Syracuse, New York
City of Syracuse | |
|---|---|
 A view of the Downtown Syracuse skyline | |
| Nickname: The Salt City | |
 Location of Syracuse within the state of New York | |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Matthew Driscoll (D) |
| Area | |
| • City | 66.4 km2 (25.6 sq mi) |
| • Land | 65 km2 (25 sq mi) |
| • Water | 1.4 km2 (0.6 sq mi) 2.15% |
| Elevation | 116 m (380 ft) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • City | 147,306 |
| • Density | 2,266.8/km2 (5,871/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 402,267 |
| • Metro | 732,117 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight Time) |
| Website | http://www.syracuse.ny.us |
- This is the article about the city in New York State. For the city in Sicily, see Syracuse, Sicily. For all other meanings, see Syracuse (disambiguation).
Syracuse (IPA: [ˈsɛɹəkjuːs], sometimes pronounced [ˈsɪɹəkjuːs] or [ˈsiɹəkjuːs] by non-natives) is a city in Central New York, USA. According to the 2000 census, the city population was 147,306, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the county seat of Onondaga County and the economic and educational hub of Central New York, a region with over a million inhabitants. Syracuse is also well provided with convention sites, with a downtown convention complex and the Empire Expo Center directly west of the city, which hosts the annual Great New York State Fair. Syracuse was named after the original Syracuse, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy, with which it shares some similarities, including a formerly important salt industry and a neighboring town of Salina.
The city has functioned as a major crossroads over the last two centuries, first between the Erie Canal and its branch canals, then of the railway network. Today, Syracuse is located by the intersection of Interstates 90 and 81, and its airport is the largest in the region.
Syracuse is home to Syracuse University, a major research university, as well as several smaller colleges and professional schools.
History
The Syracuse area was first seen by Europeans when French missionaries came to the area in the 1600s. A group of Jesuit priests, soldiers, and coureurs des bois (including Pierre Esprit Radisson) set up a mission, known as Saint Marie Among the Iroquois or Ste. Marie de Gannentaha, on the northeast shore of Onondaga Lake, at the invitation of the Onondaga Nation, one of the five constituent members of the Iroquois confederacy.
The mission was short lived, as the Mohawk Nation hinted to the Onondaga that they should sever their ties to the French, or the Onondaga's guests would suffer some horrible fate. The men in the mission caught wind of this and left under cover of a cold night in March. Their entire stay was less than two years. The remains of the mission have been located underneath a restaurant in nearby Liverpool. There is now a living history museum in Liverpool that recreates the mission.
Just after the Revolutionary War, more settlers came to the area, mostly to trade with the Onondaga Nation. Ephraim Webster left the Continental Army to settle in 1784, and Asa Danforth, another revolutionary war hero, and Comfort Tyler, whose enginerring skill contributed to regional development, arrived four years later. All three settled in Onondaga Hollow south of the present city center, which was then marshy. Salt was discovered in several swamps in Syracuse, which brought more settlers to the area, and eventually gave the city the nickname "Salt City".
The original settlement went through several name changes until 1824, first being called Salt Point (1780), then Webster's Landing (1786), Bogardus Corners (1796), Milan (1809), South Salina (1812), Cossits’ Corners (1814), and Corinth (1817). The U.S. Postal Service rejected the name Corinth upon its application for a post office, stating there was already a post office by this name in New York. Because of similarities such as a salt industry and a neighboring village named Salina, the name Syracuse was chosen, after Syracuse, Sicily.
In 1825, the Village of Syracuse was officially incorporated. Five years later, the Erie Canal, which ran through the village, was completed. In 1848, Syracuse merged with nearby Salina to become the City of Syracuse. The opening of the canal caused a steep increase in the sale of salt, not simply due to the improved and lower cost of transportation, but because the canal caused New York farms to change from wheat to pork, and curing pork required salt. As salt production climbed, the processing became increasingly mechanized, and local industry became more generalized; population grew to 5,000 by 1850, from 250 in 1820, making it the twelfth largest city in the Union.
Syracuse became an active center for the abolitionist movement, due in large part to the influence of Gerrit Smith and a group allied with him, mostly associated with the Unitarian Church in Syracuse, as well as with Quakers in nearby Skaneateles, supported as well by abolitionists in many other religious congregations. Prior to the Civil War, due to the work of Jermain Wesley Loguen and others in defiance of federal law, Syracuse was known the "great central depot on the Underground Railroad". On October 1,1851, William Henry, a freed slave known as "Jerry" was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Law. The anti-slavery Liberty Party was holding its state convention in the city, and when word of the arrest spread, several hundred abolitionists broke into the city jail and freed Jerry. The event came to be widely known as the "Jerry Rescue".
