Otto offers quiet rural living close to major destinations
The town of Otto is a small farming community tucked into the rolling hills of northern Cattaraugus County. Some farms, like Boyd Family Ranch, run Airbnbs that tourists stay in before heading to Niagara Falls or down to ski resorts in nearby Ellicottville. Mary Dankert is an Otto resident and local business owner who has lived in the area for over 40 years. "We moved out here in '84, but my husband grew up here," Dankert says. "We put down roots here, and my children live here. Everybody is pretty friendly. You go out into your yard, and people wave at you. It's a very nice place. Everybody knows everybody." Most residents are like Dankert and have lived in Otto for decades. Life may move slowly here, but residents drive less than 20 minutes to reach tourist destinations like Griffis Sculpture Park, the Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville and the East Otto State Forest.
Older homes set among farms and rolling hills
Otto has no subdivisions, so properties line two-lane roads with plenty of space between neighbors. Thick patches of trees make the homes feel secluded, and farmland occasionally interrupts the wooded expanses. Because Otto is a rural area, the lots are large, and the long driveways lead to detached garages. Ranch, colonial and National-style homes sell for $130,000 to about $330,000, while manufactured and fixer-upper homes go for less than $130,000. Most homes were built in the 1900s, though a few were built in the late 1800s. These properties run on well water and septic tanks due to the rural setting.
Ski resorts in Ellicottville and popular parks close to home
Anyone who enjoys skiing or golfing can drive roughly 12 miles to Ellicottville's Holiday Valley Resort. Members have private access to the ski slopes at the Holimont resort on the weekends. Closer to home, the Griffis Sculpture Park is open from May to October. While admission is free, there is a donation box for anyone who wants to support park maintenance. Every August, the park hosts the Griffis Sculpture Park Summer Festival with live music, a vendor village and activities for kids. East Otto State Forest is north of town, and visitors can camp, hike old farm roads or fish in Stickney Pond. The Otto Volunteer Fire Department holds raffles and pancake breakfasts to raise money for equipment. The Immanuel Lutheran Church holds services and the annual Mother's Day chicken barbecue.
Attending elementary through high school in Cattaraugus
Otto is a part of the Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School District, which receives a B-minus from Niche. The B-rated Cattaraugus-Little Valley Elementary School feeds into the Cattaraugus-Little Valley Middle School, which gets a C-plus. Cattaraugus-Little Valley High School earns a B and allows juniors and seniors to apply to Career and Technical Education programs through the Cattaraugus-Allegany Boards of Cooperative Educational Services Center in Ellicottville.
Comfort food at New Waverly and browsing East Otto Trash & Treasure
Dankert runs the nearby East Otto Trash & Treasure store. "It was up for sale, and I used to do sales at the Otto Fire Hall, so I thought, why not open a store?" Dankert says. "It's trash and treasure, so it's not all antiques. I get new things, too. It's packed with really cool stuff." The Waverly Inn has been a town fixture since the mid-1800s. The new owners turned the historic building into The New Waverly of Otto restaurant. "They do fish fry and chicken and biscuits," Dankert says. "It's a nice, classy little hole in the wall." Nearby Springville has the nearest grocery stores, like Aldi and Tops Friendly Markets.
Living within an hour of Buffalo and Springville medical services
U.S. Route 219 leads to Buffalo and the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, which are about 50 miles away or an hour-long drive. Evangola State Park is also less than an hour away, and some people who don't have access to Java Lake visit to swim, fish and camp along Lake Erie. Springville is more than just a destination for groceries. The city has the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, which features the nearest emergency room. Cattaraugus County can experience intense snowfall in the winter, which can lead to travel bans issued by the county and power outages.
