Dwan Lives in Buffalo

[Big Turk]

 

 

Yeah, we live next to a creek and NC has many venemous snakes. Saw a 3-foot copperhead while out walking the dog a few years ago. I'm not scared of the snake as much as I'm scared of what they can do to a dog or small child.

 

 

 

Ha, yeah, those too. I get a few mounds in my yard each year. Found a fantastic and uber CHEAP way to deal with them though. Just boil up a huge stock/lobster pot of water, pour on the mound and voila: Fire ant soup.

 

Was reading about these new ants called crazy ants that are supposed to be worse than fire ants and are also super aggressive...apparently they destroy fire ant habitats and take them over...crazy stuff you all deal with down there, lol

[ExiledInIllinois]

- who else is open till 4AM? Not many....

 

Depends on what they have set up:

 

Illinois:

 

"1 a.m. through 3 a.m., varies by municipality. In Chicago for regular license bars 2 a.m. Sunday through Friday with 3 a.m. Saturday. Some bars have a late night license allowing to close two hours later so 4 a.m. Sunday through Friday with 5 a.m. Saturday..."

 

 

[bbb]

You're proving my point.

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

 

 

Yeah, we live next to a creek and NC has many venemous snakes. Saw a 3-foot copperhead while out walking the dog a few years ago. I'm not scared of the snake as much as I'm scared of what they can do to a dog or small child.

 

 

 

Ha, yeah, those too. I get a few mounds in my yard each year. Found a fantastic and uber CHEAP way to deal with them though. Just boil up a huge stock/lobster pot of water, pour on the mound and voila: Fire ant soup.

 

Im much more afraid of spiders than snakes. Usually snakes try to avoid people and as long as you leave them alone they won't bother you.

 

Brown recluses really freak me out (much more than black widows) because of they look like common spiders and their venom can be devastating if it eats your tissue. And they are small and sneaky, never know where they can be hiding. At least black widows are very easy to identify

[Nathan]

Im much more afraid of spiders than snakes. Usually snakes try to avoid people and as long as you leave them alone they won't bother you.

 

Brown recluses really freak me out (much more than black widows) because of they look like common spiders and their venom can be devastating if it eats your tissue. And they are small and sneaky, never know where they can be hiding. At least black widows are very easy to identify

 

Apparently they do live in NY state. UGH. Read this if you want to terrify yourself: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/upstateny/msg0710503732162.html

[rayzor]

Yeah, we live next to a creek and NC has many venemous snakes. Saw a 3-foot copperhead while out walking the dog a few years ago. I'm not scared of the snake as much as I'm scared of what they can do to a dog or small child.

 

 

 

Ha, yeah, those too. I get a few mounds in my yard each year. Found a fantastic and uber CHEAP way to deal with them though. Just boil up a huge stock/lobster pot of water, pour on the mound and voila: Fire ant soup.

lived in the carolina's for probably 30 of 40+ years on this earth.

 

spiders and snakes aren't that bad at all. i've got 40 acres and i have yet to see a copperhead in 12 years of living on this property. i've run into them them quite a bit, tho, but they aren't that big of a deal because they are pretty laid back snakes. i've rolled logs over several times startling one and all it did was take off. i've had people i was hiking with step over one accidentally and although startling, it was uneventful. now water moccasins, those are scary. i've seen several in my pond before, but even then all but two of them took off and the other two got shot. unless you are in the eastern part of the states, those are kind of rare. i'm in the northwest part of NC currently and it wasn't until last year that i saw any at all.

 

my 6 year old daughter will go for a walk around the pond by herself occassionally and i'm not worried. we go camping quite a bit and have gone to sleeping in hammocks when we do camp and spiders and snakes just aren't something that my wife and i are all that concerned with. it's kind of like living in arkansas or some other place with tornados (which i was in arkansas going to school for 6 years). from the outside you hear about tornados quite a bit and you get this impression that they are going on all the time everywhere, but the truth is that it isn't something you have to deal with a whole lot ever.

