Tully offers rural charm with easy access to Syracuse
Tully is a town in upstate New York, approximately 20 miles south of Syracuse. Most activity centers around its namesake village, but the Tully Lakes, also known as the Kettle Lakes, offer year-round recreation. According to town clerk Sue Vaccaro, the town of 2,600 is a good fit “if you like a farm community and wide open spaces.” Although this is a rural community, Interstate 81 provides quick access to Syracuse and Cortland, a smaller city to the south.
Historic homes and lakefront properties span a wide price range
Many homes in the village of Tully date to the 1800s. Land parcels are typically small, but some measure up to an acre, with paved driveways and yards shaded by mature trees. Curving, hilly roads pass by forests, farms and cornfields on the outskirts, where most homes feature newer construction and properties can measure several acres. Some houses offer hilltop views or access to Crooked and Tully Lakes. Attached and detached garages are common features in newer homes.
Tully’s average home value is around $375,000 — more than $250,000 lower than the nearby lakeside town of Skaneateles — and properties usually sell within 29 days, well below the national average. Some National and ranch-style homes in need of refurbishment sell for $125,000 to $250,000, but well-maintained Colonial Revival and ranch-style houses cost $250,000 to $450,000. Lakefront properties or farms with sizable acreage cost $520,000 to $735,000. Tully has a CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, below the national average of 4.
Students attend two schools in the Tully Central School District
Tully Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through sixth grade and receives a Niche grade of B-minus. Tully Junior/Senior High School is rated C-plus. Parents can get updates on student activities from the Tully Central School District’s Knight Insight publication. Tully Field Station and the Svend O. Heiberg Memorial Forest research area draw students from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), based in Syracuse.
Winter sports include ice fishing, skiing and snowmobiling
Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty to do on the Tully Lakes. “There’s fishing and boating, but they’re smaller lakes, so you’re talking about a pontoon boat or a little fishing boat,” Vaccaro says. Tully Lake is a prime fishing spot with shallow water that usually freezes early in winter, making it ideal for ice fishing. Green Lake Beach has a roped swimming area with lifeguards on duty, and trails at Tracy Lake’s nature preserve are especially scenic in fall, when the trees along the shoreline turn to copper and bronze shades. Heiberg Forest features miles of dog-friendly hiking trails that transform into snowshoeing and snowmobiling terrain in winter, and more than 20 downhill skiing trails line the slopes at Song Mountain Resort. In the village, Cummings Park has a playground, a ball field and a pavilion that residents can reserve for private gatherings.
Breakfast cafes, regional favorites and global eats in Tully
The village has a couple of enticing breakfast spots, including Flourish Farm Cafe and Bloomin’ Cup Coffee House, known for its breakfast sandwiches. The extensive menu at The Sweet Basil Restaurant & Pizzeria includes chicken riggies, a regional pasta dish made with rigatoni and peppers in a creamy tomato sauce. Nightingale’s Tully Lakes Hardware is tucked into a small shopping center alongside Tasty China and K Kurdish Mediterranean restaurants. Tully Market stocks a small selection of groceries, including fresh herbs grown in front of the store, but other options are available a short distance away. “You can head down to Cortland,” Vaccaro says, “but I like Fairmount, so I go up there and shop at Aldi, Wegmans, Target. There’s a whole plethora of stores if you need them.”
Interstate access and Centro buses connect to Syracuse
Interstate 81 provides the most direct route to Syracuse and the closest major airport, about 20 miles away. Centro buses stop at the Circle K convenience store and the intersection near Tully United Community Church to shuttle passengers on weekdays to the transit hub in Syracuse. Medical care is available at Upstate Community Hospital, a 17-mile drive. Cortland’s shopping centers and brick-bordered Main Street are about 15 miles away.
Seasonal events bring art, parades and hayrides to the village
Seasonal events keep neighborly vibes rolling in the village throughout the year. During the Tully Art Walk in spring, paintings and sculptures turn Main Street into an open-air gallery. The historical society celebrates Tully Community Days in September with walking tours, a parade, kids' activities and a car show. Hayrides and pumpkin carving are the highlights of October’s Tully Harvest Festival. The Winter Carnival is usually held in February, but according to Vaccaro, enthusiasm for the event has thawed in recent years. “They like to have that when it’s cold enough for the lakes to freeze so they can take ice off the lakes, but I don’t think we’ve done that in a few years, because it hasn’t been cold enough,” she says.
Service projects at Tully United Community Church
“Community” is the keyword for Tully United Community Church. Congregants participate in service projects including clothing and blood drives, backpack and school supply programs and senior luncheons.
