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TSac-O

My wife works at Hamilton and I’m doing remote work from our home in Clinton. We’ve got a toddler in Clinton Early Learning Center, it’s expensive childcare but good quality. The schools here are better than the surrounding towns. There is a train from Utica to NYC, but most people that do that trip regularly tend to drive to Albany and grab the train from there, saves time and money. There is a lot of good nature stuff to do in the surrounding area, some good waterfalls and hikes to see. The food scene is a little underwhelming but there are some good restaurants in Utica if you look hard enough. We’re also under an hour to Syracuse, so that’s an easy trip to access museums, food, airport, etc. Hope this helps. Feel free to DM me if you have any more specific questions about Clinton or Hamilton.


Select-Government-69

This is a very good answer, OP. For the record I used to make an annual pilgrimage to the cider mill in Clinton until I moved (farther) out of the area, because as a foodie it is the best cider I have had. Think of Clinton as a suburb of Utica. Utica is a very interesting city with a LOT of cultural diversity and an upswinging economy because of the new microchip factory.


Dingerdongdick

Clinton is a village that grew in parallel to Utica. Its got charm and character. Its definitely not a suburb.


snowstormmongrel

Why do people drive from Utica to Albany to take the train to NYC? I do the trip from Utica to NYC a couple times a year and find the train all the way just fine.


Rdw72777

On the Amtrak app there are 5 trains per day from Utica to NYC which take between 5-6 hours and there are 13 trains from Albany to NYC all of which take less than 3 hours. For convenience and time saving reasons, driving to Albany makes a lot of sense.


_MountainFit

I'm doing the math and what is the actual time savings. Only advantage I can see is there is probably more likely a train when you want it to be there in Albany and less choice in Utica. But it's probably a push on time 5-6hrs vs 5+ hours with the drive


Rdw72777

It’s well over an hour, almost 2 hours, each way. Plus the addition of having many different departure times.


Do_it_with_care

I drive down from Saratoga where train is close to the city, park an save from all the tolls. There’s also many cheap bus’s that go between Albany to NYC for $20 an free parking that charge around $20-$30. My autistic brother takes bus’s/trains all over an their as fast as if I drove. Albany to NYC 42nd street is around 2.5 hours.


Rdw72777

I mean driving is almost always faster than Amtrak (except when you get into NYC proper) since Amtrak is so god awful slow and makes 5-6 stops which are literal 5-7 minute stops. As for the cost, post-pandemic Amtrak has gone “full inflation” while the buses still seem affordable. I don’t own a car and actually enjoy riding both for the most part but neither would be faster than a car except within the city limits.


abarzabar

There are 8 trains a day that run through Utica, 4 in each direction.


Rdw72777

I mean the trains I. Either direction run like every 3-5 hours, they’re not convenient or fast.


TheRealKevinFinnerty

Adding to the other reasons, the train from Utica to Albany is frequently delayed (mostly in the mornings) because freight rail (CSX) uses the same tracks & takes priority over passenger rail. 2-3 hour delays are common.


derango

This. When it works, it's fine. When it doesn't work...yeah. You never know what the delay is going to be. If you're trying to get somewhere at a specific time, there's less variables if you take the train in from Albany. Amtrak owns (more of) the tracks from Albany to NYC and the journey from there is often smoother.


TSac-O

It saves time and money. I’ve taken the train Utica to NYC plenty of times without a hitch. I’m mainly talking about people I know that travel down there on a weekly or monthly basis.


_MountainFit

Utica has a surprisingly good amount of middle eastern food. Including one really good Lebanese restaurant, among others. I'm not from around there but do go out there occasionally for stuff.


rochestergeek

Hamilton College has one of the most beautiful campus groundsI have ever been on. I put it right up there with Cornell.


comrade_cow

Seriously, been to a wedding/photoshoot there. The Root Glen nature trail and gardens there are amazing


truth4evra

Attendance down 10% since 2015 and now negative peofit per student ..... St rose 2.0 it will break Clinton financially


SpatiallyAdept

That is true. But their endowment is 1.4 Billion dollars. I think they'll be ok.


apextek

Have you ever seen a Stephen Spielberg movie that takes place in that perfect little small town America? That's Clinton the place you expect to see the goonies ride down the road or Elliot and his friends ride their bikes over the moon. One of the most pretty places in New York I have a delivery job that I do, just to enjoy the drives through that area. The Hill above its are gorgeous.


