Hey guys,
I stumbled across RVF a few months back, and have learned, laughed, and grew immensely, so thank you all for that.
I felt for my first post that I would try to give back, and lay down the law about Syracuse, NY.
Granted its not the typical place one would think of spending any amount of time, but if hitting up towns that are dominated by University life is your thing, Syracuse is definitely a place to check out.
Getting There
Plane- Syracuse Intl Hancock Airport is located about 6 miles north of the city center. Delta and United (maybe American) both fly here, so it is possible to reach from almost any US destination with 1 layover. Plenty of taxis available for <$30 to get you to the city
Train- Shit location in Central NY makes it difficult to reach by train. There is no direct line from NYC to Syracuse, so train transfers are almost inevitable when traveling on the rails.
Weather
Yes it gets extremely cold here, but usually not until January. The autumn is absolutely pristine, and there are plenty of day game opportunities that can be run in this type of atmosphere (more to come).
Snow is never a problem as the city is always prepared the minute it starts falling on the ground.
The city is almost laughably divided into 2 segments- The University, and everything else. So I'll divide the thread accordingly.
Downtown Nightlife, Daygame, Shopping
Downtown is nothing to sneeze at, save for the Armory Square District which dominates any relevant sort of action. Plenty of bars, dance clubs, restaurants, coffee shops that would be in any midsize city.
Pastabilities- A crap quasi Italian restaurant, but for some reason girls eat this place right up. Check it out for the lunch crowd, and early evening for the happy hour crowd. (They do have a good wine list)
Sakanaya- Conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Half-off Mondays always draw a line, chicks love sushi, lots of standing around...... connect the dots
Freedom of Espresso- Quintessential hipster style coffee house. Though it attracts all kinds
Empire Brewery and Syracuse Suds- Two different microbrews with decent dinner menus and decent beer (I guess, not much of a beer connoisseur). Draw older crowds from mid to late 20s and up. A suit will do wonders here.
Daisy Dukes- Country themed dance clubs, equipped with mechanical bull. Plenty of drunk chicks riding the way they wish to imminently be ridden.
Trexx- Gay club of Syracuse. I've never been, but I imagine it is a hit or miss type of place with chicks leaving their guard down.
Dinosaur BBQ- Not in Armory Square, but legendary in its own right. A Blues BBQ jointed founded by a biker gang, lines will be 3 hours of long for this place on weekends. Fantastic food, and great blues bands always on stage. (There is a location in Harlem too for anyone in the city)
Al's Whiskey and Wine Bar- My personal favorite place downtown. Nice cozy atmosphere with a good looking, yet civil crowd. To boot, they have board games, from jenga to apples2apples which offers quite a unique gaming experience (literally and figuratively)
Off the beaten path
These places aren't necessarily great for gaming per say, but some of my favorite spots I have found
Danzer's- Authentic German restaurant in South Syracuse. Enormous portions and cheap beer
Pho Saigon- Vietnamese Restaurant. Absolute hole in the wall that resembles a church basement, but the food is top notch.
Sahota Palace- Couples miles north of the city center, but is an awesome Indian lunch and dinner buffet.
Outskirts Daygame
The landscape of Syracuse provides ample opportunities for daygaming, while simultaneously soaking in beautiful scenery.
Apple Picking- I don't know what it is, but chicks love apple picking. There are several places off route 20 (10 miles from the city) with apple orchards. Also anyone that has lived in the Northeast will know that PA, NY, CT have the greatest apples once autumn rolls around. If not for the gaming, just go to stockpile
Wine Tours- The closest Finger Lake (Skaneateles) is only a half hour drive from Syracuse. There are plenty of vineyards nestled throughout the Finger Lake valleys, all with their own wine tastings. Some companies provide tours, or just scout out a route yourself that allows you to go on a self guided tour. (Perfect insta-date, venue change).
Village of Skaneateles- Pristine Lake town with a nice downtown shopping district. Also check out Carpenter's Falls about 5 miles south of the town for some epic waterfalls (by NY standards at least) that lead right into the Lake.
Where to stay
Downtown has a few hotels to choose from ranging from $110-$200.
Hotel Skyler- old Jewish Synagogue that is certified LEED Platinum
Genesee Grande Hotel
Crown Plaza
Parkview Hotel
Syracuse University Sheraton
One last thing: Crack a joke about how polluted Onondaga Lake is, and the locals will love you
Next post will cover the University
I stumbled across RVF a few months back, and have learned, laughed, and grew immensely, so thank you all for that.
