East Otto keeps residents close to natural destinations and neighbors
Set in the rolling hills of Cattaraugus County, East Otto is a small community with farmland and direct routes to the vacation destination of Ellicottville. Most residents have lived in the area for years, and they take the time to catch up when they see one another. Mary Dankert owns the East Otto Trash & Treasures store on Main Street, and she gets to see the local friendliness firsthand. “It’s a cute little area,” Dankert says. “Everybody knows everybody. I see people meet in the store and say, ‘Hey! I haven’t seen you in a while,’ and then they catch up.” When residents want to spend some time outdoors, they might walk through Griffis Sculpture Park, hike East Otto State Forest or visit the Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville. East Otto offers space to live surrounded by quiet and beautiful nature and close to Ellicottville attractions.
Older homes with Victorian and colonial designs spaced across farms
Homes across East Otto are often from the 1900s, with spacious lots and long driveways that lead to detached garages. Victorian and National homes surround the heart of East Otto, while colonial, bungalow and cabin-style homes radiate out toward the fields and farms. Home prices across the area usually range from $200,000 to $320,000. Any property that needs repairs often sells for $150,000 or less. There are no subdivisions here and homes line long two-lane roads and might be separated by farmland or thick patches of trees.
Learning in Cattaraugus and applying to Career and Technical programs
East Otto is a part of the Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School District, rated B-minus by Niche. Kids learn in Cattaraugus at the B-rated Cattaraugus-Little Valley Elementary. Cattaraugus-Little Valley Middle earns a C-plus, and Cattaraugus-Little Valley High School receives a B. All three schools share one campus. Juniors and seniors can apply to Career and Technical Education programs through the Cattaraugus-Allegany Boards of Cooperative Educational Services Center in Ellicottville.
Griffis Sculpture Park, East Otto State Forest and Ellicottville sites
Griffis Sculpture Park is one of the largest of its kind in the country, open from May to October. “It’s big,” Dankert says. “People walk around and have picnics. They have events and music during the summer. They have a donation box, but it’s free to get in.” There are two sections: The Rohr Hill area has tall sculptures set in fields and wooded areas, while Mill Valley Road Site is more for hiking through hills. The park also hosts the annual summer festival every August, where art, music and nature are celebrated with a vendor village, kids’ crafts, food vendors and local bands. The East Otto State Forest is open for camping in woods full of conifers and hardwood trees, hunting when the season is open and fishing in Stickney Pond. The park’s trails are old farm roads that can be used for hiking, snowshoeing or skiing. Nearby Ellicottville has two of Cattaraugus County’s most popular ski resorts: Holiday Valley Resort and the private Holimont resort.
Small-town restaurants in East Otto and shopping in Springville
Dankert’s own East Otto Trash & Treasures has been a fixture in East Otto for over 10 years. The store opens seasonally, around October through Christmas, selling brand-new and used items. “If I were to dine out, I’d go to the Waverly Inn in Otto,” Dankert says. “For groceries, I go to Springville.” The original Waverly Inn building has been standing since the mid-1800s. The owners of The New Waverly of Otto restaurant turned the historic building into a more modern place for people to chat over fish fry dishes, sandwiches and wings. Zoar Valley Tavern & Restaurant is in the northernmost part of East Otto, a destination for bikers looking for classic American dishes, live music and cold drinks. Farms have stands throughout the area, but Springville has some of the nearest grocery stores, like Tops Friendly Markets.
Fundraising events, free lunches and picking blueberries
The East Otto Fire Company holds fundraising events, like the Memorial Day Parade, barbecue chicken sales and raffles at Zoar Valley Tavern. The Brooklyn Free Methodist Church hosts a free lunch on the first Sunday of every month. Burdick Blueberries is a pick-your-own farm that opens in the summer. Anyone can visit for wagon rides, fresh-cut flowers nicknamed “Bluems,” or blueberry picking.
Short trips to Springville, Ellicottville and Buffalo
Nearby Springville has shopping, the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and primary care centers 12 miles from East Otto. Ellicottville, the epicenter of the Enchanted Mountains, is 10 miles away with the Holiday Valley Resort ski resort and state forests. Some locals may prefer Lake Erie to Java Lake, so they drive less than an hour to Evangola State Park to swim, fish or camp near the lakeside. People drive nearly 44 miles up to Buffalo using Route 219. Reaching downtown or the Buffalo Niagara International Airport takes almost an hour.
Preparing for winter storms
Winters can be an ordeal across Cattaraugus County, as the snow can cause low visibility while driving, snowbanks on the roads and power outages. The county can occasionally declare a travel ban when the snow is intense.
