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Syracuse, NY is a vibrant city full of history and plenty of activities to enjoy. It has something for everyone, from its parks and historic sites to its vibrant culture, entertainment options, and sports teams. The city is known for its college basketball team, Syracuse University Orange, and their long-standing rivalry with the Georgetown Hoyas. Visitors flock to the Carrier Dome to watch the games. Another main attraction in the city is the Erie Canal Museum which provides a unique look at how transportation shaped life in Central New York State. The annual Jazz Fest brings in music enthusiasts while the MOST provides educational fun for the whole family. Shopping lovers can explore Armory Square or visit one of the many malls around town. There's never a dull moment in this great city! Reviews of Syracuse, NY generally reflect its status as an exciting destination with plenty to offer visitors. Those that have visited often rave about all the attractions the city has to offer from its many parks and museums to restaurants and shopping options. They especially appreciate how easy it is to get around thanks to public transportation options like Centro buses and trains. Many also speak fondly of Syracuse's friendly people who are more than willing to help guests explore all that their beloved city has to offer!
based on 59 ReviewsGet to know Syracuse with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Syracuse
I will Always Have Love For My Hometown - 3/29/2023
I've lived in Syracuse, NY my entire life. The majority of my family and friends are from here as well. I love the Syracuse sports teams and have done so since I was a young child. I received my education from the best teachers in the Syracuse School District during the school year and enjoyed summer afternoons attending the Boys and Girls Clubs. I briefly attended Onondaga Community College and had the honor of being a part of the first group of students to live on campus. I was raised in the church so I often spent Sunday mornings in worship and afternoons at Ponderosa or Old Country Buffet with loved ones. I played Pop Warner football for The Valley Stallions for a couple of years and played in a Championship one year at P&C Stadium. I played in the CYO basketball league and won MVP my first year playing for St. Mathews. I played in the YEOP basketball league as well as the Donnie Fielders. I've performed in talent shows singing in front of large crowds since I was around 6. I
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Honest, local, and fair review - 9/29/2021
I was born 30 miles from Syracuse,, moved away to travel all over the USA, living in about 8 different cities, then came to live in Syracuse, NY. I have been here for 20 years now. I raised 4 children here, most of whom are adults (who still live here).
I think many reviewers of Syracuse on this page are either inexperienced with the rest of America and think the grass must be greener, have an axe to grind (e.g., the "Syracuse is anti-Business" comment), or lack a healthy perspective on all of the different, important facets of what makes a city good or bad to live in. I also think the Best Places site the site giving Syracuse Metro housing a "58" vs "100" for the rest of the USA makes no sense.
Here's what's good:
*Great Hospitals (Upstate, Crouse, St Joe's, etc) all over the place.
*Great Universities (Syracuse University, LeMoyne, Colgate, even Cornell if you're willing to drive an hour + OCC a large, well funded Community College) make
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Not a good place to raise a family - 7/19/2020
I’ll start by saying I’ve lived here my whole life. I have only lived here but can’t wait to move out. I’ll lay out some pros and cons.
Pros: it has a decent downtown scene, some ok restaurants/dining and good (surrounding) falls for hiking and swimming. We have a true fall, with the leaves changing And scenically very pretty.
But I feel the cons outweigh the good.
Cons: it has a VERYY high a crime rate, I’m pretty sure we are the highest is the nation. It is not a place to raise a family, the city schools are absolutely terrible. I feel you can’t actually live in Syracuse because it’s a dump, you have to live in a surrounding town. The roads are HORRIBLE they are constantly doing construction on the streets and highways with zero improvement (you’ll need an alignment every few months). We have some of the worst taxes in the nation, I mean they are absurd. You can’t afford to buy a decent house because your taxes are more than your mortgage. On top of that the
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Lovely Views/Harsh Winters - 7/18/2019
I live between Rochester and Syracuse and worked in Syracuse for several years. I'm currently finishing my Federal career in Washington, DC. That being said there are several things great about Syracuse and the Syracuse area. 1) Dougs Fish Fry in Skaneatles 2) Proximity to the Adirondacks and the Fingerlakes 3) The rich local history.
