Syracuse, NY?

[bluedogz]

Well, I MAY be exercising a new job opportunity, which MAY require me to pull up stakes from Baltimore and head for Syracuse, NY.

I know where Syracuse is on a map, but that's about it.

This is a job that would require 80% travel around the upstate NY area.

Input? Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

 

[pen]

Dinosaur bbq is great. If you have a family they also have a good mall (the Carousel Mall) and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is pretty good.

Don't get too attached to a vehicle that you drive in the winter there, the salt turns them into swiss cheese.

Last I knew the crime rate was pretty high right in the city itself.

If you like fishing the Salmon River and good trout fishing is not far away. It may be a city, but there are rural areas all around and within minutes of downtown.

pen

 

[rideau]

You're in MD. Have you done much driving in SNOW? Syracuse and the region around there has a huge amount of lake effect snow--driving snow and HARD to drive in...I regularly drive through the area on a long trip and ALWAYS check the weather first. You indicate you'll be driving 80% of the time. You'll need a good, safe all wheel drive vehicle and patience on the roads in winter. Don't be fooled by this winter. Look up Golden Snowball Award last year......That area is nice country, and you're within reasonable distance of the finger lakes, thousand islands, foothills of the adirondacks, tug hill....

 

[HollowHill]

+1 on the snow. Also be prepared, the driving distances are longer than in other areas. This may not be so bad around Syracuse, but in central NY where I live, it's 30 minutes to get to anywhere. I grew up in RI and was used to everything being close. Here it's a different story, you have to drive a ways to get to things. But the country is lovely, I wouldn't live anywhere else.

 

[DAKSY]

Really, really ORANGE this time of year!

 

[bluedogz]

You're in MD. Have you done much driving in SNOW? Syracuse and the region around there has a huge amount of lake effect snow--driving snow and HARD to drive in...I regularly drive through the area on a long trip and ALWAYS check the weather first. You indicate you'll be driving 80% of the time. You'll need a good, safe all wheel drive vehicle and patience on the roads in winter. Don't be fooled by this winter. Look up Golden Snowball Award last year......That area is nice country, and you're within reasonable distance of the finger lakes, thousand islands, foothills of the adirondacks, tug hill....

Fair question... I grew up in NY City, and have lived in MA, NY, FL, and MD. So, can I drive in snow? Sure. Can I drive in SNOW? Maybe not as much.

In all seriousness, what is the difference between driving in snow and driving in SNOW?

Mrs. Blue is from Iceland, and she ironically cannot drive in snow to save her life.

I was expecting to trade in my Camry on something 4WD. Mrs. already has an AWD SUV, so I'm hoping that will do.

 

[begreen]

I went to college there for a couple years. I'm not overly enamored with Syracuse, but there is some pretty country in the area. Get yourself some snow gear and an economical 4WD like an Outback. It can really snow up there.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Areas like that which get lots of snow can be nice too. We lived near Gaylord, Mi one time and the lightest snowfall we got in any one winter was a tad over 200." Our two sons missed one day of school that year so the snow was not a big problem. Yet for many, it is a big problem and the driving is where the biggest problem is. It pay to NOT be in a hurry.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Well, I MAY be exercising a new job opportunity, which MAY require me to pull up stakes from Baltimore and head for Syracuse, NY.

I know where Syracuse is on a map, but that's about it.

This is a job that would require 80% travel around the upstate NY area.

Input? Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

Syracuse is a great place to live. As for the snow, the tires that came on my wife's hybrid wouldn't make it up the hill. I routinely had to drive down the hill in the truck and swap with her. Some good all seasons instead of the slicks they put on the hybrids for mpg claims solved the problem. When it gets super nasty, I drop her off at work. Rarely happens.

If you need a guide of where to live, etc, give me a shout. The glaciers left us with some pretty cool topography but it is kind of hard to figure out where the good places to live are until you've been here a while. I live less than a mile from one of the rougher areas of the city but it is also 600' down. We have not had one single issue in the 7 years we have lived here and are 4 miles from downtown.

 

[Hogwildz]

By SNOW, he means LOTS OF IT! Think a few years back when folks were up on their roofs shoveling feet worth of snow off to keep the roofs from collapsing. And if I remember correctly the snow accumilated so much, that when shoveling snow off the roof, at times it was directly onto drifts & piles not much lower than the roof line.
Its cold, snowy and getting around ain't going to be fun. 4x4 or not, once things are ice, don't matter how many tires are powered, they all spin and steer like crap.
No offense to folks in that area, as it is a beautiful area in the nice weather, but in the winter, that ain't a top place you want to have to be driving lots & long distances daily.
Almost took a job up that way, and all I could think of was being pigeon holed in, in the winters.
Maybe take a ride up and check the area out before making a decision?
It will be a different way of life than where your at now.

 

[JustWood]

Locate south of I-90 or east of Orange Town if you can.
Tug Hill and the Lake shore plateaus (both Erie and Ontario plateaus) are hell in winter. It's nothing to get 1" of snow per hour for extended periods of time. I've seen 6" an hour for a few hours lots of times.
The cost of living in the rural areas is very reasonable other than property taxes.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Snow schmo. Don't be scared off by claims of crime and inhospitable winters. Here is a view 4 miles from downtown.