The salt industry declined after the Civil War, but a new manufacturing industry arose in its place. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, numerous businesses and stores were established, including the Franklin Automobile Company, which produced the first air-cooled engine in the world;[citation needed] the Century steam car company; and the Craftsman Workshops, the center of Gustav Stickley's handmade furniture empire.
Syracuse University was chartered in 1870 as a Methodist-Episcopal institution; no longer sectarian, it has grown from a few classrooms located in downtown Syracuse into a major research institution. Le Moyne College was founded in 1946; Onondaga Community College in 1962.
World War II sparked significant industrial expansion in the area: specialty steel, fasteners, custom machining. After the war, two of the Big Three automobile manufacturers (General Motors & Chrysler) had major operations in the area. Syracuse was headquarters for Carrier Corporation, Crouse-Hinds traffic signal manufacturing, and General Electric had its main television manufacturing plant at Electronics Parkway in Syracuse.
Syracuse's population peaked at 221,000 in 1950. Immigration from abroad introduced many ethnic groups to the city, particularly German, Irish, Italian, and Polish. African Americans had lived in Syracuse since Revolutionary War days, but between 1940 and 1960, some of the three million African Americans who migrated from the south to northern cities also settled in Syracuse. In the 1980s, many immigrants from Africa and Central America also moved to Syracuse, as they did to many northern cities — sometimes under the auspices of several religious charities. However, these new Syracusans could not make up for the flow of residents out of Syracuse, either to its suburbs or out of state, due to job loss. The city's population slowly decreases every year.
Much of the city fabric changed after World War II, although Pioneer Homes, one of the earliest government housing projects in the US, had been completed earlier, in 1941. Many of Syracuse's landmark buildings were demolished in the 1950s and 1960s. The federal Urban Renewal program cleared large sectors that remained undeveloped for many decades, although several new museums and government buildings were built.
The manufacturing industry in Syracuse began to falter in the 1970s. Many small businesses failed during this time, which contributed to an already increasing unemployment rate. [[Rockwell International}} moved their factory outside New York state. General Electric moved its manufacturing operations to Singapore. The Carrier Corporation moved its headquarters out of Syracuse and outsourced manufacturing to Asian locations. Nevertheless, although city population has declined since 1950, the Syracuse metropolitan area population has remained fairly stable, even growing by 2.5 percent since 1970. While this growth rate is greater than much of Upstate New York, it is far below the national average during that period.
Geography and climate
Geography
Syracuse is located at 43°2′49″N 76°8′40″W / 43.04694°N 76.14444°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (43.046899, -76.144423)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 66.4 km² (25.6 mi²). 65.0 km² (25.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.4 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (2.15%) is water.
The city stands at the northeast corner of the Finger Lakes Region. The city has many neighborhoods which were originally various villages that joined the city over the years. Although the central part of Syracuse is flat, many of its neighborhoods are located on small hills such as University Hill and Tipperary Hill. Land to the north of Syracuse is generally flat while land to the south is hilly.
About 27 percent of Syracuse's land area is covered by 890,000 trees — a higher percentage than in Albany, Rochester or Buffalo. This is despite the Labor Day Storm of 1998, a derecho which destroyed approximately 30,000 trees. The sugar maple accounts for 14.2 percent of Syracuse's trees, followed by the Northern white cedar (9.8 percent) and the European buckthorn (6.8 percent). The most common street tree is the Norway maple (24.3 percent) followed by the honey locust (9.3 percent). The densest tree cover in Syracuse is in the two Valley neighborhoods, with 46.6 percent of their land covered by trees. The lowest tree cover percentage is found downtown, which consists of only 4.6 percent trees.[1]
Syracuse's main water source is Skaneateles Lake, one of the country's cleanest lakes, located about 20 miles (30 km) southwest of the city. Incoming water is left unfiltered, and only a trivial amount of chlorine is added to prevent bacterial growth. For periods of drought, there is also a backup line which uses water from Lake Ontario.[2] Onondaga Lake's water is not drinkable due to industrial pollution and inadequate sewage systems which spanned many decades.
Onondaga Creek, a waterway that runs through downtown, flows northward through the city. There are plans and aspirations to create a creek walk that will connect the Lakefront and Inner Harbor to Franklin Square, Armory Square, The Valley, and ultimately the Onondaga Nation. The creek is navigable, yet can be quite a challenge as its channelized nature speeds up its flow, particularly in the spring, when it may be dangerous. Drownings of youngsters resulted in fencing of the creek through some residential areas.
Climate
Syracuse is known for its snowfall. Boasting 115.6 inches (293.6 cm) on average,[3] the Syracuse metro area receives more snow on average than any other large city in the United States.[4][5] Syracuse continually wins the Golden Snowball Award, among Upstate cities. Its record so far is 192.1 inches (487.9 cm). The high snowfall is a result of the fact that the city receives both lake effect and nor'easter snow. Snow most often falls in small (about 1-3 inches/2-8 cm), almost daily doses, over a period of several days. Larger snowfalls do occur from time-to-time, and even more so in the northern suburbs.
