Oneida Lake? (New York, Buffalo, Rochester: real estate, to rent, big home)

[homeward bound]

Hi, can anyone tell me about the lake itself? I ask in part because it's so rarely mentioned by forum posters--and because I've never been there myself.

How polluted/unpolluted is it?

Does it offer good fishing, boating, and swimming--the latter particularly for a family w/ young kids?

How developed is it?

I understand that Syracuse gets its water from Skaneateles Lake. Why doesn't it get its water from Oneida Lake?

I've read some accounts of all the biological changes it has undergone. Would you say it's on an upswing in terms of its apparent health?

Is it a good place to rent a cottage, esp. for a family w/ young kids?

What are the towns around it like?

Which of its surrounding/nearby towns have those old colonial/victorian/village green qualities that make upstate NY so worthwhile?

Thanks!

[bellafinzi]

It's a very nice big lake IMO.

The western part of Oneida Lake is in suburban Syracuse. The town of Cicero, Syracuse's fastest growing suburb is growing so fast partly due residents desire to live near Oneida Lake.

Oneida Lake is not polluted. It did have a problem with zebra mussels a few years ago, but haven't heard much since. The city of Syracuse gets it's water from Skaneateles Lake because the Finger Lakes are higher in elevation then the city so when the water system was built a long time ago, gravity could bring water to Syracuse from Skaneateles Lake.

Actually, the suburbs of Syracuse get most of their water from Lake Ontario. That's one huge advantage that the Syracuse region has over most other areas of the country...Syracuse and its suburbs will never run out of water.

I assume that Lake Ontario is a better water source than Oneida Lake for the simple fact that its much larger Lake.

Swimming: You can swim in Oneida Lake. There are three major beaches on the Lake like Oneida Shores on the west end, and Sylvan Beach on the east shore.

Boating: Yes boating is very popular on Oneida Lake. There are many marinas on the lake, some homes have private marinas in their backyard. On July 4 you'll see thousands of boat on the western side of the lake near the Syracuse suburbs lined up to watch the fireworks in Brewerton over the lake.

Fishing: Very good bass fishing on Oneida Lake. The bass master's pro tour is held there every year. I fished there when I was a kid and catch a few fish. My Aunt actually lives in a huge house on the lake. Every summer party growing up was held at her house overlooking the lake. Very, very good childhood memories from the lake.

Oneida Lake is connected to the Erie Canal, so boaters and tourist cruises use the the Lake as they go down the Erie Canal that runs from Albany to Buffalo and Syracuse to Lake Ontario.

I'm not sure about the other question you ask. Brewerton, Sylvan Beach and Cleveland are only real "communities" located directly on Oneida Lake. The rest of the surrounding developments are located along country roads or in Cicero, suburban roads. Until last year, the Syracuse newspaper said that Oneida Lake had the cheapest real estate prices on homes for any lakeside property in the whole WORLD! Prices have grown up lately and some people are buying up old cottages, knocking them down and building big homes on the lake. If the Syracuse economy ever boomed, I'm sure this practice will become more widespread.

[bellafinzi]

My Photos of Oneida Lake

Oneida Lake at the end of South Bay Road in Cicero



A marina near the Cicero Yacht Club and golf course





Public pool at on Oneida Lake



Yacht club parking lot overlooking Oneida Lake in Cicero





The two island in Oneida Lake can be seen from the Yacht Club



Homes on the lake



Looking east down the length of Oneida Lake from Williams Park in Cicero, there is a small beach at this park



Can't see the other side of the lake here



Williams Park



The small beach



some housing developments popping up next to the lake in Cicero

[Sonnenwende]

Those pictures are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.

[vicarian]

I used to do training for distance running up in Oneida Shores State Park. The lake is quite clean, and development around the lake, particularly the western end, has increased in recent years with the growth of Cicero.

The one caveat of living next to the lake would be the ice buildup during the winter. A little while back, a windstorm blew the ice into Williams Park, causing some damage to its shore facilities. But, that was only that one time, to my knowledge, and usually people take advantage and go ice fishing in the winter.

I had family that lived up in Bernhards Bay. I recall nearby Cleveland had a very homey feel to it, because it wasn't affected by suburban developments yet. But, that was a good ten years ago, I have no clue what Cleveland is like today.

[Glen NY]

Onieda lake, I believe is the largest lake that is completely in the confines of New York State. It is not very deep and some areas are prone to flooding. Some areas are not so pretty and look a bit trashy while other areas are very nice. You need to shop and look around. Like any big area things could be very different just one town over. If you visit the lake it looks huge, like a small ocean.

[bellafinzi]

Glen NY, you're right some areas around Oneida Lake are trashy looking...old small houses, junk left around the yard etc.

Glen NY, I was hoping you could give some advice to another Long Island native about Upstate NY. Her name is "msnewyork" and she made this thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...king-move.html

Thanks!

[Mollikins]

Originally Posted by Glen NY

Onieda lake, I believe is the largest lake that is completely in the confines of New York State. It is not very deep and some areas are prone to flooding. Some areas are not so pretty and look a bit trashy while other areas are very nice. You need to shop and look around. Like any big area things could be very different just one town over. If you visit the lake it looks huge, like a small ocean.

Have to disagree with you here -- read and learn my friend.

Seneca Lake, one of western New York's glacial Finger Lakes, is the largest lake entirely within New York and second deepest lake in the United States, when gauged by its depth below sea level. It is promoted as being the lake trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Derby, Because of its depth, Seneca Lake has been a testing site for submarines.

I thought maybe Cayuga Lake was but turns out I'M wrong too !!

[bellafinzi]

Mollikins, please don't tell me you got that info from wikipedia? If you did, I understand why it's wrong. Western NY and particularly the Rochester area are shameless promoters of their region. They often over exaggerate and stretch the truth to make their area look like the best in the state. Nothing wrong with having pride, but you need to check their sources before you believe everything they say.

The fact is: Oneida Lake is the largest lake completely within the State.

just a few sources:

http://www.iloveny.state.ny.us/info_center/state_facts_geo.asp (broken link)

http://www.dos.state.ny.us/kidsroom/.../empfacts.html

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/p.../2006137a.html

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_.../New_York.html

[Glen NY]

Mollikins and Bellafinzi, I have done no research so my facts are based on memory, but you may both be right and it depends on the definition of largest. Seneca is a very deep lake and by volume it may be the largest. Onieda is not so deep, but it is vast and covers more area and has a greater circu****ence, so by area it may be the largest.