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 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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Is it fair? Hell yeah.

What happens if nothing happens to I-81?

We’re No. 27! We’re No. 27!

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 […]

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 […]