One notable blizzard was the Blizzard of 1993, during which 42.9 inches (109 cm) fell on the city within 48 hours, with 35.6 inches (90.4 cm) falling within the first 24 hours. Syracuse received more snow than any other city in the country during this storm, which shattered a total of eight local records, including the most snow in a single snowstorm.[6] A second notable snowfall was the Blizzard of 1966, with 42.3 inches. Ironically, virtually no snow fell during the Blizzard of 2006, where the Catskills and New York City saw over two feet (60 cm) of snow fall in about one day.
Syracuse's hottest month is historically July, with an average high temperature of 82 °F (28 °C), while its coldest month is historically January, with an average high temperature of 31 °F (-1 °C). Record highs and lows are 102 °F (39 °C) on July 9, 1936 and -26 °F (-32 °C) on January 26, 1966 and February 18, 1979, respectively.
Syracuse's summers have also broken records in the first decade of the 21st Century. The summers of 2005 and 2002 were, respectively, the hottest and second-hottest summers on record.[7]
Demographics
| Syracuse Compared (monetary values in United States dollars) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Census | Syracuse | NY State | U.S. |
| Total population | 147, 306 | 18,976,457 | 281,421,906 |
| Population, percent change, 1990 to 2000 | -10.4% | +5.5% | +13.1% |
| Population density | 5,871/mi² | 402/mi² | 80/mi² |
| Median household income (1999) | $25,000 | $43,393 | $41,994 |
| Per capita income | $15,168 | $23,389 | $21,587 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23% | 27% | 24% |
| Foreign born | 8% | 20% | 11% |
| White | 64% | 62% | 69% |
| Black | 25% | 16% | 12% |
| Hispanic | 3% | 15% | 13% |
| Asian | 10% | 6% | 4% |
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 147,306 people, 59,482 households, and 30,335 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,266.8/km² (5,871.0/mi²). There were 68,192 housing units at an average density of 1,049.4/km² (2,717.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.26% White, 25.35% African American, 1.13% Native American, 3.37% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 3.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.27% of the population. Syracuse has experienced almost yearly population declines, the city's total population falling by 33% to 147,306 from its 1950 peak of 220,583 inhabitants.
Syracuse has historically enjoyed a relatively diverse ethnic population, including sizable Irish-American, Italian-American, Polish-American communities. Currently the city has a growing Latino population, and is also a resettlement center for refugees from Bosnia, Cuba, Sudan (the "Lost Boys") as well as Somali Bantu refugees.
There were 59,482 households out of which 30.46% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 12.65% were married couples living together, 14.84% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.58% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 16.8% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $33,026. Males had a median income of $30,312 versus $23,997 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,168. About 21.7% of families and 27.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.1% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
| City of Syracuse Population by year [1] | ||
| Year | Population | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 22,271 | 28 |
| 1860 | 28,119 | 30 |
| 1870 | 43,051 | 29 |
| 1880 | 51,792 | 32 |
| 1890 | 88,143 | 31 |
| 1900 | 108,374 | 30 |
| 1910 | 137,249 | 34 |
| 1920 | 171,717 | 37 |
| 1930 | 209,326 | 40 |
| 1940 | 205,967 | 41 |
| 1950 | 220,583 | 47 |
| 1960 | 216,038 | 53 |
| 1970 | 197,208 | 66 |
| 1980 | 170,105 | 86 |
| 2000 | 147,306 | |
| Current Standing | ||
Economy
Syracuse's economy has faced challenges over the past decades as industrial jobs have left the area. The number of local and state government jobs also have been declining for several years. Syracuse's top employers are now primarily in education and in the service industry. University Hill is Syracuse's fastest growing neighborhood, fueled by expansions by Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University (a division of the State University of New York), as well as dozens of small medical office complexes. Historically, salt springs around Onondaga Lake were an important source of salt that was distributed throughout the north-east via the Erie Canal; Irish immigrants working in this industry created the local dish of salt potatoes.
Top employers
The top employers in the Syracuse region and the size of their workforce, as of January 1, 2006:
- Syracuse University: 7,371
- State University of New York Upstate Medical University: 6,400
- National Grid: 4,989
- Wegmans Food Markets: 4,717
- Oneida Nation and Oneida Nation Enterprises: 4,700
- St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center: 3,307
- Magna International: 3,000
- Verizon Communications: 2,750
- Penn Traffic Company: 2,700
- Lockheed Martin Corp.: 2,350
- Loretto: 2,204
(source: Syracuse Post Standard)
Syracuse University at right, from northwest.
Bristol-Myers Squibb, founded by alums of nearby Hamilton College, has a complex near the Eastwood district.[8] Time Warner Cable has based one of its divisions in Syracuse.[9]
Today the Syracuse area has few extremely large employers, but rather many smaller ones, which provides for a certain amount of stability. Additionally, eight of the area's top eleven employers are in education or the service industry, which tend to be much more stable than the manufacturing industry.
