Syracuse

Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 148,620 and its metropolitan area had a population of 662,057. Syracuse was named after the classical Greek city Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian), a city on the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily. 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 at the intersection of Interstates 81 and 90. Its airport is the largest in the Central New York region. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, Yonkers, and Rochester. In 1861, the inventor Ernest Solvay developed the ammonia-soda process for the manufacture of sodium carbonate. The salt industry declined after the Civil War, but a new manufacturing industry arose in Syracuse in the 1950s and 1960s. Syracuse is home to Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and SUNY ESF, and Le Moyne College. It also has a large chemical industry complex owned by Allied Signal owned by Leblanc. It was the incubator for a large industrial chemical industry that arose in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s, Syracuse was the site of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

History

Syracuse is the primary city name, but also De Witt are acceptable city names or spellings, Dewitt, Syr on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. French missionaries were the first Europeans to come to this area, arriving to work with the Native Americans in the 1600s. The first Solvay Process Company plant in the United States was erected on the southwestern shore of Onondaga Lake in 1884. In 1861, he developed the ammonia-soda process for the manufacture of soda ash (anhydrous sodium carbonate) from brine wells dug in the southern end of Tully valley. The state of New York designated this area by the state as the onondaga Salt Springs Reservation. The rapid development of this industry in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the nicknaming of this area as "The Salt City" On March 24, 1870, Syracuse University was founded, independent of Genesee College, which had unsuccessfully tried to move to the new university. The university was founded as coeducational as president Peck stated at the opening: "The conditions of admission shall be equal to all persons... there shall be no invidious discrimination here against woman" Between 1841 and 1889, the New York State Fair was held in Syracuse. Between 1842 and 1842, Syracuse was among the 11 cities in New York held in this year's Fair. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, numerous businesses and stores were established, including the first air-cooled engine in the world; the Century Motor Vehicle Company; the Smith Corona company; and the Craftsman Workshops, the center of Gustav Stickley's handmade furniture empire. During the 19th century, the ratio of students during the College of Fine Arts was approximately between male and female.

Geography and climate

Syracuse is located at 43°249N 76°840W (43.046899, 76.144423). It is located about 87 miles (140 km) east of Rochester, 150 miles (240 km)East of Buffalo, and 145 miles (230 km) west of the state capital, Albany. It is also the halfway point between New York City and Toronto, about 245 miles (390 km) from each, Toronto to the northwest and NYC to the southeast. About 27 percent of Syracuse's land area is covered by 890,000 trees, a higher percentage than in Albany, Rochester or Buffalo. The city is known for its high snowfall, 115.6 inches (2.94 meters) on average; Syracuse receives the most annual average snow of any metropolitan area in the United States. Its record seasonal (July 1 to June 30 of the following year) snowfall so far is 192.1 in (4.88 m) during the winter of 199293, while the snowiest calendar month was January 2004, with 78.1in (1.98 m) accumulated. The most common street tree is the Norway maple (24.3 percent), followed by the honey locust (9.3%) and the European buckthorn (6.8%) The city has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa), as mean July temperatures are just above the 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) threshold needed for a hot summer climate.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 145,170 people, 57,355 households, and 28,455 families residing in the city. The largest ancestries include Italian (29.5%), Irish (18.4%), Polish (15.3%), German (9.6%), English (4.5%) and Slovak (3.6%). Non-Hispanic Whites were 52.8% of the population in 2010, down from 87.2% in 1970. The city's age distribution was as follows: 19% of residents were under the age of 15, 23% from 15 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. Syracuse ranks 50th in the United States for transit ridership and 12th for most pedestrian commuters. Each day, 38,332 people commute into Onondaga County from the four adjoining counties (2006) The city has the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and the Episcopal St. Paul's Cathedral. Syracuse is also home to the combined novitiate of the US Northeast (UNE) and Maryland Provinces of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) The historic Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is located near downtown (Roman Catholic, with Mass, offered in English and Polish). Tridentine Mass is offered multiple times a week at Transfiguration Parish in the Eastside neighborhood.

Economy

Syracuse's unemployment rate in August 2017 was 4.6 percent, comparable to the national rate of 4.5. University Hill is Syracuse's fastest-growing neighborhood, fueled by expansions by Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University. Syracuse's top employers now are primarily in higher education, research, health care and services; some high-tech manufacturing remains. Since 1927 the State Tower Building has been the tallest in Syracuse. The city is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy and the University of New York's Center for Air and Space Studies, among other institutions. The U.N. World Economic Forum is in Syracuse, New York, and has a presence in the Syracuse area. The World Economic forum is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is open to visitors from around the world. It is also based in New York City, where it has a branch of the World Health Organization, which has offices in Washington, D.C. and Washington, DC. It also has an office in London, England, which opened in the 1970s and has been open since the 1980s. The United Nations has a center in the city, which is also open to tourists and other visitors. It was founded by alumni of nearby Hamilton College in the 1960s and is located in the heart of the city's downtown area. It's also located in East Syracuse, which was once known as the "birthplace of capitalism" and is now known as "the birthplace of the free market".

Neighborhoods

The City of Syracuse officially recognizes 26 neighborhoods within its boundaries. Some of these have small additional neighborhoods and districts inside of them. Syracuse also owns and operates Syracuse Hancock International Airport on the territory of four towns north of the city. Traditionally, Irish, Polish and Ukrainian Americans settled on its west side (see Tipperary Hill); Jewish Americans on its east side; German and Italian Americans on the north side; and African-Americans on its south side. In recent years, large numbers of refugees from the Middle East have settled mainly on its north side as well as on the west and east sides of Syracuse. The city's more traditional neighborhoods continue to have active business districts: Armory Square, Little Italy, Eastwood, Strathmore, Westcott, University Hill, Hanover Square, and the Lakefront neighborhood. The main business district is the Destiny USA shopping mall in Syracuse's Lakefront area. In addition to the dominant Destiny USA mall, the city also has a number of smaller shopping malls, including the Town Center Mall and the Westfield Syracuse shopping mall, which is located on the shores of Lake Ontario. The town of Syracuse is home to the New York State College of Art and Design, which was founded in 1875. The state college is located in the town of Onondaga Park, on the shore of Hiawatha Lake. The area is known as "The Hill" because of the large number of students living and working in the area. It is also the home of Syracuse University, which has a large student population.

