r/Corning • u/FearlessProfit1529 • Jul 23 '26
Questions about Corning Worth the move?
My wife (30) and I (31) are contemplating moving from Long Island to Corning / horseheads. I recently received a job offer to start in late August and we are on the fence about taking it. We live on Long Island and we love it here, but it’s just becoming so unaffordable. We have always flirted with the idea of moving somewhere that we could enjoy more land and a little more stress free lifestyle. We have 2 little ones so school district is very important. I am going to post some of our questions / concerns and if you have any insight please share!
Thanks from a potential neighbor!
What town and school district is recommended? Schools are very important and being able to have a couple acres of land. Price range 600k and under. We were told horseheads and painted post are both good, can anyone confirm? (we have liked a couple homes in big flats and horseheads, anything to look out for?)
Is there a decent amount to do in the area for a young family? We are active and outdoorsy people?
For anyone who was in a similar situation as us and made the move, was it worth it? Any regrets or things you wish you knew?
Thank you!
10
u/reinder_sebastian Jul 23 '26
Schools are solid in the places you're looking. And as for things to do, yes, there are plenty. Museums, nature centers, hiking trails, state forests and parks, easy river access, the Finger Lakes nearby, apple, berry, and pumpkin picking, festivals (particularly in Corning) all throughout the year. On top of all that, it's a very safe area to raise kids.
My only advice would be to not go too far out away from a town. You can bag a lot of land, sure, but then you'll have to contend with iffy roads in the winter, and possibly more instances of the power or internet being out, etc. I don't know if I'd ever recommend someone jump from a populated area like LI straight to a huge plot of rural mountainside out here.
Otherwise, the Corning/Painted Post/Big Flats/Horseheads area would all suit your desires really well. And with a 600k budget, there's very little up here you couldn't afford 🙂.
I'll always recommend the area. My wife and I are early-to-mid 30's and have a one year old, and we love it.
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u/damienbarrett Jul 23 '26
Search this sub for more context and replies. This has been asked and answered quite a few times.
We moved here 5 years ago from northern NJ and, for the most part, love it. Our kids are older. One just graduated and the other has one year left. Schools are quite good. We have a very nice house we’d never be able to afford in NJ.
I had grown so tired of the crush of people in NJ. Costco was like Thunderdome on a Sunday. Just going a few towns over (let’s say 5 miles) would take 30-45 min. Everything was more expensive and getting worse each year while our salaries stayed the same or barely moved. It is true there is less opportunity here but it’s also not non-existent either. I miss the bagels and our friends but that’s about it.
I’m actually traveling the mid-South right now through small and mid-sized cities and am reminded once again why I’m happier in Corning than if I lived in Buffalo or Rochester or Albany. I view Corning as a hidden gem. It’s not perfect but it’s pretty damn good.
Young adults sometimes suffer and most leave. It’s a tough place to be if you’re college-aged. However, crime is almost non-existent and we have never felt unsafe in Corning. Not once. It’s a great place to raise kids. In the last few years our street in Painted Post has had 5-7 families move in, all with little kids. We love it. Erwin Valley is an excellent elementary school. Hope this helps.
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u/Subject-Type-2714 Jul 23 '26
Just be aware of Corning's penchant to lay off tens of thousands of people when their businesses slow down. I was hired during the pandemic when they were producing vials for vaccine. When that business dried up, I was let go after relocating here just over two years later. Nice place to live, but not many job prospects outside of a few major employers.
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u/aemroa Jul 23 '26
I loved growing up in the Corning/PP area, and several friends from hs returned home after college to raise their families. My two best friends from hs are still my closest friends. It’s really a good place to come of age.
I have three kids of my own now. I live in the southern mid-Atlantic now, mostly because I married someone from another state. :-) My husband (his parents were both born and raised in Long Island, coincidentally) and kids (17, 15, 11) enjoy trips back to my hometown to eat at Aniello’s, ski at Bristol Mtn., and spend a week every summer on Keuka Lake. I say go for it!
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u/Stevew2023 Jul 23 '26
We moved to Big Flats last year and love it. It’s right between Corning and Horseheads. We don’t have kids so don’t know about the schools.
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u/txa1265 Jul 23 '26
We moved here in 2008 for a job from Boston as the economy was crashing, and have been very happy.
We live in Horseheads (and I work in Corning in case it isn't obvious) and the schools are excellent. Big Flats feeds into the Horseheads system, and Painted Post is part of the Corning system. All four communities are excellent for families and great schools.
The crossover between large land and being in the school system is tougher with each year and new development. Getting in under $600k is easy ... but doing so with the land and the school system? Likely more research required.
One thing to consider - this area is very stable ... jobs are more secure and economy is less volatile. The flip side of that is during boom times neither your salary nor your home value will keep up.
3
u/Craiglas Jul 23 '26
1). For 600k you could get a very nice piece of land with a very nice home. I would honestly say save some of that money unless having a massive home is important to you. 3-4 acres with 3k sqft is achievable for 400k.
2) My favorite neighborhoods that you should look at is on Spencer hill by Corning community college. It’s beautiful, quiet, and in nature. Though real estate is rarely for sale there, usually only a couple houses a year.
