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I haven't been downtown in a couple years now but never had any trouble finding a spot. Don't like paying but dealt with it.
I can't parallel park. Never have even tried to be honest. Same with my wife. On the test we just had to back in behind one car. Same with all our kids. Then the last kid got a brownie that insisted. We had a hell of a time finding someone who knew how. Do it once and never again
The suburban mentality of the area and the hesitance to park more than a 1 block distance from their destination is a frequent compliant voiced by city boosters. I will say there has been a narrative that has developed over the past few years that assumes this is somehow unique to Syracuse because suburbanites are scared, potentially racist and uncomfortable being around different people such as homeless, et al. Certainly, some people have these thoughts but I also believe there are plenty of other people that would park further away if downtown were better maintained and the dead zones where there is available street parking were redeveloped with increased foot traffic and vitality.
Recently, I talked with a banking executive on the board of a downtown business improvement district in Des Moines and he echoed the same sentiments about people in the Des Moines area. That city is only slightly larger than Syracuse, yet more than 50,000 people work in the downtown area while just 25,000 people work in downtown Syracuse, a number that continues to drop precipitously. The number of residents living in downtown Des Moines is more than twice the number residing in downtown Syracuse. Even in mid-sized cities with far less crime, quality life issues and urban decay than Syracuse, this sentiment is very common.
The suburban mentality of the area and the hesitance to park more than a 1 block distance from their destination is a frequent compliant voiced by city boosters. I will say there has been a narrative that has developed over the past few years that assumes this is somehow unique to Syracuse because suburbanites are scared, potentially racist and uncomfortable being around different people such as homeless, et al. Certainly, some people have these thoughts but I also believe there are plenty of other people that would park further away if downtown were better maintained and the dead zones where there is available street parking were redeveloped with increased foot traffic and vitality.
Recently, I talked with a banking executive on the board of a downtown business improvement district in Des Moines and he echoed the same sentiments about people in the Des Moines area. That city is only slightly larger than Syracuse, yet more than 50,000 people work in the downtown area while just 25,000 people work in downtown Syracuse, a number that continues to drop precipitously. The number of residents living in downtown Des Moines is more than twice the number residing in downtown Syracuse. Even in mid-sized cities with far less crime, quality life issues and urban decay than Syracuse, this sentiment is very common.
I'm not surprised by that, given the growth of big box shopping and the reality/perception of many Downtowns across the country.
I think also with Syracuse, the University Hill area acts as another Downtown, essentially, given the jobs and the businesses in the Crouse/Marshall area. I believe that about 37-38% of the area's employment is within 0-3 miles of the CBD and I bet that much of that is on the Hill.
This is one of the funniest exchanges between people on television I've seen in years.
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