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Meet Emma Miran
Emma Miran was living in New York City when she decided to move to the Southern Finger Lakes Region. While she enjoyed her time living in a very large city, she grew up in Waverly, NY, where her parents still live, and liked the idea of moving closer to family.
She moved to Elmira in August 2018 and bought a house in the city of Elmira in 2021 which she shares with her 3-year-old spring spaniel poodle mix, Benji. “I love the area and living in a community that is small enough to get to know your neighbors, but also large enough to have access to restaurants, events, and outdoor activities,” Emma said, adding, “Elmira is a very family-oriented community, and it’s nice to live in a place that feels grounded and community-focused. I also enjoy all the outdoor opportunities that the region offers and the proximity to large communities like Rochester and Syracuse.”
Emma went to undergrad at Cornell University and graduate school at SUNY Binghamton, so she was very familiar with the area. She visited her parents and childhood home often, making the move from the big city feel like a smooth transition back. “I love the area and all the hiking and recreational activities. I grew up horseback riding and camping, so while I enjoyed living in a big city like New York, it was very appealing to live in a place where I could go hiking on the weekends and have access to nature and the outdoors.” Another motivator for Emma to move? The cost of living. “It’s a lot less here, and it was appealing to be able to afford to buy a house, live near my family, and still have access to a lot of things I enjoyed,” Emma said.
Still, moving from a large place like NYC, Emma was concerned that she might find it boring and lacking in things to do. “I think the perception of the area is that there are a lot of older people who are retired and that there isn’t much happening,” Emma said. “But I don’t find that to be the case. Many annual events and activities occur in Elmira. I also really enjoy being closer to family, and the job opportunity with the city of Elmira felt like a great fit for me since I’d worked in economic development and government for most of my career.”
Since returning, Emma has found a lot is the same, but some things have also changed. “I still really enjoy the outdoors, biking, horseback riding, hiking, canoeing on the Chemung or Susquehanna River, or boating on one of the Finger Lakes with friends.”
Not only does Emma feel that the natural beauty of the region is underappreciated, but she also points to all the creative entertainment and things to do that are often missed out on. “The Clemens Center in Elmira provides great theatre opportunities to the region, and I enjoy going to the Broadway Series when I have a chance. Elmira Little Theatre is also a great local theater group that puts on plays and events. Market Street in Corning is quite close and offers a lot of dining opportunities and more restaurants are coming into Downtown Elmira and providing new dining opportunities. I also enjoy visiting the wineries and breweries along Seneca and Cayuga Lakes.” While she agrees that life in the Southern Tier is a bit slower-paced than in NYC, it is also something she enjoys.
Emma works as the Community Development Director for the city of Elmira. “Working in local government, I am exposed to a lot of different perspectives and ideas on how public space should look and what people want to see in the region and Elmira. I find it very interesting and every single day is unique because I work on many projects with different nonprofit organizations, committees, and boards.”
Emma has also experienced some advantages of living in a smaller area. “In a lot of ways, I’ve been able to move my career along faster and get more hands-on experience in different areas of government administration than I would at another level of government such as state or federal government. The department that I oversee is small, so it’s very much a hands-on-deck approach. Because of that I inevitably wear a lot of different hats and can gain experience in different areas of community development such as urban planning, code enforcement, and historic preservation all at once whereas in a larger organization, I might only be able to work on one project type or one skill area for years before moving on to something else.”
These days, a normal weekday for Emma consists of walks in the neighborhood with Benji, and working at City Hall in downtown Elmira. “It’s about a 5-minute drive from my house, so it’s easy to run home for lunch, which is really nice,” Emma said. “I oversee the City’s Urban Renewal Agency, the Department of Community Development, where staff manage grant funds from state and federal sources for economic development, urban planning, and community development projects. So most of my day is spent between meetings and administrative work.”
On the weekends, Emma enjoys hiking and taking small day trips around the region. “It’s quite easy to do a short trip to a larger city in the Northeast such as Philadelphia, New York, or even DC, which makes it a great option for people who can work remotely or hybrid but also want to be able to visit a large city.” Emma added, “Last winter, I even started snowshoeing! 171 Cedar Arts Center in Corning is a great space to learn arts and crafts, and I have taken a few ceramic workshops there and really enjoyed them. I am very interested in history as well, and the region is filled with lots of interesting historic sites, local museums, and fun walking tours. So, I sometimes will take weekend trips to different historic sites such as Seward House in Auburn or the Women’s Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls, and Elmira itself has several historic sites including the Civil War Prison Camp, John Jones Museum, and the Chemung County Historical Society.”
To anyone considering a move to the area, Emma says, “The area is more than just a tourist destination. A lot of job opportunities exist in the region as well and there are opportunities for young people to stay here or move back and find a job and advance their career.”
Thank you, Emma, for sharing your story! Read more SoFLX stories to learn about life, work, and play in the Southern Finger Lakes.
