Lowell Smith Syracuse ALS Walk

A couple of weekends ago, family, friends, and I joined hundreds of others to participate in the Lowell Smith Syracuse ALS Walk in Long Branch Park. It was a wet and dreary day, but collectively we managed to trek through the miserableness and raise over $250,000 for the ALS Association. The money will go toward helping patients diagnosed with ALS as well as finding a cure/better treatment for the illness.

At the walk

I was blown away by the donations I received from family and friends. One friend actually gave $500 and a couple of others donated $250. Even those who could only give a little made it a point to give something. This support meant a lot to me, particularly as my dad is battling ALS. I'm already started to think about next year's event. I would like to do some sort of fundraiser that goes beyond just asking people for donations. I think I will brainstorm with some of my friends who work in fundraising for some interesting ideas. I can always tap into my helpful network of moms in Somerville, Mass. as well. We shall see!

Believe in Syracuse

A couple of months ago, I came across the Facebook page "Believe in Syracuse." Started by J-D graduate John DeSantis, "Believe in Syracuse" is actually a nonprofit that promotes the positive features of the Greater Syracuse area and cultivates connections and civic engagement within the Greater Syracuse community.

The nonprofit's website provides more background on the organization:

The decline of Syracuse that happened between 1950 and 2000 has made fewer people believe that good things are possible here. By changing the conversation about Syracuse we hope to encourage civic engagement and make Syracuse a more positive place to live. Believe in Syracuse can't solve all our problems, but working together, we believe we can start a conversation that makes Syracuse better.

Not only does this seem like a worthy mission, but Mr. DeSantis is regularly posting interesting news and updates related to Syracuse's growth and success. For example, recently he has been publicizing an upcoming event showcasing the transformation of the Babcock-Shattuck House at Westcott and East Genesee streets.

My husband plans to attend the event, so I will report back on his impressions. Anyway, I just wanted to highlight this organization, and the work they are doing to improve perceptions of Syracuse as well as the city's quality of life. I'm sure I'll be writing more about the organization!

Eastwood

As I mentioned in a previous post, our home is in walking distance of several business districts. One of those is Eastwood. I actually haven't yet walked there from my home, but Google Maps says it is about 15 minutes away.

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I parked at Eastwood, and explored the neighborhood. While we couldn't find a coffee shop farther west than Cafe Kubal (a 30-minute walk from our place), we did come across a couple of cool used bookstores, several bars, a Philly cheese steak shop, a burger joint, a Seven-Eleven, the post office, the old Palace movie theater (which today is used mainly for events/concerts, but also sometimes shows movies), a couple drugstores, and quite a few hair salons (that seems to be a reoccurring theme in these parts!).

Books and DVDs I purchased at Books & Melodies used bookstore

Also, if you go a little farther to the East (in the direction of Cafe Kubal), you'll encounter a Byrne Dairy (yummy milk, and it apparently has an ice cream bar too), another ice cream place with nice outdoor seating, a city library branch, some churches, etc.

All in all there are quite a few destinations in Eastwood, but what my husband and I really feel is lacking is a coffee shop in the western portion of Eastwood. Perhaps we will discover that the Seven-Eleven or a smoke shop I forgot to mention earlier have delicious coffee as well as nice spaces for enjoying that coffee. But until we learn of these secrets, we'll have to settle for the longer trip to Cafe Kubal or the 15-minute walk to Shop City (where there's a McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts).

While at the Westcott Cultural Fair on Sunday, I overheard someone say there's a great tai chi place in Eastwood (which reminds me there's apparently also a small gym in Eastwood). Between all of these businesses and the fact that the Eastwood Neighborhood Association seems quite active (right now they are really pushing a 5-mile road race on October 26), I'm excited to better acquaint myself with this neighborhood!

Sedgwick Farms Neighborhood Association

Today my husband, daughter, and I attended our first meeting of the Sedgwick Farms Neighborhood Association (SFNA) - which took place at the Sedgwick Farms Tennis Club. We figured it would be a good way to meet some neighbors, and learn about the key issues facing the neighorhood.

It was a good experience. We met a number of nice people (about 20 people attended the meeting, including three sets of new neighbors and Syracuse city councilor Jake Barrett), and learned quite a few things. Here are the main topics that were discussed:

• The association is replacing the light at the entrance to the neighborhood (next to the sign for the neighborhood at Sedgwick Drive and James Street). It has been broken for some time.

• This year's Halloween event will take place Sunday, Oct. 26 from 4-6 p.m. Neighborhood children, grandchildren, and friends can pick up a trick or treat map at 115 Wendall "Scare-ace" (Terrace hehe), and there are snacks and activity stops along the route. The event differs from past years that involved a party at the Sedgwick Farms Tennis Club. From what I gathered there are fewer young children in the neighborhood (or at least in the Sedgwick preservation district); thus, it made sense to skip the party this year.

