Suburbia

Reasons for leaving Syracuse

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

The latest census enumerations show that the city of Syracuse’s population has fallen to a new low of 139,000. This, as Phil points out, leaves Syracuse dangerously close to “small city” status in New York. As a suburbanite, I think of “Syracuse” as the entire metro area, however. No doubt the metro […]

It’s made out of people!

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

It’s amazing stuff, $4 gas is. People are just busting out all over. They’re on the sidewalks, walking. They’re on their bikes, riding. They’re at the bus stops, waiting. They’re playing in their front yards. I have seen this with my own eyes — the stories are […]

A place for our stuff

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

A Buffalo News story on a backlash against “walkable redevelopment” makes me wonder if we’re not all dancing around the real problem with getting Americans to stop driving so much: it’s not just the distances involved, it’s also the stuff.
The “walkable community” uses a dense, villagelike mix of homes and businesses to […]

Heaven and hell

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

This video from CNN about a foreclosure-plagued gated community near Las Vegas (75% of the houses are now empty) is a strange expression of the American dream. (Or maybe a disturbing suppuration of it.) Watching the homeowner featured in this report reminds me that one person’s idea of heaven can certainly be another […]

The bear: Journey’s end

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

One of my favorite childhood books was Richard Adams’ Watership Down. His follow-up novel, Shardik, was very different (and less popular; I can’t remember if I finished it, to be honest). It was set in a fantasy world where the central figure of worship was a giant bear, whose mysterious appearance and journey […]

Remitted tuition for city residents

Friday, January 25th, 2008

Is it fair? Hell yeah.

How to move a city

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007

What happens if nothing happens to I-81?

Fairmount gets noticed

Saturday, December 1st, 2007

We’re No. 27! We’re No. 27!

FF forever

Saturday, October 6th, 2007

There’s been large reminiscent thread on Syracuse.com about Fairmount Fair, perhaps inspired by the imminent opening of the new Target. (Was there one Dr. Grambow or two?) And Michael’s finally opened last week. I joked with people that I was going to cry when I set foot in there on opening […]

Byrned

Thursday, September 20th, 2007

Kudos to the Post-Standard for including a story about the suspiciously sudden closure of Byrne Dairy on South Geddes in today’s “Neighbors West.” Residents of Solvay, Westvale, Taunton, Fairmount, Camillus, Jordan etc. should realize that what happens on the west side of the city is stuff that they ought to know about.
I […]