Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
we just found out that my husband (30) and I (27) will be moving to Syracuse because of his job. We are very excited for this new adventure. Most likely, we will only be there for 2-3 years, so unless there is a good potential for renting out a house once we leave (is there???), we would probably want to rent ourselves.
So my question would be: what is a good area to live in?
We don't have any kids but a dog, so a yard or park nearby would be important. Also, we want to live close to shopping and restaurants/bars but above all, we really want to be in a nice and safe neighborhood. Ideally, we are looking for a house with at least 2 bedrooms (3 would be better) and 2 bathrooms. Right now we have a two car garage, so that would be nice too, but I'm not sure if that's common in this area. My husband's employer will pay $1500 for housing (which should include utilities), but I'm not sure if that will get us what we want. Right now we live in a really nice, upgraded house in a more upscale neighborhood, so I'm wondering if I have to be prepared to lower my standard of living...
Also, I was wondering what the job market looks like out there. By the time we move, I will be done with my Bachelors in Business Administration and am hoping to get at least a somewhat decent job.
Oh, and I like to buy local/ organic groceries, so does anybody know if there is something like Whole Foods or another decent size organic/ natural food store out there in that area?
CKH got it - Westcott (or the Sherman Park neighborhood south of there) sounds like a pretty good fit. Something of a hike from downtown, but more dog-friendly (leash laws apply in all parks, of course - since most people have yards, Syracuse doesn't really have dog parks) and a pretty self-contained neighborhood.
Thanks so much for all your answers. They are greatly appreciated.
We have contacted a realtor in the local area, because we are now considering to buy a home instead of renting one. He also suggested Clay. Any input on that?
i don't know where you're from but in syracuse, you can get anywhere in onondaga county within 30 min. so shopping, restaurants, parks, etc. are all within easy reach. so you may not need to limit yourself to living in the city.
as for the city itself, a lot of people who lives in the suburbs have this unfounded fear of the city. they think drug deals and shootings are the norm, and that is just so, very, very far from the truth. i live and work in the city and i've never, ever, felt threatened. fyi, my work regularly takes me into some of the so call "rough" areas, day and night, and i find people's fear of the city is just dumb.
having said that, there are good and bad neighborhoods in syracuse. with no kids, you should look at the strathmore area. it has THE most beautiful park in all of central ny (onondaga park.) the area around meadowbrook dr., near syracuse university, is very nice. eastwood, tipperary hill, all have tight knit neighborhoods. if you have the money, there are apartments right in the city: armory square, franklin square, that are pretty neat.
For two young people who are looking for proximity to restaurants, shopping, and nice neighborhoods, there aren't too many worse choices than Clay. It's a sprawling exurb. It sounds like the realtor is pushing new-builds to boost his commission. Too many of them do that.
I agree wholeheartedly with the above poster. The city (neighborhoods such as University Hill, Westcott, Strathmore) is a very nice place to live, with walkable neighborhoods and great cultural, shopping, dining, and nightlife options.
It's sad to think that transplants are being pushed to areas such as Clay; that would, however, account for tales of people moving here and being miserable. That's just irresponsible for a realtor to suggest that after being told that pleasant neighborhoods and proximity to shopping, restaurants, and nightlife are priorities.
oops, didn't see the part about whole-foods. we don't have whole foods in syracuse. however, we do have wegmans, which is pretty amazing for grocery stores, this coming from a guy! some people don't like the one in dewitt, they think it's too big, but go there first to get the whole experience, then visit some of the other, smaller, ones if they're more to your liking.
to get local food, try syracuse real food co-op. they have a small store in westcott, their selection can't match wegmans, but that's because they are truly local so you wouldn't expect them to. there's also another service here that leaves you a box of in season, locally grown, produce every week, or was that month? i can't think of the name of it, but they give you a lot. we used to split it with another family but even then we couldn't finish our allotment, mainly our fault because we didn't know how to cook and utilize some of the produce, so we stopped the service.
the biggest farmers' market in syracuse is the one next to alliance bank stadium. they have local growers there, but also "farmers" who get their vegetables/fruits from florida, california, etc. and sell them there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
