Getting around in Syracuse

Bus : All of Central New York is served by the Centro bus service. Most areas within the city limits are reachable by bus, but once outside the city it is harder to catch a bus. Service is general very limited and slow. I would recommend renting a car to get around town, if you don’t have one already. Most car rental businesses are located near the airport.

Driving: The easiest and quickest way to see Syracuse is by driving. Any suburb or city location can be reached within minutes by car. Traffic is not bad at all, and the highways connect the major areas easily.

For instance, you can be north of the city near route 31 and then drive to the southwestern suburbs within 30 minutes without any problems. Parking in downtown can be tricky, especially during the week. There is parking allowed on the street, which is the cheapest way to park. But, there are also numerous lots and garages to choose from too.

Walking: Downtown Syracuse is rather small. Walking from place to place in downtown is probably the best way to see downtown so you don’t need to deal with parking. There are a couple museums in town, some stores to shop in, and plenty of restaurants.

The nightlife is centered around Armory Square on the west side of downtown, which features numerous bars and clubs catering to all adult ages. If you’re a younger, college student person, a walk to Syracuse University might be more appealing. A walk from downtown to Syracuse University is not far, although it does pass through a sketchy part of town. Don’t go alone. Once on the SU hill, look for Marshall Street and you’ll be sure to have a good time.

Festivals in Syracuse

Syracuse hosts the New York State Fair amoung many other festivals throughout the year. Here is a list of most of them:

June ——- 1)Taste of Syracuse 2) Balloon Festival 3)Ozfest 4)Syracuse Area Music Awards 5)Polish Festival 6)Juneteenth 7)Jewish Festival 8)Greek Festival 9)Jazz Festival 10)Parade of Homes

July——- Arts and Crafts Festival 11)Antiquefest 12)Syracuse Nationals 13)NYS Rhythm and Blues Festival 14) Middle Eastern Cultural Festival 15)Harborfest 16)Jazz in the Square Festival 17)Antique and Classic Boat Show August ——- 18)CNY Scottish Games 19)Euro Fest 20) Syracuse Latino Festival 21) JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge

August/Sept—— 22)New York State Fair September ——- 23) Irish Festival 24)Festa Italiana 25)Celebrate Baldwinsville 26)Oktoberfest October —— 27)Apple Festival December —– 28) Lights on the Lake 29)Dicken’s Christmas 30) First Night February —– 31) Winterfest March ——32) St. Patrick’s Parade April ——33) Syracuse International Flim and Video Festival

Sites of interest in Syracuse

Armory Square
Columbus Bakery
Rosamond Gifford Zoo
The Carousel Center
Dinosaur BBQ
Little Italy
Marshall Street
Tipperary Hill
Westcott Street
Middle Ages Brewing Company
Everson Museum of Art
Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology
Erie Canal Museum
The Salt Museum (Liverpool)

Transportation in Syracuse

Public transportation

Syracuse is served by the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, or CNYRTA. The CNYRTA administers a bus service called CENTRO which runs more than a hundred bus lines around Syracuse and into its suburbs, as well as to outlying metropolitan area cities such as Auburn, Fulton, and Oswego. CENTRO one-way fare is still $1, with an additional 25¢ charge for travel to and from the outermost suburbs, generally more than 5-6 miles from downtown. Further trips have additional fare zones. The CENTRO service is free for Syracuse University Students within a specified zone on display of a valid SUID card.

OnTrack is the Syracuse commuter train line. The line runs from Colvin Street on the city’s South Side via Syracuse University and Armory Square to the Carousel Center. Financing was finally approved in April 2004 to build a bridge over Park Street that would allow OnTrack to reach the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center, Regional Market, and Alliance Bank Stadium. This service sees roughly 60 riders a day[8] and is used mostly by Syracuse University students. OnTrack was launched in 1994, and has experienced periods of growth and decline. As of December 2005, the Park Street Bridge has not been built. A direct link to the transportation center might profit the line as a result of passengers arriving without cars. OnTrack’s already-completed platform is adjacent to Amtrak’s.

The Pyramid Companies have also proposed a monorail linking the university to the airport via downtown, their proposed DestiNY Resort, the transportation center, and their proposed DestiNY Technology Park. The cost of such a line has been estimated at $750 million.

Local millionaire Tom McDonald has also proposed a gondola lift system, called Salt City Aerial Transit (S.C.A.T.), to link the university to the transportation center using a similar route. The first segment from SU to Downtown has been estimated to cost $5 million, which McDonald plans to raise the money himself. Due to the perceived low operating costs, the system could run continuously.

Commute

According to the 2000 Census, this is how people aged 16 and over commute to work:
65.9% drive alone
13.7% carpool
10.1% walk
6.8% use public busses (CENTRO)
0.6% bike
0.2% use a taxicab
0.013% use elevated rail (OnTrack)

Rail

The city lies on Amtrak’s Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, and Maple Leaf lines.

