OT-Buffalo transplants

[Bmwolf21]

I was in Orlando after grad school and now in the Cleveland area (moved for wife's job, which was a whole 'nother nightmare). I don't mind Cleveland - real similar to Buffalo - but I would move back home in a minute if the job situation worked itself out. Heck, I'd even move to Ra-cha-cha (wife's family is from the east suburbs) but no luck so far with jobs.

[Doohickie]

I should have mentioned... Fort Worth does have Buffalo Bros, a bar opened by another ex-pat Buffalonian. He imports Sahlen's hot dogs, loganberry drink, Bison Brand French Onion Dip, Genny Creme (yeah, I know it's lousy beer, but it's OUR lousy beer, dammit!). He does chicken wings right, not to mention the pizza, the beef on weck and even fried baloney sandwiches. And when the Bills play, you'd swear you're in a bar in Buffalo.

[ubkev]

Currently living in Scranton, PA but originally from the Syracuse area. Terrible food(american cheese on pizza? What the ######). Worse drivers(get the ###### out if the left lane!). City planners in north east pa haven't heard of front lawns, houses with garrages, or driveways. I dislike this entire area and I can't wait to move back home once my job can take me back there.

 

I left for the money, good thing they more than doubled my salary for moving here.

 

Pros-No sales tax is awesome!

Gas prices are 30 cents lower on average

The people are relatively nice

 

Cons-mentioned above

[Koomkie]

Why? So he can get into gladiator bicycle contests and deal with women who don't shave? Plus, Portland's most famous Buffalo transplant (Greg Oden) isn't doin' so well.

uh? i thought that i just listed why.

 

Koomkie's right about Portland. It's amazing the change of scenery by simply driving an hour east. There's something to be said about the hairy women though, lol. The only thing that turns me off about Portland is the 9 months of constant rain. Although it might be worth overlooking for what it has to offer.

totally honest man...it doesn't rain at all like people seem to think it does. i hear seattle gets it much worse, but as far as portland goes it is just overcast a lot so i think people associate that with rainfall. it is like being in a mister most of the time....everyone is always outside. in buffalo when it rains, you get soaked, in portland when it "rains" you are slamming some microbrews and playing some street hockey. oh and the hairy women thing is just untrue. it is like me saying buffalo is full of hairy women because of Ani D.

girls here are the best i have seen...and i have been a lot of places.

the only other town in the world i would move to right now is sunderland in the UK...and you would have to go there to actually witness what happens to understand.

[LastPommerFan]

Where did you live?

 

Cincinnati.

 

Are you looking to find a new Job? if so, what is your field?

[Gramps]

Orlando by way of Boston & Sydney, Australia. Hate the 8-month summer here and would move back in a heartbeat, but my wife won't hear of it.

[plenzmd1]

Live in Richmond Va now..and highly recommend If you have/will have kids. Bout the same sizeas Buffalo, people extremely friendly, no traffic, great schools in the right places, fantastic, and i mean best in country, public univrsity system and a stable economy. 8 fortune 500 HQ here, as well as being state capital.

 

Wonderful restuarants that are eay to get into, very good cultural scene with the various museums, things like the Picaso exhibit here just recently, Broadway in Richmond series evey year, very good local theatre and the Richmond Forum. www.richmondforum.org.

 

Weather is pretty mild, great fall, short winter, nice spring, miserable summer.

 

Cons

 

Can be a bit of old boy network in all areas of life, no real sports culture..nothing really brings this area together as one like a great college team or pro team can.

 

Airport is awesome, but limited directs and can be pricy as low cost carriers do not have a large presence.

 

I am an old fugger now..but I think if young and single would consider DC first

As young single person, i would think DC better option.

 

 

 

 

[Kevbeau]

Atlanta, GA

 

Pros:

Weather - July and August are actually the worst months. The shoulder seasons are perfection.

Proximity - I can't do Koomkie's everything in a day tour, but mountains/Atlantic/gulf/Savannah/HH all an easy drive. Lots sof Lakes.

Costs - Might be the cheapest big city in America.

Jobs - They're still here.. as long as your not a total idjut.

Hartsfield Airport - I can fly direct...anywhere.

Culture - Great Restaraunt/Hang-Out scene. Can't speak to nightclubs. Can't speak to singles scene, although FWIW my wife's single friends have told me that even total douchebags can get the girl in Atlanta.

 

Cons:

Sprawl - I admit, I'm part of the problem. I live pretty far out on the SW side, but we have horses so "farm livin is the life for me." As the Buffalo saying goes "everything is a 20 minute drive," everything in Atlanta is an hour away. There's pockets of great neighborhoods with a solid identity and then barren wastelands of mini-plazas/big box stores.

Traffic - I know everyone claims they have it the worst, but I'd put Atlanta's craptastic drivers, and remedial DOT projects against anyone elses.

