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Syracuse does not have an area like Elmwood/Allentown in Buffalo and not even anything such as the smaller but also hip Park Ave area in Rochester. We have individual businesses and patches of activity that are akin to those places but not concentrated in one area and little to any of it also has the type of adjacent residential area that you seek. Armory Square... Eastwood... Westcott... each has pieces of the puzzle but we are a small and less affluent community than Buffalo or Rochester. Our local push towards more progressive dining, shopping and urban living is also really in its infancy compared to those other two markets. I encourage you to still look here but you'll need to assess Syracuse based on somewhat modified criteria relative to those other two cities.
I agree with you on all fronts, with the exception that Buffalo and Rochester are more "affluent" communities. All three cities have a median household income hovering around $30,000 and have poverty rates that are in the high 20% to low 30% range. I agree Rochester has more affluent suburbs and still has an old money feel that dates back to the region's rich industrial heritage, however as a whole, the median household income in Buffalo's Erie County is actually lower than Onondaga County. Household income in Monroe County is only slightly higher than Onondaga County. In all three principal metro counties (Erie, Monroe and Onondaga) the percentage of the population with incomes above $100,000 and $200,000 is not significantly different. Both Rochester and Buffalo have a size advantage when compared with Syracuse which would explain more urban amenties such as restaurants, boutique retailers and trendy lofts.
Great info. Rolls. I personally think that the Westcott/University area would be the best choice and offers enough of what the OP wants. There is a farmers market in the neighborhood and I drove by it. It's at the community center. There's a Co-op market close by. Earlier this month, there was an art walk. Wacheva Cultural Arts is in the neighborhood and offers African dance classes, as well as other offerings. There's an art display at the community center too. Westcott Theater has shows. There are restaurants and a couple of cafes. A library is in the neighborhood. You are close to Thornden and Barry Parks. There is a consignment shop and a boutique for women in Boom Babies. You have a neighborhood bar and Metro, a nightlife spot. This is all pretty close to SU too. So, it seems like a fit. Ed Smith Elementary is close and is one of the better elementary schools in SCSD. If you don't feel comfortable with it, then Holy Cross elementary just in DeWitt isn't too far away. There's also Manlius-Pebble Hill in DeWitt, but think Harley or Allendale-Columbia.
If you're looking for an area that is pretty safe, consider Court-Woodlawn. It is close to everything, is in the city, and has a definite neighborliness feel. It's also a short drive to two of our hospitals, making it a good commute for your wife. Has one of the best elementary schools in the city - Webster School. Close to Armory Square for lots of fun stuff, and has Butternut Circle close by where you can get pizza, deli, wings, couple of fun bars to hang in. Check it out, and hopefully - welcome to Syracuse. Court-Woodlawn Task Force
Also, what part of Rochester are you from? Just to clear something up, Syracuse's crime rate is lower than the rate in both of those cities.
Isn't the population of Syracuse much smaller than both of those cities?
I think the only reason there have only been 3 murders this year is because of the weather and because the thugs in this area have really bad aim. The long winter made for a late "hunting season".
Isn't the population of Syracuse much smaller than both of those cities?
I think the only reason there have only been 3 murders this year is because of the weather and because the thugs in this area have really bad aim. The long winter made for a late "hunting season".
It doesn't matter, as rate is computed evenly. Rochester has about 70,000 more people and Buffalo has about 115,000 more people in terms of city limits. People forget that Syracuse has had 20 or more murders only 3 times ever and has averaged 16 in the last 20 years. 25 is the most the city of Syracuse has ever had in 2009. Buffalo I believe average more than double that amount in the last 20 years and Rochester is about close to double that amount.
I agree with you on all fronts, with the exception that Buffalo and Rochester are more "affluent" communities. All three cities have a median household income hovering around $30,000 and have poverty rates that are in the high 20% to low 30% range. I agree Rochester has more affluent suburbs and still has an old money feel that dates back to the region's rich industrial heritage, however as a whole, the median household income in Buffalo's Erie County is actually lower than Onondaga County. Household income in Monroe County is only slightly higher than Onondaga County. In all three principal metro counties (Erie, Monroe and Onondaga) the percentage of the population with incomes above $100,000 and $200,000 is not significantly different. Both Rochester and Buffalo have a size advantage when compared with Syracuse which would explain more urban amenities such as restaurants, boutique retailers and trendy lofts.
Your point is correct and well taken. By "more affluent" I really mean a larger overall number of people of higher income levels within a given metro area. Rochester and Buffalo have significantly larger numbers of people than Syracuse and thus with same percentage have more people of means wit discretionary income. I think that, in addition to the size advantage, Rochester in particular has the background of being a historically white collar town with a more highly educated workforce versus the blue collar backgrounds of the more industrial Syracuse and Buffalo areas. I realize that much has changed in that regard but there's still a more upscale feel in many areas of Rochester than there seems to be in Syracuse.
Your point is correct and well taken. By "more affluent" I really mean a larger overall number of people of higher income levels within a given metro area. Rochester and Buffalo have significantly larger numbers of people than Syracuse and thus with same percentage have more people of means wit discretionary income. I think that, in addition to the size advantage, Rochester in particular has the background of being a historically white collar town with a more highly educated workforce versus the blue collar backgrounds of the more industrial Syracuse and Buffalo areas. I realize that much has changed in that regard but there's still a more upscale feel in many areas of Rochester than there seems to be in Syracuse.
Excellent point. I wish Syracuse had a more white collar mentality like Rochester. Despite being a much larger metro area, the city of Rochester didn't strike me as significantly bigger than the city Syracuse while driving around. Despite a 70,000 difference in population, the only glaring difference I noticed between both cities was Rochester's downtown area was substantially larger but also depressed.
With Upstate metros, you can tell the areas with the more white collar mentality and many times it's the old money neighborhoods in the city and older suburban neighborhoods, as well as some newer suburban areas like a Penfield, Onondaga Hill, Clarence, Guilderland and parts of Vestal and New Hartford, among some others.
Excellent point. I wish Syracuse had a more white collar mentality like Rochester. Despite being a much larger metro area, the city of Rochester didn't strike me as significantly bigger than the city Syracuse while driving around. Despite a 70,000 difference in population, the only glaring difference I noticed between both cities was Rochester's downtown area was substantially larger but also depressed.
"Mentality" is the key word. That being said - the number of larger, older Victorian and Arts & Crafts homes in good shape in decent neighborhoods in Rochester is probably easily 3X to 4X the number that exists in Syracuse. And despite their downtown area being nearly as depressed as ours (I actually think Armory Square is a bit busier and with more appeal than the High Falls area of downtown Rochester,) there are pockets which have a totally different feel. Check some of the cafes, restaurants and coffee joints near the Eastman School of Music. I've visited them and just had the sense that I was in a very different kind of city than Syracuse. Not intended as a criticism but an observation.
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