Rural living in Mentz and historic Port Byron
Mentz is a country town in Cayuga County that’s in the middle of the Finger Lakes region's rich historical and recreational resources. The village at its center, Port Byron, rose to prominence with the development of the original Erie Canal, then called Clinton’s Ditch. Landmarks and local historians preserve stories of the town’s 19th and 20th century canal and railroad industries for the modern residents of Mentz, who now choose this community for its access to Interstate 90, lower cost real estate, popular waterfront recreation and quiet, rolling countryside. “The reasons that people move away from an urban city to the Finger Lakes are magnified in Mentz,” says Brian DeYoung, an associate broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Heritage Realty who’s specialized in the Finger Lakes region for more than 22 years. “Life moves slower in these places with more space and an agricultural look.”
Historic homes in Port Byron and the surrounding countryside
The little village of Port Byron has the highest density of homes in Mentz, thanks to its role as a port and railroad town. Closely plotted streets are lined with the National, Victorian and farmhouse-style homes that were built to house industrial workers through the 19th and early 20th centuries. Mature trees shade the oldest properties in the village and the Minimal Traditional and ranch-style homes built farther from the center into the midcentury. Houses crown small, rolling acreages between the farmland and forests that make up Mentz’s more rural areas. Prices range from around $70,000 to $210,000, depending on the home’s condition and lot size.
Recreation along the historic Erie Canal and around the Finger Lakes
At Port Byron Old Erie Canal Heritage Park, visitors can explore grounds full of re-created historic buildings and an indoor museum to learn how the Erie Canal influenced local and national commerce as it was built and then rerouted to the north. Cyclists following the path of the old Erie Canal on the Empire State Trail transition from a paved trail to road biking at Schasel Park. Locals can drive about 11 miles to put a boat into Owasco Lake. However, DeYoung notes that the iconic Finger Lakes are not the region's only resource for aquatic recreation: “Owasco and Cayuga – there are thousands of houses around those lakes. But you can find many smaller lakes that don’t allow big power boats. You can take a kayak out and be the only guy on the water.” Kayakers might launch into the Seneca River in Mentz, or head to the nearby Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area to paddle through the marshes around Howland’s Island.
Erie Canal-spanning and local community events
Hundreds of history buff cyclists pass through Mentz on the way from Albany to Buffalo during the summertime Cycle the Erie Canal Annual Bike Tour. The Canal Society hosts special events and invites locals to browse collections by appointment at the Samuel Center for Canal History, once a local church. Houses of worship like the Federated Church of Fort Byron bring neighbors together for religious services, pancake breakfasts and chicken dinners. The Port Byron Fire Department hosts all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts one Sunday a month from November through April, which they call “breakfast season.”
The Port Byron Central School District
Mentz is served by the Port Byron Central School District. A. A. Gates Elementary School scores a C-plus from Niche and offers prekindergarten through sixth grade. Dana L. West Jr. - Sr. High School also scores a C-plus and serves seventh through 12th grades. The district’s most recent capital improvement project included the creation of modern STEAM classrooms in both schools.
Small businesses in Port Byron
State Route 31 intersects with a sleepy Main Street in the village of Port Byron. Nino’s Pizzeria is the town’s spot for takeout pies. Farther down Route 31, Potters Farm to Fork is a cozy country diner known for comfort food and live music through the warmer months. Ed & Jean’s Market, a small family-owned grocery and convenience store, is down the road from Dollar General. For more locally owned businesses and national retailers, residents drive about 15 minutes to Auburn.
Commuting to the county seat and I-90 cities
Auburn, the Cayuga County seat, is about 8 miles from Mentz. Interstate 90 offers a roughly 30-mile drive to Syracuse and a 60-mile trip to Rochester. Auburn Community Hospital is about 15 minutes away, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport is about 30 minutes from home.
Flood risk on the Owasco River
Waterways like the Owasco River may flood nearby homes and roads after unusually heavy rain. Buyers can check maps to understand their potential risk and need for flood insurance.
Written By
Julia Szymanski
