CENTRAL NEW YORK LIFESTYLE

Central New York and the City of Syracuse are home to recreational, cultural, educational, and environmental attractions that are rarely found in a mid-sized metropolis. The vast county parks systems host nearly three million visitors each year to sites that include a nature center, beaches, forested areas, natural feature parks, a multi-use park, a marina, athletic fields, fish hatchery, and other historic facilities. The county-owned Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park was featured on the Discovery Channel documentary, selected for the quality of its programs. Spectator sports events draw record-breaking crowds to venues like the NBT Bank Stadium, home to Triple-A minor league Syracuse SkyChiefs affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Syracuse Crunch, affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets, provides professional hockey thrills at the Onondaga County War Memorial. The 50,000-seat Carrier Dome at Syracuse University is home to top-rated collegiate sports including football, basketball, track and lacrosse. The venue also hosts Central New York’s major concert events, presenting a star-studded entertainment lineup.

Cultural enrichment is available throughout the region in venues that present professional and local talent. The Syracuse Opera Company is distinguished as one of New York State’s largest, with three major productions and 100 annual educational performances. Syracuse Stage presents classical and modern plays, also reaching into area schools with arts education. Spanning seven days and featuring national talent, the Syracuse Jazzfest attracts 80,000 fans to the largest free jazz festival in the Northeast. While historic preservation abounds, the premier organization is the Onondaga Historical Association and its history museum featuring the Heart of New York and Underground Railroad exhibitions. Other treasures include the Everson Museum of Art with one of the nation’s most extensive pottery collections and the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology.