Commuting from Syracuse to Ithaca (Binghamton, Auburn: apartments, lease, homes)

[jzcrandall]

I'm curious to know how common it is for people to commute to Ithaca for work. I'm currently looking for work, and I've been looking in Ithaca along with Syracuse due in part to the lower unemployment rate, and if I find a job I like I'll move down there when my lease is up in July.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by jzcrandall

I'm curious to know how common it is for people to commute to Ithaca for work. I'm currently looking for work, and I've been looking in Ithaca along with Syracuse due in part to the lower unemployment rate, and if I find a job I like I'll move down there when my lease is up in July.

I think it occurs, but not too common. I think if people commute from the Syracuse area to Ithaca, I believe most live in southern Onondaga County or in Cayuga County. I know a lady that does commute from Auburn to Cornell. If people commute to Syracuse from the Ithaca area, I believe they tend to live in Dryden or Groton.

Many commute from Cortland to Ithaca and Syracuse, which also has a state college in SUNY Cortland. If you live in Cortland, you would be in between Syracuse and Ithaca, as well as be close to Binghamton, which is another city people from Cortland commute to for work.

[vikas2c]

I will be doing that starting June and was wondering the same thing. My wife is starting school this fall and I work in Ithaca!

Hopefully its not a bad drive, although winters might be a drag, hoping to find a place closer to South Syracuse to cut down the commute!

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by vikas2c

I will be doing that starting June and was wondering the same thing. My wife is starting school this fall and I work in Ithaca!

Hopefully its not a bad drive, although winters might be a drag, hoping to find a place closer to South Syracuse to cut down the commute!

I would look at Cortland and maybe Homer or Tully. Possibly LaFayette too. There are some apartments in LaFayette that I know of. Apple Ridge Apartments for Rent | Apartment Finder

Willow Wood Apartment Homes Apartments for Rent | Apartment Finder (http://www.apartmentfinder.com/New-York/Lafayette-Apartments/Willow-Wood-Apartment-Homes-Apartments - broken link)

Here's a complex in Tully: Belmont Ridge Apartments for Rent | Apartment Finder

[beckyhuggs]

I know somebody who commutes to Ithaca everyday. He was living in Syracuse but moved to Tully soon after getting the job. He reports that its really not a bad commute even in winter. He also told me that most of the people who do the commute take the back roads rather than 81.

[Emitchell]

I think that commute would get real old, real fast. Especially in the winter.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by beckyhuggs

I know somebody who commutes to Ithaca everyday. He was living in Syracuse but moved to Tully soon after getting the job. He reports that its really not a bad commute even in winter. He also told me that most of the people who do the commute take the back roads rather than 81.

He must take Route 281 to Route 13 to Route 366, I believe.

[ki0eh]

Possibly they meant take the back roads rather than 13 between the west side of Cortland and Ithaca. The continuation of 366 east of Freeville hits 281 one light north of the 13 junction, at that point it's called McLean Rd. Village of Dryden is a speed trap and the hills either side in bad weather are enough combined with out-of-area folks not knowing how to drive in winter heading over to Ithaca to sometimes make things dicey. If for some reason one wanted to avoid 81 that's easy enough by continuing on 281 to Preble or even Tully but under normal circumstances it wouldn't be faster due to traffic lights on 3 miles worth of Village of Homer.

[phaelon56]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Possibly they meant take the back roads rather than 13 between the west side of Cortland and Ithaca. The continuation of 366 east of Freeville hits 281 one light north of the 13 junction, at that point it's called McLean Rd. Village of Dryden is a speed trap and the hills either side in bad weather are enough combined with out-of-area folks not knowing how to drive in winter heading over to Ithaca to sometimes make things dicey. If for some reason one wanted to avoid 81 that's easy enough by continuing on 281 to Preble or even Tully but under normal circumstances it wouldn't be faster due to traffic lights on 3 miles worth of Village of Homer.

Bingo. I spent four years living in Ithaca but had part time weekend work and visits with my daughter and parents in Syracuse very week. I always took Rte 81 between Homer (exit 13) and Syracuse but the Mclean Rd/Freeville route for the rest of the trip. It's about a one hour trip - faster, more pleasant and fewer tickets risks than the Dryden route (but do NOT speed in Freeville - 30 means 30!).

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by phaelon56

(but do NOT speed in Freeville - 30 means 30!).

I just realized I'm old enough to remember the likely rationale for the 1/2 mile of 30 mph on the east side of Freeville. There used to be 3 RR crossings in that stretch of Fall Creek Rd - as a first grader I got bused over to Freeville school and of course the bus stopped per regulation for each weedy streak of rust.

The scrappers came within a year to claim the remains of the Lehigh Valley lines that had made Freeville a minor rail hub - that road crossed both and a connector track between the two. The embankment at the easterly crossing got flattened into the cornfields, for maybe 15 years later the corn grew a little less well over the former RR trace but lately I notice no difference. The farmer's so far kept the old RR bridge over Fall Creek intact though.

As for enforcing the 30 mph in Freeville, I thought I heard recently that the Freeville village cop had retired and not replaced, but the State Police come through quite a bit so I retain the habit to stick to 30 through there.