Renting a house in Buffalo for the season

[Don Otreply]

2 hours ago, Back2Buff said:

Spend August/Early Sept hanging around the city.  I haven't done it, but if you are into bike riding, I always wanted to bike from Buff to Roch (you can actually go all the way to NYC).  Trail Map

 

Spend End of Sept/Oct hanging around the Southern tier (lots of hiking and such).  The colors of the trees are nuts during that time.

 

Spend lots of time indoors in Nov/Early Dec (all it does is ran).

 

End of Dec/Jan, hit up Ellicottville and maybe even do some snowmobiling.  Miles and miles of trails in Southern tier.

 

 

Me and the wife road our touring bikes on the Erie canal tow path from Buffalo to Albany flat as a pancake for ninety percent of the way, hits a bunch of little towns, you can detour off the tow path up the Genesse river into Rochester, its an easy ride as this sort of thing goes.

[Nextmanup]

2 hours ago, FireChans said:

Compared to where?  Batavia?

LMAO.....WNY has some of the cheapest housing costs in the country.

 

I would say prepare to rent an entire flat of a great 100 year old Victorian house for dirt cheap....

 

 

[Back2Buff]

47 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

Me and the wife road our touring bikes on the Erie canal tow path from Buffalo to Albany flat as a pancake for ninety percent of the way, hits a bunch of little towns, you can detour off the tow path up the Genesse river into Rochester, its an easy ride as this sort of thing goes.

 

That's awesome.  How long did it take?

[Mark Vader]

3 hours ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Paula's is gospel truth

 

 

3 hours ago, Captain Hindsight said:

Every time I am in Buffalo we stop at Paula's. So good

Very good place for donuts.

 

Although their apple fritters are not true apple fritters.

[Don Otreply]

4 minutes ago, Back2Buff said:

 

That's awesome.  How long did it take?

Iirc, six days, we had a week off to do it,

[Clyde Smith]

You can rent 2 br lofts in Buf for like 1200. With close Downtown walking distance. Snap one up now before college kids come back.

[BillsFan619]

3 hours ago, extrahammer said:

 

Yeah, it just sort of lucked out with us both being bachelors, being long-time friends, and the Bills being this good, no matter what it would be fun. 

 

Yeah, it’s definitely going to be fun.

 

You do realize that if the Bills win the Super Bowl this year that you’ll have to do this every year. 🤣😜

[boater]

6 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

Huh?  Rental prices are lower in Buffalo than most other cities.

 

Sightseeing?  Two Frank Lloyd Wright Houses...  Pierce Arrow Museum...  Architectural tour...

 

If you like donuts, I saw a list somewhere with Paula's Donuts as one of the 10 best donut shops in America.  

 

More specifically: https://martinhouse.org/

[Draconator]

If you and a friend want to see a band on the weekend...

 

(Shameless self promotion) - http://www.boomerangbuffalo.com

[eball]

This is a really cool idea.  Before the real estate market went crazy I actually thought about buying an apartment downtown to keep, for largely the same reason.

[Lagoon Blues]

18 minutes ago, Draconator said:

If you and a friend want to see a band on the weekend...

 

(Shameless self promotion) - http://www.boomerangbuffalo.com

 

Where ever your local may be!

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by Lagoon Blues

[msw2112]

I am very happy for you, and jealous too.  I have a wife, kids and a job that allows some remote work, but not for any extended period of time.  I live across the country from Buffalo and can't get back very often.  I miss it every day.  I was born, raised, and spent the best years of my life in Buffalo.  To live there again and to live there "grown up," single and with a few bucks in my pocket would be awesome.  (I'd also like to live there with my wife and kids, who have never lived there and would love it.)  Enjoy every minute of it and Go Bills!

Edited June 24, 2022 by msw2112

[Draconator]

3 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

I am very happy for you, and jealous too.  I have a wife, kids and a job that allows some remote work, but not for any extended period of time.  I live across the country from Buffalo and can't get back very often.  I miss it every day.  I was born, raised, and spent the best years of my life in Buffalo.  I would love to live there again and to live there "grown up," single and with a few bucks in my pocket would be awesome.  Enjoy every minute of it and Go Bills!

 

Your avatar is awesome!!!!!!!!!

[extrahammer]

1 hour ago, Draconator said:

If you and a friend want to see a band on the weekend...

