Looking to relocate to Syracuse - 11/6/2009

For a job at the university--now living in eastern washington--is Syracuse as dreary as people say? I am not a cloudy all the time person--what is it like to leave there?

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Cheap but nice - 9/29/2009

Syracuse is cheap but nice. With 2 roommates I pay about 500 a month in rent and utilities.

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Poor Self-Image Plagues the City of Syracuse - 7/27/2009

For anyone unfamiliar with Syracuse, I think it is important for you to realize what many of us here think of ourselves and the place we live first before you take any of the comments to heart. One of the area's biggest problems, and this is not just coming from a resident but was also identified in the 2007 American Institute of Architects' plan for the city, is the poor self-image and illogical desire of many residents to put themselves and Syracuse down any chance they get. Like all Upstate New York cities, Syracuse suffered quite a bit from the loss of industrial jobs and good paying blue collar positions beginning in the 1970's and continuing into the late 1990's. Having lost the very institutions which provided a sense of identity and pride that came from living in a hard-working, American idustrial center, many people never seem to get enough opportunities to bemoan the city's "deplorable" state and impending doom. Being a post-industrial city of over 135,000, it naturally has its good and bad areas, some crime, and some unemployment, though I think, and I think many new residents and visitors would agree, that things arent nearly as bad as some people will have you believe. For starters, Syracuse is situated in the midst of great natural beauty, with myriad parks, lakes, beaches, waterfalls, and hiking trails right nearby. The winters are long, but there are many opportunities to make the best of the situation, from tons of great hills for sledding right in the midst of the city to several skiing and snowboarding slopes less than an hour away. The city and county have invested heavily in increasing the amount of cultural and entertainment options, and there is at least one major festival or concert being held every week downtown or in the nearby areas. Syracuse University's varsity athletic teams are a source of great regional and state pride, with the university's Carrier Dome playing host to many big nationally televised football, basketball and lacrosse games each week in the fall, winter and spring drawing tens of thousands. If there isnt enough to do, it is an easy four hour drive to Toronto and New York City, and five to Boston and Philadelphia, though it is possible to get cheap plane and train fares at the local airport and train station. In addition, the city possesses strong urban form and lots of historical architecture, as well as many new developments just outside the city center. Many young and elderly people have begun moving into downtown for the ease of walking and good public transportation, which has spurred the restoration and renovation of many vacant downtown buildings in recent years, even through the recession. The growth of small and medium-sized industries had been slow, but many new companies in green and sustainable technologies, advanced materials, electronics, and computing have been seen greater and greater success over the past few years. The city has continued to be a regional center for education, healthcare, legal practices, and financial and engineering services, and these sectors are only expected to grow over the coming decades. All of these things, which are just a fraction of the reasons to be positive about living in Syracuse, are so often forgotten or written off by the residents who would rather you look somewhere else before even considering Syracuse. My biggest advice to anyone interested is to do your own research, disregard the negative posts by residents on this site, and come see the city and the area for yourself.

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4 Seasons in One Day - 5/6/2009

Syracuse is known for "changable" weather. Like the Day I got married in April many years ago. The sun was bright in the morning, it rained by noon, and by 3 pm it was snowing. We have a huge amount of snow in the winter, around 150 inches or more, rarely less. But this only makes or springs more beautiful........because of the long long winter. If you are into winter sports...you're gonna love it here.

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Economy - 4/2/2009

Though we are having job loss, which now is reaching unemployment about 9-10% the economy is still holding fairly strong. Conservative as this area is, people are carefully about spending and that does hurt some of the business in are area. We seem to have a positive attitude just the same.

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Snow - 4/1/2009

If you like a lot of snow, Syracuse is the place to be. The first snow is like white diamonds, beautiful. But than it goes on and on and on. The political state leaves a lot to be desired. Think about the Boston tea party. Taxes is a priority for the whole state. Up, up and away. My goal is to do the same thing.

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Is it really that bad? - 2/25/2009

Is it really that bad?

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one word - 2/15/2009

snow that is all you need to know

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openness - 12/19/2008

politcally conservative and cautious not especially open to new or bold ideas weather is awful

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taxes, taxes, taxes - 8/18/2008

Upstate NY is a beautiful place to live, but unfortunatley everything is taxes so high it makes it hard to have a good quality of life here. I live in a home valued at approx 230,000.00 between school tax and property taxes my husband and I pay 11,000.00 per year. In a community not far from ours homes in the same price range have yearly tax bills of about 17,000.00 per year. The price of gas has been consistently .10-.12 higher than in neighboring states, this is because NY has more taxes places on gas. Like I said, it's a beautiful state but who can afford to live here!