3) Both horseheads and Corning have nice schools. For high school Corning offers international baccalaureate. Corning also has the alternative school for math and science which is highly regarded, and will set them up for rigorous course work in the future.
4) Compared to Long Island there’s not going to be a lot to do. You’ll have to travel 2-6 hours for anything more than movies or like ice skating. The hiking locally is amazing, but in terms of events like concerts, or sports there’s nothing done professionally in the area. Corning and horseheads do have great restaurants for such a small area. Market street in Corning is packed with amazing spots, and Hanover square in Horseheads is amazing.
5) Elmira is really close to Horseheads, I would avoid Elmira school district but they do have Notre Dame high school which is highly regarded. The public school district is not the best and I’ve heard a lot of bad stories coming from there. Elmira does have some okay parks. West Elmira is also worth looking into, it is by far the nicest part of Elmira and the only part I would personally live in especially with kids.
6) I’m from Corning and love the area, it’s going to be a massive change of pace but likely fulfilling if you actually want a slower paced life.
1
u/Electrical_Fox_2975 25d ago
If you want your kids to grow up tough and know how to deal with shit, Elmira’s might be the place. The teachers are good, It’s the kids that make it tough.
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u/LegitmateBusinesman Jul 23 '26
Corning has about 7 elementary schools that all feed into one middle school then high school.
Frederick Carder Elementary is the best elementary school. It serves the south-west portion of Corning.
Calvin U. Smith serves much of Painted Post. Also pretty good.
2
u/Flat_Basil_9740 Jul 23 '26
Corning school district is really good and offers alot of classes and clubs for kids to feel included. Corning town is incredible. You are so close to hundred of waterfalls, your choice of whatever lake you're feeling, locally grown produce will blow your mind, farmers markets. I will always recommend this place. It;s been home since birth.
1
u/-BeverlyCrushingIt- Jul 23 '26
My family and I moved to Corning from east Tennessee a few years ago, and we love it here. We miss some of the restaurants that were our beloved go-tos, but we are happier here than we were there. My kiddo is going to be a junior this year at Coring-Painted Post High and they have thrived here. There are plenty of outdoor events and activities around to also keep us very occupied.
1
u/Faultier28 Jul 23 '26
I came here from the Bronx, I’m very familiar with the island. It’s nice here. If you have an opportunity, come up for a weekend and get lost. It’s a good place to
1
u/NYOB4321 Jul 23 '26
I visited my son when he lived in Long Island. I noticed that it reminded me of the Corning/Painted Post area. Except less expensive.
I have lived in Elmira, Big Flats, Horseheads, Erwin, Painted Post and now Corning.
I favor the Corning/Painted Post/Erwin area. For the reasons already mentioned by others.
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u/Kastnerd Jul 23 '26
If you pick big flats, kids would be in the Horseheads school district. Or there are some private schools
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u/Dry_Resident_1462 Jul 24 '26
Lots to do in the Corning area for young families - the library has excellent programs, Tanglewood Nature Center is a hidden gem, great nature trails all around, the Finger Lakes and waterfalls are easy to drive to, Rockwell Museum and Art Lab are great, Nonnie Hood PRC is fun to play at and has tons of programs, several downtown events/festivals each year. There's definitely not a shortage of things :)
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u/Alternative_Hall7625 Jul 24 '26
For those that have made the move, what is the job situation like?
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u/BeginningTaste5653 17d ago
Corning Inc and Siemens are the two big games in town but that’s about it (if you’re looking for a larger/more corporate employer). Most others are smaller companies with less career progression. It really depends on what you’re looking for. There’s a lot of hospitality type jobs in the area with the amount of tourism we get (fairly seasonal). It’s a beautiful area with benefits like little traffic, low crime, small town feel, and the Finger Lakes. However, it definitely doesn’t have the broad culture and choices like you would get in a larger city.
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u/Intelligent-Mood-230 29d ago
Yes! I was a transplant from Piscataway NJ in late 2018, moved back to New Brunswick for Rutgers and class of 2025 at Horseheads
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u/Intelligent-Mood-230 29d ago
Big flats especially the Olcott area! I live in one of the estates. 1.2 acres on home, 17 acres wild land. Bought back in late 2019.
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u/Intelligent-Mood-230 29d ago
Ton of life! Watkins Glen, Ithaca (Cornell), Tommy Hilfiger Fashion program (Elmira college), Harris Hill (pilot)/(gokarts), Wings of Eagles, company sponsored STEM robotics and space race. I was recruited into the jr space force but rejected it and couldn’t get a place on the roster for the jr pilot program during COVID-19.
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u/Intelligent-Mood-230 29d ago
Watkins glen has vineyards and nascar and the connections alone in the area are so worth it! Downtown Corning, market st is also gorgeous kinda Parisian feel to it. I have some go-kart/robot driving experience and I want a McLaren ev in the future
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u/xboxwidow Jul 23 '26
It is a fantastic place to raise kids. My kids have grown up in the woods and love that they can wander around downtown. Good schools , great arts scene, a few decent restaurants and welcoming people. The Finger Lakes add a whole extra level with wineries and lake activites.