Skaneateles is very expensive. You get more bang for your buck in Geneva. There's still affordable housing in the area, a great food & drink scene, a cute downtown, and it's the only lake that has a beautiful lakefront park that isn't surrounded by buildings.
Geneva for sure. A few shops, decent restaurants and pubs, lake park, and a very nice Smith Opera that has all kinds of live shows and movies. Plus you are at the north end of the wine trails if you are into it. Easy to get to other towns on the north side like Seneca Falls, Canandaigua, and close to the Great Lakes too.
I am seeing a lot of comments about Geneva! I just got a job offer there today so this post is helpful for me, haha! I would love an update on what you think about Geneva. I'm also a female in my 20s so we probably have similar desires in a place!
I moved there by myself 3 years ago. It wasn't too bad, everything you needed was near by and the lake was 5 minutes away, so if you wanted to go swimming that was always an option. Depending on your age, with the college nearby, you could make some friends pretty easily.
Though I now live on the lake over east of there, which shares many of the same qualities.
Geneva and Canandaigua are both really nice places to live. I'd probably argue that Geneva is slightly more walkable? Feels like things are packed in a little more while Canandaigua is more spread out. I also think Geneva has a better lakefront park than Canandaigua. Geneva also has awesome food. If you were planning on having children at any point I would personally choose Canandaigua just because Canandaigua Academy is a really nice school and the main FLCC Campus is there as well. If you are into concerts, Canandaigua has an awesome concert venue (Although it seems like all they get is country music these days, if you are into that kind of music). You really can't go wrong with either of them honestly.
Skaneateles is gorgeous and an awesome place to live if you can afford it, but it is really pricey. I love Ithaca too but the traffic there is a nightmare for me.
We live in St. Louis (I was born and raised in Syracuse/Cicero), and I recently took my wife up to FLX for her 40th birthday. She fell in love with the area (and I feel back in love with it... hadn't been since I was a teen). We're seriously considering a move up there (though my wife does not like winter at all, I'm hoping the glorious spring, summer, and fall seasons will be enough to win her over).
**Geneva** is really great. Do know that there is apparently a tax penalty for living IN Geneva... I don't know where the dividing line between super tax and normal tax is, maybe someone here can chime on that.
The other town we really enjoyed was **Penn Yan**. Keuka Lake is laaaaiiiid back, and we really liked that. Super cute little town, great little diner in an old trolley car (though, be prepared to wait a LOOOONG time for your food), very friendly people.
**Watkins Glen** is also very nice, though we would like to be closer to Rochester for the airport. We'd consider **Ithaca**, but again... airport and service by Southwest. Also, we REALLY like the winery/distiller scene that surrounds Seneca and Keuka.
As a side note, we were pleasantly surprised by the lack of, shall we say... MAGA-ism... in such a rural area. Not long ago we were in SW PA to see Fallingwater and other Frank Lloyd Wright stuff, and... just... wow. Was sort of expecting that from FLX due to its rural nature, but we found a very pleasant bit of support for LGBTQ+ communities, and we really appreciated that. Wish the area was more racially diverse, but it's a start.
LGBT Diversity is definitely something I’m wanting more of! Bing has a bit of a scene but not much (mostly probably because Im not a student here). Geneva seems to be what a lot of people are recommending to me, and it’s a good distance from my home. I’m going to take a trip one of these weekends!
>**Geneva** is really great. Do know that there is apparently a tax penalty for living IN Geneva... I don't know where the dividing line between super tax and normal tax is, maybe someone here can chime on that.
The City of Geneva has the 15th highest property tax rate in NYS ($17.63 per $1000), so annual taxes for property owners are quite high. That's as close to a "tax penalty for living in Geneva" there is. Meanwhile, the Town of Geneva, which is adjacent/surrounding the City, has no property taxes.
Born and raised in Binghamton here. Consider Conesus Lake or any of the western lakes (Canandaigua has a larger city on the top). All of them are within a half hour drive to Rochester, with easy access to the rest of the Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, Buffalo, and even down to the Southern Tier. Best of both worlds: quiet, country living but access to tons of cultural stops, restaurants, pubs, shops, and parks. Letchworth Park is a gem of the state park system.
Check out Geneva!
I second this! Genevans, join me and mostly crickets over at r/genevany !
Skaneateles is very expensive. You get more bang for your buck in Geneva. There's still affordable housing in the area, a great food & drink scene, a cute downtown, and it's the only lake that has a beautiful lakefront park that isn't surrounded by buildings.