• The most heavily discussed topic was the association's membership. I believe they said that there are 200-something houses in the Sedgwick preservation district and about 90-some of them are paid members of the association (though only 60-some have paid so far this year). While this amount of revenue (annual dues are $50) is sufficient for the association's expenses, some meeting attendees seem to think there is more the association can do to increase its membership/paid membership. One gentleman said by his estimate there are over 1,000 houses in the greater Sedgwick neighborhood, and that it would be good to target all of these people including those outside the preservation district. He said the Eastwood Neighborhood Association is a great model as they have attracted over 800 members and have quite a few events.Currently, neighborhood residents who live outside of the Sedgwick preservation district must be "sponsored" to become official members of the association (though generally speaking they can participate in the association's events). Association board members said there was talk several years ago of not requiring those outside the preservation district to obtain sponsorship, but this proposal was met with little interest. In addition, considering the association has not been able to recruit the majority of preservation district residents as paid members, it doesn't necessarily make sense to target people outside the district. My family and I technically live outside the district, but were told we would surely be sponsored to become official members of the association (though membership is free your first year in the neighborhood). As part of the discussion, the topic of designating "block leaders" was suggested. This could be a way to get the overall neighborhood more engaged with the association. In addition, meeting attendees were encouraged to update the association when they are aware of new neighbors. 

• Every so often, a member of the association volunteers to host a cocktail mixer for all association members. Hosts simply provide their home, paper plates, and napkins. The association provides the glasses, and guests bring a bottle of something as well as an appetizer or dessert.

We are looking forward to attending future SFNA meetings and events!

Downtown Liverpool

As mentioned in the previous post, my husband and I enjoy neighborhoods that are walkable/in close proximity of shops, cafes, parks, etc. As a result, we considered the village of Liverpool as a potential neighborhood during our neighborhood/house hunt earlier this year.

One afternoon, we parked our car near the library, and began wandering the downtown streets. It's not a huge village center, but there's a fair range of businesses. From our count there was one really nice restaurant (The Retreat), several bars, a BBQ joint, two coffee shops (including one awesome nonprofit we had delicious sandwiches at), an independent grocery store, a liquor store, quite a few salons, the library, a couple summer-only venues (including a cool lighthouse-shaped restaurant), a couple museums, and more.

What really made us like Liverpool village, however, was its location beside Onondaga Lake. While this lake is not yet suitable for swimming (a huge clean-up is taking place after years of pollution/contamination/neglect), and may not be during our lifetimes, it is beautiful and surrounded by lovely walking paths (at least a large portion of the lake is) and greenery.

We actually walked along the lake at sunset the other day, and part of me wished we had focused more on Liverpool during our house search. Then again, we did not see very many village houses for sale/houses we were interested in, so that was pretty much a deal-breaker.

We look forward to hanging out in Liverpool, though; it is conveniently located between our new home and my parents' house in Baldwinsville.

Importance of walkability

Living in Somerville, Massachusetts, my husband and I were used to being able to walk pretty much everywhere, including cafes, bars, restaurants, drug stores, parks, bike paths, public transportation, and the list goes on. Proximity to businesses was a key factor in our Syracuse house search; we are happy to have found a home within walking distance of several business districts. More specifically, we are about a 15 minute-walk from the Eastwood business district, a 15-minute walk from Shop City Plaza, and a 15-minute walk from Riley's - a supposedly awesome restaurant/pub near Schiller Park.

We haven't yet ventured out to these places, so these times are based on Google Maps estimates. I will get back to you on our actual experience walking to these locales, but it seems like the outings will be completely doable. It was difficult to find a home - or even neighborhood - in Syracuse that's a close walk to shops and other destinations. We consider ourselves pretty lucky! Hopefully, the overall situation in Syracuse will improve over time, as there are many benefits associated with walking/neighborhood walkability.

First night in the new place!

Yesterday, my husband and I successfully closed on our new place (woohoo!), began moving items from my parents' place in Baldwinsville, and "camped out" overnight in our sleeping bags. (Our one-year-old daughter spent the night in her playpen.) It was a lot of fun. We have so much left to move (most of our items are arriving from Boston tomorrow), but at least we are making progress. Early this morning we met our first neighbor, an older gentleman out walking his pet poodle. He said he frequently walks by our place; it looks like there are quite a few other "regular" walkers as well. I'm so excited to explore our new surroundings in the coming days.

Back in Syracuse

So here I am, back in Syracuse. Well, technically I am currently in Baldwinsville. And I spent the majority of my youth in Fayetteville. But I have returned to the area, and tomorrow my husband and I are closing on a house in Syracuse's Sedgwick neighborhood. We are so excited to get to know our new neighborhood. Even though I was born in the Valley, grew up in Fayetteville, and attended S.U for my master's, I have lots to learn about the area and more specifically the city. Having just moved from a thriving city north of Boston (Somerville), I am eager to be a part of a new "city community" and all it has to offer.