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Bellafinzi - I just stumbled on this old thread of yours about Camillus as I was researching Camillus on the internet! Love all your pics and hearing about this lovely area that I have been exploring myself just this past week
The town of Camillus runs the gamut from very rural (ie farms) to small village (Village of Camillus) to dense suburban (Fairmount area). You can pretty much find virtually any type of house or housing development within the town. Also, quite a few nice apartment complexes. I really think Camillus is bizarrely overlooked when it comes to suggesting places for newcomers to live. The school system is outstanding, the commute to downtown is simple (and you have numerous routes to choose from with similar travel times) and it offers apartments or homes in virtually every style and price range (heck they are even still trying to sell that million dollar mansion out near Gillie lake I think). The Town has great parks to take the kids, great sports programs, an ice rink, the best Erie Canal park in the entire state. Crime is virtually nonexistent, consisting of shoplifters and the odd teenage spree of raiding unlocked cars. About the only thing it has lacked is shopping (and a movie theater would be nice), but that is rapidly changing especially in the Fairmount area. So I don't understand why Fayetteville/Manlius seems to be the ONLY Syracuse area that ever gets recommended for prospective suburbanites. It's not the only decent suburb in town!
The town of Camillus runs the gamut from very rural (ie farms) to small village (Village of Camillus) to dense suburban (Fairmount area). You can pretty much find virtually any type of house or housing development within the town. Also, quite a few nice apartment complexes. I really think Camillus is bizarrely overlooked when it comes to suggesting places for newcomers to live. The school system is outstanding, the commute to downtown is simple (and you have numerous routes to choose from with similar travel times) and it offers apartments or homes in virtually every style and price range (heck they are even still trying to sell that million dollar mansion out near Gillie lake I think). The Town has great parks to take the kids, great sports programs, an ice rink, the best Erie Canal park in the entire state. Crime is virtually nonexistent, consisting of shoplifters and the odd teenage spree of raiding unlocked cars. About the only thing it has lacked is shopping (and a movie theater would be nice), but that is rapidly changing especially in the Fairmount area. So I don't understand why Fayetteville/Manlius seems to be the ONLY Syracuse area that ever gets recommended for prospective suburbanites. It's not the only decent suburb in town!
Go West young man!!!
I agree. I think the Western suburbas get overlooked quite a bit. I think some of it could be that many of the people in the Western suburbs have long ties to the area. Many families have lived in Solvay for over a century and many of the people in the other Western suburbs are people that moved from the West Side neighborhoods and know each other from those days.
West Genesee, Westhill and if you go further out, Marcellus do get overlooked in terms of relocation, in my opinion. You can even find some nice homes in the Solvay area in parts of the village close to Westvale and in say Lakeland or Lakeside and in the Jordan-Elbridge area, which is more rural for those that aren't familiar with that area.
The town of Camillus runs the gamut from very rural (ie farms) to small village (Village of Camillus) to dense suburban (Fairmount area). You can pretty much find virtually any type of house or housing development within the town. Also, quite a few nice apartment complexes. I really think Camillus is bizarrely overlooked when it comes to suggesting places for newcomers to live. The school system is outstanding, the commute to downtown is simple (and you have numerous routes to choose from with similar travel times) and it offers apartments or homes in virtually every style and price range (heck they are even still trying to sell that million dollar mansion out near Gillie lake I think). The Town has great parks to take the kids, great sports programs, an ice rink, the best Erie Canal park in the entire state. Crime is virtually nonexistent, consisting of shoplifters and the odd teenage spree of raiding unlocked cars. About the only thing it has lacked is shopping (and a movie theater would be nice), but that is rapidly changing especially in the Fairmount area. So I don't understand why Fayetteville/Manlius seems to be the ONLY Syracuse area that ever gets recommended for prospective suburbanites. It's not the only decent suburb in town!
Go West young man!!!
The redevelopment of Fairmount Fair has progressed nicely. I remember when that shopping center was in a sharp downward spiral in 2005. With the loss of P&C, Wal-Mart and some of the rowdy patrons at Old Country Buffet, it seemed this plaza would follow the same fate as other forlorn shopping centers in first ring suburbs. Benderson Development is to be commended for their investment in Fairmount. Judging by the filled parking lots at Target, a reconditioned Marshalls and Dicks as well as the recently opened Panera Bread, the transformation of Fairmount Fair has been a success. Hopefully Benderson's investment in Fairmount Fair will prove that many older suburbs still have good demographics that will support infill development and redevelopment.
I have to say that I never knew that a Camillus existed *beyond* the old Camillus Mall, until a playdate was hosted by a mom in the village a few months ago. It's a sweet, lovely little village and, depending on where one's employer is located, seems to be both very convenient AND decently removed from the city. I was surprised and impressed.
Camillus village always struck me as kind of underdeveloped. They could do so much more with it, but seem to have problems with their village government. They seem to have no plan to deal with the loss of Camillus Cutlery for instance (surely they must have seen that coming?) It is very charmingly laid out in the valley of Nine Mile Creek. When I was a kid Camillus village seemed more alive. We actually went down there to do business (post office, vet, etc).
The Fairmount area is built-out and hence is resistant to sprawl. Benderson has done a very good job with Fairmount Fair (much better than they did with Camillus Plaza unfortunately). There have been plans long in the works to clean up the scruffy look of Fairmount's commercial strip, with sidewalks, new lighting and public parking, but it seems to proceed at a glacial pace. It is not a poster child for walkability, but definitely there's more to work with in Fairmount to nudge it toward walkability, than in other suburban commercial areas.
West Genesee Street is not exactly easily crossed by pedestrians, but you CAN cross it and maybe not get killed, unlike in Fayetteville where if you try to cross the strip you WILL get killed. Down on the Geddes town line side there is actually a pedestrian crosswalk and light.
Camillus village always struck me as kind of underdeveloped. They could do so much more with it, but seem to have problems with their village government. They seem to have no plan to deal with the loss of Camillus Cutlery for instance (surely they must have seen that coming?) It is very charmingly laid out in the valley of Nine Mile Creek. When I was a kid Camillus village seemed more alive. We actually went down there to do business (post office, vet, etc).
The Fairmount area is built-out and hence is resistant to sprawl. Benderson has done a very good job with Fairmount Fair (much better than they did with Camillus Plaza unfortunately). There have been plans long in the works to clean up the scruffy look of Fairmount's commercial strip, with sidewalks, new lighting and public parking, but it seems to proceed at a glacial pace. It is not a poster child for walkability, but definitely there's more to work with in Fairmount to nudge it toward walkability, than in other suburban commercial areas.
West Genesee Street is not exactly easily crossed by pedestrians, but you CAN cross it and maybe not get killed, unlike in Fayetteville where if you try to cross the strip you WILL get killed. Down on the Geddes town line side there is actually a pedestrian crosswalk and light.
I agree with your Village of Camillus statement. It is still a cute, little village, but it could be better. It also would be a good location for people that might work in Auburn, but want to be closer to Syracuse.
Those pictures are loving. I love small towns and I can't wait until I leave New York. I'm thinking about the suburb of liverpool.
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