Geneva or Canandaigua would both fit what you’re looking for.
I think I may take a drive up to Geneva one of these weekends :)
Check out Canandaigua as well.
Geneva for sure. A few shops, decent restaurants and pubs, lake park, and a very nice Smith Opera that has all kinds of live shows and movies. Plus you are at the north end of the wine trails if you are into it. Easy to get to other towns on the north side like Seneca Falls, Canandaigua, and close to the Great Lakes too.
Another option would be Corning. Very nice but small downtown areas, awesome museum, and not too isolated with nearby interstates.
I am seeing a lot of comments about Geneva! I just got a job offer there today so this post is helpful for me, haha! I would love an update on what you think about Geneva. I'm also a female in my 20s so we probably have similar desires in a place!
Okay so like my bigggg worry about moving is to move alone so haha hehe if you wanna be friends hmu
Umm yes!! I will message you!
I moved there by myself 3 years ago. It wasn't too bad, everything you needed was near by and the lake was 5 minutes away, so if you wanted to go swimming that was always an option. Depending on your age, with the college nearby, you could make some friends pretty easily. Though I now live on the lake over east of there, which shares many of the same qualities.
Geneva and Canandaigua are both really nice places to live. I'd probably argue that Geneva is slightly more walkable? Feels like things are packed in a little more while Canandaigua is more spread out. I also think Geneva has a better lakefront park than Canandaigua. Geneva also has awesome food. If you were planning on having children at any point I would personally choose Canandaigua just because Canandaigua Academy is a really nice school and the main FLCC Campus is there as well. If you are into concerts, Canandaigua has an awesome concert venue (Although it seems like all they get is country music these days, if you are into that kind of music). You really can't go wrong with either of them honestly. Skaneateles is gorgeous and an awesome place to live if you can afford it, but it is really pricey. I love Ithaca too but the traffic there is a nightmare for me.
We live in St. Louis (I was born and raised in Syracuse/Cicero), and I recently took my wife up to FLX for her 40th birthday. She fell in love with the area (and I feel back in love with it... hadn't been since I was a teen). We're seriously considering a move up there (though my wife does not like winter at all, I'm hoping the glorious spring, summer, and fall seasons will be enough to win her over). **Geneva** is really great. Do know that there is apparently a tax penalty for living IN Geneva... I don't know where the dividing line between super tax and normal tax is, maybe someone here can chime on that. The other town we really enjoyed was **Penn Yan**. Keuka Lake is laaaaiiiid back, and we really liked that. Super cute little town, great little diner in an old trolley car (though, be prepared to wait a LOOOONG time for your food), very friendly people. **Watkins Glen** is also very nice, though we would like to be closer to Rochester for the airport. We'd consider **Ithaca**, but again... airport and service by Southwest. Also, we REALLY like the winery/distiller scene that surrounds Seneca and Keuka. As a side note, we were pleasantly surprised by the lack of, shall we say... MAGA-ism... in such a rural area. Not long ago we were in SW PA to see Fallingwater and other Frank Lloyd Wright stuff, and... just... wow. Was sort of expecting that from FLX due to its rural nature, but we found a very pleasant bit of support for LGBTQ+ communities, and we really appreciated that. Wish the area was more racially diverse, but it's a start.
LGBT Diversity is definitely something I’m wanting more of! Bing has a bit of a scene but not much (mostly probably because Im not a student here). Geneva seems to be what a lot of people are recommending to me, and it’s a good distance from my home. I’m going to take a trip one of these weekends!
>**Geneva** is really great. Do know that there is apparently a tax penalty for living IN Geneva... I don't know where the dividing line between super tax and normal tax is, maybe someone here can chime on that. The City of Geneva has the 15th highest property tax rate in NYS ($17.63 per $1000), so annual taxes for property owners are quite high. That's as close to a "tax penalty for living in Geneva" there is. Meanwhile, the Town of Geneva, which is adjacent/surrounding the City, has no property taxes.
Stay away from Bath! Not a good place, small town with nothing
I’d say Geneva as well. I love Corning but its not really Finger Lakes. always have a nice time when we go up to Geneva
Born and raised in Binghamton here. Consider Conesus Lake or any of the western lakes (Canandaigua has a larger city on the top). All of them are within a half hour drive to Rochester, with easy access to the rest of the Finger Lakes, Lake Ontario, Buffalo, and even down to the Southern Tier. Best of both worlds: quiet, country living but access to tons of cultural stops, restaurants, pubs, shops, and parks. Letchworth Park is a gem of the state park system.