Growing suburb along U.S. Route 11
Situated along U.S. Route 11, North Syracuse is a suburban community in Onondaga County whose central location attracts both residents and developers. “As the city has expanded, there’s been a lot more land and new builds in North Syracuse,” says Nick Sinay, a licensed real estate salesperson with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services who has been selling homes in the area for over five years. That growth has brought major employers like Micron to the area, and the technology company plans to build a new plant in Clay – just northeast of the community. Besides proximity to major thoroughfares, North Syracuse features abundant green spaces and a vibrant retail corridor along U.S. Route 11 – also known as Main Street.
Restaurants and shops line Main Street
Main Street features a mix of eateries, shops and markets. “A lot of people that live further north in the city do a lot of shopping, go out to dinner and do evening activities there,” Sinay says. Local bakeshops like Mario’s Bakery sit next to coffee shops such as Café Kubal. Nestico’s is an intimate Italian restaurant known for its homemade pasta sauces and stone-fired pizzas. Further south, people gather at the old-fashioned Julie’s Diner for all-day breakfast. Stop by the window at Plank Road Ice Cream or Big Dip Ice Cream for dessert. Local shops include Comix Zone, which has over 250,000 new and back-issue comics. Specialty grocers like Vince’s Gourmet Imports sell Italian goods alongside pantry staples. Further west, there’s a Wegmans in the heart of North Syracuse.
20th-century homes and townhome developments
Outside of its commercial corridor, North Syracuse is primarily residential and features a variety of single-family homes built around the mid-1900s. Traditional ranch-style and Colonial Revival homes sit down the street from Cape Cod-style homes adorned with dormer windows. Most homes sit side-by-side on modest lots that average just under a quarter of an acre. Tree-lined lots give residents a sense of privacy, and backyards have plenty of room for a small patio or garden. Prices for single-family homes range from around $135,000 for a two-bedroom ranch-style home to about $530,000 for a four-bedroom Colonial Revival estate with up to half an acre of land. Further south along Hopkins Road are several townhome communities, with two-bedroom units selling for about $170,000 to $265,000.
North Syracuse Central School District earns high ratings
Students in the northern half of North Syracuse attend the North Syracuse Central School District, while those in the southern half attend the Liverpool Central School District. Kids that live further north may attend Allen Road Elementary School for kindergarten through fourth grade before moving on to Gillette Road Middle School for fifth through seventh grade. Both schools earned a B from Niche. Older kids attend the B-minus-rated North Syracuse Junior High School for eighth and ninth grade and the B-rated Cicero-North Syracuse High School for tenth through twelfth grades. The high school’s Northstars Marching Band has won multiple titles in the New York State Field Band Conference and has performed at national events such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Residents are about 8 miles north of Syracuse University, a private research university where the Syracuse Orange compete in Division I athletics.
Playgrounds, sports courts and sledding hills
With over 10 green spaces in North Syracuse, Heritage Park stands out with a nine-hole disc golf course, playground and a dog park where pooches can play off-leash. The park also has a variety of sports courts, including a basketball court and two tennis courts. Further east off Interstate 81 is Kennedy Park, where the outdoor pool is open all summer long. Lonergan Park is known for its state-of-the-art ballfield, home to the North Syracuse Little League. The green space also hosts the weekly Lonergan Summer Concert Series, which features live performances from local bands. Syracuse averages 82 inches of snowfall per year, and the hill at Centerville Park is a popular spot for sledding. Residents of all ages can stay active year-round at the Syracuse Indoor Sports Center. The suburb is also centrally located between Onondaga Lake and Oneida Lake. “That’s a big boating lake, they have all the water activities,” Sinay says.
Events at Heritage Park
The Village of North Syracuse hosts various events in Heritage Park. Seasonal festivities include an Easter egg hunt and trunk-or-treating in the park. The village also offers summer camps in the park from July to August.
Drive or take the bus to Downtown Syracuse
U.S. Route 11 bisects the eastern half of North Syracuse and connects to major thoroughfares such as Interstate 81. Residents are about a 7-mile drive north of Downtown Syracuse, home to a vibrant commercial hub in Armory Square. “It’s about 15 minutes from Downtown Syracuse. You can also head north to Sand Point, which connects to Lake Ontario,” Sinay says. The Central New York Regional Transportation Authority provides local bus service to the community, with stops along the area’s main streets. The bus travels south to downtown’s Centro Transit Hub, among other places. Syracuse Hancock International Airport is about a 3-mile drive east.
Written By
Sally Stimpson
Photography Contributed By
Brandon Vick
