I would Like to inquire on some information if at all Possible.??

My Son "Stefan" just graduated From N.A.U.(Northern Arizona University) in Flagstaff, Az in Park's and Rec a Year Early! And Just Finished his 6 month long "Wilderness Ranger" (Out Door Law Enforcement)Program!
He has Been Applying for Several Jobs all over the Country the Past 9 Months, He has Been recommended for 4.

Long story short his mom and i want him to take his internship and get it out of the way toward his degree.

He want's to go to work right away with a possible internship in the Federal Park System.Or even do a Internship after working one year at least.
He has 5 things on line now.

1)Federal Park on the AZ-Mexico Border Possible?
2)Federal Park in Kentucky (Mammoth Caves) Possible?
3) Federal-Ranger at Liberty Bell in Philly. Possible?

4) Federal Park, Civil War Battle Field in South Carolina-Interview This Monday!Staff Housing perhaps,Stipend pay with possible internship.


5) Job offer New York State State Parks,with Internship,1500/Month,Back Country Ranger,Needs to Reply and Accept by Wenesday.


He's Not Nuts about doing something on State Level,,but we told him Internship,Experience Etc Etc.

So My Question is what does rent go for on a 1 bedroom apartment,studio or even a small house. What are some Nice Towns to look at Up-State? He would only be there as a base, Most of His Job Either State or Federal would keep him out in Back County.
Any Advise is appreciated.
Steve

Steve....congrats to your boys success! You lost me on the relationship of upstate NY and the 5 listed possibilities...

John
Corrected Added Item 5.

Where in upstate is it? upstate NY is a pretty big place.

Debar Mountain or Adirondack State Park

Adirondack State Park is VERY big, but has private plots here/there.
NorthEast, East, & South are very built-up & commercialized tourista areas, so his best prospects for less expensive lodging would be West or SW of the Park ( www.mapquest.com ).

If you google some of the classifieds in local papers thereabouts, or in Utica, Rome & Syracause with an eye towards locating in Booneville, Lowville, Northville or Gloversville.

Congrats to him, BTW.

.

sounds like NY is the obvious choice... hope he finds a reasonable place to live... I suspect out there it won't be that terrible.

Steve,
Don't know much about N.Y. but in lot of parks, state or federal, there are usually seasonal employees sharing housing. Very common practice due to low starting pay. Stefan should enquire with hiring folks about this, plus it shows he is serious about job. Drawback can be (Not the norm with serious job seekers) young college age roommates doing what college age kids do.
Congrats to Stefan for getting the schooling done and job offers.
Good luck!
Bruce

Steve,
Debar mt is north of Saranac in the St Regis wilderness. The area is a slight plateau north of the Adirondack High Peaks, known for it's flat water paddling/portage camping and snow mobiling opportunities. The area is economically challenged, dependent on tourist money, but summer and winter activities make it a pretty popular outdoors destination. The trade centers are all small town, lower income, with lots of low rent living choices. 600/month would give him lots of choices, probably get a small house for 800-1000/month. food and gas are more expensive than Albany by 5-7%. Albany, Syracuse, Burlington, Montreal are all 2-3 hour rides away, and it is often the "coldest place in the nation" during the evening weather report due to it being a sort of bowl that northerlies out of Quebec and Ontario get stuck in.

Summary;
-Great workplace for an outdoorsman, especially a paddler!
-cost of living is very affordable (1500/mo will be an enviable salary for a young man up there)
-off season nightlife entertainment will be the bowling alley, pub and laundrymat.
-internet access is limited in some areas
-long miles to markets
-healthcare is mostly small emergency facilities, with good hospitals 2 hours away

Like Ranger44 says, The Adirondack Park is big, 6 million acres, and the spectrum of DEC (State Park Agency) posts could vary from the State Capitol in Albany, to the HighPeaks, to the "coldest place in the nation". He should get more details about his likely post...it could be a lot like joining the infantry, (at least the border with Canada is nothing like the border with Mexico.

Steve:

46 below zero I had on my thermometer at hunting camp near Long Lake one Feb morning in the late 80's. He better learn to appreciate ice fishing, snowmobiling, sking and snowshoe hare hunting as they are about the only winter activities. He'll need a good pair of snowshoes. When your truck or snowmobile breaks down or gets stuck 10 miles from anywhere and there is 8 feet of snow on the ground you learn not to leave home without them.

It's not all bad though, in the summer months you will not find prettier more pristine streams and mountain lakes to recreate on. Unbelieveable small mouth bass fishing. Most adirondack lakes you can see clear to the bottom in 15 feet of water. Not to mention all the practically unfished pristine trout streams. Ain't anything like trout fishing in Pa, that's for sure.

I'm a little envious actually. When I graduated from the college of environmental science and forestry at Syracuse University, I had to move away from home to find work. Ironic that your boy is coming from Arizona for the job I was looking for 25 years ago.

Cost of living and real estate is dirt cheap compared to what the rest of us are used to.

Best of luck to him. If he an outdoorsman and doesn't mind spening a lot of time alone in unbroken wilderness, it will be paradise.