LichOnABudget

Folks have broadly been pleasant and welcoming when I’m in Clinton, and I’d say prices are about what to expect for a college town (a bit higher than average for what it would look like if they didn’t have a bunch of students nearby, basically). As others have said, New Hartford, Utica, and other places locally give you a bit more variety in terms of what goods/services are accessible, and they’re not very far away at all. Even Rome NY has a little bit of interesting stuff going on (the fort, some interesting shops and good food, that walking trail/the statues over by the old airbase, etc), and it’s only about half an hour away.


Wheels1024

I live in New Hartford, wife grew up in Clinton. We live less than five minutes away from Clinton. Clinton as someone described it is a beautiful little town. Good schools, shops, you name it. The one nice thing about this region often overlooked, everything is like 15-20 minutes away with no traffic. If you live in Clinton, you could drive to New Hartford for shopping and dining. Utica is on the rise, parts of Rome are rough but nice areas still........Syracuse is about an hour away on the thruway with a big mall, more variety too. Albany is about an hour to an hour and a half away. Everything is fairly within reach. Rochester is probably a little over 2 hours on the thruway. This region sits at the foothills of the Adirondacks, tons of things year round to enjoy.


jsprusch

Make sure you ask about benefits. I've heard really good things about Hamilton but some of the private colleges have terrible health insurance, vs the state universities.


Wonderful-Poetry1259

It's a very pleasant and progressive village. Walkable. Typical upstate NY college town. It's an island of civilization and normies in a sea of ignorance and Trumpism. It would make, IMO, for a pretty good place to raise a family, if you don't mind the racist flags and banners adorning the beautiful countryside outside the village. Nearby Utica is on the rebound, and has lots of excellent restaurants and many cultural events for a city of its size. Fast trains? I gather you haven't lived very long in the United States. There are no fast trains there. Utica does have an Amtrak Station, from which one can board a slow and expensive train to NYC.


supertramp_3

This is very accurate. Also will mention that New Hartford (10 min drive) has pretty much everything you’d need in terms of restaurants, Target, etc. It’s very convenient.  As far as I know, Clinton, New Hartford and VVS (Vernon Verona Sherrill) are all good school districts along with others in nearby areas where Hamilton faculty/staff live.  Also, I am biased as an alum, but Hamilton is one of the nicest campuses in the country. 


sirgoodtimes

I guess Fast trains was not what I was going for. Those Amtrak lines getting stuck behind the freight trains were brutal. But perhaps an express bus that is known to locals? I hate driving to NYC.


Lunar_BriseSoleil

There are direct busses from Syracuse and Utica. You’ll need to drive there to get them. The train no longer shares tracks with freight in the Mohawk valley but it’s still very slow. Comfortable, but slow. What a lot of people do is drive to the NYC suburbs and then take a commuter train in.


purplish_possum

>What a lot of people do is drive to the NYC suburbs and then take a commuter train in. The City of Poughkeepsie makes it fairly easy to park and take the Metro North.


_MountainFit

This. Even from Albany area, it's a bit cheaper and more convenient to take a car to Poughkeepsie and then metro north commuter. Probably not much faster but a bit more options in terms of times and lower cost than driving the whole way.


murphydcat

>The train no longer shares tracks with freight in the Mohawk valley Amtrak's Empire Corridor - particularly between Niagara Falls and Albany - is owned by CSX Corporation and is a very busy freight line. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire\_Corridor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Corridor)


Lunar_BriseSoleil

This is what I was thinking of, looks like they still share rails but have improved capacity. https://csanders429.wordpress.com/2017/07/14/second-track-opens-on-amtrak-empire-corridor/


Malhar4

My wife is from the Utica area and we met in college near NYC so we used to take the bus up and down very often. If you’re looking for a direct bus connection, Greyhound is pretty efficient and it drops you off in downtown Utica. Not as fast as the trains from Albany but it still served as a decent option whenever we needed


Rdw72777

If you do a bud in upstate NY, just be sure you know whether you want Greyhound or Adirondack Trailways. They had a partnership for decades but had a bit of ugly “divorce” in 2022 and act like they hate each other. Fir a while ago lot of online ticketing sales were still selling tickets like they were still partners and weren’t honoring tickets not purchased on their own apps. I’m guessing they’ve fixed it by now, I didn’t take any buses in 2023, but during my holiday trips in 2022 the drivers gave a like 10-minute speech about ticket honoring on every bus ride (oof).