The Syracuse area's unemployment rate of 5.0 percent is comparable to the national one of 4.8 (March, 2006). Throughout 2006, the area has continued to gain jobs over the previous year's figures. During February and March 2006, the area's job growth rate tied with New York City for the highest in the state.[10]
Destiny USA
Since the mid 1990s plans have been discussed and negotiated for the current Carousel Center to be expanded. Ultimately the Pyramid Companies, the project's backer, proposes to build a tourist destination called "Destiny USA", which would contain an expanded version of the present mall, hotels, and various attractions. Pyramid claims that this will bring thousands of new jobs to the area and enhance Syracuse's desirability as a tourist destination.
Neighborhoods
The City of Syracuse officially recognizes 26 neighborhoods within its boundaries. Some of these have small additional neighborhoods and districts inside of them. In addition, Syracuse also owns and operates Syracuse Hancock International Airport, located on the territory of four towns north of the city.
Syracuse's neighborhoods reflect the historically divided population. Traditionally, German- and Italian-Americans settled on its northside; Polish- and Irish-Americans on its westside; Jewish-Americans on the eastside; and African-Americans on its southside.
Business districts
Besides the dominant Carousel Center shopping mall in the Syracuse's Lakefront neighborhood, many of the city's more traditional neighborhoods continue to have active business districts:
- Downtown: Armory Square has replaced South Salina Street as the main retail and dining area of Downtown Syracuse. Armory Square has around 30 dining establishments, around 20 pubs, bars and clubs, and over 50 other retail stores. Similarly, but on a smaller scale, there is the Hanover Square area as well.
- Eastwood: Calling itself "the village within the city", this former village still has a retail corridor along James Street.
- Little Italy: A neighborhood with Italian origins, Little Italy (part of the Near Northeast neighborhood) has several blocks of bakeries, restaurants, pizzerias, shops, and services.
- University Hill: Marshall Street, along with its terminus South Crouse Avenue, is lined with stores, bars, and restaurants, primarily to cater the student population on "The Hill", as well as the over 25,000 people who work there daily. Additionally, East Genesee Street at the northwestern corner of the neighborhood has several retail establishments as well.
- Westcott: This neighborhood, located east of University Hill, is also inhabited by many students. Westcott Street offers small stores and restaurants for their needs.
-
Eastwood -
Armory Square -
Tipperary Hill -
Strathmore -
Clinton Square -
Hanover Square -
University Hill -
Westcott -
Franklin Square -
Little Italy
-
Carousel Mall -
Inner Harbor
Education
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
Residents are assigned to schools in the Syracuse City School District [2].
Colleges and universities
Syracuse's major research university, and its largest employer, is Syracuse University, located on University Hill. It had an enrollment of 19,082 for the 2006-2007 academic year[11]
Surrounding Syracuse University are two State University (SUNY) schools, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SUNY Upstate Medical Center.
Also in Syracuse are Le Moyne College on the city's eastern border, and Onondaga Community College, which has its main campus in the city's Onondaga Hill neighborhood, along with two smaller campuses downtown and in Liverpool. A branch of SUNY's Empire State College is located in downtown Syracuse, along with a campus of the nationwide Bryant & Stratton College. A campus of ITT Technical Institute also calls the Syracuse metropolitan area home, also located in Liverpool.
Other colleges and universities in the area include Cornell University and Ithaca College in Ithaca, Hamilton College in Clinton, Oswego State University in Oswego, SUNY Cortland in Cortland, Morrisville State College in Morrisville, Colgate University in Hamilton, Cazenovia College in Cazenovia, Wells College in Aurora, and both Utica College and SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica.
Public libraries
Onondaga County Public Library operates Syracuse's public libraries [3].
Arts and culture
An up-to-date directory and events calendar covering all of the visual and performing arts in Syracuse is available at SyracuseArts.net.
Performing arts
Live jazz music is the centerpiece of two successful annual outdoor festivals in Syracuse, the M&T Syracuse Jazz Festival, Polish Festival as well as the CNY Jazz Arts Foundation's Jazz In The Square Festival. Performers in the last five years have collectively included such varied acts as Chuck Mangione, Joshua Redman, Smokey Robinson, Branford Marsalis, The Bad Plus, Randy Brecker, Stanley Clarke, Jimmy Heath, Terrence Blanchard, Slide Hampton, Bobby Watson, Dr. John, and Aretha Franklin. Polish Festival hosted: Grammy winners: Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra, polish music legend: Stan Borys and Irena Jarocka, Grammy nominee: Lenny Goumulka, LynnMarie & The John Gora Band.
Syracuse is home to the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (SSO), founded in 1961. The SSO has 75 musicians and is under direction of Daniel Hege; its former Music Directors include Frederik Prausnitz and Kazuyoshi Akiyama. The orchestra performs over 200 concerts annually for an audience of over 250,000.
