When a family needs to move into New York State, or move from one city to another city in NY, many questions will be asked:

• Can I get a job in New York?  What will it pay?  What will I be doing?

• How expensive is it for housing in New York? Can I buy a house or rent an apartment?

• Is there public transportation or must I buy a car?

• What kind of schools will my children attend?

• What  taxes  will I pay?

These questions are all related to the economy, how people earn and spend money.  Sometimes it is necessary to find out information about the local, regional, or state economy.  

Many years ago, it would be hard to find out such information before moving.  Back then, perhaps the best way of finding out the information would have been through word of mouth.  "Somebody said that somebody said!"   And although that method is still used sometimes today, there are better, more accurate sources out there.  Many of these sources involve media.   

What exactly is MEDIA?  According to dictionary.com , MEDIA is a means of mass communication, such as newpapers, computer web sites, magazines, radio, or television.   Let's now explore the use of this media to get information on New York's economy!

More and more families have access to the internet.  If you do have access and need to find out answers to the above questions, go to these sites and find loads of information!

  For job information, New York State provides a website to find available jobs and the accompanying wages (salaries).

For prices of homes and apartments in a particular area, there are many websites.  You just need to know the zip code of the area you are researching!

For schools in the area, a useful site can be found at schools.   This site will provide information on taxes, school test scores, average class size, salaries, college acceptance rate, etc.

As far as public transportation availability goes, the Centro  bus site is excellent.  It tells where Centro busses have routes, and prices and times, too!

But probably, by far, the best site to go to for local information is this Chamber of Commerce site.  Once at the site, click on the name of the town you are researching, and it will put you in touch with all sorts of people and organizations.  This web site truly "makes the world smaller".  

If you don't have access to a computer, another media source for information is the newspapers. Many libraries and large grocery stores have newspapers from different cities.  Borrow or buy one to look at the classified ads for housing and job possibilities in the new area.  Again just browse the local sections of the newspaper to gather information on the schools and perhaps public transportation.

Another place to find information about a new city is on local radio and television stations.  Of course, the problem with these is that it is hard to get local stations from a faraway place!  But if you are within the station's broadcasting radius, they do offer lots of details.

One way to locate radio stations is, again, to use the following web site: RADIO stations in New York.  Most radio shows, if produced locally, have segments with local news that may include information on jobs, houses, schools, and just what's going on in general in the area!

Again, a television newscast is an excellent resource, especially if you can listen to a local newscast.

In short, if you need to know about jobs, prices of homes, and taxes for a particular area, the media is an easy and exciting way to do your research.  The media used can include the computer, newspapers, radio, or television!

DEFINITION:

economy: the way a country or other place uses or produces natural resources, goods, and services

Let's Practice!

Try a CRQ?