Syracuse suburban town –Camillus pictures (Rochester, Fairmount: crime rate, middle school, taxi)

[teebopop]

Is there a medical center or hospital in Camillus? Or is the drive into Syracuse short enough in case of a medical emergency? Thanks!

[bellafinzi]

Originally Posted by Movineast

Hello Bellafinzi,

My husband and son came out to Camillus for a lacrosse event- They took a camera - but no pictures came back home. They could not stop talking about how beautiful the town of Camillus is. They were so excited to see your pictures so I could see Camillus is. I do have a question for you. In California, we suffer from terrible traffic and live with long commutes. Our weather is not as extreme as the weather in the upstate area and so driving a 60 mile commute in winter is not that difficult. Do many people commute great distances for work?? Does the weather and road system become a problem for those who do commute more than 30 miles to work??? Any input would be a great help.

Thanks for the reply!

Most here commute less than 20 miles. I believe 20 to 25 minutes is the average commute in the Syracuse MSA. More than 30 miles is rare. I know some people do it, but not many. Turning Stone Casino is about 30 miles from Syracuse and some do commute there. Weather could pose a problem for long commutes. Especially if it's in the snow belt north of Syracuse in Oswego County. Roads are usually cleared in time for the morning commute, but if it's a long commute you could be leaving your home before the snow plows clear the roads.

[bellafinzi]

Originally Posted by teebopop

Is there a medical center or hospital in Camillus? Or is the drive into Syracuse short enough in case of a medical emergency? Thanks!

Medical Center West is located in Camillus.

The Sutton Companies | Medical Center West

[Movineast]

Hello Bellafinzi,

Thank you so much for the commute information. We are from the Bay Area and my husband has to cross a bridge everyday to get to work-this really limits the alternative routes he can use to get to work. How is the commute from Camillus to Lansing?? I have mapquested the distant and travel time - and I know it's about the same distance my husband travels now. I noticed on the maps that interstate 81 is one route and another is route 5/34. Which route would you recommend? One route takes you west from Camillus then south and the other takes you east - then south. If you travel south away from Syracuse- do you thing the snow will become less an issue for commuting that distance? I know it is difficult to predict - but I would really appreicate any input.

[bellafinzi]

I think the Interstate 81 route would be best. Since 81 is an interstate there are no traffic lights or winding country roads until you reach Cortland. The Route 5 to Route 34 commute is mostly two lane country roads. Snow could pose a problem in the winter for a commute that long. Some people do commute that route though. I know someone who lives in Liverpool and works in Ithaca. They are currently selling their Liverpool home and buying a house on Onondaga Hill. That way he avoids the traffic through the city and trims roughly 20 minutes off the commute.

[bellafinzi]

Camillus on youtube


YouTube - Camillus Forest - Unique Area Part 1

YouTube - Camillus Forest - Unique Area Part 2

YouTube - Camillus Parade - Memorial Day Part 1 of 6

YouTube - Febfest Talent Show - The Young Poets

[Movineast]

Hello Bellafinzi,

We are coming back for a quick visit to see Camillus and surrounding areas - I noticed that the West Genesse school district extends all the way to Split Rock and almost to Onondaga. We are going to look for a house in the southern end of the school district to help shorten my husbands commute to Lansing. Are there any neighborhoods or subdivisons that you recommend in the southern end near Split Rock and almost to town of Onondaga? I have a High School senior and have shown him pictures of Onondaga Community College. I also saw that they have new resident halls for students. Do many students commute to the school from surrounding areas?

[bellafinzi]

Originally Posted by Movineast

Hello Bellafinzi,

We are coming back for a quick visit to see Camillus and surrounding areas - I noticed that the West Genesse school district extends all the way to Split Rock and almost to Onondaga. We are going to look for a house in the southern end of the school district to help shorten my husbands commute to Lansing. Are there any neighborhoods or subdivisons that you recommend in the southern end near Split Rock and almost to town of Onondaga? I have a High School senior and have shown him pictures of Onondaga Community College. I also saw that they have new resident halls for students. Do many students commute to the school from surrounding areas?

Hi Movineast!

West Genesse actually includes a large part of northern Town of Onondaga. I wouldn't worry too much if you find a place to live closer to Onondaga Hill. Why? Well, the Westhill school district is considered a great school district too. Probably better than West Genesse since Westhill is so much smaller in size. I'm not too familiar with the subdivisions in that area. Only been there a few times. The newer developments in that area are so few; theorically it's possible to visit every development to see which you like the best. The Town of Onondaga is the least developed suburb of Syracuse that borders the city. Very sparsely populated compared to the northern suburbs.

Yes, many students commute to Onondaga Community College. Most need to commute since there are only 500 dorm rooms on campus and enrollment is over 9,000. About half are part-time, half full-time.

One word of caution. Avoid driving the direct route from Onondaga Hill to downtown Syracuse as much as possible. That road goes through and near some of worst hoods in the city. Onondaga Hill to Interstate 81 (exit 16A) should be fine, as it traverses the Valley section of the city mostly.

The Town of Onondaga is nice.... though it does have four minor drawbacks in my book. Lack of nearby shopping, you share the shopping plazas and malls with many city residents, somewhat isolated, and very narrow roads. Hopefully, the town will grow more and attract it's own commercial district. That could eliminate all the negatives IMO.

[Movineast]

Hello Bellafinzi,

My husband and I came out to beautiful Camillus at the end of September and WOW - it really is as beautiful as your pictures. What you cannot see from your pictures is how friendly everyone is. My youngest son spent a whole day at West Genesse Middle School and could not stop talking about all the great kids he met. He felt so welcomed and that just melted my heart! Long story short, we will be relocating to Camillus this January. I know that I will be welcoming in a winter season change about that time. I have a transportation question - does everyone drive a four-wheel drive or can you function with a two-wheel drive vehicle?? My husband is going to be commuting to North Lansing - he drives a small SUV - but is two wheel drive. Do most people have a winter and summer car??? I know that is a crazy question - but my husband keeps talking about people having "winter cars?". I am clueless. I drive a two-wheel drive Chevy Suburban (USS Mom taxi). I am concerned a boat that big is not safe unless it has four-wheel drive to keep it on the road. Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Sgoldie]

They're called 'winter rats' and use to be more common when you had to worry about your car rusting out from winter road salt.

Your car should be fine in the winter. The greater worry is for those vehicles that are too light weight and need to carry balast for winter stability. You will find lots of all wheel drives and four wheel drives, especially in areas such as the extreme hills in Jamesville.