Underrated and overrated communities and/or neighborhoods..... (Syracuse, Clay: homes, safest neighborhood)

[ckhthankgod]

What do you think are some underrated and overrated communities and/or neighborhoods in the Syracuse area?

[proulxfamily]

Underrated- Fabius-Pompey: It's just 20 minutes from downtown Syracuse. People act as though they're all hillbillies and it's soooooo far out. With all the traffic and congestion in the Cicero area, 20+ minutes isn't an uncommon amount of time to get home to either Cicero or Brewerton. The same goes for Canastota and Chittenango. Same distances... MUCH less expensive homes. And right off the Thruway, if you need to travel. The same time frame applies to Tully and LaFayette. Both viewed as "way out"... but aren't. They're just a straight shot down 81.

Overrated- Jamesville (what's there?), Westcott (yuppies wanting to be hippies and getting more pot smells wafting into their homes than they expected lol), F-M (stop sending snotty development-lovers here! :P Yes- there's a lot of land out here... but stop building cookie-cutter neighborhoods on ALL of it! lol), Cicero (should change name to Development-ville) and Sedgewick (vintage, high prices for inner city neighborhoods on the fringe or closer.)

[RollsRoyce]

Underrated: Camillus, Fairmount, Westvale, Marcellus, Village of Liverpool, Winkworth, Fabius

Overrated: Cicero, Brewerton

[Jeromeville]

I also gotta say I find Westcott overrated. Not for the cultural aspects, but... it's just not the safest neighborhood, especially with all the students living there it seems to attract a kind of shifty element. I don't like going there by myself, especially not at night. Nothing much has changed there since forever, which I understand might appeal to some people, but in a way it feels like a self-contained time capsule. It seems a stagnant, not growing place.

and no, I can't recommend a "funky" neighborhood as an alternative. Westcott is unique, at least in Syracuse.

I think Onondaga Hill and the Town of Onondaga is underrated, and seemingly for only one reason - the lack of a multilane bypass allowing you to avoid the city. Wha?

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Jeromeville

I also gotta say I find Westcott overrated. Not for the cultural aspects, but... it's just not the safest neighborhood, especially with all the students living there it seems to attract a kind of shifty element. I don't like going there by myself, especially not at night. Nothing much has changed there since forever, which I understand might appeal to some people, but in a way it feels like a self-contained time capsule. It seems a stagnant, not growing place.

and no, I can't recommend a "funky" neighborhood as an alternative. Westcott is unique, at least in Syracuse.

I think Onondaga Hill and the Town of Onondaga is underrated, and seemingly for only one reason - the lack of a multilane bypass allowing you to avoid the city. Wha?

As a person that grew up in Onondaga Hill, I'm kind of torn. I like it's location, but it isn't the most walkable place in the area. That's changing a bit though. It's safe and does have a grocery store, library, gas stations, Dunkin Donuts, a post office and banks in the middle of the community. You have OCC and the town of Onondaga offices there too. There is a park, but you pretty much have to drive to it and it is next to Hillbrook. It's in a good school district too.

As for underrated: Village of Liverpool, Marcellus, Village of Baldwinsville and the Fremont area of the East Syracuse-Minoa SD.

Overrated: Village Green(somewhat), Jamesville and Radisson(somewhat due to too many housing restrictions).

[phaelon56]

Underrated:

Marcellus

Salt Springs is an affordable racially integrated city neighborhood with excellent values in housing prices and is often overlooked.

Overrated:

Westcott neighborhood. I can safely say that because I grew up in that neighborhood and lived in it on and off for many years as an adult. I can still comfortably recommend it to some people provided they understand its unique characteristics.

Fayetteville - Manlius
Brewerton
Cicero
Clay

[beckyhuggs]

I think this question is going to be personal no matter what because everyone has very different tastes and needs. Some people really love the Fayetteville area and wouldn't find it overrated or snobby at all while others find it to be exactly that. But I'll join in the conversation, here's my opinion -

Overated - Cicero, North Syracuse, Liverpool, Clay

Underrated - Lafayette, Tully, Pompey, East Side of the City

[acknight]

IMO:

Overrated: Clay, Liverpool (outside of the village), Cicero, Onondaga Hill, Fayetteville-Manlius (except village of Manlius), Jamesville/Southwood

Underrated: Meadowbrook and the general east side of Syracuse, Camillus/Fairmount, Westvale, older parts of DeWitt.

[SteveMax58]

Funny...the general consensus forming in the thread is in complete contrast to what was actually recommended to me by realtors and locals that I happened to talk with(exception of FM).

Nobody ever recommended Clay or Cicero to me but I got plenty of recommendations for Liverpool, Baldwinsville, Marcellus, and Camillus, though.

Not saying any of that is accurate or inaccurate...just wanted to share the irony.

[bellafinzi]

Originally Posted by SteveMax58

Funny...the general consensus forming in the thread is in complete contrast to what was actually recommended to me by realtors and locals that I happened to talk with(exception of FM).

Nobody ever recommended Clay or Cicero to me but I got plenty of recommendations for Liverpool, Baldwinsville, Marcellus, and Camillus, though.

Not saying any of that is accurate or inaccurate...just wanted to share the irony.

I agree!

I do not understand how anyone can say Clay or Cicero are overrated. Before I came on this forum I never heard one person even mention the towns of Clay or Cicero.

The only reason I've focused on them so much and took so many pictures of these communities was because I found they are so underrated. I was trying to show others that the northern suburbs aren't as low class as most people try to make them out to be.

Even now, there are people who live in the city who do not even know Clay or Cicero exists. My friend was telling me about someone he worked with that never heard of North Syracuse, Clay or Cicero when he was asked where he lived.

Just watch the local news. Seems like the whole local media is so eastern suburb and city centric. The Syracuse media is always making errors on the geography of the northern suburbs. For example a popular one is naming Cicero ... when they really meant to say Clay...... and the reverse also.