Will Bradley moved around a lot in Florida, from Orlando to Tampa to Fort Lauderdale. He never fully unpacked because he didn’t feel at home—until he came to Greater ROC and bought a house, with space to grow and work the way he likes, in a community where he truly feels welcome. He considered other areas like New York City, Chicago, Austin, TX, and Raleigh and Charlotte, NC, but Rochester’s just-right size, environment and authentic food options feed Will’s appetite for variety.
“I can check out a new restaurant or bar and it's always a fun time. [I’m] always meeting new people and it’s just a great place to live. I don't feel like a stranger anywhere I go. There are things to do with family, as well as having a nightlife.”
In Will’s opinion, the range of different foods and restaurants in this region is excellent and not too expensive. He’s particularly fond of the prevalence of homemade Italian cuisine and local delis. He also enjoys how menus often change with the four seasons, something he’d never experienced before.
"One reason Greater Rochester interested me: I wanted somewhere I could settle down, somewhere I knew I had a future."
The clincher for Will is the cost of living in Greater ROC.
“I didn't want to be broke. I was paying a lot of rent in Florida. I didn't want that. I wanted to be able to settle down and own property. The sense of ownership was important to me.”
The house he bought in Rochester went beyond his expectations, size- and price-wise, with a home office that gives him the extra room he needs to spread out and get work done without feeling cramped.
“I could never have this quality home where I lived before. It doesn't feel like a starter home. It feels like a finisher home.”
Will notes that none of his friends in other cities (NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco) own a house or apartment. They have accrued a lot of debt and are stuck in the cycle of renting. As their rent has increased, they’ve had to downgrade their lifestyle. To that point, Will feels he has affordable flexibility. If he wants to experience a different scene, he’s able to save up money to travel when the feeling strikes and then settle back into his spacious place that he loves without giving up anything.
Easy accessibility has also been a game-changer. Instead of stressing out in traffic for hours and struggling to find parking anywhere, Will enjoys quick 15-minute drives locally, ample spots to park and relaxing, scenic trips to nearby metros, including Buffalo, Toronto, Boston and NYC.
And snow? What snow? Since he’s planted roots here, Will has been surprised at how little he’s had to shovel, but has embraced sledding and snowboarding at area slopes in the winter months. He also marvels at the cheery vibe when the temperature rises and springtime flowers bloom, leading into beautiful summers at the beach. When autumn rolls around, the bold colors leave Will in wonder time after time.
“Every season has a different magical feel to it. It’s like majestic art.”
Those closest to Will have already heard his Greater ROC POV, but he shares this with more: “There's so much to do. There's so much to see. You can have a suburban lifestyle. You can have a city lifestyle. You can live on the lakes. The food is great. Wegmans is the best grocery store in the world. And there's so much close by. It's an experience that's easy. It's a good time. And I think there's a good chance you’ll want to stay here.”
What’s most meaningful is that Will knows he belongs here. He believes others do, too. We couldn’t agree more.