 

[ewdudley]

Syracuse and the region around there has a huge amount of lake effect snow--driving snow and HARD to drive in....

It's true we get more that a little snow, but contrary to what you might think it tends to be the easiest kind of snow to drive in.

Snow in more southern locations tends to be wet on relatively warm roads with temperatures near freezing, which packs to wet ice and it's nearly impossible to drive on.

Around here we get nice dry cold snow out of the north and west that is squeaky chewy stuff that is easy to understand. It allows the attentive driver to maintain control nicely, you just need to slow down some.

But you do need decent tires, either new fresh crisp open-tread radials, or most any of the excellent snow tires now on the market.

--ewd

 

[Lighting Up]

Hell, snow is the least of your worries the Taxes will kill you first.

Syracuse is a great town a great collage town too....you can have a foot of snow falling and the roads will be fine, funny how its business as usual there same in Rochester and Buffalo.

I'm also working on the road in Western NY and it's great country. Places like the Great lakes, Boating, fishing, camping, Casinos, tons of Wineries, Adirondacks, Car Racing Watkins Glen, all sports pros and non and many fruit Festivals. All kinds of snow sports you name them they have it.

Only problem here is the seasons don't last as long as you want them too. If you like different seasons you will never be bored here.

Wish NY could get a grip on it's taxes though. Good Luck with your decision.
md

 

[eclecticcottage]

+1 on taxes!!

I've never lived in Syracuse. Utica area, Bingampton area and WNY. The 'Dacks are simply BEAUTIFUL and close driving distance. Fall is amazing. Lots of pretty places to visit, good stuff to do.

I think that area gets more snow than where we are in WNY, but I'm not sure. I know watertown/tugg hill does.

AWD Subie is a good car to put on the shopping list.

 

[bluedogz]

[quote author="Hogwildz" date="1330406518"]No offense to folks in that area, as it is a beautiful area in the nice weather, but in the winter, that ain’t a top place you want to have to be driving lots & long distances daily.
quote]

In my case, a new job MAY leave me right where I am, or MAY ask me to pull up stakes and head for NY. Of course, I need to get the job first... just trying to be prepared.

 

[rover47]

My inlaws live in Liverpool. Nice town just on the edge of the city. Nice village. The city is okay but still a city. You get Wegmans there one of the best markets in the country. Yeah they get snow but usually the know how to take care of it.

 

[Delta-T]

one of my fav pieces of architecture is in Syracuse...the facade on the Mohawk Power building is a really nice. (i thinks its National Grid now)

 

[StoveWannabe]

Well, I MAY be exercising a new job opportunity, which MAY require me to pull up stakes from Baltimore and head for Syracuse, NY.

I know where Syracuse is on a map, but that's about it.

This is a job that would require 80% travel around the upstate NY area.

Input? Thoughts? Comments? Concerns?

Syracuse is a great place to live. As for the snow, the tires that came on my wife's hybrid wouldn't make it up the hill. I routinely had to drive down the hill in the truck and swap with her. Some good all seasons instead of the slicks they put on the hybrids for mpg claims solved the problem. When it gets super nasty, I drop her off at work. Rarely happens.

If you need a guide of where to live, etc, give me a shout. The glaciers left us with some pretty cool topography but it is kind of hard to figure out where the good places to live are until you've been here a while. I live less than a mile from one of the rougher areas of the city but it is also 600' down. We have not had one single issue in the 7 years we have lived here and are 4 miles from downtown.

I think I live near you and I try to use snow tires to go up the big hill on RT173 from the valley up to Community Hospital or going up South Ave from Valley Dr.
Beautiful area with a lot of history. I live in the city lines and have deer, woodchucks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, etc in my backyard or in fields near by.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I think I live near you and I try to use snow tires to go up the big hill on RT173 from the valley up to Community Hospital or going up South Ave from Valley Dr.
Beautiful area with a lot of history. I live in the city lines and have deer, woodchucks, Blue Jays, Cardinals, etc in my backyard or in fields near by.

Welcome to the forums Bob. I'm across the valley from you on the ridge not far from the big cell tower. We are relatively new to Syracuse and love the area. Sorry if all the Maple I scored in the neighborhood across from the hospital last Fall was in your neighborhood

 

[StoveWannabe]

Grab it up while you can. I don't have a stove yet. Fixing tiny house so I can move to bigger house with stove. Well, Lord Willing...

 

[potter]

Thanks to the NY legislature you're protected from fracking. Syracuse and the source of Manhattan's water. Funny how that works.

 

[eclecticcottage]

Thanks to the NY legislature you're protected from fracking. Syracuse and the source of Manhattan's water. Funny how that works.

Yeah...go figure. That's a discussion for the Ash Can though, lol.

 

[Hogwildz]

Thanks to the NY legislature you're protected from fracking. Syracuse and the source of Manhattan's water. Funny how that works.

The right palm(s) have not been greased yet, give it time. It will happen.

 

[Hogwildz]

Snow schmo. Don't be scared off by claims of crime and inhospitable winters. Here is a view 4 miles from downtown.

Def a beautiful areas surrounding there. Now show him the snow pics ;-)