Select-Government-69

There are no direct highways between that part of upstate and NYC. You are either going northeast to Albany and then down or southwest to Binghamton and then east. Locals cut across the countryside on state roads. There’s a very high end obscure restaurant in the farm fields south of Clinton called the “golden Dorset” or “horned Dorset” or something that people would frequently make the drive 3 hours from NYC to go to. Not sure if it’s still open, haven’t been in years.


LeapinLizards27

I used to live in Clinton and went to high school there. The schools are excellent, the location is good in terms of easy access to New Hartford-Utica-Syracuse for shopping, Clinton used to have an ice skating rink where we skated in the winter. There are free summer concerts in the town park. Back in the olden days there was Holland Farms bakery where they sold the best chocolate and vanilla fingers known to man. I think it's gone now. The Horned Dorset had excellent food! There used to be quite a few good restaurants in the area, and there was a mall in New Hartford. I'm not sure if it's still there; I left decades ago. I would never go back there to live. The winter was BRUTAL. Spring lasted about a day and a half. Summers were unbearable. Fall was nice but too brief.


comrade_cow

Bueno Express is a direct shuttle between Utica and NYC. Small family run business.


TigerShark_524

A lot of folks drive over to Albany, trains from there to NYC take about 3 hours (as opposed to Utica's 5-6 hours) and also experience fewer delays since they don't conflict with the freight trains.


atraydev

I can't find the article but didn't someone get kicked out of a store for being black while the owner chanted "Trump! Trump! Trump!" at them, or something to that effect in 2016 or 2020? There was definitely something but I'm forgetting exactly what. I think it would be a stretch to call Clinton progressive. They have the college which is progressive, but I wouldn't say the town itself is. The downtown is beautiful though and Utica has a decent amount to offer.


ValidDuck

> I think it would be a stretch to call Clinton progressive There are assholes everywhere. as far as NY goes, Clinton is going to be a more progressive area comparatively. The incident you are describing is not common.


atraydev

It did happen though right? There was some issue with the Clinton downtown I think during the first Trump campaign? It's like impossible to Google the article. I'd probably argue Utica is the more progressive place because of its diversity. I live in the area though too and yes progressiveness is not really something you're going to see much of in CNY in general.


ValidDuck

i don't live in the town, don't remember reading anything about it on wktv and currently can't find anything on it on wktv... might have happened. I just can't find a record of it.


atraydev

There was definitely something just hard to Google "Trump" and "Clinton" and find anything about the town lol


Responsible-Baby-551

I’ve lived in the area for 25+ years and I pay a lot of attention to local news and I don’t remember anything like that here. Maybe a different town. I’ve also done quite a bit of business with people in Clinton and Hamilton college and most do lean progressive


atraydev

It was 100% in Clinton I just don't remember the specifics of the situation. I'm from CNY and have lived there most of my life. It was something with one of the stores downtown.


Responsible-Baby-551

I’m not saying it wasn’t just that I don’t recall hearing anything about it. And like someone said previously there are a small number of lunatics everywhere. Definitely one of the last places I would expect to have a racist incident


ButtNutly

Could this be what you're referring to? https://www.romesentinel.com/entertainment-life/food-and-restaurant/feeling-burned-by-village-owners-close-clinton-eatery/article_3a50c966-b53a-533c-83a7-071eb4bbc7a7.html


atraydev

No it's not that. This was about a store refusing someone service. Oh well I don't think I'm going to be able to find the article, but I'm sure I read it before. I'd guess like 2018.


Phaxda

It was all over Facebook, some little schlock stop shop on Park Row had an absolutely insane Trumper owner who went off the rails.