[yungmack]

I think the obvious thing against Buffalo has always been weather. Not everyone is equipped to deal with the winters out of the gate. So that's a negative.

 

The thing we don't hear about, but I suspect is also at issue, is taxes. Were I a millionaire, I might choose a more tax-friendly state, particularly as an athlete that might be living on prior earnings from age 30 on up. We don't think about it, but if you earn $3MM on the Cowboys, you're probably bringing home more than if you're earning $3MM on the Bills. And then the rent is cheaper to boot. They say it's not about the money, but don't be fooled- it's about the money.

 

I like to think the PEOPLE themselves have always been well regarded, and I hope that reputation grows. Having lived in Buffalo and lived elsewhere as well, the people still stand out in my mind. It is a good place for family.

This is a major reason so many movie stars, star athletes, etc. make Florida their official residence. Lots of them, like Tiger and Shaq, don't spend a whole lot of time their...but their money does. BTW, this is also a problem for Canadian teams.

[GoBills!]

As someone who lived in Rochester, Buffalo and now florida. I can say its a wonderful place to live in WNY but I wouldn't trade the florida lifestyle for it any day. Taxes alone can make a huge difference. Even if you make 70k a year take away all your state tax thats another 3-5k a year in savings, no heat bills, cars last longer with no salt or rusted frames ( ofcourse you have to wash and wax still to keep the paint from fading). Fresh seafood of all sorts caught local. Property taxes are a huge difference my place I pay 4k a year for county and school taxes on a property worth 650k while my mom pays over 3k for a 170k home in rochester. Hurricanes arent as common as people worry about I haven't been through a bad one in over 5 years of being here.. the snow storms and ices storms are of equal damage and occurance. Clean air and clean swimming water of the gulf vs dirty erie and lake ontario.

 

You will find more honest workers and hard workers from the north vs down here, marble, tile, are dirt cheap here but wood is expensive. Homes are made stronger (obvious hurricane code reasons vs wood frame homes of the north ).

 

Overall I miss my friends, but they love to visit, all the deep fried unhealthy foods of WNY, and once in awhile a winter day and soft grass..our is what people call crabgrass very hard sharp grass blades. The heat doesnt bother me I work inside so 15 mins in the heat is no big deal we all have pools and a gulf of mexico which reaches close to 85 degrees in the summer is wonderful. Rain is only for 15 mins unless a tropical storm is passing through...

[Big Turk]

Snowstorms are of equal damage?? No sorry, not even close.

 

A hurricane that can destroy your house, flood it to the point its unlivable even once its drained or cause serious damage to the house. Not to mention they spawn lots of tornadoes inland as well.

 

Snowstorms do none of that. Just look at your insurance rates to see how they view it, lol...

[GoBills!]

maybe not same amount but both generally cost hundreds of millions / billions..my inusrance is higher because I live on the gulf of mexico inland is pretty cheap..but the occurance level lately seems to be about the same...plus the north gets hurricances as well... i.e. Sandy..

[ExiledInIllinois]

You're proving my point.

 

How do you figure? Most every bar that wants to stay to 4 and 5 put in for the license and do so. And it is used to be all 5 am until I think the mid-1980's. 5 am on Saturday is still an hour later... Beats even BFLO's bar party scene.

[bbb]

maybe not same amount but both generally cost hundreds of millions / billions..my inusrance is higher because I live on the gulf of mexico inland is pretty cheap..but the occurance level lately seems to be about the same...plus the north gets hurricances as well... i.e. Sandy..

 

Sandy didn't make it to Buffalo

 

Snowstorms are of equal damage?? No sorry, not even close.

 

A hurricane that can destroy your house, flood it to the point its unlivable even once its drained or cause serious damage to the house. Not to mention they spawn lots of tornadoes inland as well.

 

Snowstorms do none of that. Just look at your insurance rates to see how they view it, lol...

