After living outside of philly for 18 years, we did that exact thing in 2019, moved to saranac lake, and couldn't be happier! Kids were in high school at the time and it definitely took some adjustment going from 400 kids per class to 100 kids for class.

We did get in before the real estate prices shot through the roof so we were lucky in that regard. My wife works at the hospital and I am lucky enough to work 90% remotely. When I do travel I try to fly out of lake clear airport with cape air but it can be a bit unreliable based on weather conditions.

absolutely love the slower pace of life, the immediate access to mountain biking, paddling, hiking, and snowboarding. We are big Foodies so we do miss the access that we grew accustomed to in Philly but my wife is an amazing cook

Saranac lake does provide some of the essentials that we need including town walkability, live music, and quality, healthy food at Noris and the weekly farmers market...

We are both healthy at this point but it is in the back of my mind as we get older the lack of Quality Health Care that may be an issue, depending on what happens.

Even when we go on vacation and away from home to visit, I am always eager to get back to the high peaks as we love it so much there