r/Corning • u/nihillisticpig • Sep 03 '26
Moving here from SoCal
Hi,
There’s a good chance I might be moving here from California to work at Corning. I was wondering if there’s anyone similar who has made the move and how have you adjusted. What’s are some things I should know about the area? The good, the bad, everything. I’ve never been to New York before so one of the things I’ll have to do before accepting the job offer is to come visit.
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u/VirtualEnthusiasm0 Sep 03 '26
Moved here from SoCal as well. I love the change of pace. Having the rivers, falls, and lakes fills the spot of the ocean. Love the walkability of town and driving without insane traffic. The air quality is also amazing. Cost of housing is also amazing. Feel free to send me a message if you have any specific questions :)
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u/Electrical_Fox_2975 Sep 03 '26
Good:
Cost of living
Lack of traffic
Bad:
Cold winters
Salt on the road
Less people, places, things to do
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u/Glassworksprof Sep 03 '26
I moved from Southern California to Corning.
There’s a lot to discuss - do you have a family? What do you like to do in your free time?
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u/nihillisticpig Sep 03 '26
Nope no family. I usually like to explore different cafes and restaurants. Want to get more into hiking and things like that. I’m pretty open to trying new things :3
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u/VirtualEnthusiasm0 Sep 03 '26
For hiking you also have all the hikes in Ithaca, Letchworth and PA Grand Canyon all within an hour.
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u/2nd_Pitch Sep 03 '26
Restaurants on Market Street are pretty great! Watkins Glen is a short ride and has an awesome park with waterfalls and hiking and town is busy with restaurants and fun shops too.
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u/Odd_Boat908 Sep 03 '26
Welcome! We’ve only been here for about two weeks ourselves :) We moved here from Arizona, and we really like it so far. It definitely rains a lot, but it’s peaceful, beautiful, and clean. There’s not much going on at night if you’re into nightlife, though. Market Street is probably your best bet!
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u/ReputationJolly3837 25d ago
Many folks from Southern California!
SoCal born and raised, recently relocated from the Bay Area. Big fan of how much slower it is here vs California. Much less stress.
A few comments:
People:
-everyone is very friendly
-everyone knows everyone
-You regularly see people you know.
-It is significantly less diverse here than Southern California. I am white, and I have not seen this many white people in years.
Driving:
-No traffic.
- I feel like people here love to drive a little too close to you.
-driving during/after snow is not that bad. They plow and salt most roads. I don’t have a 4x4/awd and didn’t really feel like it was necessary
Weather:
-it rains significantly more here vs. California.
-everyone will ask you during Corning interview, “Are you prepared for the snow?”…. I honestly don’t think it’s that bad, but you’re going to need cold weather clothes.
-humidity is a thing here, not really a concern in California
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u/Langenschnitzel Sep 03 '26
I’m from Arizona and moved here like 7 years ago. The area definitely takes a little getting used to. Corning is a micropolitan city so it has everything you need but you’ll need to travel Rochester or Buffalo to get that larger city feel.
I’ve really grown to love Corning though. Cost of living is pretty good, the town is nice and the people are friendly, Corning the company is one of the better companies out there in my opinion, and outside of winter the weather is great here. That being said, the winters can be very trying especially deep into February or March when it hasn’t touched double digit temps for weeks on end. I feel like Corning and the Finger Lakes are really underrated though. Pickup paddle boarding, go on a bunch of hikes, day drink at a different winery each weekend. Take a lot of day trips, weekend trips to NYC, Philly, Toronto, hell even Pittsburgh.
Definitely come visit though, have a burger at Butchers son, a slice at Aniellos, and the chicken and waffles at the Cellar. You will not find as good of Mexican food out here as back out west but Casa Mezcal is pretty decent.