The Empire Service runs several times daily from Niagara Falls to New York Penn Station, with major stops in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany along the way.

The Lake Shore Limited connects Syracuse to the same cities as above (except Niagara Falls), but continues westward from Buffalo to Chicago via Cleveland and Toledo. This train completes one roundtrip daily.

Also completing one roundtrip a day, the Maple Leaf follows the path of the Empire Service train, but continues to Toronto.

Amtrak’s station is part of the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center.

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Arts and culture of Syracuse

Syracuse is home to the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (SSO), founded in 1961. The SSO has 75 musicians and is under direction of Daniel Hege. The orchestra performs over 200 concerts annually for an audience of over 250,000.

The Syracuse Opera Company is a professional opera company that generally performs three pieces each season. It was founded in 1963 as the Opera Chorus of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and became independent in 1973. During the 2005/2006 season it will perform Tosca, HMS Pinafore, and The Marriage of Figaro. In addition to its full performances, there are also several free outdoor concerts annually in Armory Square, Thornden Park, and elsewhere. The company has an annual budget of $1 million and is the only professional opera company in Upstate New York.

Syracuse Stage, with its many world premieres and productions that have moved to Broadway, creates often experimental and creative theater. The venue was designed by its most famous former artistic director Arthur Storch. Offering eight plays during its 31st Season (2005-2006), it is now in its tenth season under current artistic director Robert Moss.

The Everson Museum of Art which opened in 1968 in a building designed by I.M. Pei, features one of the most extensive pottery collections in the United States along with works of American art, dating from the 18th century to the present. This collection includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, photography, and video.

The Redhouse is Syracuse’s newest venture into professional theatre. Opened in 2004, The Redhouse is a small theatre. Housed in a converted hotel, this theatre not only performs pieces of stage work, but also holds performances by national recording artists, as well as screening independent films.

Colleges and universities of Syracuse

Syracuse ’s major research university, and its largest employer, is Syracuse University, located on University Hill. It had an enrollment of 18,734 students (12,905 undergraduates, 5,829 graduates and law students) for the 2005-2006 academic year.

Surrounding Syracuse University are two State University (SUNY) schools, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Also in Syracuse are Le Moyne College on the city’s eastern border, and Onondaga Community College, which has its main campus in the city’s Elmwood neighborhood, along with two smaller campuses downtown and in Liverpool. A branch of SUNY’s Empire State College is located in downtown Syracuse, along with a campus of the nationwide Bryant and Stratton College.

Other colleges and universities in the area include Cornell University and Ithaca College in Ithaca, Hamilton College in Clinton, Oswego State University in Oswego, SUNY Cortland in Cortland, Morrisville State College in Morrisville, Colgate University in Hamiliton, Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, Wells College in Aurora, and both Utica College and SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica.

Economy of Syracuse

Syracuse ’s economy has faced challenges over the past decades as industrial jobs have left the area. The number of local and state government jobs also have been declining for several years. Syracuse’s top employers are now primarily in education and in the service industry. University Hill is Syracuse’s fastest growing neighborhood, fueled by expansions by Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University, as well as dozens of small medical office complexes.

Top employers

The top employers in the Syracuse region and the size of their workforce, as of January 1, 2006:
Syracuse University: 7,371
State University of New York Upstate Medical University: 6,400
National Grid: 4,989
Wegmans Food Markets: 4,717
Oneida Nation and Oneida Nation Enterprises: 4,700
St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center: 3,307
Magna International: 3,000
Verizon Communications: 2,750
Penn Traffic Company: 2,700
Lockheed Martin Corp.: 2,350
Loretto: 2,204

The Canadian Magna International bought the New Process Gear Division of New Venture Gear, saving it from being shut down by Daimler-Chrysler. Several smaller companies in the area continue to add a small number of jobs. In June 2004 the Bank of New York announced it would bring up to 800 jobs to Downtown Syracuse. In August it was reported that the job growth rate of the area was 1.4%. In October Lockheed Martin announced it would add up to 300 electrical, mechanical, and software engineering positions by 2007.

In January 2005, AXA, which recently purchased MONY, announced it was bringing 300 more jobs downtown, and Sutherland Global Services said it would add 125. Other companies that continue to grow in the area include Welch Allyn, Anaren, and Sensis Corporation. Today the Syracuse area has no extremely large employers, but rather many smaller ones, which provides for a certain amount of stability. Additionally, eight of the area’s top eleven employers are in education or the service industry, which tend to be much more stable than the manufacturing industry.