 

Top 10 Housing Markets at Lower Risk of Natural Disasters

# U.S. Metro Asking home price per SQFT 1 Syracuse, NY*

$89

2 Cleveland, OH

$80

3 Akron, OH

$81

4 Buffalo, NY

$93

5 Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD

$174

6 Dayton, OH

$72

7 Allentown, PA-NJ

$109

8 Chicago, IL

$113

9 Denver, CO

$129

10 Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI

$94

[ExiledInIllinois]

Sandy didn't make it to Buffalo

 

 

 

 

Top 10 Housing Markets at Lower Risk of Natural Disasters

# U.S. Metro Asking home price per SQFT 1 Syracuse, NY*

 

$89

2 Cleveland, OH

 

$80

3 Akron, OH

 

$81

4 Buffalo, NY

 

$93

5 Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD

 

$174

6 Dayton, OH

 

$72

7 Allentown, PA-NJ

 

$109

8 Chicago, IL

 

$113

9 Denver, CO

 

$129

10 Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI

 

$94

 

They have the Pats* syndrome w/that big *...

 

I know it says Denver, CO... But how is the front range fairing?

[jimmy10]

 

 

Sandy didn't make it to Buffalo

 

 

 

Top 10 Housing Markets at Lower Risk of Natural Disasters

# U.S. Metro Asking home price per SQFT 1 Syracuse, NY*

$89

2 Cleveland, OH

$80

3 Akron, OH

$81

4 Buffalo, NY

$93

5 Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD

$174

6 Dayton, OH

$72

7 Allentown, PA-NJ

$109

8 Chicago, IL

$113

9 Denver, CO

$129

10 Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI

$94

 

Interesting that BUF and Cuse make that list but not Rochester? What is Rochester at risk of? Methane poisoning from all the garbage plates?

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Snowstorms are of equal damage?? No sorry, not even close.

 

A hurricane that can destroy your house, flood it to the point its unlivable even once its drained or cause serious damage to the house. Not to mention they spawn lots of tornadoes inland as well.

 

Snowstorms do none of that. Just look at your insurance rates to see how they view it, lol...

 

I wonder what the cost to taxpayers is over the last 100 years for dealing with snow as opposed to dealing with hurricanes?

 

It seems like things like constant snow removal, rebuilding of roads and bridges, etc would be damn expensive.

 

On the other hand much of the damage hurricanes cause when they "attack" is dealt with by insurance companies.

[FistingBot]

If you like awful winters, high taxes, and a woeful economy then, yes, Buffalo is a great place to live! Second highest poverty rate of any big city (32.9%), trailing only Detroit. Woo-hoo!

 

*ducks and runs for cover*

[drinkTHEkoolaid]

If you like awful winters, high taxes, and a woeful economy then, yes, Buffalo is a great place to live! Second highest poverty rate of any big city (32.9%), trailing only Detroit. Woo-hoo!

 

*ducks and runs for cover*

 

WNY isn't just the city of buffalo.... but yes you are correct on our taxes. They are TERRIBLE. honestly the worst part about living in WNY, are the taxes, NY State government controlled by people who might as well live in another country and that our summers are too short.

 

I enjoy the 4 seasons, just wish winter was shorter and summer longer. I actually think snow is fun. I don't enjoy paying $5500 year property taxes for a house in the burbs, and all the stupid laws our useless state gvt passes. The best possible thing that could ever happen for buffalo would be for upstate and downstate NY to get a divorce.

Edited September 15, 2013 by drinkTHEkoolaid

[GoBills!]

WNY isn't just the city of buffalo.... but yes you are correct on our taxes. They are TERRIBLE. honestly the worst part about living in WNY, are the taxes, NY State government controlled by people who might as well live in another country and that our summers are too short.

 

I enjoy the 4 seasons, just wish winter was shorter and summer longer. I actually think snow is fun. I don't enjoy paying $5500 year property taxes for a house in the burbs, and all the stupid laws our useless state gvt passes. The best possible thing that could ever happen for buffalo would be for upstate and downstate NY to get a divorce.

