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Are you thinking of moving or relocating to Seneca Falls, New York? Would you like to know what the quality of life is like living in Seneca Falls?
Elise Rychlewski reports in this review:
| Weather | | How much crime? | | What are the neighborhoods like? | | What are the people like? | This climate is not for the faint of weather extremes - winter being far away the most challenging of seasons. I grew up in this small town and it was not uncommon to have snowdays (where school was not in session) due to significant snowfall. Upside: Lots of open areas for good cross-country skiing.
The spring is glorious if not very wet.
Summer is hot (think 80s) but the good news is that its not humid heat. Much more bearable, particularly if you go down to Cayuga Lake and take the breeze there.
Autums - what can I say about the fall in Seneca Falls? Just that it is wonderful and I really feel the best season there. The foliage, local apple crop available, cool, crisp, clean and (as a friend of mine calls it) "intelligent weather. The smell of fires crackling as you walk down the broad avenues is delightful. | | Very little crime in Seneca Falls - sure, the occasional bar fight, drunken drinving charge and car boosts, every blue moon something very serious like homocide, but all in all, a very safe nice town - as indeed it should be as it is purported to be the town that Frank Capra modeled his fictional town of Bedford Falls on (his aunt lived in Seneca Falls). | | The good bits!
There are beautiful old Victorian & Edwardian mansions the length of Fall Street, one of the central broad streets that starts at the foot of the town center.
Another nice area is the area around the high school (Mynderse Academy) both on the Troy Street side as well as Leland Dr.
Perhaps one of the nicest areas in the town are the ones on Lower Lake Road - while many are small, not fancy and not originally created to be year-round homes, the ones right on the water have wonderful views and great lifestyle options.
The Less Desirable Areas...
I would say that there are some poor families that cluster in small older not well-kept rental properties on the outskirts of town.
Otherwise, the majority of housing in the town are modest early to mid nineteenth century row houses on small lots. | | Ah, the good people of Seneca Falls! There is a large italian-american population in this small town and as such, great spirit in community and great family tradition and history (not to mention a lot of good sicilian home-cooking and restaurant food).
Who will fit in - anyone who has a young family or is very kid/family-oriented; likes to go to local sporting events (read: HS football games); likes drinking beer down at local watering holes like the Moosehead Lodge (down at Cayuga Lake); is politically not too liberal and anyone likes to roll up their sleeves and get active volunteering with local churches, schools, etc.
Who will stick out like a sore thumb?!
AND not feel at all at home - snooty city people - you know the type, who need the latest of everything and feel that any place where you can't see new arthouse films the moment they come out, be a serious foodie 7 day/wk. or go to major museum exhibitions w/out taking an airplane to get there - well, they might be happy with a precious summer home to fix up Upstate, but they probably would never come to the Pancake Breakfasts type of weekend events or get in deep with knowing their neighbors. | | Restaurants | | Schools | | Single life | | Noise | | The Gould Hotel (newly renovated has a nice restaurant for business lunches or is the kind of place you can take your grandmother for mother's day) Parker's Grill - same thing except not quite right for Gramma! Red's Place is hearty, tasty very reasonably priced all-american food. Very, very friendly! Last, but certainly not least is Antonina's a classic old-fashioned southern italian family restaurant over on Bridge Street. WONderful rich red pasta sauces, etc.! | | Elementary, middle schools are acceptable but hardly innovative. The high school has fairly rigorous standards and is well rounded in its education and activities. It is worth noting that the Catholic kids who attend K-9 at St. Patrick's School (across the canal) are folded into the high school as there is no Catholic High School. | | Hmmmnn... Probably not. Most kids now who go to college leaving for urban areas. There is an artisan & tradesperson community to mingle with, but generally, lots of folk stay in town and hith up with someone they know from home. | | Nope - All quiet on the western & eastern front for that matter! | | town comparison vs. | | General comments | | | | | Waterloo, the next town over, is rather lacking by comparison to Seneca Falls. They do have an outlet center there, but the town doesn't have near the charm or personality (visually, emotionally - i.e., it's greyer and drearier) as Seneca Falls does.
Tyre, New York, is a town nearby town that is definitely in the tiny category. Delapidated barns with population statistics whitewashed on the side in large letters along with small family farms make this a sentimental time warp to visit, but there is little there to hang your hat on in terms of a vibrant town area and support services. | | Generally-speaking, like so many small american towns, Seneca Falls had its heyday in the Eisenhower Years and to a certain extent is still living in that frame of reference. The town is steeped in history (Women's Rights & Sufferage Movement began there - see the Ken Burns documentary on this subject - it's great!) and has lovely places to visit nearby. Like most small towns, the pettiness and judgemental side of people tneds to be magnified simply because you know so much about who's doing what. Also, folks don't alway have the widest view of the world, but they are by nature kind and giving, and when it all boils down, their priorities are pretty spot on from my perspective. | | | | |
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