The Clinton String Quartet has been active for over 15 years and is based in the Syracuse area. All four members are also members of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. In addition to concert performances, they perform corporate events, black tie functions, community events and weddings.
The Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music for more than a half century have presented a series of concerts by various chamber ensembles.
The Society for New Music, founded in 1982, is the oldest new music organization in the state outside of New York City, and the only year-round new music group in upstate New York. The Society commissions at least one new work each year from a regional composer, awards the annual Brian Israel Prize to a promising composer under 30 years of age, and produces the weekly "Fresh Ink" radio broadcast for WCNY-FM.
The Syracuse Opera Company is a professional company that generally performs three operas each season. It was founded in 1963 as the Opera Chorus of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and became independent in 1973. In addition to full performances, it offers several free outdoor concerts each year in Armory Square, Thornden Park, and elsewhere. The company has an annual budget of $1 million and is the only professional opera company in upstate New York.
Syracuse Stage, with its many world premieres and productions that have moved to Broadway, creates often experimental and creative theater. The venue was designed by its most famous former artistic director Arthur Storch. Its current artistic director is Robert Moss.
Redhouse is Syracuse's newest venture into professional theatre. Opened in 2004, Redhouse is a small theatre housed in a converted hotel, that not only performs pieces of stage work, but also holds performances by local, national, and international artists, regular exhibits in its art gallery, and screenings of independent films.
Museums & art galleries
The Everson Museum of Art, which opened in 1968 in a building designed by I.M. Pei, features one of the most extensive pottery collections in the United States along with works of American art, dating from the 18th century to the present. This collection includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, photography, and video.
The Erie Canal Museum is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Erie Canal and its role in Syracuse's growth.
The International Mask and Puppet Museum is a museum in Little Italy focusing on masks and puppets, the later of which are also used in educational performances for children.
The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology is a museum located in the Armory Square neighborhood that features exhibits in science and technology and also houses the city's only IMAX theater.
The Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center, located at 321 Montgomery Street downtown, features exhibits on the past of the Syracuse region, and contains historical archives relating to the area's history. Its exhibits include a presentation of the history of the Underground Railroad.
The Warehouse Gallery is located at 350 West Fayette Street in The Warehouse. It is a part of the Coalition of Museum And Art Centers (CMAC). This new contemporary art center exhibits, commissions, and promotes work by emerging and accomplished artists in a variety of media. The programming attempts to engage the community in a dialogue regarding the role the arts can play in illuminating the critical issues of our times.
The Spark Contemporary Art Space is located at 1005 E. Fayette St. in the Downtown area. Spark is run by Syracuse University graduate art students, but is a venue for a diversity of non-university affiliated events. The gallery's directors curate and organize art and music related events, while local artists can rent the space to hold their own events. With the initiation of a monthly video screening series in 2001, Spark became one of the leading venues for video art in Syracuse. Spark Video provides the community an opportunity to see video work from local and international artists.
The Delavan Art Gallery is located at 501 West Fayette Street in an old farm equipment factory. It has a 3800 square feet of exhibit space, and, on several other floors in the building, houses the studios of a number of area artists. It has shows which usually open on the first Thursday of the month. It showcases a wide variety of work, from multi-media sculpture to hyperealism.
The Point of Contact Gallery is located at 914 East Genesee Street. The newest member of the Coalition of Museums and Art Centers at Syracuse University, it is a space dedicated to the exploration of the verbal and visual arts and home of the Point of Contact Art Collection. It is a cross-disciplinary open forum for the essential discussion of contemporary art. A showcase for contemporary artists from around the world, with a strong prevalence from Latin America. The Point of Contact collection comprises over 200 original pieces created especially for "Point of Contact", the book series, since 1975. Photography, collage, drawings, paintings and three-dimensional works form this rare collection.
Recreation
The City of Syracuse maintains over 170 parks, fields, and recreation areas, totaling over 1000 acres.[12] Burnet Park includes the first public golf course in the United States (1901) and Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Other major parks include Thornden Park, Schiller Park, Sunnycrest Park, and the joined Onondaga and Kirk Parks. There are 12 public pools, three public ice rinks, and two public nine-hole golf courses in the city.
Right outside the city proper, along the east side and north end of Onondaga Lake, is Onondaga Lake Park. The adjacent Onondaga Lake Parkway is closed to vehicular traffic several hours on Sundays during the summer months, so it can be used for walking, running, biking, and rollerblading. During the holiday season, the park hosts Lights on the Lake, a two-mile drive-through light show.
Transportation
Public transportation
Syracuse is served by the Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, or CNYRTA. The CNYRTA operates bus service in Syracuse and its suburbs, as well as to outlying metropolitan area cities such as Auburn, Fulton, and Oswego.
