Attractive But Snooty Village
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1/4/2023
We lived in Cazenovia for 18 years, having raised our kids there.
THE PROS: Attractive and prosperous village on a small lake. Vibrant village center. Very safe. Outstanding school district. Decent shopping with two supermarkets, two drugstores and boutiques. Also, good restaurants. Excellent outdoor recreation.
CONS: Exceedingly insular, homogeneous and wrapped up in small town pretentiousness. If your family doesn't extend at least two generations there, you're considered an outsider and treated as such, including by public services, who play favorites and routinely give priority to old family Cazenovians. The latter control things and are very anti-development. Public servants treat you as if you're imposing on them. The many multi-millionaire residents contribute to an air of snootiness; village bluebloods have their own exclusive hangout, the "Tennis Club," where if you're not of the patrician WASP set, you're highly unlikely to be accepted. Neighbors tend to be cold and uncooperative. Rather than discuss a problem face-to-face, they will more likely surprise you with a formal complaint lodged with the village or a threat, in writing, to sue you. This happened to us twice over minor property issues and once over a dog matter. The village cops have too much time on their hands, and as a result engage in petty harassment. They cited my wife with "hit-and-run" and "leaving the scene of a crime" after she lightly tapped another car's bumper (without damaging it) while parking. Having had enough of the insularity, snobbery and poor public services, we moved to a Syracuse suburb where local government and residents couldn't be friendlier and more accommodating.
Cazenovia is a good place to raise and educate your children, but once they've graduated, it's best to move someplace less pretentious, unhelpful and costly.
Finally, be aware that the closure of Cazenovia College likely will negatively impact Cazenovia's economy.
Abhd | Cazenovia, NY