Randy

Randy, you're a grad from THE college that I wish I could have studied at. Their Wildlife Science program makes me drool.

I lived in upstate NY before and LOVED it. The Hudson Valley is primo, primo, primo.

I was single when I lived there and never had a problem well.....nevermind.

Monster bucks.

Jeff

ESF grad here as well, but can't add much more to the previous posts. I work for the state here as well.

That's quite a range of places there! When I lived in Adams Center, Lowville was a great small town place to visit. I miss Jrek Subs!

I lived in Gloversville for about 7 years, you couldn't pay me enough to live there again. Think Detroit. A crying shame as it's beautiful country there.

I would give Ithaca a serious look. Saratoga is very nice too. Talk about iconic American Main Streets!!!

You will know you reached NYS when you look out your airplane window and see endless wilderness.

It's truly depressing what the politicians have done to business and quality of life in New York. It's some of the most beautiful land in the Nation.

My biggest advice comes in two words: bug spray

Count me as jealous!

SUNY ESF is my dream school.

I trolled the waters in SUNY New Paltz for girls when I was single. One thing about liberal girls, well....nevermind.

Just about the only good thing about liberalism.

ESF is a family tradition. Someday three generations. I've told my daughter (3 yrs old) that she can be whatever she wants to be as long as its a major offered at ESF. 95% of my office went there as well.

What is your work if you don't mind my nosey-ness?

I work for the Public Service Commissions. Its the utility regulatory agency in NY. I'm one of 3the Field compliance officers that travel the state with oversight authority on natural gas pipelines, high voltage transmission lines, power plants, windmills, etc . Pretty cool job and keeps you hustling. NY is a big ol state for 3 guys.

I should say so! Hopefully you can avoid the city!

Terrific opportunity.. One of the prettiest, and most remote places in the country.. People spend a lot of money out West, when you can hunt a 6 million acre park in NY, with bigger whitetails for $140.... NR.. Besides the 99 is the deer rifle of the Adirondacks!

No such luck, have to go to downtown Manhattan all the way to Montauk. I grew up in southern PA in a county that still only has two stoplights. NYC is a mind numbing proposition for this bumpkin. You're right, the 99 is a popular rifle in the 'dacks about like the Amish automatic or Pennsylvania gatling gun Remington 760 is back home lol.

Many of my years were spent in Delhi, so a drive to New Paltz to visit friends was a common thing for me back then. Spent many a night on that campus. I was even a member of their fencing club though I wasn't a student! Not really sure how that happened.

Ah, montauk. I miss hiking there. Ever stay at the hotel at the top?

Little known fact........some of the biggest bucks in NY live in Montauk. Munsta bucks.

Used to bump into two guys from Texas that came there to hunt for a week every year.

Only problem is you literally need permission to hunt in somebodies back yard.

I have a good friend at Debar Lodge. Paul Smiths College is right there too.

If he will be working in the Adirondack park he will need to find a place pretty local as the park is big enough he can't commute from one side to the other.

I would suggest taking a peek at Craigslist just to see what rooms/apartments run.

The last 10 years or so we have had very mild winters and the old days of -30F have seemed to have mostly vanished, but who knows with the weather, maybe next year will be the bad one.

If a person is lucky enough to find good work, the park has got a lot to offer for an outdoors person. Fishing/hiking/hunting/ rock and ice climbing and its not really that far from city stuff if you need a change of pace. If he can bring a kyack with him he can fish and paddle some fine back country.

NYC is maybe 3/4 hours from the southern park and if your on the east side Burlington is a cool (but liberal) small city.

Land and rent goes cheap around here compared to other parts of the state. Cold, black flies, snow, vs. Remote, hunting, fishing.
My GUESS on rent, $550.00 might get a trailer or decent apartment.

[off season nightlife entertainment will be the bowling alley, pub and laundrymat]

And watching garbage dump bears.......

.

If he ends up somewhere near a prison he might be able to find an apartment he could split with someone. I know a bunch of cagekickers who don't live near the prison so they will split apartments with a few other guys and stay there over their rotation then go home for their days off.

I lived in upstate NY for almost 20 years; 3 years in Vermont before that. Hunting is excellent; fishing is better.

Being a backcountry LEO is kinda hairy there, but where isn't it? When I was working at U Idaho many years ago I read in the FBI Uniform Crime Report that the LEO most likely to be assaulted with a deadly weapon was a federal game warden in Idaho. I bet New York was a close second to Idaho. Bear poaching; big business. And then there's the Canadian border and all the "entrepreneurs" along it.... a new Indian war never off the table up there.

That said, he will have more problems with his own state bureaucracy than with felons. Working with NYS is an education in itself! Housing, in this economy, should not be a problem. And he needs to keep his eyes open for 99s and other Savages, for sure. Just got a pristine 2400 from a guy in Plattsburg (not a bad town, by the way, and if he wants outstanding girls, he can weekend in Montreal!).

Tnx Fellas for the Input.
Steve