Wannabes - McMansions and entry level luxury cars abound...even if people can't afford them. (Disclosure: I drive an Acura :P )

[shrader]

I wound up in NH in 94 and stayed. Live just outside of Manchester.

 

PROS:

- just an hour from Boston

 

That's a pro?

[Doohickie]

I'd put Atlanta's craptastic drivers, and remedial DOT projects against anyone elses.

 

I've only driven through Atlanta a handful of times, and I hated it EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Worst drivers on the continent, hands down.

[dEnnis the Menace]

Living in Dryden NY...near Ithaca. Working in Elmira.

 

Pro's:

Lots of places to hike and camp

Close to the Finger Lakes Wine Trails :D

small towns: you know everyone, and everyone knows you

 

Cons:

proximity to Cornell and Ithaca College and SUNY Cortland...

Said students above are some of the worst people and drivers I have ever seen

small towns: you know everyone, and everyone knows you

[frissonic]

For those in Phoenix, Ron Wolfley has a sports bar at Desert Ridge called appropriately Wolfley's. Most authentic Beef on Weck in Phoenix IMO. It's a bit of a drive for me but when I'm in that area I stop by for a sandwich. You have to ask for the horseradish however.

 

I used to live about 5 minutes from Desert Ridge. You're talking about the outdoor mall north of the 101 loop in Scottsdale, right?

 

Phoenix is an incredible area. It is a bit spread out, and yah, the traffic can be horrendous, but man--outside of Buffalo, I've never met friendlier people.

 

lived in buffalo forever. moved to so florida, now live in portland or.

move here.

pros - everything ...i mean it......everything. i can climb a glacier on a mountain, surf at the beach and go for a hike n the rain forest or desert all in the same freakin day. mega babes. great music and food. best drivers. killer weather. no mosquitoes, great person to person vibe.

cons - sabres are far away - no thunderstorms.

 

move to portland. if you don;t you are making a mistake. look it up.

 

Portland is another incredible area. My brother in law lived just southwest of Portland in Beaverton. We went up to visit him and his wife a few times. The green up there is *sick*! Multnomah Falls, the Dalles (love that area ... such a "Twin Peaks" look to it), Canon beach (great for sand dollar hunting) ... great culinary school/restaurant too. And i couldn't agree more about the music scene up there. Second only to San Francisco. There's actually another Buffalo ex-pat up there who goes by the name "Paisley Rose" who has a few great tunes and a debut CD coming out at the end of the month. Check her out, if you get a chance.

 

If there's one thing I've decided, it's that the world is too big, and there aren't enough years of life to experience it all.

[plenzmd1]

Atlanta, GA

and remedial DOT projects against anyone elses.

 

What do you do if you get in a fight with a DOT worker?

 

Hand em a shovel..then they will just stand there and you can beat the snot out em :P

 

My lame attempt at humor today :doh:

[todzilla]

JJ, Denver is not lush and green, and I miss that a lot from the East coast. We get like 320 days of sunshine each year and the summers are hot and dry.

One other plus I forgot to mention...if you are a beer drinker, Denver is tough to beat. Lots of microbreweries and good craft beer. The Great American Beer Fest is a great event that happens here each year as well.

[lost in dc]

i live in the maryland suburbs of washington dc. upside: museums, concerts, lots of recreational activities. downside: it's washington dc, the most important city in the world. home of the most overrated hockey and football teams. worst drivers in the universe (in dry sunny weather).totally insane in rain or god forbid, snow. cost of living high.

 

would i move back? absolutely. sweet home b-lo. my beloved sabres play there, 42 games a season. the beer is cold and the weather used to be.

[JJFIVEOH]

Cincinnati.

 

Are you looking to find a new Job? if so, what is your field?

 

Yeah, I'm kinda looking. I'm in the GIS field which covers many areas of work. So I guess it comes down to which offer is the best. That's why I've left my options open to a few locations. There are really no hotspots for GIS work, it's pretty much all over the place so the best chances are simply where the population is greatest. Still looking primarily in the northern SC, western NC and eastern TN area. But if something really good came up I would consider Portland or Denver or the surrounding areas for these cities. I'd even consider areas like Missoula and Boise. Only thing difficult about a western move is the long haul. I've got a 40' trailer I need to take with me and a couple of pets. A few days on the road would be difficult.

 

 

Portland is another incredible area. My brother in law lived just southwest of Portland in Beaverton. We went up to visit him and his wife a few times. The green up there is *sick*! Multnomah Falls, the Dalles (love that area ... such a "Twin Peaks" look to it), Canon beach (great for sand dollar hunting) ... great culinary school/restaurant too. And i couldn't agree more about the music scene up there. Second only to San Francisco. There's actually another Buffalo ex-pat up there who goes by the name "Paisley Rose" who has a few great tunes and a debut CD coming out at the end of the month. Check her out, if you get a chance.

