Syracuse, New York

Would you recommend moving to Syracuse?

2y ago
If you don’t mind living in a midsized city with midsized amenities go for it.

Syracuse has more than enough dining and entertainment to keep most people occupied.

Downtown is pretty nice and there’s a few other good city neighborhoods.

Parts of the city is like a college town and it’s still affordable. The city is slowly coming around.

Also, while crime rates are high, you’ll probably laugh at what’s considered a dangerous area if you’re from a larger city with actual crime.

Suburbs are suburbs, bland and boring with great schools.

Best part is that you’re close to the Andirondacks for skiing and hiking, the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario. If you’re into bikepacking, the new Empire Trail is becoming one of the most popular in the nation. If you’re into hiking, there’s the Finger Lakes trail which is part of the 6,000 mile North Country trail which is one of the 11 National Scenic Trails.

Obviously, you’ll probably find yourself in Buffalo, Albany or Rochester on occasion for additional entertainment, dining and nightlife options. Chances are your favorite bands will visit one of these cities.

What is living in Syracuse like?

2y ago
Without going down the rabbit hole of reading every single other comment, since I should be working right now…

I moved to Syracuse (the city) a year and a half ago. Most recently lived in Boston (where I grew up) and previously in NYC. I think some people are surprised to hear when I say that I love it here. It's not perfect, but nowhere is.

I'm not going to waste time sharing any negatives, because you'll undoubtedly get plenty of that on here (why do people who live in Syracuse and hate it spend so much time on the Syracuse subreddit? Beats me), and I honestly don't have that many that will really and truly affect your life personally. My positives instead, semi-curated to the things you've mentioned in your post:

low cost of living

tons of breweries, plenty of good restaurants

easy access to the great outdoors (hiking, biking, skiing, sipping wine on a vineyard)

inspiring amounts of small/young/minority-owned businesses making an impact on the city, and new ones opening all the time

generally good people (I was surprised by the friendliness of most people here when I first arrived)

tons of local events

decent amount of minor league sports teams (crunch for hockey, games are right downtown)

there's literally no traffic

fun fact: syracuse/cny are part of the 'hobby belt' aka a place where people have enough disposable income to really have and participate in hobbies. there are tons of things to get involved with and you'll definitely be able to meet people that way!

awesome parks

proximity to hospitals/healthcare

I hope some of that is helpful! As a New Englander, a few other small/mid-sized cities for you, that I'm not sure are great fits but maybe worth looking into: Portland, ME / Providence, RI / Worcester, MA. The only negative I'll add for Syracuse, is that I personally don't find it super central, as someone who frequently makes the 4.5-5 hr trip between Boston and Syracuse, and feels pretty far from much of New England now.

If you choose Syracuse and are looking to connect with people, feel free to reach out!! Good luck on making this exciting decision! I'm sure you'll end up wherever you're meant to be! :)

Living in Syracuse? Hi, I was wondering what living in Syracuse is like for a 26-year-old? I would be moving from Louisiana for a job at the University. I am a male. I enjoy hiking, sports, canoeing, chess, billiards, drinking with friends, meeting new people, and going new places. What is the cost of living like? Would I be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment with a $45,000/yr salary?

2y ago
You'll love it, the cold takes some getting used to but we're getting into the nice months now and won't start to really cool down again until mid to late fall. Depending on what you're looking for living in the city can be a fun time, or you can find a bit of a quieter more relaxing vibe in the suburbs. There's not many places in the county that will take you more than 20-30 minutes to get to. Lafayette and Tully are south of the city and have a bit more country vibe. $45k will be more than enough to live comfortably as a single person in their 20s. There's tons of lakes and rivers and different types of hyking all over the place. Great fishing as well! Won't find any boudin up here tho 😉.

Top 5 Pros and Cons to Living in Syracuse