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I live in Ithaca, work in Cortland, and get to Syracuse about 6 times a year. We go for cultural events, dining, business appointments, and to the airport. Our impression of (downtown) Syracuse is that it is, indeed, a "ghost town" - outside of business hours. It seems that it just about empties out when people go home after work. There are very few people there on the weekends or in the evening.
I guess they're all out in the 'burbs. Still, it has a lot of that 'ghost town' vibe, way more than any other city I've been in (e.g., Baltimore, D.C., Portland Oregon, even Rochester).
And I agree that it is kind of ugly when you're driving in on I-81. Also, that you have to know how to get where you're going, there isn't a lot of help from road signs (except for the Fairgrounds and the Dome). I've been to the zoo like 10 times and I STILL often get lost trying to find it!
Bella: I guess you will have to give tours to show folks the good side of Syracuse. No one else seems to be making much of an effort.
Looking4home: My 2nd time in upstate not counting being there as a young child at Niagra Falls. I've lived all over the country. I loved the upstate region from Buffalo to Syracuse & beyond. I must have been an Erie Canal boat operator in a past life!
Bella: I guess you will have to give tours to show folks the good side of Syracuse. No one else seems to be making much of an effort.
Looking4home: My 2nd time in upstate not counting being there as a young child at Niagra Falls. I've lived all over the country. I loved the upstate region from Buffalo to Syracuse & beyond. I must have been an Erie Canal boat operator in a past life!
friedzone, sadly virtually all the people who visit Syracuse.......... and have your first impression..... never make constructive comments afterward!
I'd say that roughly 60% to 70% of the entire US population would have a similar perception of Syracuse. That's why I'm so critical of Syracuse and the Syracuse area overall. I can see this area through other people's eyes.
Just to add, I understand why people are more attracted to the Rochester area over the Syracuse area. Most of the attraction to Rochester is cosmetic. Which is the reason why I'm such a large proponent of new highly visible sleek tall buildings in downtown Syracuse....and more newly built, well-maintained, visible suburban growth.
I just wish that more people who view Syracuse they way you do, would actually post and make comments on forums like this one. If they did, I think you'd see more Syracuse natives see the light and understand what exactly makes Syracuse and CNY carry such an unrelenting negative reputation.
Sometimes I feel like a stranger in my own city because I know that most locals are afraid of the change that's needed (and I promote) to make the Syracuse area THE best metropolitan area in Upstate NY. That's really what the Syracuse area should aim for. It's within reach, it just has to become better and look better than 4 or 5 other parts of the State.
BTW, you'd be surprised how much a skyline can change people's perception of an area. Most people wouldn't have such a positive perception of Miami if it had Syracuse's current skyline. It's hard to imagine, but most people's perception of Miami, FL would drop considerably if it had Syracuse's short outdated 70s style skyline.
Last edited by bellafinzi; 04-03-2009 at 04:48 PM..
I'm here right now vacationing in Central NY. Thought I'd start a thread about my impressions so far. Please jump in with any comments everyone!
Well, frankly Syracuse seemed pretty scary from driving up 81 it looked sort of like a very small version of the south side of Chicago. I hit the accellerator to get out of there. I know there are nice parts I will try and see. Anyway... I'm staying in a nice little town called Penn Yan. There is a Best Western I'm staying at that is totally NON SMOKING! YES!!! Highly recommended. So far I have mostly been driving around the Finger Lakes tasting wine. The white wines are the best in this region.
I did stop in Auburn. Having the prison located in the heart of downtown is indeed rather depressing. Besides the Seward house and some historic homes, Auburn has very little to recommend. Ithaca is OK, if you like College towns. Watkins Glen was OK also. As far as living anywhere where you could hope to find a job, I would say that Rochester is still the economic engine of CNY and not Syracuse.
I'll post more as I travel around. I must say the people are pretty nice. Someone said the people are real here in NY state, and I agree...
I have relatives that live in the Southern Tier, south of the Finger Lakes. Most think of Syracuse as a big ghetto. On the other hand, they think of Rochester as the "big city" where they go shopping or get big city medical care. Syracuse people do not realize how bad its image actually is compared to Rochester. IMO most of it stems from no beautiful visible suburbs south of the city/Syracuse, the views from I-81 heading into the city and the lack of an impressive skyline. Carousal Mall and the Carrier Dome are the only two things most people in the Southern Tier respect about Syracuse. Too bad Carousal Mall is located in an industrial wasteland. That's the lasting image people have of this WHOLE area.
Last edited by bellafinzi; 05-14-2009 at 03:58 PM..
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