 

I agree, paying for NYC issues is hurts all of NY besides 100 miles radius outside NYC....The school system of NY is great...we have to use private here in FL because of so many issues with the public schools...the college is fair value for in state residents which is great....I am happy to visit NY for 2-3 weeks a year to get my fix and head back to FL...

[Big Turk]

I wonder what the cost to taxpayers is over the last 100 years for dealing with snow as opposed to dealing with hurricanes?

 

It seems like things like constant snow removal, rebuilding of roads and bridges, etc would be damn expensive.

 

On the other hand much of the damage hurricanes cause when they "attack" is dealt with by insurance companies.

 

So basically it comes down to snow removal/damage and heating costs versus:

 

sinkhole damage, tornado damage(Florida is 1st by a landslide in number of tornadoes, although most are not of the strong variety they still can do damage), fire damage caused by lightning strikes(Florida also first by a wide margin in lightning strikes), flooding, water damage, hurricane damage, wind damage from the multitude of thunderstorms each year, cost of air conditioning running all day for months on end, and heat/humidity damage to various structures...

 

I think I would have to say it costs far less up here becaue there are many years where snow has been minimal(under 60 inches) but all of those things happen pretty much the same every year down there(other than huricanes). Its always hot, with lots of T-storms, lightning and tornadoes in the summer months with 10+ inches of rain a month. Yes, let me say that again. Many places in Florida AVERAGE over 10 inches per rain a month during the summer months, or more rain than we get in the entire summer they get in a single month.

Edited September 15, 2013 by matter2003

[Big Turk]

If you like awful winters, high taxes, and a woeful economy then, yes, Buffalo is a great place to live! Second highest poverty rate of any big city (32.9%), trailing only Detroit. Woo-hoo!

 

*ducks and runs for cover*

 

Very misleading facts. The majority of people in the area with money have moved to the suburbs, there are only a few nice areas of the city that are affluent(some areas of North Buffalo, the area surrounding the zoo heading towards Nichols school, and the area off main street near Hertel(Depew Ave, etc). The rest of the city is either normal or ghetto like.

 

The area economy is on the upswing, and in fact we have been ranked very highly for a few years now by various magazine/studies/research groups regarding the recovery here. Of course nobody ever bothers to read or pay attention to those because it doesn't fit their 25 year old views of what is happeneing here. Much easier to continue on in fantasyland I suppose. We have an exceptional university here in UB with almost 30,000 students and their partnership in the Bio-Informatics industry here is huge...

 

Awful winters? We handle a foot of snow here much better than most other places handle two inches. Our roads after a foot of snow are pretty much clear within a few hours. Other places...well...let's just say its pretty funny. Temperature wise we are very similar to the northern third of the country, except that we rarely get the bitter cold other places do, due to the large body of water that is warmer than the surrounding land, relatively speaking. It was much colder when I lived in central Ohio in the mornings than here, getting below zero quite frequently. The worst part of winter is the lack of sunshine.

 

Also, there are very few places in the country you can say have "good" winters. Southern California and southern Florida, and the very southern tip of southern Texas near the gulf, south of Houston, and that's about it. Everywhere else averages temps in the low 60's for highs at best(yeah even Phoenix), which isn't even close to a fair tradeoff considering you have to live through at least 3-4 months of absolute hell in the summer in those places.

 

If I'm dealing with that type of heat and/or humidity, and/or tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, etc it better damn well be 75 and sunny in the winter months. So with all due respect looking at it from a full year point of view, I'd say our weather beats 90% of the country, because 90% of the US has "awful" summers. Having to stay indoors from 10am-6pm for 3 months a year becasue its too damn hot outside to do anything is no way to spend a summer, and I know that is what happens because I know plenty of people in those places and read their facebook posts in the summer months, plus I have spent time down there as well and they look at you kinda crazy if you are planning to do something outside...

Edited September 15, 2013 by matter2003