Education

Syracuse City School District consists of 34 schools and 4 alternative education programs. 15% of students were classified as English Language Learners, 20% as students with disabilities, and 77% as economically disadvantaged. One of Syracuse's major research universities is Syracuse University, located on University Hill. The medical university directly generates 10,959 jobs, making it Central New York's largest employer. Other colleges and universities in the area include Cornell University, Ithaca College, Hamilton College, Oswego State College, Colgate University, and both Utica College and SUNY Institute of Technology in Utica. Onondaga County Public Library (OCPL) operates Syracuse's public libraries. A library card from any OCPL library will work at any of the other OCPL libraries. City libraries include the Central Library, ten city libraries, and 21 independent libraries in suburban Ononaga County. The Central Library is located in downtown Syracuse, along with a branch of SUNY's Empire State College. There are also the Pomeroy College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital and St. Joseph's College of nursing in Liverpool. The city libraries are located in the downtown area, in the suburbs, and in the city's eastern border, in Le Moyne and Liverpool. In the city, there are also two independent libraries, one in downtown, and one in the suburban area of Cazenovia. The library card is available for use at all OCPL public libraries, including the Central and City libraries.

Arts and culture

Syracuse was home to the 75-member Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (SSO), founded in 1961. The SSO filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in 2011 and was replaced by the Syracuse Symphoria in 2013. The Society for New Music, founded in 1971, is the oldest new music organization in the state outside of New York City. The Syracuse Shakespeare Festival is a charitable, educational, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to performing the works of William Shakespeare. The Clinton String Quartet has been active for over 15 years and is based in the Syracuse area. Syracuse Stage presents experimental and creative theater; a number of its productions have been world premieres and have moved to Broadway. The Red House Arts Center, which opened in 2004, is a small theater housed in a converted hotel that offers performances by local, national, and international artists. The Everson Museum of Art 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. The International Mask and Puppet Museum is a museum in Little Italy focusing on masks and puppets, the latter of which are used in educational children's programs. The Onondaga County Fire Department Museum will occupy the former Syracuse Fire Department fire station 4 Wolf Street, built in the 1800s (plans announced October 2020). The Syracuse Historical Association Museum & Research Center features exhibits on the past and present of the Syracuse region's history and contains exhibits relating to the Syracuse Underground Railroad.

Parks and recreation

The City of Syracuse maintains over 170 parks, fields, and recreation areas, totaling over 1,000 acres (4.0 km²) 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, Onondaga Park and Kirk Park. There are 12 public pools, two public ice rinks (Sunnycrest and Meachem), and two public nine-hole golf courses (Burnet and Sunycrest Parks) In addition to the city's parks, Syracuse also has a national park system, the National Park Service, and the New York State Park Service. The city also has its own zoo, the RosamOND Giffords Zoo. The City's parks are open to the public for free on most days of the year, but the zoo is closed during the winter months for safety and security reasons. In the summer months, the city offers free admission to its parks and other recreation facilities, such as ice skating and swimming pools, as well as free admission for members of the public to the zoo and the state park system. It is also possible to rent a car from the city for as little as $5.00 per person. The Syracuse City Council has approved a $1,000,000 grant for the creation of a new park system for the city, to be known as the "Syracuse City Park System".

Infrastructure

Syracuse (station stop code SYR) is served by Amtrak's Empire Service, Lake Shore Limited, and Maple Leaf lines. Greyhound Lines, Megabus, OurBus and Trailways provide long-distance bus service to destinations including New York City, Boston, Buffalo, Albany, and Toronto. The Syracuse Hancock International Airport in nearby Salina, near Mattydale, is the city's main airport. The airport is named after Clarence E. Hancock, a former US Congressmen representing Syracuse. The City of Syracuse owns the airport and property, while a public for-benefit corporation runs the airport. Four Interstate Highways run through the Syracuse area: Interstate 81 runs northsouth through Syracuse, and provides access to Canada, Pennsylvania and points south. Interstate 90, signed as the New State Thruway within Albany, is toll highway within the city. A spur off I-690 directly west of the city, 695, provides freeway access to the southwestern suburbs, as well as Syracuse's northwestern and eastern suburbs. 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 was estimated to cost $5 million, which McDonald planned to raise himself. Due to perceived low operating costs, the system was envisioned as running continuously. The city's former elevated rail lines replaced the former New York Central four-track mainline.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York = 65.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 66. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Syracuse = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 148,620 individuals with a median age of 32.6 age the population dropped by -5.98% in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 5,930.80 residents per square mile of area (2,289.88/km²). There are average 2.26 people per household in the 56,415 households with an average household income of $29,098 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.90% of the available work force and has dropped -2.95% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.20%. The number of physicians in Syracuse per 100,000 population = 309.8.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Syracuse = 37.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 100 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 171. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 163. 82 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 15.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 54, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York which are owned by the occupant = 34.53%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 65 years with median home cost = $78,510 and home appreciation of 3.07%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $30.83 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $9,232 per student. There are 12.5 students for each teacher in the school, 648 students for each Librarian and 490 students for each Counselor. 7.35% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 12.74% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 11.49% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).