OnTrack is the Syracuse commuter train line. The line runs from Colvin Street on the city's South Side via Syracuse University and Armory Square to the Carousel Center. Financing was finally approved in April 2004 to build a bridge over Park Street that would allow OnTrack to reach the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center, Regional Market, and Alliance Bank Stadium. This service sees roughly 60 riders a day,[13] and is used mostly by Syracuse University students. OnTrack was launched in 1994, and has experienced periods of growth and decline. As of December 2005, the Park Street Bridge has not been built. A direct link to the transportation center might profit the line as a result of passengers arriving without cars, though many city bus lines already connect to it. OnTrack's already-completed platform is adjacent to Amtrak's, though it cannot be used yet.
The Pyramid Companies have also proposed a monorail linking the university to the airport via downtown, their proposed Destiny Resort, the transportation center, and their proposed DestiNY Technology Park. The cost of such a line has been estimated at $750 million.
In 2005, local millionaire Tom McDonald proposed an aerial tramway system, called Salt City Aerial Transit (S.C.A.T.), to link the university to the transportation center. The first segment from Syracuse University to downtown has been estimated to cost $5 million, which McDonald plans to raise himself. Due to the perceived low operating costs, the system could run continuously. As of late 2006, the project remains in the planning stage.[14]
Commute
According to the 2000 Census, this is how people aged 16 and over commute to work:
- 65.9% drive alone
- 13.7% carpool
- 10.1% walk
- 6.8% use public buses (CENTRO)
- 0.6% bike
- 0.2% use a taxicab
- 0.013% use elevated rail (OnTrack)
Syracuse currently ranks 50th in the United States for high transit ridership and 12th for most pedestrian commuters. 38,332 people commute daily into Onondaga County from the four adjoining counties (2006).[15]
Rail
The city lies on Amtrak's Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, and Maple Leaf lines.
The Empire Service runs several times daily from Niagara Falls to New York Penn Station, with major stops in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Albany along the way.
The Lake Shore Limited connects Syracuse to the same cities as above (except Niagara Falls), but continues westward from Buffalo to Chicago via Cleveland and Toledo, and eastward to Boston. This train completes one roundtrip daily.
Also completing one roundtrip a day, the Maple Leaf follows the path of the Empire Service train, but continues to Toronto.
Amtrak's station is part of the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center.
Bus
Greyhound Lines and Trailways provide long-distance bus service. Both also use the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center located in the northern area of the city.
Air service
Syracuse is served by the Syracuse Hancock International Airport in nearby Salina, near Mattydale. The airport is served by 17 airlines (9 major), which provide non-stop flights to destinations as far away as Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as several daily flights to other important airline hubs and business centers such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, DC. Six cargo carriers also serve the airport.
Roads
Interstate 81 (Highway 401 via Highway 137 in Canada to Knoxville) runs north-south through Syracuse, and provides access to Canada, Pennsylvania and points south. Its downtown portion is extremely narrow, only consisting of four lanes and essentially no onramps. It forms a physical and psychological border between downtown and University Hill, an issue both Syracuse University and local politicians are trying to address. Moreover, it essentially marks the boundary between two State Senate districts.
Interstate 90 (Seattle to Boston), also known as the New York State Thruway runs east-west, just north of the city. It is a toll highway that provides access to Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, and the north-south (Interstate 87) part of the Thruway which leads to New York City.
Interstate 690 runs east-west through the city, and provides access to Interstate 90, as well as to Syracuse's northwestern and eastern suburbs. A spur off I-690 directly west of the city, NY-695, provides freeway access to the southwestern suburbs. It meets Interstate 81 in downtown Syracuse in a highly-complex and incomplete intersection. Most of its routing through the city directly replaced elevated rail lines, a fact quite notable by the city's former main rail terminal, where the freeway spans the width between the terminal and its outermost platform. In 1981 artist Duke Epolito erected sculptures of "passengers" on the far platform. The piece is entitled "Waiting for a Night Train."
Interstate 481 forms an eastern loop around the city and continues to the northwest as NY-481 to Fulton and Oswego, on the shore of Lake Ontario.
U.S. Highway 11 (Route 223 in Canada to New Orleans) passes through Syracuse, including downtown, and it follows the route of Salina and State Streets.
U.S. Highway 20 (Boston to Newport, Oregon) passes south of Syracuse.
Government
Executive
The city is headed by an elected mayor who is limited to two four-year terms. The incumbent is former Syracuse Common Council President Matthew Driscoll, who first assumed the position in 2001 after the former mayor, Roy Bernardi, resigned upon his appointment by President George W. Bush to a position in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. After serving the remaining term, Driscoll was re-elected that year, and again in 2005. Driscoll is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[16] a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Legislative
The legislative branch of Syracuse is the Syracuse Common Council. It consists of a president and nine members, currently:
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Judicial
The Onondaga County Supreme and County Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction for Syracuse. It is also the administrative court for the Fifth District of the New York State Unified Court System. Judges for these courts are elected at-large.
