African American Couple Moving Syracuse

[MoneLove]

Originally Posted by hnt1218

Thank you for all your advise. We decided to taake a trip in May to check out the area and the University. There are rental homes in North Syracuse and Liverpool and Wescott, which location would you guys recommend.

I was born and raised in Syracuse/North Syracuse/Cicero-- Syracuse is a VERY depressed area--The people that make the limited amount of decent paying jobs in the city are professors,doctors,lawyers,construction workers and laborer works that work at good companys like GE,Budweiser and Lockhead[which from my understanding doesnt exhist anymore] etc--Since ur a professor etc ur best options 4 housing would be dewitt, fayetteville, cicero, north syracuse, east syracuse, camillus, baldwinsville and liverpool.

Taking in respect of these places and where u are from remember that the farther u live away from ur job the more u have 2 drive--Driving in the winter can be brutal if ur not used 2 dealing with snow--so u might want 2 live as close 2 the university u'll be working at as possible--

As far as crime there is crime everywhere--I wouldnt recomend living in the cities southside or west side--but northside and east side are good in certain areas--and u can tell upon a visual inspection where those areas are--There isnt alot of racism in the inner cities but the city officials IMHO do a fine job of segragating nationalites ie. north side: little italy, eastside: little russia, westside: little ireland-- something 2 that effect...notice how there's no south side little "------"? and no representation of the area 4 African -American population/Latino what so ever even though the inner city is made up of at least 38.6% of mixed minorities races--Shame

I find that if u live in a pretty decent area where theres isnt alot of gang activity, drug trafficking etc and u come and go and do ur thing and associate with the people u associate with, u can virtually live without ever having and problems in syracuse or surrounding areas.

Before I moved 2 Seattle 2 years ago I lived on Hasbrouck St in the East Syracuse area--VERY quiet neighborhood, no crime nor drama, no nothing--I didnt entertain the types of people who lead that kinds of life so i never was subjected 2 any kinds of radom or placed crimes or theft-- When I moved over 2 the eastside on the other side of I 690-- I lived on one of the side streets that ran horizontal between E. Genesee St and Fayette Street--Not a good area but I NEVER had any issues with anyone around me or 2 my possesions--Im not saying move into the inner city lol im just saying that there is a possibility 2 exhist in certain areas of city that may seem questionable but never have any issues--

I recommend the areas I stated above because they are quaint and quiet and 4 working class people. As 4 ur selection of the three places u asked about I would recommend WESCOTT cuz it has a cool vibe ---Check out ALTO CINCO's if they still exist they have awesome mexican food--I must 4 warn u that the service sucks (ran by college kids), they have a small seating area and its pretty much always packed BUT the food is SO worth it and its afforadable --

If u like greek food KING DAVID's on the SU campus on I think Marshall Ave is AWESOME--- Good luck 2 u both and im sure u will have no problem adjusting 2 Syarcuse's unpolished nature. This is a city that is oppressed in nature. the city is lacking in big city charm and virtually has no real life within itself 4 a young vibrant, eccletic,wild-eyed,artistic,optomistic whos looking 4 a challenge or a future in anything that is off the beatin path artistically or musically---
IMHO--But on the academic level u all should be fine if u can deal with the winters Here's some more cool places 2 check out:

Dinasour BBQ on Salina 4 good BBQ
Shifty's 4 chicken wings on Burnett Ave
Hinderwaddles 4 clams on Taft Rd
Coleman's Irish Pub 4 Cornbeef & Cabbage on Lowell Ave

Clarks ale house 4 the best roastbeef sandwiches and best microbrews [i dont know if the still exhist] in the downtown area

Blue Tusk, Ohms and Aweful Al's--Great atmosphere, great drinks--Aweful Als has great jazz bands and vibes but its a cigar bar so if u dont like smoke, it might not be the place 4 u--

If u like live music R&B and Blues check out Bobby Green & a Cut Above or Los Blancos--these are two kick ass bands 4 live music. Bobby Green is legendary in Syarcuse along with other great local bands in the area-- Grab a NEW TIMES and that will give u more info on the area nightlife and resteraunts--hope this helps u figure out where 2 live--Good luck again--Sorry this was so long lol-------

an X caged Syracusian who finally got free
Mone--


p.s.
URBANPANNER nice info--I agree with almost everything u said or recommended except 4 the evolving part--but none the less respectfully u have given her great infromation and that is awesome

[GlobalTransplant]

Wow, moving to Syracuse sounds more depressing than I thought...

I suppose that since my move is to become a Prof at SU as well, and I'll be living further east of the East neighborhood, I should expect quiet snowned-in hell?