I felt for my first post that I would try to give back, and lay down the law about Syracuse, NY.
Granted its not the typical place one would think of spending any amount of time, but if hitting up towns that are dominated by University life is your thing, Syracuse is definitely a place to check out.
Getting There
Plane- Syracuse Intl Hancock Airport is located about 6 miles north of the city center. Delta and United (maybe American) both fly here, so it is possible to reach from almost any US destination with 1 layover. Plenty of taxis available for <$30 to get you to the city
Train- Shit location in Central NY makes it difficult to reach by train. There is no direct line from NYC to Syracuse, so train transfers are almost inevitable when traveling on the rails.
Weather
Yes it gets extremely cold here, but usually not until January. The autumn is absolutely pristine, and there are plenty of day game opportunities that can be run in this type of atmosphere (more to come).
Snow is never a problem as the city is always prepared the minute it starts falling on the ground.
The city is almost laughably divided into 2 segments- The University, and everything else. So I'll divide the thread accordingly.
Downtown Nightlife, Daygame, Shopping
Downtown is nothing to sneeze at, save for the Armory Square District which dominates any relevant sort of action. Plenty of bars, dance clubs, restaurants, coffee shops that would be in any midsize city.
Pastabilities- A crap quasi Italian restaurant, but for some reason girls eat this place right up. Check it out for the lunch crowd, and early evening for the happy hour crowd. (They do have a good wine list)
Sakanaya- Conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Half-off Mondays always draw a line, chicks love sushi, lots of standing around...... connect the dots
Freedom of Espresso- Quintessential hipster style coffee house. Though it attracts all kinds
Empire Brewery and Syracuse Suds- Two different microbrews with decent dinner menus and decent beer (I guess, not much of a beer connoisseur). Draw older crowds from mid to late 20s and up. A suit will do wonders here.
Daisy Dukes- Country themed dance clubs, equipped with mechanical bull. Plenty of drunk chicks riding the way they wish to imminently be ridden.
Trexx- Gay club of Syracuse. I've never been, but I imagine it is a hit or miss type of place with chicks leaving their guard down.
Dinosaur BBQ- Not in Armory Square, but legendary in its own right. A Blues BBQ jointed founded by a biker gang, lines will be 3 hours of long for this place on weekends. Fantastic food, and great blues bands always on stage. (There is a location in Harlem too for anyone in the city)
Al's Whiskey and Wine Bar- My personal favorite place downtown. Nice cozy atmosphere with a good looking, yet civil crowd. To boot, they have board games, from jenga to apples2apples which offers quite a unique gaming experience (literally and figuratively)
Off the beaten path
These places aren't necessarily great for gaming per say, but some of my favorite spots I have found
Danzer's- Authentic German restaurant in South Syracuse. Enormous portions and cheap beer
Pho Saigon- Vietnamese Restaurant. Absolute hole in the wall that resembles a church basement, but the food is top notch.
Sahota Palace- Couples miles north of the city center, but is an awesome Indian lunch and dinner buffet.
Outskirts Daygame
The landscape of Syracuse provides ample opportunities for daygaming, while simultaneously soaking in beautiful scenery.
Apple Picking- I don't know what it is, but chicks love apple picking. There are several places off route 20 (10 miles from the city) with apple orchards. Also anyone that has lived in the Northeast will know that PA, NY, CT have the greatest apples once autumn rolls around. If not for the gaming, just go to stockpile
Wine Tours- The closest Finger Lake (Skaneateles) is only a half hour drive from Syracuse. There are plenty of vineyards nestled throughout the Finger Lake valleys, all with their own wine tastings. Some companies provide tours, or just scout out a route yourself that allows you to go on a self guided tour. (Perfect insta-date, venue change).
Village of Skaneateles- Pristine Lake town with a nice downtown shopping district. Also check out Carpenter's Falls about 5 miles south of the town for some epic waterfalls (by NY standards at least) that lead right into the Lake.
Where to stay
Downtown has a few hotels to choose from ranging from $110-$200.
Hotel Skyler- old Jewish Synagogue that is certified LEED Platinum
Genesee Grande Hotel
Crown Plaza
Parkview Hotel
Syracuse University Sheraton
One last thing: Crack a joke about how polluted Onondaga Lake is, and the locals will love you
Next post will cover the University