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Great place to live except snow - 4/23/2008

Pros: Conveniently located. Urban area, but not so expensive. Cons: Snow. Snow. and Snow.

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Are you looking to Buy or Sell a home or Investmen - 4/18/2008

My name is John Disqu and I am a Full Time Licensed Realtor in Syracuse NY and surrounding areas. I help First Time Buyers, Sellers, Investors, and Relocating clients in and out of Syracuse. I help many people sell and/or find homes everyday and there is nothing better then knowing I've done my very best for my clients when the day is done. I treat all my clients as if they were family and eventually they all turn into additional family afterwards. I am constantly researching our market inventory to better service my clients, as well as keep up with the latest technology, and all the bells and whistles when it comes to Real Estate. In closing, always feel free to contact me by phone or email. I am here for you day or night and if you'd like to know more about a home you seen listed, in the newspaper, or just want more information on selling or buying a home by all means contact me. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, John Disque.

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Getting Better - 3/18/2008

General improvement on arts and culture,the weather is still a problem.

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Not much - 3/17/2008

Of course if you look on a web site, for instance they make Armory Square seem like the best spot. Having moved here, it's like 2 blocks if that of mostly college bars! Lots of live music and bands other than that not much culture really...there is lipservice but other than perhaps at SU, there is a real "local" mentality. As others have mentioned-innovation, new ideas, ESPECIALLY if you are from out of town-will not be looked on well.

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I will try to be fair - 3/17/2008

Overall quality of life is ok. I have been here for 5 years. Lots of unemployment, loss of blue collar jobs, sense of despair. Positives are Syracuse U. and other colleges in area or if you work at one of several hospitals your salary will be fine....but if not. Downtown is abandoned, decaying, very poor black and immigrant population. One part of downtown has cultural venues, orchestra, museum, a theater. VErrrry small town (in a negative way) vibe, everyone knows each other so nepotism, exclusionary once you live here. At first and certainly on a casual basis folks are very friendly. But in terms of friendships myself and many who have moved here find it very hard to break in, and develop a social life. Most of activity is out in suburbs, which are nice, and large malls, and if you have a family already. I will comment under each category for specifics.

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Cold - 2/12/2008

Syracuse is one of the coldest places I have ever been in my life. Sometimes its colder than Canada and Alaska put together. It seems to behind time on a lot of things too. Which can be good if you wanna slow things down a bit. Its an average size American city. But you must have an appreciation for cold snowy days. Most of them will be. When May comes around theres hope for an end of winter. But it has been known to snow on Mothers day.

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Sprawl - 9/27/2007

Syracuse has a fairly active city life, but everything seems to be sooo spread out. Expect to regularly drive 20 minutes to your favorite spots regardless of where you live. Several highways cut the city into quadrants, making some pedestrian travel annoying.

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Weather during winter. - 7/31/2007

Too much snow if you don't like driving or walking during the winter.

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Sluggish economy with not many professional career - 7/31/2007

Here in Syracuse we have a great community with lots of social and entertainment opportunities. Population is not an issue unless you like crowded overpopulated megolopolis type settings. The career scene is not great, unless you are an engineer. They are dying for engineers here. Many high-tech companies are seeking skilled labor. I have a background in accounting but don't seem to find what I am looking for.

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Some people are overly dramatic. - 6/28/2007

Having lived all over the U.S. (originally from Los Angeles, then three years around Clarksville TN, two years in Vegas, several months near Virgina Beach and short stints in Arizona and Utah) I can tell you that Syracuse is a nice place to live. All cities have the high crime areas, Syracuse's is the south side. Most of the city is fairly nice. Like ,most cities the majority of the metropolitan area's population live in the suburbs and they are beautiful. Clean, good air and water quality, and crime is nonexistant. As for the weather we average about 160 sunny days. We do get rain here but not as much as Seattle. We also average something like 120 inches of snow in the winter but getting around isn't really a problem. I commute about 40 miles round trip and haven't had a problem yet but there are about ten or twelve nasty days of driving during the Winter. However the seasons are beautiful here. I always get a couple of face cords of wood at the end of the summer and look forward to having a fire going in the fireplace when the weather turns cold. We also had a short Winter this year and so far a bit less rain then normal. Jobs are on par or a little better then the national average. However the area is moving away from manufacturing jobs and toward professional or white-collar jobs. Some of the best employers are the local universities and the hospitals. There are also a good deal of IT, financial and research jobs in the area as well as Lockheed Martin. Syracuse is a great place to live. It has won lots of those silly little awards magazines give to to cities including making Parenting Magazine's list of top ten cities to raise a kid, and having one of it's suburbs (Manlius) listed as one of the best places to live in the U.S. by Money Magazine.

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