Want to live and work in Syracuse?

Compared to Boston, New York City, or even Albany, Syracuse is affordable. A one-bedroom apartment downtown or in Eastwood typically costs less than half of what one would pay in any major northeastern city. Markets like Wegmans and Price Chopper have reasonable prices, and the Regional Market on Saturdays offers fresh produce from local farms at fair prices.

The heavier side of the equation is residential property taxes, among the highest in the United States relative to property value. This weighs on home buyers. Electricity and gas bills also rise considerably in winter, as temperatures drop below freezing for months and heating runs non-stop from November to April.

For students and young professionals, salaries in healthcare, education, or technology go much further here than in saturated markets. Dining out is affordable: Syracuse-style cheese pizza, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and pasta dishes at Armory Square restaurants fit the budget even for those just starting out.

The backbone of Syracuse's job market is the institutions known as eds and meds: education and healthcare. Syracuse University, with over 22,000 students, and Upstate Medical University form a massive hub of skilled employment. Hospitals such as Upstate University Hospital, Crouse Health, and St. Joseph's Health Hospital employ tens of thousands of professionals.

The logistics sector benefits from the city's central position in the state, with two major interstates crossing the urban grid and an active regional airport. Companies such as Wegmans (headquartered in Rochester, with a strong presence here), National Grid, and arms manufacturer Remington Arms operate in the metropolitan area. The Carrier Circle industrial district concentrates logistics and manufacturing.

The major shift came with the announcement by Micron Technology, which is building a semiconductor manufacturing complex in Clay, north of the city, with a promise of generating thousands of direct jobs over the next decade. The development has also attracted smaller technology startups and opened opportunities for engineers, technicians, and service providers.

For a city of its size, Syracuse has a surprisingly robust hospital infrastructure. Upstate University Hospital is the only Level 1 trauma center in Central New York and handles complex cases from an area extending to the Pennsylvania border and the Finger Lakes. It is also a teaching hospital affiliated with SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Neighboring it, Crouse Hospital has a strong reputation in neonatal care and maternity. St. Joseph's Health Hospital, a Catholic institution, is a reference for cardiology and cardiac surgery. All three hospitals are concentrated in the University Hill neighborhood, facilitating access for those living downtown or in Westcott. Outpatient clinics are spread throughout the suburbs.

Access depends heavily on health insurance, as throughout the United States. Those employed by major employers have reasonable coverage; those without employment can seek Medicaid (the state program for low-income individuals) or plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Community clinics such as Syracuse Community Health Center serve vulnerable populations on a sliding scale.

Like most mid-sized American cities, Syracuse was designed around the car. Two interstates cut through the urban grid, and the commute between downtown and the suburbs rarely exceeds 15 minutes without traffic. Parking is abundant and cheap compared to any large city.

Syracuse Hancock International Airport, known by the code SYR, operates direct flights to hubs such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia, as well as New York and Newark. There are no regular direct international routes, but connections through hubs are quick. The Amtrak station is located at William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center and connects to New York City, Albany, and Toronto.

The Centro bus network covers the city and neighboring areas, useful for those living near major corridors. Syracuse University students use internal shuttles. Bike lanes exist in isolated spots, primarily along the Creekwalk following Onondaga Creek and on trails near Onondaga Lake Park, but the network is still nascent for those wishing to commute by bicycle daily.

College sports are a religion in Syracuse. Syracuse Orange men's basketball games at JMA Wireless Dome (formerly Carrier Dome) fill one of the largest covered arenas in Division I. College football also draws a loyal following. Around game days, bars like Faegan's and Chuck's Cafe are packed.

The city celebrates its immigrant heritage with annual festivals. The Taste of Syracuse downtown brings together dozens of restaurants in June. The Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Tipperary Hill is one of the largest Irish celebrations in upstate New York. The Great New York State Fair, in August and September, draws over one million visitors for livestock shows, concerts, and fair food.

Museums handle the cultural side: the Everson Museum of Art (in a brutalist building by I.M. Pei) holds a strong collection of American ceramics, and the Erie Canal Museum tells the story of the canal that made Syracuse a prosperous city in the nineteenth century. Local specialties include Syracuse-style pizza with extra cheese, salt potatoes (potatoes boiled in heavily salted water), chicken riggies, and generations-old Italian-American cuisine.

Since the 2000s, Syracuse has become a refugee resettlement destination sponsored by federal agencies and local nonprofits. Families from Bhutan (of Nepali origin), Somalia, Myanmar, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, and Cuba have been resettled in the city, profoundly changing the demographic profile of the North Side.

Previously hollowed-out neighborhoods gained ethnic markets, restaurants, and temples. The North Side today has halal grocery stores, Somali butcher shops, Nepali restaurants, and Ukrainian bakeries. The Hispanic diaspora, coming mainly from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Cuba, has a longer history and is distributed throughout the city. Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, and Filipino communities tied to the university and hospitals also have a notable presence.

Institutional support comes from organizations such as the Center for New Americans (part of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Syracuse), InterFaith Works of Central New York, and Hopeprint, which offer English classes, help with documents, employment, and housing. Universities such as Le Moyne and Syracuse University have research and support centers focused on refugee and recently arrived immigrant populations.