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York also has its chambers in Syracuse.
Media
Radio
Newspapers
Syracuse has one major daily morning newspaper, The Post-Standard. Until 2001, Syracuse also had an evening paper, The Herald-Journal. Besides a Syracuse/Onondaga County edition, The Post-Standard publishes three additional editions: Cayuga, Madison, and Oswego for the other three counties of the metropolitan area, plus an additional edition on Sundays. It has six news bureaus throughout Central New York, as well as one in Albany (state capital) and Washington, DC.
Before the merger with the evening paper, the Post-Standard was named among the "10 best newspapers in America with a circulation of under 100,000" by Al Neuharth of USA Today (run by a competing organization). Since the merger, circulation has increased to over 120,000. Even outside of its four-county delivery area, the paper is available in many convenience stores and supermarkets from the Canadian to the Pennsylvanian border. The newspaper partly caters to this audience as well, covering many stories from the Ithaca, Utica, and Watertown areas. Since opening a new printing press in 2002, the paper calls itself "America's Most Colorful Newspaper," as almost every page contains color.
The New York Times, New York Daily News and New York Post are also readily available and widely read in the region.
The Daily Orange, the newspaper of Syracuse University and SUNY ESF students, is read by over 20,000 people daily, and is widely distributed in the University Hill neighborhood and Armory Square. The Dolphin, the weekly student newspaper of Le Moyne College is also available, but read mainly by Le Moyne students.
There is also a weekly free newspaper that focuses on events in Syracuse, the Syracuse New Times.
There are other popular free newspapers, including Eagle Newspaper's downtown edition, the City Eagle, and Table Hopping, which focuses on the restaurant and entertainment scene.
Television
Syracuse has eight full-power broadcast television stations:
Additionally, networks such as Cornerstone Television channel 11 & 22, Univision, and MTV2 are broadcast by low-power television stations.[17]
Syracuse's cable television provider is Time Warner Cable, which, as a part of its regular and digital offerings, provides a 24-hour local news channel (News 10 Now), local sports channel, public access channel, and an additional PBS channel.
Dish Network and DirecTV also provide local satellite television subscribers with local broadcast stations.
Religion
Buddhism: Buddhism has its presence in Syracuse with the Zen Center of Syracuse on the Seneca Turnpike; as well as a center on Park Street, on the city's north side.
Christianity: Syracuse has two cathedrals, the Episcopalian St. Paul's Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Both are located at Columbus Circle. Both are home to their respective dioceses, the Diocese of Central New York (Episcopalian) and the Diocese of Syracuse (Roman Catholic). Syracuse is also home to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Roman Catholic). In addition there are dozens of churches in Syracuse of nearly every Christian denomination, including Jehovah's Witness, Christian Science, Reformed Presbyterian and Metaphysical Christian. Complete List The Assembly of God and Southern Baptist Convention have their State offices in the Greater Syracuse area.
Eckankar: The ECK Center of Central New York provides service for Syracuse-area Eckankar believers.
Hinduism: Hindu houses of worship include the Hindu Mandir of Central New York in Syracuse
Sikhism: Sikh The house of worship is the Sikh Foundation of Syracuse, in Liverpool.
Islam: Islam also has a presence in Syracuse, with the Islamic Society of Central New York Mosque on Comstock Avenue and Muhammad's Study Group on West Kennedy Street.
Judaism: There are several Jewish synagogues in Syracuse, including the Temple Society of Concord Temple Beth El, and Temple Adath Yeshurun.
Unitarian Universalism: There are two Unitarian Universalist churches in Syracuse.
A complete list of Syracuse's Houses of Worship
Sports
Professional
- Syracuse Chiefs (International League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays) Stadium: Alliance Bank Stadium
- Syracuse Crunch (American Hockey League affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets) Arena: War Memorial at Oncenter
- Syracuse Raging Bullz (American Basketball Association) Arena: War Memorial at Oncenter
- Syracuse has a rugby club known as the Syracuse Chargers
Syracuse was from 1946 until 1963 home to the NBA's Syracuse Nationals, which are now the Philadelphia 76ers. They played seventeen seasons in Syracuse and even won the NBA championship in 1955. The NBA's 24-second clock was invented in and first came into use in Syracuse. In March 2005 the city dedicated a monument to this fact. It is a 125% scaled model of the original shot clock used.
Syracuse has had several American Hockey League teams in the past, which traditionally did not last longer than three seasons. The Syracuse Blazers began play in the Eastern Hockey league in 1973. The league disbanded in 1973. The team then affiliated with the North America Hockey League. 1994 marked the introduction of a new team, the Syracuse Crunch, which have been playing at the War Memorial at Oncenter ever since.