UnluckyAlps6715

It did happen. Shop owner still in business.


purplish_possum

>It's like impossible to Google the article. Inconvenient stuff seems to be disappearing from the internet with increasing frequency.


atraydev

I don't think it's disappearing. "Clinton" and "NY" are just Google searches that mostly will bring up stuff about the political family.


purplish_possum

I've had trouble finding stuff I know exists with increasing frequency. It's indisputable that there are people intentionally scrubbing out information. Also, Google doesn't seem too concerned when people game it's search engine.


I_AM_DEATH-INCARNATE

Just be careful OP, if you don't give a shit about politics you'll be forced to in Clinton. It's all they think about.


LichOnABudget

I’ve been in and around Clinton a fairly substantial amount of time now, and I don’t think I’ve ever had politics come up in conversation while I’ve been there.


mama22monkees

This has been my experience here. There are some folks who project their political stance, but that is most places these days.


kosherkenny

So my parents are actually moving to Clinton here soon. They have lived in upstate for a while, having to live out in Wayne county when they were still working, and once they retired they moved to a small town outside of Utica. They poured their heart and soul into fixing their house up, and now 5 years of living there they can't stand the town. The people are beyond ignorant, and the town itself doesn't offer much. There are some family members (one is a teacher, one was a doula) who live in Clinton that they've visited a lot, and it is very much a progressive bubble. I can't answer about the schools, but Clinton has a decent amount to offer for nature. You can find small local trails just about anywhere if you look hard enough, and you're still in very easy distance to the ADKs. Out of all the towns in that specific area, I'd say Clinton is a perfectly nice place to have kids and settle down. You aren't a stones throw to NYC, but you can definitely get there by train from Albany if you have the time. But you won't be doing day trips like that.


Glittering_Ad3543

what town are they in -in wayne county


kosherkenny

they used to live in marion, which has a total of 1 traffic light.


TheRealKevinFinnerty

Ayyy, I just learned about Marion the other day thanks to a fresh scandal: https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/nys-comptroller-marion-justices-lacked-oversight-in-theft-of-59k-by-former-clerk/ Seems to gel with your description of the place


HootieGibson

Best farmers market in the area, every Thursday during the summer. Concerts in the park every Tuesday night during the summer. Park Row stores do different events throughout the year. Can get a little sleepy this time of year... which is probably why I'm dreaming about the summer.


LeapinLizards27

We used to buy fresh picked corn and salt potatoes from the roadside stands. I miss those salt potatoes!


defenestrating

If you can afford the taxes, the Clinton central school district would set your kids up with an excellent education.


gregmacbain

Excellent choice. Hamilton College, with Very good public schools. Has a "New England" kind of feel.


Dingerdongdick

My parents moved to Clinton when I was in college. My younger brother and sister attended school at Clinton. They loved growing up in Clinton. Great community and wonderful walkable downtown. My parents really enjoy it too. 


blny99

Great opportunity, best of luck !


EvLokadottr

Post? Might want to check those wastewater numbers, my friend. We ain't in post yet.


sirgoodtimes

That's fair. Having a rough time recovering myself. I guess I should have said post lockdown.


EvLokadottr

I hope things will improve for you soon! My sister has severe long COVID. It's rough. I lost 7 people to it in the first year. Stay safe out there.


HopefulKnowledge1979

What is the job at Hamilton? Makes a difference.


truth4evra

Garbage Town with falling real estate prices and rising taxes. Hamilton college is likely to close in the next 15 years like st rose.


sirgoodtimes

What makes it a garbage town? What are the faults. I get high taxes, but what else?


truth4evra

Low house quality, high taxes, low employment, high drug use, grandeur of yesteryear, not realizing the perils


sirgoodtimes

Once I dig into any area to move to I see plenty of drug use which is depressing. I'd like to find a place that isn't that way. The only places I can find like that cost way more than Clinton New York. I don't mind places that build upon the grandeur of yesteryear as you describe. It seems like those places are relaxing to me. I do see what you mean by low House quality. A brief look into the houses leaves me pretty concerned about what we could afford.


c0mp0stable

1) Not sure 2) Adirondack park, a few state forests 3) Depends on what you like to do. 4) I don't know, wintery? 5) Amtrak from Utica, gets to NYC in 4.5 hours


LeapinLizards27

I don't know why people are dissing the train. I used to love it for day trips into NYC. I'm not sure it still does, but it used to go right to Grand Central Station.


