NY State. The area out that way is full of quaint villages and beautiful landscapes galore.

Although, Skaneateles is indeed a beautiful little village it's the surrounding area that leaves much to be desired (again according to what you stated in your post) there are many trailor parks in that vicinity which you might not find visually pleasing. I remember Bill & Hillary's visit to this town and Doug's Fish Fry made an announcement that they were not welcome to eat there. Liberal?

I feel that the mid and western regions are less liberal and more pro hunting. I live in the mid region and the Post Office here thinks nothing of displaying a deflamitory cartoon about Hillary on federal property no less!

If I have a chance to do it over again I'll be looking toward the eastern part of the state. :)

Hi all! Just scanning through the posts and I see Mudlady and I are neighbors. I live in the Town of Mentz, Weedsport area. Probably right around the corner from you.

My vote Fingerlakes Region. You can rent a boat and travel literally from one lake to the next and then dock in Seneca Falls and have dinner. No need to set foot on land at all, unless your hungry and the foliage down the waterways is unbelievable!
Anyway my 2cents.
flowergirl34

Peru and Morrisonville in Clinton County along with town in the Ausable and Keene Valleys, although towns like Lake Placid have out of this world taxes.
Saranac Lake might actually not be bad, again taxes though.
Southern and Western Jefferson like Alexandria Bay, Cape Vincent, Clayton, Sackets Harbor, Henderson Harbor. They seem to be away but are actually not that far from Watertown.
I really think your best bet though would be St. Lawrence county in Colton, Canton, Potsdam, Parishville, Heuvelton, Lisbon or Madrid. They are near Canton-Potsdam but don't have the taxes, the oridnances, or the people like C-P, but have the healthcare, small-town farm values and schools, like Parishville-Hopkinton, Heuvelton and Lisbon which are all regularly ranked in the top in St. Lawrence County.

I live in Skaneateles, so I know its a great place to be. Other places that came to mind: Seneca Falls, Corning, Ithaca, Geneva (I'm fond of the Finger Lakes Region), Cooperstown, Hamilton, and Clinton.

Lots of good suggestions here. I guess you have some homework to do.

@booberry85, My GF and i just got back from Elmira yesterday. To make a long story short we both live in FL and she wants to move back. Although Elmira isn't my first choice I would consider Corning or ithaca or the surrounding areas.. I've been in FL for 31 years and I'm worried i won't enjoy NY. We all know FL is expensive but I'm worried that I'll go broke living in NY. We are both in Healthcare and have pretty good jobs.

Any tips or areas to look at please let me know... Thanks

Tony,

I do like both Ithaca and Elmira. Ithaca has the colleges there (Cornell and Ithaca College) which help support the economy. So Ithaca gets hit less hard when the economy takes a down turn.

I'm not going to kid you, NYS is expensive to live in. They seem to have a tax for everything and choking regulations for businesses.

The most important things I would consider are: would your healthcare be supported here in NY? Would you be able to get jobs up here (more reason to move to Ithaca - work at the colleges)? Do you have friends and family that can help you get re-acquainted with the area?

Also how do you feel about winters (heat bills, snow plowing bills, winter clothes?) It was 0 degrees F this morning. We've gotten 2 feet of snow in the last two weeks!

Just some things to consider.

Gaitedhorse, I agree with you about all those towns you mentioned. Marilla and colden are hilly and nice. Colden with the ski resort and the stream running through is very charming. East Aurora Has some very beautiful old homes too. Far enough away from city life, but not too far away from anything you need.

I wonder whatever happened to the original poster?!? This thread is now going into its seventh year. Did she ever move to NY?

Well, I'm not the original poster, but I'm going to ask for some advice anyway! I'll be moving from Saratoga County to Williamsville, NY (outside of Buffalo) in January (best time to move, right!) and was wondering if anyone could share their experiences or thoughts on the area, if they have any :)

Grew up in Williamsville! If you like the suburbs, its a great place to live - great schools, lots of shopping, good doctors and hospitals, close enough to Buffalo if you want to go downtown for night life. Oh, there isn't that much snow in Williamsville, being north of Buffalo. I moved 45 minutes south to Town of Concord, just outside of the Village of Springville. I have rolling hills, a feeling of being in the country, way more snow than I could imagine, no traffic, lots of parks, skiing close by, and all the conveniences of town, including Walmart.

