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Originally Posted by bellafinzi
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For those that can't read it...
25 years after moving here, 25 reasons it’s great to be a parent (and a kid) in CNY (Surviving Parenting)
"I moved to Syracuse 25 years ago this week. It was supposed to be a four-year tour as I attended Syracuse University. But life had other plans in the form of jobs and husbands and babies. The next thing I knew, I was giving birth around the corner from the bars where I celebrated my 21st birthday.
Living in Syracuse as a 40-something mom feels like the biggest and best accident of my life. In the same way the phrase “they grow up so fast†rolls up and over your head as a new parent, so too does “Syracuse is a great place to raise a family.†But I disagree. Syracuse is an amazing place to raise a family.
I want to pause and take stock of what it means to be a parent here for a few reasons: 1) When I moved here in 1998 it felt like many native CNYers had a chip on their shoulder. I think that chip has healed significantly, which is important if my kids see a future here. 2) I would love for someone reading this to feel as good about the city and region as I do, whether they live here now or are thinking about doing so. 3) Lastly, I think it’s worth noting how many things have greatly improved in the last 25 years. Could our community be better? Always. But there are so many things to celebrate here, including many that make our lives as parents better, easier and more fun. Here are 25:
1. Cost of living. The vast majority of my college friends moved away after graduation – and for valid reasons. But you should see their faces when I tell them what we paid for our beautiful home, which I always point out is minutes from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
2. Sidewalks. I grew up in the country. I didn’t have a single friend I could get to safely on foot or by bicycle. My kids will have a few dozen they will be able to reach in mere minutes well before they get their driver’s licenses.
3. City neighborhoods. Their cultures are strong and their people are amazing. I’m so lucky to know many of them intimately.
4. Schools. My husband and I have owned property in Strathmore since 2008. The moment I announced my pregnancy, people asked when we were moving out of the city, which made me all the more determined to stay. We have found incredible city schooling options for our kids since we enrolled them in (free) Universal Pre-K3 programs. And their future schooling opportunities only continue to grow as the city and county team up for the new and exciting STEAM school.
5. Salt City Market. We sat outside the market recently and had a beer while our kids played on the playground. To have such a cool, family-friendly, international smorgasbord so close to home feels like an amenity of a hip, major city.
6. Food options. Anyone who has lived here and has moved away has a food favorite they miss. That’s saying something about our offerings that we shouldn’t take for granted. Need a suggestion on anything from a milkshake to a chicken sandwich? My kids can rattle off more than a few ideas.
7. Halloween. Buying 500 pieces of candy every October is one of the best things we buy all year.
8. Clinton Square Ice Rink at Christmas. I can barely skate, but a few laps with my zippy kids is a holiday must; it’s pure magic.
9. Festivals, festivals and more festivals. There are too many to name and we all love ’em all!
10. Proximity. We rediscovered the Finger Lakes region a bit this year (Penn Yan, yes please!) and I’m always so pleasantly surprised at how far away we can feel so close to home.
11. Airport. It’s so much easier to fly to more places from Syracuse than it used to be. But we’re lucky you still don’t have to show up hours ahead of time to make a flight, which is especially helpful with kids in tow.
12. Mets games. They are sure-fire family fun. Between $1 hot dogs, a chance to run the bases and killer fireworks, it’s always a good time.
13. St. Patrick’s Parade and festivities. If you want to see my kids act like true Syracusans, hang out with us in March.
14. Creekwalk. I still think it’s one of the coolest features of our city that not enough people know about or use. Our family has ridden from Strathmore to the fairgrounds a couple of times and every time we do we say we should do it more often.
15. The Amp. I recently made it from my driveway to a parking lot tailgate at the Amp for an internationally known artist in 12 minutes. That’s amazing. I think I’ve seen a dozen shows there and my family enjoyed the weekday movies there this summer, too!
16. The zoo. We’ve purchased an annual membership probably every year since our kids were born, which has always allowed for easy and sometimes super quick trips to see our favorite four-legged neighbors.
17. The MOST. This museum is a great example of a place that continues to get better every year. It’s one of my son’s favorite places now, including for summer camp.
18. Pond hockey. My entire family is crossing its fingers this amazing new tradition can continue this year – right in our front yard.
19. Skiing. My goal this winter is to officially turn my kids into skiers thanks to solid teaching hills less than an hour from home.
20. Roller skating. A favorite outing last winter was to Black Mamba Skate Park and we’re psyched to learn of another new option opening soon.
21. New York State Fair. This one needs no explanation. We’re frequent filers and always will be.
22. Syracuse Stage, Redhouse and Landmark. Our family had fifth-row tickets to see “Hamilton,†our daughter was 3 when she saw Mary Poppins cross the Syracuse Stage stage upside down and the new Redhouse facilities downtown are another example of how this city continues to bubble with exciting potential.
23. Local races. My daughter is 10 and she’s never missed being a Mountain Goat Run cheerleader. Sometimes her parents run it. Sometimes they don’t. The route is directly in front of our house and it’s always awesome.
24. Snow bonds. Our collective resilience against the white stuff makes us better humans, better neighbors and better parents. To me, it’s a good example of how we show our kids what it means to make the most of what you’re given.
25. Potential. Not only is the shoulder chip healed, it’s growing in the other direction. True CNY cheerleaders can feel in their bones that this place is getting better all the time."
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