 

(Shameless self promotion) - http://www.boomerangbuffalo.com

 

Very hip website! 

[RocCityRoller]

Great plan! Envious TBH. I've lived in Philly/ outside of Boston/ Rochester, NY metro and the Adirondacks. I'll point out some things Buffalonians are too shy to point out that are good destinations in the city or as day trips.

• Buffalo Naval Park - The near loss of the Fletcher Class Destroyer 'The Sullivans' brought some much needed attention to this Buffalo gem. There are three ships with walking tours (not currently 'The Sullivans' for obvious reasons) of a Cleveland Class cruiser, Fletcher Class Destroyer and a Submarine. There is also an excellent collection of Vietnam era vehicles and weaponry.
• Albright Knox Gallery. One of the best small/mid sized city galleries in the country. Another Buffalo gem. Caught a Picasso exposition there. Was surprised to see an original Pollack there, among other greats. Excellent museum/gallery in a beautiful area. Really underrated.
• Fort Niagara - Colonial era military fort a day trip, cool history there, not thought of often. On Lake Ontario.
• Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada - good day trip if you and your buddy have dates. Cute small town kind of like a smaller version of Cape May, NJ or Newport, RI. The girls will dig it.
• Niagara Falls Canada - took friends from Southern NJ there and we made a great day of it by doing the caves/ Skylon tower/ Smokes Poutine/ Casino. 'Canadian Ballet' on Lundy's Lane can be fun for bachelors with a few $$$ to spend (D Watson would approve!)
• Eateries are all over, leave the pretensions at the door. Charlie the Butchers (a few locations) is my favorite Beef on Weck so far. Anchor Bar may not be the favorite of locals, but is worth the visit IMO. My out of state friend insisted we go to the original home of Buffalo wings and we both enjoyed it. The motorcycle collection was really impressive too. Kelly's Korner is a solid BOW too. Schwabl's is worth the visit and a Buffalo area institution. I'll let the board recommend wings. They are all better than you get around the rest of the country.

There are a lot of camping areas (state parks etc) along Lake Ontario if that is your thing. Ontario also has some sandy beaches and boat charters. Not sure about Lake Erie.

 

Darien Lake is a solid amusement park between Buffalo and Rochester. Good selection of roller coasters and rides. They also have a big concert venue that draws a lot of national acts. I caught Slayer's farewell tour with Anthrax, Testament and Lamb of God there. Darien Lake was a former Six Flags location. It won't displace your favorite amusement park, but it is a solid day out and worth it in late summer/ early fall, especially if you catch a concert there in the evening.

 

Don't be afraid to visit Rochester, NY too. It's an hour east on I-90.

• George Eastman House - tours of the mansion built by the founder of Kodak. Has an amazing museum of film/ pictures/ cameras etc including a duplicate satellite not used. Dryden Theater plays old movies and has great guests like Alec Baldwin (haha!) and the founder of Troma films.
• Genesee Brew House - I know, I know you are thinking of Genny Cream Ale and Genny Light, but the Brew House has a really nice selection of Pilot Batch beers that do not make it out of Western NY, much less Rochester. The demand for it's Salted Carmel Porter led to a regional release. The Brew House overlooks a beautiful 90 foot waterfall in the middle of downtown Rochester. Genesee is New York state's oldest operating brewery.
• Festivals, Festivals, Festivals - we have about a dozen. The Rochester Jazz Festival is one of the top 10 jazz festivals in the USA. I happens in late June (happening now). We also have the Lilac Festival that brings about 100k visitors a year. There are many others throughout the year.
• Food/ Eateries - Buffalo has Wings and Beef on Weck. Rochester has 'The Garbage Plate'. Nick Tahou's is the originator. Look it up. The original location is still open in an old Pittsburgh, Rochester and Buffalo Rail Station. Dinosaur BBQ originated in Syracuse, but the Rochester location is it's second home. It is excellent Kansas City style BBQ in another old train station. Sticky Lips Juke Joint is a fun suburban spot with a huge bar, good BBQ and live music. lot's of other kitch style places and tastes. The high Asian student population at the U of R and RIT leads to good Asian style foods, even if the settings are not Michelin level.
• Frozen Custard - it is different than ice cream or frozen yogurt. I know Buffalo has some local institutions, but Abbots Frozen Custard is the go-to in Rochester. Locations throughout the area. If Rita's is the Philadelphia answer to water ice, Abbots is the frozen custard equivalent. I recommend Chocolate Almond.
• Classical Music/ Jazz - Eastman Theater - The University of Rochester has one of the best music schools in the country. The Eastman Theater is a gem that offers seasonal classical music with international guest conductors. The Nutcracker is performed here each year, often with international support. Stop at Java's Coffee House on Gibbs Street. One of the best coffee houses in New York. An institution for over 50 years. Excellent coffee and ambiance.
• Theater - Rochester Broadway Theater League has a home at the Auditorium Theater. The theater is an old 1920s style Masonic Temple. I caught the off Broadway version of 'Wicked' there, and it was the best theater production I have ever seen. The local professional theater is GEVA, housed in an old armory, and does a great 'Christmas Carol' production every year.