 

If there's one thing I've decided, it's that the world is too big, and there aren't enough years of life to experience it all.

 

You're right , it is very green! I spent a week in Bend, a week in Newport and a couple of days in Portland. There's just way too much I missed when I was there. You can't possibly take it all in in two weeks. It really does make you overlook the high rate of overcast and "misty" days.

 

JJ, Denver is not lush and green, and I miss that a lot from the East coast. We get like 320 days of sunshine each year and the summers are hot and dry.

One other plus I forgot to mention...if you are a beer drinker, Denver is tough to beat. Lots of microbreweries and good craft beer. The Great American Beer Fest is a great event that happens here each year as well.

 

Oh for sure, Denver definitely has it's great point. Comparing the Smokies to the Rockies is apples vs. oranges. One thing I did find about the Denver area and it's suburbs is there are plenty of towns that fit your needs. Small houses, big houses, conservative, liberal, quiet, active, touristy. I love hiking, biking and taking pictures (well I should say "I'd love" because I rarely do it down here because it's just not an area beneficial for that). One thing I did want to ask you...... I have an F-250 that I've kept in really good shape and it's my daily driver. It's a two wheel drive and I don't really want to get rid of it. So two questions actually, I know you guys get a few good snow storms during the winter, can I get away with a two wheel drive truck in the winter? Also, do they salt the roads during the winter? I don't want to put my truck through the salt and really have no need or want to get another car at this point.

[todzilla]

I have a front wheel drive Grand Prix that I take up skiing every weekend and don't have a problem unless there is a huge storm. It's all the California transplants you have to look out for! They use Mag Chloride on the roads or just something for traction, no salt. My cars have held up well in it.

[FogBat]

Atlanta, GA

 

Pros:

Weather - July and August are actually the worst months. The shoulder seasons are perfection.

Proximity - I can't do Koomkie's everything in a day tour, but mountains/Atlantic/gulf/Savannah/HH all an easy drive. Lots sof Lakes.

Costs - Might be the cheapest big city in America.

Jobs - They're still here.. as long as your not a total idjut.

Hartsfield Airport - I can fly direct...anywhere.

Culture - Great Restaraunt/Hang-Out scene. Can't speak to nightclubs. Can't speak to singles scene, although FWIW my wife's single friends have told me that even total douchebags can get the girl in Atlanta.

 

Cons:

Sprawl - I admit, I'm part of the problem. I live pretty far out on the SW side, but we have horses so "farm livin is the life for me." As the Buffalo saying goes "everything is a 20 minute drive," everything in Atlanta is an hour away. There's pockets of great neighborhoods with a solid identity and then barren wastelands of mini-plazas/big box stores.

Traffic - I know everyone claims they have it the worst, but I'd put Atlanta's craptastic drivers, and remedial DOT projects against anyone elses.

Wannabes - McMansions and entry level luxury cars abound...even if people can't afford them. (Disclosure: I drive an Acura :P )

 

You're not far from me at all. Like a 3 hour drive. Obviously, when they've got the money in Atlanta, they flaunt it.

 

I could say something about almost every post on this thread. Given my line of work, I've seen most of the US. I also spent time in Colorado, Texas, Kentucky, and Georgia when I was in the Army.

[JJFIVEOH]

You're not far from me at all. Like a 3 hour drive. Obviously, when they've got the money in Atlanta, they flaunt it.

 

I could say something about almost every post on this thread. Given my line of work, I've seen most of the US. I also spent time in Colorado, Texas, Kentucky, and Georgia when I was in the Army.

 

Well come on, at least give us a summary. ;) What do you do for work?

[FogBat]

Well come on, at least give us a summary. ;) What do you do for work?

 

I'm an over-the-road truck driver (but, Lord willing, I plan to come off the road ASAP and either drive locally or get a job in management). So, aside from maybe a couple of states in the continental US, I've been all over.

[JJFIVEOH]

I'm an over-the-road truck driver (but, Lord willing, I plan to come off the road ASAP and either drive locally or get a job in management). So, aside from maybe a couple of states in the continental US, I've been all over.

 

Since you've covered so much of the country, if you were to move where would you go?

[gosabres]

live just west of Asheville.Beautiful and great place to raise kids

[JJFIVEOH]

When I was up there in October I spent the week in Maggie Valley/Waynesville. W-Ville is a cool little town. I go up there pretty much every fall, absolutely beautiful area.

[gosabres]

thats exactly where im located.love it

[JJFIVEOH]

I've got probably thousands of pictures with my Canon from western NC and eastern TN, but I didn't have it with my when I took this pic so it's from my phone. For those who haven't been to Waynesville, this is just the view from the Ingles parking lot. Awesome grocery store BTW, wish I had one half as good around here. The Tipping Point has awesome food and is a great bar to watch some sports and get a local microbrew.