Introducation Syracuse: New York

Syracuse is an American city in Central New York. According to the U.S. Census, in 2000 the city had a total population of 147,306, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the county seat of Onondaga County and the economical and educational hub of Central New York, a region with over a million inhabitants.

Syracuse is also well provided with convention sites, with a downtown convention complex and the Empire Expo Center directly west of the city, which hosts the annual Great New York State Fair. Syracuse was named after the original Syracuse, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy, which shares some similarities with this one, including a formerly-important salt industry and a neighboring town of Salina.

The city has functioned as a major crossroads over the last two centuries, first between the Erie Canal and its branch canals, then of the railway network. Today, Syracuse is located by the intersection of Upstate New York’s two major interstate highways, and its airport is the largest in the region.

Syracuse is also home to many regional offices of the United States Government, such as the main office of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.

Syracuse grew due its location along the Erie Canal and salt found in the area. Today, the Syracuse area is reinventing itself from its manufacturing roots to a service economy. Located at the crossroads of Interstate 81 and Interstate 90, Syracuse is located in the middle of the most densely built region of North America. Syracusans take advantage of the nearby recreational attractions, including the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks, Lake Ontario, the Thousand Islands, Oneida Lake and the ski resorts in the hills just south of the city.