Drawbacks 1) Weather 2) General feeling of the area being worn out and run down 3) Weather. I think that the weather is the most depressing thing about the area. I have horses and can't ride and condition my horses from Mid-November when hunting season starts until sometime in late
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Syracuse SURGE is REAL ! - 4/26/2019
Syracuse Surge is for Real! Hot city for START-UP COMPANIES, several downtown with a Tech Garden Hub. Forbes Magazine said " Syracuse is going through a Renaissance" Downtown living boosts a 99% occupancy rate with new loft condo's and apartments springing up in historic buildings. The City has seen a increase in core downtown living, businesses are booming. Armory Square is a hip lively neighborhood that rivals any big city. Inner Harbor is a new area that has new warehouse hotels and living on the cities cleaned up lake. Syracuse also has traditional neighborhoods like a Little Italy with great restaurants, TIP Hill ( Irish ) has the only stop light with green on top, University area that brings a youthful element. Check out the stately neighborhoods of Sedgwick Farms and Strathmore. Syracuse is a Great Sports Town! Yes the Orange-University is the big game, attendance leader for basketball annually. Besides d-1 NCAA sports in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse has AAA minor league
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It's "ok" to live in Syracuse - 1/8/2019
Another review for more living details
Dining - there are a few good restaurants like everywhere else and there are many good Italian places. Other than that the quality of dining is below average especially Japanese restaurants way below average - 3 star
Housing - Buying or renting is cheap but taxes are very high. It's hard to find new houses/apartments - 4 star
Shopping - Destiny USA is the only places you can get what you want but no luxurious brands; Grocery shopping is good with big chains and local markets - 4 star
Transportation - Assuming you have a car it's convenient to live here. For public systems, there is airport close to city and long existed trains/shuttles. Taxi is expensive - 3 star
Entertainment - for me there are enough things to do (zoo, museums, shows, casinos, college sports, outdoor places, summer events) I don't get bored - 4 star
Health Care - Hospitals are the major employers here and never complain about finding
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Overall a nice place - 1/3/2019
I've lived here for 3 years and I like it most of time though hate it sometimes.
It's a convenient city with a lot of things to do within driving distance. By 2 interstate highways and local roads, big mall, airport, hospitals, restaurants, schools and major business are all within 30 mins from even suburbs and there is canal and lakes around the city. The whole area is on Appalachian so you will see hills everywhere and during 4 seasons there are many beautiful views. Within hours there are more mountains and lakes such as famous Adirondack mountains, finger lakes, great lakes and big cities (NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Montreal, Toronto...) and there are 2 big casinos near the city. You can explore the rest of upstate NY on weekends. We like to visit farms, orchards and wineries.
Winter is nasty however they shovel snow fast and living in the snowiest city in US, people in Syracuse cherish their time and prepare well for the long winter.
My major compliant would
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The city needs some help - 6/23/2018
There are pros to living in the Syracuse area- the cost of living is relatively cheap (compared to the rest of the Northeast) although the sales and property taxes are very high. If you like winter sports like skiing and having access to beautiful lakes and mountains then you might like the Syracuse area.
I also met some great people there and made some lifelong friends.
There are some things to do, but not a lot. There are festivals in the spring and summer and Armory Square is nice but once winter comes along, unless you like being outdoors, you are pretty limited to the mall.
It can be a nice place for the right person but for me and my family there were just too many cons. People say the winters aren't "that bad". No they really are that bad. The average yearly snowfall is about 120 inches- the average snowfall which means that some years have more and others have less. In the almost 10 years I lived there I think the lowest amount of snow
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Not Bad at All - 8/20/2015
I'm a transplant from Los Angeles, CA. The housing prices are great, but there is not a lot going on in Syracuse. If you want a more "happening" city, you will need to pay the price. I was sick and tired of warm days all year long, and dumb apartment managers. Destiny USA is good, but one mall in a city is not enough. Shoppingtown is dying rapidly. Due to their size, Target, and Wal-Mart are both on the outer edges of the city. I steeled on my home at the end of January, just in time for the February snow, snow, snow; wow, lots of snow. The public library is adequate for most, and the health care could be better. There are not many doctors in this city. The Downtown farmers market is a nice treat each Tuesday, but the are only 4 food vendors. Even at the Park St. market, there are not a lot of vendors; why am I complaining? In Los Angeles, I always ate in the mall next door, rather in the markets--they had only a few as well. As a person who values education, Syracuse is not the
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Born and raised here - 4/30/2015
Bad:Syracuse is a mediocre city at best. It just can't compete with any other city, of it's size, as it is slowly going bankrupt. The actual city is in debt and is totally reliant on state and county government to help it limp along. The crime rate is off the charts. School buses have to re-route to avoid being damaged by hurled bricks/rocks. The weather is absolutely great, for 2 months out of the year- July and August. Other than that, it is cloudy and raining. Syracuse ALWAYS wins the snowiest city (Golden Snow globe award), for the entire US. They got over 150 inches of snow this past winter. If you are looking for a good school, go outside the city. There ARE some great schools in the surrounding areas. However, the students run the show in the Syracuse city schools.
Good: The summer and fall are mostly great. There are plenty of parks, hiking, swimming, lakes, hunting, sports, and fairs/festivals. Come to the NYS Fair at the end of August (through Labor Day) and you
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