The Syracuse area’s unemployment rate of 5.0 percent is comparable to the national one of 4.8 (March, 2006). Throughout 2006, the area has continued to gain jobs over the previous year’s figures. During February and March 2006, the area’s job growth rate tied with New York City for the highest in the state.

Demographics of Syracuse

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 147,306 people, 59,482 households, and 30,335 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,266.8/km² (5,871.0/mi²). There were 68,192 housing units at an average density of 1,049.4/km² (2,717.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.26% White, 25.35% African American, 1.13% Native American, 3.37% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 3.61% from two or more races. 5.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Syracuse has historically enjoyed a relatively diverse ethnic population, including sizable Italian-American, Polish-American and Irish-American communities. More recently, the city has seen a growing Latino population, and is also a resettlement center for refugees from Bosnia, Sudan (the “Lost Boys”) as well as Somali Bantu refugees.

There were 59,482 households out of which 30.46% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 12.65% were married couples living together, 14.84% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.58% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 16.8% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $33,026. Males had a median income of $30,312 versus $23,997 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,168. 27.3% of the population and 21.7% of families were below the poverty line. 35.1% of those under the age of 18 and 12.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Climate fo syracuse

Syracuse is known for its snowfall. With 115.6 inches (293.6 cm) average , the Syracuse metro area receives more snow on average than any other large city in the United States. Research has even shown that Syracuse is the snowiest large city in the world. Syracuse continually wins the Golden Snowball Award, among Upstate cities. Its record so far is 192.1 inches.

Syracuse’s hottest month is historically July, with an average high temperature of 82 °F (28 °C), while its coldest month is historically January, with an average high temperature of 31 °F (-0.4 °C).

One notable blizzard in recent history was the Blizzard of 1993, during which 42.9 inches (109 cm) fell on the city within 48 hours, with 35.6 inches (90.4 cm) falling within the first 24 hours. Syracuse received more snow than any other city in the country during this storm, which shattered a total of eight local records, including most the snow in a single snowstorm.

Syracuse’s summers have also recently broken records. The summers of 2005 and 2002 were, respectively, the hottest and second-hottest summers on record.The Syracuse area enjoys a four-season continental climate with marked seasonal changes. Due to geographical location, cyclonic systems that move from the interior of the country through the St. Lawrence Valley affect the Syracuse weather, as do the cold air masses that advance through the Great Lakes region from the Hudson Bay area, making winters cold with snow.

During the summer and parts of spring and autumn, temperatures customarily rise rapidly during daytime to fall rapidly after sunset, so the nights are relatively cool and comfortable. Excessively warm spells are rare. Temperatures average 24 degrees in January; 46 degrees in April; 71 in July and 62 in September.

Greater Syracuse generally enjoys sufficient precipitation to comfortably meet the needs of agriculture and water supplies. Rainfall is well distributed, with monthly averages close to three inches. As a rule, wind velocities are moderate, reaching around 11 miles per hour during the colder months.

Geography of Syracuse: Newyork

Syracuse is located at 43°2′49″ North, 76°8′40″ West (43.046899, -76.144423)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 66.4 km² (25.6 mi²). 65.0 km² (25.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.4 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.15% water, with the major water body being Onondaga Lake.

The city is seen as the northeast gateway to the Finger Lakes Region. The city has many neighborhoods which were originally various villages that joined the city over the years. Although the central part of Syracuse is flat, many of its neighborhoods are located on small hills such as University Hill and Tipperary Hill. Land to the north of Syracuse is generally flat while land to the south is hilly.

Major parks in the area include Burnet Park on Tipperary Hill, Upper Onondaga Park and Lower Onondaga Park which is connected to Kirk Park in Strathmore, and Thornden Park between the University Hill and Westcott neighborhoods. Burnet Park is home to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and the first public golf course in the United States (1901). Also worth mentioning is Schiller Park in the Near Northeast neighborhood, and Sunnycrest Park in Eastwood.

About 27 percent of Syracuse’s land area is covered by 890,000 trees - a higher percentage than in Albany, Rochester or Buffalo. This is despite the Labor Day Storm of 1998, a derecho which destroyed approximately 30,000 trees. The sugar maple accounts for 14.2 percent of Syracuse’s trees, followed by the Northern white cedar (9.8 percent) and the European buckthorn (6.8 percent). The most common street tree is the Norway maple (24.3 percent) followed by the honeylocust (9.3 percent). The densest tree cover in Syracuse is in the two Valley neighborhoods, with 46.6 percent of their land covered by trees. The lowest tree cover percentage is found downtown, which consists of only 4.6 percent trees.

Syracuse’s main water source is Skaneateles Lake, one of the country’s cleanest lakes, located about 20 miles southwest of the city. Incoming water is left unfiltered, and only a trivial amount of chlorine is added to prevent bacterial growth. For periods of draught, there is also a backup line which uses water from Lake Ontario.