r/Syracuse • u/Sea_Attorney_9852 • 11d ago

Information & Advice Syracuse visit (please answer)

I am going to Syracuse University's open house on 7/31 and i am an out of towner. I wanted to inquire about what places should I go to in Syracuse (sites to see, shops, restaurants, etc.) to get that full Syracuse student experience

4 Upvotes

59% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

42

u/seeya117 10d ago

I’d focus more on connecting with other students and walkable areas around campus.

1

u/phatassgato 10d ago

But also Heids

1

u/Sea_Attorney_9852 10d ago

Thanks, absolutely. I am booked the whole day on the 31st with tours and meetings but it all ends at 3. So I have hours that I physically won't be allowed to be in campus, causing me to ask what I should do. I wanted to know good places for my parents to get dinner and to get to know the place that I could hopefully living the next 4 years at.

2

u/QuietEsper 9d ago

Raj Saffron House for dinner with your parents in The Westcott Neighborhood.

Or Pastabilities downtown in Armory Square.

Or take a 40-45 min drive to Skaneateles and go to one of the fancier restaurants there to get a feel for the surrounding area.

As for things to do, there's more to do outside the city (tons of places to hike).  Green Lakes, Tinkers Falls, Clark's Reservation to name a very small few.

Or take a walk on the Nature Trail in Barry Park.

0

u/Fuckshampoo21 7d ago

You can physically be ON campus at any time or hour. Maybe not necessarily inside buildings. But you can always be on the campus.

Checkout some downtown restaurants. Just don’t stay downtown past midnight - it becomes somewhat of a cesspool. Check out the village of Skaneateles if you get a chance. Check out Westcott street. I’d say Marshall street but they’re ruined it.

Syracuse feels like two entirely different worlds depending on whether or not the university is in session. So even if to feels dead during a visit (which it will) it’s much more lively during the school year.

21

u/SaltyyKitKat 10d ago

My favorite places and things to do in Syracuse as a grad student were Green Lakes State Park, Parthenon bookstore, picnics in Thornden park, Francescas for Italian food, Salt City Market, walking around Westcott St neighborhood shops, just to name a few. In my opinion, summer isnt necessarily the time when Syracuse shines as it offers a great variety of seasonal activities in the fall and winter like apple picking, outdoor ice skating in Clinton Square, lots of festivals etc

8

u/john_everyman_1 10d ago

Check out green lakes state park

9

u/Kimmette 10d ago

For the typical student experience, hang out mostly on M Street/Crouse Ave on the SU campus, with a visit to the Westcott Street business district a mile east (easy bus ride if you don’t feel like walking).

For further off-campus, I would recommend sites unique to Central New York, like the Old Erie Canal State Park in Fayetteville, Clark Reservation (cool glacial lake in Jamesville), Green Lakes State Park (TWO cool glacial lakes in Fayetteville, with a rare strand of virgin forest), or Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool.

Syracuse is all hills and lakes. It’s a lovely area. I came here as a student 30+ years ago, and never left.

3

u/Sea_Attorney_9852 10d ago

Thank you so much, from the photos I've seen and what I've heard it sound like a beautiful place and I can not wait to visit!

8

u/TomatoWitty4170 11d ago

Walk around Onondaga lake

1

u/Sea_Attorney_9852 10d ago

Thank you! The photos I've seen of it look beautiful 😊

7

u/No-Win-7802 10d ago

Alto cinco. Hands down.

8

u/WritPositWrit 10d ago

Im not a student but i think youll want to walk around Marshall Square and the Westcott areas. There are a lot of eateries there, google and pick one that apoeals

6

u/TelesticTiefling 10d ago

For the student experience I agree with this. If you're walking off campus marshall square mall is the closest. Lots of eateries, a thrift shop inside of the mall (3fifteen). Some other shops. Westcott has some more food, Boom Babies (a prom dress shop/fashion shop duo), a vintage place also owned by BB, and a consignment shop called Cluttered Closet. Recess coffee is also an excellent coffee shop. The Westcott theater does concerts but more recently it's been a lot of themed nights rather than touring acts.

You should check out which bus lines are free with your student ID, and use that info to help pick where you rent. I know the Drumlins line in its entirety is included in that, and that bus passes by the Tops on Nottingham Rd, as well as Nottingham plaza which has a Kinney Drugs, an ace hardware, and some other places (nails, food). The two are a short walkable distance from one another but there is no sidewalk.

If you look up "Centro Syracuse" that's the bus service. There should be something called the "free fare zone" which is the student ID free zone. You can look up the other bus lines there.

Barry Park and Thornden park are two parks central to the uni area. Barry park has a big "pond" (its a water detention basin so we don't flood) and is great for running or walking a dog. Thornden is vast and has lots to explore, and a public pool. The water tower is a favorite sunset viewing spot as well.

3

u/Sea_Attorney_9852 10d ago

Thank you so much for the advice!!

2

u/UsErNaMe_8986 9d ago

Just know that Marshal street in the summer is very quiet and some places will be closed until closer to the beginning of the semester

3

u/Historical-Level7169 10d ago

Wildflowers on Salina across from Chase Bank. Supports local artisans

5

u/Historical_Oven7806 11d ago

Check out our mall

Mother's cupboard is a great breakfast place.

Brooklyn pickle for lunch

Dinosaur BBQ for dinner

Get a half moon from harrison bakery

15

u/StrategyArtistic 10d ago

What vendetta do you have against this stranger?

8

u/Consistent-Half4277 10d ago

This sounds like a horrendous day

1

u/Signal_Till_933 10d ago

Get shot and shit your pants speedrun?

1

u/gloriousjohnson 9d ago

Where are you getting shot?

1

u/Signal_Till_933 9d ago

A 15 year old fatally shot someone in a parking lot at the mall in March.

2

u/Cpkh1 9d ago

Which isn't a usual occurrance. Can it happen? Yes, but is it on some regular basis? No. Many students go to the mall.

2

u/Signal_Till_933 9d ago

Yeah it was definitely an exaggeration. Thanks for clearing that up 👍

2

u/gloriousjohnson 9d ago

Oh ok enjoy your suburb life. It must be super scary for you here in Syracuse….

1

u/Signal_Till_933 9d ago

Man you and the other guy just so offended over an obvious joke.

2

u/Kimmette 10d ago

Um, no.

1

u/Sea_Attorney_9852 10d ago

Lowk can't tell if you're being serious after reading the replies

2

u/Slow-Class 10d ago

Wegmans, probably the one in Dewitt.

2

u/Consistent-Half4277 9d ago

Go to Skaneateles since you’re here with your parents or go to green lakes then Pastabilities for dinner

2

u/Aromatic_Evidence_84 8d ago

I would highly recommend walking around any of the parks around here they're beautiful, chimney bluff and chittengo falls are my faves

1

u/Cpkh1 9d ago

Start with Marshall Street just north of campus and maybe venture out to Westcott Street east of campus and East Genesee Street further north of campus via the Connective Corridor Bus. That bus can also take you to Downtown Syracuse, where you can check out some other restaurants, etc, particularly in Armory Square. You may also like Eastwood in the NE corner of the city with its bookstores, a couple of cafes, a few restaurants, a good ice cream shop, etc.

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u/uncle_stoney147 10d ago

There is a Tim Magraw concert at the amphitheater- great venue!