Is Syracuse, NY a good place to live?

Question

Thank you all for your answers

Answer 1

Interesting question.  Are you a m*******t?  The winters are not to inviting.  The tax rate is high.  The economy is not particularly good. Think some place in North Carolina instead.  

Answer 2

Wow.  It really depends on who you are.  Overall, not really.  If you're young and want excitement, don't live there.  I grew up in Syracuse and while I think it was a wonderful place to have grown up in (and in turn, a good place to raise kids) it can be downright depressing.  The weather is pure c**p, there is a very heavy feeling of negativity among the general population, the crime rate is fairly high and the economy is not very strong.

On the other hand, the housing is very inexpensive, the public schools in the suburbs are very good, there are a number of great cultural institutions (symphony, zoo, opera, ballet, museums, etc.) for a city its size, two major universities, a notable art and music scene and easy access to beautiful natural elements.  Not to mention is has some of the cleanest air and best tasting water in the country.  If you were to pick between any of the upstate cities (Buffalo, Rochester, Syr. and Albany) I would go with Syracuse.

Answer 3

It depends on what you like.  There are a lot of pros and cons to Upstate NY.

PRO:

Pretty Safe - After moving away from Syracuse and living in some Mid-West Cities and on the West Coast, I would describe Syracuse as Overall pretty Safe.  The Suburbs are very nice and the City isn't TOO bad.  Of course, like any city, there are places to avoid.

Cheap Housing - The Home Values in Syracuse are always well below the national average.  The overall cost of living in Syracuse is pretty low.

Good Mix of City/Rural - Within the city limits, there is an ok amount of activities, sports, night life, etc.  In a 20 minute drive you can be in the country.  Rochester is an hour away, Buffalo/Niagara Falls is 2.5 hours and NYC is about 5 or 6 hours.

CON:

Winter:  Winter is long and harsh.  Expect snow around or before Halloween.  It will start to stick to the ground before Thanksgiving.  It will stay there until March or April.  In the dead of winter, it will be cold.  Occasionally temperatures drop to -25 or below (with wind chill) in Dec. - Feb.  If you are a skier, there are a lot of opportunities to get some good skiing in, but only if your SUV can make it to the mountain.

Economy - Syracuse's Economy certainly isn't the best in Upstate NY.  Rochester and Buffalo are doing a lot better and have a lot more jobs.  I haven't lived there in about 5 years, but I still have family there and I don't think its too much different than when I left.

Taxes - Overall, Syracuse is Cheap, but Upstate NY pays for a lot of the projects in NYC.  It comes out of your property and sales taxes and you never really see the benefit.  It can be frustrating.  If you are buying a home, do some reasearch and compare to your current taxes.

To sum it up, I left.  I left Syracuse after High School and I left Rochester after college.  I like it a lot there, but the Winters were too much for me and there were a lot more good jobs in other parts of the country.  I love going back to visit, but a week or two is my limit in the winter...