CMAC is in Canandaigua and gets national shows and concerts. It is in the Finger Lakes and is a cool town/ village with good eating options. I caught Garrison Keeler and 'Prairie Home Companion' there. (Yes I like Slayer and Prairie Home Companion)

 

As for Buffalo rentals, please consider my experience. Find one in the off-season before students return (June/ July). Buffalo and Rochester draw a lot of foreign students who can afford and rent some of the best apartments in the area. There is also a strong enough economy here (despite reports stating otherwise) to suck up most apartments you would want. I moved back to WNY from Boston in August 2016. I considered Buffalo and Rochester, and preferred Buffalo. I wanted a nice newer loft conversion/ apartment and had a decent budget and good job offer with Key Bank, but I had a hard time finding available rentals in Buffalo in August due to students returning. (No apartments available) I ended up returning to Rochester and my second best offer. Rents in WNY have doubled since the recession end of 2010, but are still affordable by most national standards, the key is finding an available unit in a place you want to live. Rents in the best Buffalo locations were 70-80% the cost of similar rentals in metro Boston at the time. The top dollar rentals in Boston were higher, but the high middle/ middle end were comparable in Buffalo (70-80%). Rents in Rochester, NY in new conversions and towers are $1500-2500 a month, and more are made every year. Don't dally.

 

Let us know what kind of things you and your friend like and we will help you find it. Western NY is a cool place to visit, and has a little of everything with 2 x 1 million metros, Niagara Falls, two Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes within about an hour of each other. We as locals often don't take advantage of what is possible from Rochester/ Finger Lakes to Buffalo/ Niagara Falls.

 

If you can escape the winters, and claim taxes in another state, WNY is a beautiful and fun place to live from May to late November.

Edited June 24, 2022 by RocCityRoller

[Draconator]

1 hour ago, extrahammer said:

 

Very hip website! 

Thanks! (I made it)

[PonyBoy]

7 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

LMAO.....WNY has some of the cheapest housing costs in the country.

 

I would say prepare to rent an entire flat of a great 100 year old Victorian house for dirt cheap....

 

 

Housing yes, add on property taxes, school taxes, water, sewer, electric..ummm No!

[Mark Vader]

During October visit The Great Pumpkin Patch in Clarence.

 

Fun atmosphere if you really enjoy Halloween. The light posts on the street leading up to it are decorated with scarecrows. Each scarecrow is different.

[NewEra]

12 hours ago, extrahammer said:

So a buddy and myself have been kicking around the idea of renting a house in Buffalo for the season, I work remotely and he's a traveling doctor. I'm usually in Buffalo a few times per year for games, we're renting from August to February. 

 

I was hoping I could get some suggestions on things to check out in the area, sightseeing, things going on, etc, between August and February, I know after November December it becomes a lot less likely to do as much outdoors, but wanted to hear some local feedback. I've done Niagara, Letchworth, and many of the local Buffalo parks, but was hoping to hear and visit some things I haven't heard much or anything about. Any suggestions are much appreciated! Go Bills! 🙏

 

We have a house already there and have season tickets, looking for suggestions of things to check out outside of those things.. including food recs. I haven't tried Bar Bill but have had Duff's, the mac and cheese place near Batavia, love all types of food so. 

Good for you.  Great decision.  Wish I could do that for this season

[Talley56]

On that note, we should all be looking into places to rent in Glendale, AZ in February.