Grew up in Williamsville! If you like the suburbs, its a great place to live - great schools, lots of shopping, good doctors and hospitals, close enough to Buffalo if you want to go downtown for night life. Oh, there isn't that much snow in Williamsville, being north of Buffalo. I moved 45 minutes south to Town of Concord, just outside of the Village of Springville. I have rolling hills, a feeling of being in the country, way more snow than I could imagine, no traffic, lots of parks, skiing close by, and all the conveniences of town, including Walmart.

Not sure how I posted twice! Sorry.

I am wondering if the original poster moved up here or no? I've lived in Canton and Potsdam. If you can't work for the colleges, it will be rough to get a decent job. Negative 40 in the winter at times but not cooler in the summer unless you get into higher elevation in the 'Dacks. Very inexpensive housing, good apartments are hard to find since all the college kids get them. Flat flat flat, unless you go up to Russell and all the little tiny towns at the foot of the mountains where it starts getting hillier. The Adirondacks have a nice feel to them but yes, there are very poor "North Country" people there. I don't know how "colonial" or "New Englandy" the towns are up there. Ogdensburg, Watertown and Massena are larger cities that have more things going on. I agree with previous posters that Corning/Painted Post is a nice area with culture and Big Flats has the mall and lots of shopping. There are smaller towns in between all the larger cities, everything is rural. Bath, Hammondsport, Penn Yan are great areas too. Hammondsport was awarded Coolest Small Town. The Finger Lakes Area is one of the most beautiful areas; the lakes, wineries, small town feel are wonderful. Houses on the lakes are very pricey but out in the country they are very reasonable. They HAVE to be because there are barely any jobs or opportunities here. Most people who own the lake houses have these as summer homes and travel from the big cities. Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse are larger and have more things available and you don't have to drive far to get back to the country with hills and farms. Actually between Buffalo and Rochester is a nice stretch of farms, farmer's markets, nice countryside. I grew up near Jamestown which is all the way west. Nice town but poor, again not many good jobs but there is a mall there, stores. Chatauqua Lake is also there and it's beautiful, as well as Chatauqua Institution which is well known for its summer cultural events. It's less than an hour to Erie, PA: lots of shopping, jobs and Lake Erie with beaches. A little east outside Jamestown are the Allegany Mountains which are neat. Anytime you are in rural areas, you will have hunting. Some people are so poor that they have to hunt to have food on the table. I hate hunting but it's something you just have to deal with here. Steuben County is extremely poor and there are trailers around, especially if you go way out into the countryside, but there are lots of nice houses too. Teens are always around, carrying on, but it's not a problem. Angelica is a sweet little town but you will have to drive a ways to get to a big store. Sometimes you just have to drive, visit and see how it makes you feel. You could always rent a house and then really travel all over to find the perfect spot. I haven't been to all of the towns that have been mentioned, but I never have felt the "New England" feeling in any of them. I have been to Lake Champlain but only once and just passing through so maybe it has more of that feeling.

Nice post.keep sharing these kind of valuable informaion so we know easily.

Don't over look the Mohawk Valley Montgomery, Fulton, Herkimer counties. Just hop skip and jump from everything wine country, Cooperstown , New York City, Catskills and the Adirondacks. Nice mix of country charm and box stores, good schools, low crime rate, beautiful farm land. Come check out the heart of NY!

I am new at the forum and wanted to start a thread but do not know how... anywho I am in the Adirondacks. Is anyone from the ADK's?

Hi Barb, I used to live in the Adirondacks. Don't know if that counts. Anyway, it's easy to start a new post. Just click the link at the top of this page - Return to Upstate NY forum - and click on - Post Message. That's it.

Where did you live in the ADK's?

Crown Point.

Hancock ny

5 years ago, I moved from Long Island to Elizabethtown, in the eastern Adirondacks, and love it. Nearest Walmart is in Plattsburgh (that's a plus!).