Syracuse had a team in the National Lacrosse League(NLL) called the Syracuse Smash for three seasons from 1998 to 2000. They moved to Ottawa in 2001 and became the Ottawa Rebel
The Syracuse-based Monolith Athletic Club is working to return professional soccer to Syracuse. The Syracuse Salty Dogs existed for two seasons (2002-2004) until folding due to financial problems. The game attendance had been among the highest in the A-League.
College
- Syracuse University Orange (Division I-A) Stadium: Carrier Dome
- Le Moyne College Dolphins (Division II)
- Onondaga Community College Lazers (NJCAA)
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse University sports are by far the most attended sporting events in the Syracuse area. Basketball games often draw over 30,000 fans, and football games over 40,000. The university has bred dozens of famous professional players since starting an athletics program in the late nineteenth century, including all-time greats Jim Brown and Dave Bing, and present professional stars Carmelo Anthony and Donovan McNabb. Both teams play in the Carrier Dome.
Famous Syracusans
Syracuse has been the residence of several celebrities,[18] among them:
- Tom Cruise - actor
- Robert F. Engle - economist
- Richard Gere - actor
- Bobcat Goldthwait - comedian
- Grace Jones - model, singer, actress
- Tom Kenny - comedian, actor
- Terry McAuliffe - former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and confidant of President Bill Clinton
- The Schubert brothers - Broadway entrepreneurs
- Rod Serling - screenwriter
- Gustav Stickley - furniture maker and American Craftsman spokesperson
- Jimmy Van Heusen - songwriter
- Tim Connolly - Buffalo Sabres Ice Hockey Player
- John Robert Zale - President of Water Conservation and Studies Association (WCSA)
- Jack Wendler-Owner and founder of Wendler candy bar industries
- Isaac Wendler-Co-founder of Wendler candy bar industries
Several other well-known individuals have ties to the Syracuse metropolitan area, including:
- L. Frank Baum - author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; resident of Chittenango, New York
- Grover Cleveland - two-term United States President; childhood resident of Fayetteville, New York
- Jackie Coogan[citation needed]
- Hiawatha - Iroquois leader; resident of Syracuse area long before city's founding
- Leland Stanford - founder of Stanford University; graduate of Cazenovia Seminary
Syracuse in film and television
Events
Sister cities
Syracuse's sister cities are:
Syracuse suburbs
Towns and villages in Onondaga County make up most of the suburban communities in the Greater Syracuse area. Towns and villages in such surrounding counties as Oswego, Madison, Cortland, or Cayuga on the border of Onondaga County may also be considered Syracuse suburbs.
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References
- ^ Weiner, Mark: "Census of trees sees healthy population - Syracuse, one of Upstate's leafiest cities, is coming back after the devastating 1998 Labor Day Storm", Post-Standard, 27 April 2001
- ^ City of Syracuse - Executive Summary (2003)
- ^ "Snowfall - Average Total In Inches", NOAA, 23 June 2004
- ^ Cappella, Chris: "Answers: 10 snowiest 'cities' aren't all in New York", USA Today, 3 October 2003
- ^ Kirst, Sean: "We won't buckle under the Snowbelt's blows", Post-Standard, 14 March 2005
- ^ Staff Reports: "A Storm for the records - Blizzard of 1993 brought 42.9 inches", Post-Standard, 31 December 2003
- ^ Weiner, Mark: "Season soars into record - Warmest summer may affect our winter", Post-Standard, 22 September 2005
- ^ Bristol-Myers Squibb's Syracuse Campus
- ^ Time Warner Cable's Syracuse Division
- ^ Moriarty, Rick: "CNY Leads in Job Growth", Post-Standard, 21 April 2006
- ^ Syracuse University Facts.
- ^ City of Syracuse Department of Parks
- ^ Smith, Kristin: "OnTrack is lacking passengers in Syracuse" News 10 Now, 24 May 2004
- ^ Moriarty, Rick (2006-09-26). "High flying idea stuck". The Post-Standard.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ http://www.syracusecentral.com/images/market_data/cnycommute_lg.jpg
- ^ "Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members".
- ^ CNY Media: Syracuse TV Stations Transmitters
- ^ The previous list of Syracusans was filtered to only include those with over a million Google hits for their name plus their profession.
- ^ HTML version of Mayoral Proclamation regarding sister City
External links
- Syracuse Central
- Syracuse at Curlie
- www.syracuse.ny.us - Syracuse city website
- Syracuse.com - News site affiliated with The Post-Standard
- Syracuse Arts
- Syracuse Then And Now (Historical Site)
- The Freedom Trail
- Buildings of Syracuse
- The Jerry Rescue
- Collection of Central NY photos from davidmetraux.com
- German Immigrant Ancestors in Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York (Historical)
- Syracuse City Court information
- New York State Heritage Areas
- Syracuse history/genealogy
Municipalities and communities of Onondaga County, New York, United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
