How rundown is Rome? (New York, Syracuse: homes, neighborhoods, renewal)

[homeward bound]

Seems like a great location, so close to the Adirondacks, Lake Ontario, Lake Oneida, the Mohawk River, Central New York's great old towns, Montreal, Toronto, the Thousand Islands, etc. Or do the city's problems overwhelm this sense of it being nicely located?

And though I know that "urban renewal" in the 1960s leveled a lot of its great old downtown, surely it must still have some classy old commercial buildings and fine older homes/neighborhoods, yes?

So....what shape is it in?

It had a huge Air Force base that closed, right? That had to cause decay. Has it recovered? Is it at least starting to recover?

Does it have Utica's problem of widespread blight/decades of political mismanagement?

It's got some park where you can get on an old Erie Canal tow barge and be towed along for a while by a mule, yes? Worthwhile, especially for a family with little kids? (They'd love the mule more than the boat.)

Crime?

Its good, bad, and maybe's--what's your opinion?

Thanks!

(P.S. It's getting very cold here in Virginia, too--and some new snow would cover up the now-dirty old snow. Send us some!)

[bellafinzi]

There is not even an inch of snow on the ground here in Syracuse, mostly grass. Not good for my plants with the expected cold snap. I'm hoping the lake effect band drops south from Oswego giving us just enough to cover my plants in 6 inches of snow.

Back on topic. The last time I was in Rome was about 20 years ago. Don't remember much. A big bridge, a run-down train station, a pizza place, a depressed feeling. It was only a brief stop on a train trip to Albany.

[looking4home]

Hi HB, don't see you on the forum much anymore, but I know you are busy with family, work,etc. I know someone whose mother is from Rome NY, and I think their family may still own a home there. I will try and find out something about it and let you know. Have a good MLK weekend!

[iloveupstateny]

Utica and Rome is one area of NY that is probably the most depressing in all of NYS. yick..........but I bet it has some nice older homes.