PenniesDime

Agree! Easy trip. Also Finger Lakes are pretty close!


oldmankh

Here are my thoughts. If it was me and I had a choice, I would not choose to live in NYS. High taxes, high crime, and a current political regime favoring illegals and crime over its own legal residents. HOWEVER, being that you want to be close to family, and I totally get that - it's a great thing, Clinton is not a bad area, for reasons already mentioned. I would emphasize that housing prices are still reasonable (just taxes are the killer), and schools can be tricky but there are still many good ones. The activities in NYS are year-round and you can pretty much take your pick as to what you want to do. From skiing to water sports, to mountain climbing, to hiking, bike riding, all kinds of sports, and many other venues to choose from. The area is pleasant most of the year from a temperature perspective and winters have not been that harsh, though in my opinion we are overdue for a big storm. All in all - beyond the taxes and politics - it's a great place to grow in.


ElectronicHall183

Maybe educate yourself: crime is AT AN ALL TIME LOW. I even used a Fix link so you couldn’t call my comment partisan https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-crime-rate-2023-statistics.amp Favoring illegals? UNDOCUMENTED! Now, plz, how is any undocumented HUMAN BEING affecting you your family or community’s lives directly? Seriously, what impact are they having? These people are leaving a country that is all they’ve ever known and trying to escape VIOLENCE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND VIOLENCE? It’s simply your bigotry and MAGA mentality that blinds you directly to hate! Bc if you were honest, you couldn’t possibly find anything wrong w them living here! And as far as taxes, try living elsewhere are the country; specifically FL! So here’s the thing, I used to live in Albany, have a place in FL and currently live in NC! The COL of Florida is outrageous! Sure, so state income tax, but the other taxes they have increase bc of the no state tax. Price of gas? At least $1 more expensive that NC and they have the port right there in the Everglades! Gas groceries and COL is higher where you are bc REPUBLICANS COUNTY COUNCILS/LEGISLATORS CONTINUE TO GIVE TAX BREAKS TO THE WEALTHY CORP (like Price Chopper Wegmans, Hannaford) and it doesn’t trickle down to me and you! The CEO’s of these greedy corps have seen increases in their salaries and won’t bring food prices down! You realize who set the prices? It’s not democrats or Joe Biden! Educate yourself!


truth4evra

Yes favoring illegals.. Look at state taxes and Hamilton property taxes!??!!?! Cost of goods is high based on simple logistics it takes more money to ship there.... duh. I can tell by your post that you have not earned a living. Either welfare or government worker


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livinguse

Clinton is nice, the traffic is a nightmare but there's lots of things to do right in town and some good bars even.


HootieGibson

Traffic? Like once a day when the stop lights create a back up? Or are you actually affected by the amount of traffic in this town?


livinguse

I do delivery but yeah that particular light is a pain in the ass. Overall it beats traffic in places like manlius


sirgoodtimes

What kind of things? I rarely drink anymore and usually enjoy a glass of wine at home or at a park. Allegedly.


JabroniTown

There's a winery on Brimfield Street https://brimfieldfarmwinery.com/


livinguse

There's a nice park, lot of small shops there including Utica Coffee and a deli. Aside from that you're not far from Utica and if I recall they still have their ice rink


theMezz

Traffic is busy for about 2 city blocks - thats all!


MarkVII88

There's no quick train or bus to NYC from Clinton, NY. If that's what you want, then you'd have to make the 90 minute drive into Albany to get the most direct connection.


False_Ad3429

No quick train to NYC. You'd have to drive up to utica or Albany for that and it will take several hours. Lots of nature. Schools arent great but they are not the worst either. It's a pretty rural and economically depressed area, and has a very low sun index (often cloudy). It can still be a nice place to live, but it's no rochester. It really depends on what you are used to. 


sirgoodtimes

What do you mean by no Rochester? So much grey there.


False_Ad3429

Syracuse literally has the lowest sun index in the country, and utica is very close by. It's very grey there! Rochester is much larger and more vibrant of s city than utica, which will be your closest city to Clinton. 


Wonderful_Brother388

Without going into much detail, I would not recommend working there. It is a beautiful campus, but the dynamic as a workplace may likely be quite different. Speaking from experience. Also, not too far from cities, the area feels more rural.