[johnny99]

Reading Bella's posts you can tell he doesn't get out of his car much and have a true feel for the neighborhoods of Syracuse. The east side is gr8. Also there are nice inner ring suburbs on the southeast side very close to SU. I know two profs who live in Jamesville over by Crown Point/Southwood. Would be a 10 minute commute and the roads are well maintained. The JD school system is highly rated and even if you don't have children helps when you sell your home. Taxes are reasonable in the Southwood section because it is not in the town of Dewitt but in the town of Onondaga (lower taxes but JD schools). The whole town, village, county thing is confusing. Its these added layers of government that keep the taxes so high up here. You will not see this complexity anywhere else but in upstate. People up here have become numb to the tax situation so having to pay village, town, county, and school tax w/ no services is the norm and accepted. It needs to change. Good luck on your move and Welcome.

[maryann1804]

I live in baldwinsville, from Fort Worth, TX and love it here. You mentioned Liverpool, that is a nice town. Not far from the University at all. My husband works at University hospital, from Bville it only takes him like 20-25 minutes to get to work. You will be close to the Carousel Mall as well if you like malls, it's a great place to shop. I don't think you will have a problem at all as far as racism goes. Everybody for the most part are very friendly. Good luck to you.

[Classicalguy]

I'm a professor at SU, and grew up and lived my whole pre-professor life in California (born and raised in LA area, and worked in SF area). For someone with a family, I think life is better in Syracuse than in California. You can afford a nice house in a really nice suburb like Manlius, Dewitt, Jamesville, or Fayetteville. Great schools, much safer than anywhere in California. We have very distinct seasons, which was a change from Cali, but I've grown to like it. I even enjoy the winters! Certainly, nothing here to be afraid of.

If you want a city feel rather than suburbs, the University area is pretty nice. Kind of a Berkeley feel. Crime rate is a bit higher than burbs, and schools a bit lower quality, but still low crime and decent schools. It's not like moving the the Bronx or something. There is nothing to be afraid of, that's for sure. Quality of life is amazingly high here on a professor's salary - much higher than in expensive Clairmont CA.

After writing this, I noticed that you said you were an african american couple. The burbs are pretty white. I think you'd be welcomed with open arms by the neighbors, but whether you'd feel comfortable in such a white area is something I can't answer. There would be more racial diversity in Syracuse - the University area, the Strathmore area, and Sedgewick area. All three have beautiful homes at very good prices, and offer an alternative to the 'burbs. I'm not trying to steer you away from the burbs at all - look at both and see what you think, and then share your thoughts with others. I hope you decide to join us.

[ckhthankgod]

Don't worry, it probably will take time to adjust, but there isn't anything to worry about.

So far, I've seen pretty accurate posts about the area.

Some other areas to check out are:Onondaga Hill-as a Black kid that grew up there, the school district is great(Westhill) and is close to the city and the Black community in particular. It is also pretty close to the campus as well. Granted the school district I went to school in wasn't the most diverse, but it was a great district and if you have children, they will have a good chance of getting into a great college with a diploma from there. Just make sure to keep up on what they are doing and on the school.

Bayberry section of Liverpool-pretty mixed suburban development in a district with a decent Black student population and good schools. Liverpool SD probably looks similar to a district in California due to having a big HS and plenty of schools. In terms of residential things, Bayberry is quiet and nice. Close to shopping, parks, highways, etc.

Fremont area of East Syracuse/Minoa-Again, a nice area that is in a good school district. Close to the city and shopping, but far enough to be away from things. This is a school district that has seen an increase in Black people moving there and in a range of working class to upper middle class people.

The Scottholm/Sedgewick and Stratmore areas of the city of Syracuse-All are very similar in makeup of housing and are almost like suburbs in the city. Scottholm is on the East side, Sedgewick is on the North side and Strathmore is on the West or Southwest side.

Valley section south of Seneca Turnpike in the city of Syracuse-This area is on the Southern end of the city and is still very nice with an older housing stock. Parts of the Eastwood section in the city of Syracuse are similar too and that is in the Northeastern corner of the city.

[hnt1218]

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has replied to my previous posts. You've been a great help. My question now is Wescott area. More specifically 250 cambridge street, Syracuse, NY. We are looking at taking over a place for a year from a professor on sabbatical. Is this a good neighborhood for me?

[ckhthankgod]

Yes, very nice area that is close to the Westcott business district. A lot of nice older homes that are well kept. There are churches, stores, restaurants and so on close by too. Not too far from the highway or the Erie Boulevard East strip, where there is pretty much anything you need there. Very diverse area as well. If you want a view of the neighborhood, just go to google maps, put in the address, then click on street view. It will give you a view of the area you would live in.

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by hnt1218

Thank you for all your advise. We decided to taake a trip in May to check out the area and the University. There are rental homes in North Syracuse and Liverpool and Wescott, which location would you guys recommend.

Good luck to you! Syracuse is a great city.