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Syracuse is an American city in Central New York . According to the U.S. Census , in 2000 the City had a total population of 147,306, and its Metropolitan Area had a population of 732,117. It is the County Seat of Onondaga County and the economical and educational hub of Central New York, a region with over a million inhabitants. Syracuse is also well provided with convention sites, with a downtown convention complex and the Empire Expo Center directly west of the city, which hosts the annual Great New York State Fair . Syracuse was named after the original Syracuse , a city on the eastern coast of Sicily , Italy , which shares some similarities with this one, including a formerly-important salt industry and a neighboring town of Salina . The city has functioned as a major Crossroads over the last two centuries, first between the Erie Canal and its branch canals, then of the Railway Network . Today, Syracuse is located by the intersection of Upstate New York 's two major Interstate Highways , and Its Airport is the largest in the region. Syracuse is also home to many regional offices of the United States Government, such as the main office of the U.S. District Court For The Northern District Of New York .
HISTORY The Syracuse area was first seen by Europeans when French missionaries came to the area in the 1600s. A group of Jesuit priests, soldiers, and coureurs des bois (including Pierre Esprit Radisson ) set up a mission, known as Saint Marie Among the Iroquois or Ste. Marie de Gannentaha, on the northeast shore of Onondaga Lake at the invitation of the Onondaga Nation , one of the five constituent members of the Iroquois confederacy. The mission was short lived, as the Mohawk Nation hinted to the Onondaga that they should sever their ties to the French, or the Onondaga's guests would suffer some horrible fate. The men in the mission caught wind of this and left under cover of a cold night in March. Their entire stay was less than two years. The remains of the mission have been located underneath a restaurant in nearby Liverpool, NY. There is now a living history museum in Liverpool that recreates the mission. After the Revolutionary War , more settlers came to the area, mostly to trade with the Onondaga Nation. Ephraim Webster left the Continental Army to settle in the area in 1784, and Asa Danforth, another revolutionary war hero, arrived afterward. Salt was discovered in several swamps in Syracuse, which brought more settlers to the area, and eventually gave the city the nickname "Salt City". around 1915.]] The original settlement went through several name changes until 1824, first being called Webster's Landing (1786), then Bogardus Corners (1796), Milan (1809), South Salina (1812), Cossits’ Corners (1814), and Corinth (1817). The U.S. Postal Service rejected the name Corinth upon its application for a post office, stating there was already a post office by this name in New York. Due to similarities such as a salt industry and a neighboring Village named Salina, the name Syracuse was chosen, after Syracuse, Italy. In 1825, the Village of Syracuse was officially incorporated. Five years later, the Erie Canal , which ran through the village, was completed. In 1848, Syracuse merged with nearby Salina to become the City of Syracuse. The opening of the canal caused a steep increase in the sale of salt, not simply due to the improved and lower cost of transportation, but because the canal caused New York farms to change from wheat to pork, and curing pork required salt. As salt production climbed, the processing became increasingly mechanized, and local industry became more generalized; population grew to 5,000 by 1850, from 250 in 1820, making it the twelfth largest city in the Union. Irish Ethnic Enclave has even been visited by Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern . Its configuration came about as a result of its continuous destruction by neighborhood boys in the 1920s, who objected to " British " red being placed above "Irish" green. Notice Irish flag flying at right of picture.]] As Syracuse grew in wealth and sophistication, it became a hot spot for the growing Abolitionist movement. On October 1 , 1851 , a freed slave known only as Jerry was arrested under the Fugitive Slave Law . The anti-slavery Liberty Party was holding its state convention in the city, and when word of the arrest spread, several hundred Abolitionist s broke into the city jail and freed Jerry. The event came to be known as the Jerry Rescue. During the Civil War , Syracuse was also a stop on the Underground Railroad . The salt industry declined after the Civil War , but a new manufacturing industry arose in its place. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, numerous businesses and stores were established, including the Franklin Automobile Company, which produced the first air-cooled engine in the world, and the Craftsman Workshops, the center of Gustav Stickley's handmade furniture empire. Syracuse University was chartered in 1870 as a Methodist-Episcopal institution; it has grown from a few classrooms located in downtown Syracuse into a major research institution. World War II sparked significant industrial expansion in the area: specialty steel, fasteners, custom machining. After the war, the Big Three auto companies had major operations in the area, Syracuse was headquarters for Carrier Air Conditioning and Crouse-Hinds traffic signal manufacturing, and General Electric had its main television manufacturing plant at Electronics Parkway in Syracuse. Many of Syracuse's landmark buildings were demolished in the 1950s and 1960s, and several new museums and government buildings were built. Syracuse's population peaked at 221,000 in 1950. In the 1980s, many Immigrant s from Africa and Central America moved to Syracuse, under the auspices of several religious charities. However, these new Syracusans could not make up for the flow of residents out of Syracuse to either its Suburb s or out of state due to job loss. The city's population slowly decreases every year. The manufacturing industry in Syracuse began to falter in the 1970s. Many small businesses failed during this time, which contributed to an already increasing Unemployment Rate . General Electric moved its manufacturing operations to Singapore. Carrier Corporation moved its headquarters out of Syracuse. Nevertheless, the Syracuse metropolitan area population has remained stable due to sprawl, even growing by 2.5 percent since 1970. GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE Geography from University Hill .]] Syracuse is located at 43°2'49" North, 76°8'40" West (43.046899, -76.144423). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 66.4 Km&2 (25.6 Mi&2 ). 65.0 km&2 (25.1 mi&2) of it is land and 1.4 km&2 (0.6 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 2.15% water, with the major water body being Onondaga Lake . The city is seen as the northeast gateway to the Finger Lakes Region. The city has many neighborhoods which were originally various villages that joined the city over the years. Although the central part of Syracuse is flat, many of its neighborhoods are located on small hills such as University Hill and Tipperary Hill. Land to the north of Syracuse is generally flat while land to the south is hilly. Major parks in the area include Burnet Park on Tipperary Hill , Upper Onondaga Park and Lower Onondaga Park which is connected to Kirk Park in Strathmore , and Thornden Park between the University Hill and Westcott neighborhoods. Burnet Park is home to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and the first public golf course in the United States (1901). Also worth mentioning is Schiller Park in the Near Northeast neighborhood, and Sunnycrest Park in Eastwood . About 27 percent of Syracuse's land area is covered by 890,000 trees — a higher percentage than in Albany, Rochester or Buffalo. This is despite the Labor Day Storm of 1998, a Derecho which destroyed approximately 30,000 trees. The Sugar Maple accounts for 14.2 percent of Syracuse's trees, followed by the Northern White Cedar (9.8 percent) and the European Buckthorn (6.8 percent). The most common street tree is the Norway Maple (24.3 percent) followed by the Honeylocust (9.3 percent). The densest tree cover in Syracuse is in the two Valley neighborhoods, with 46.6 percent of their land covered by trees. The lowest tree cover percentage is found Downtown , which consists of only 4.6 percent trees. Syracuse's main water source is Skaneateles Lake , one of the country's cleanest lakes, located about 20 miles southwest of the city. Incoming water is left unfiltered, and only a trivial amount of chlorine is added to prevent bacterial growth. For periods of draught, there is also a backup line which uses water from Lake Ontario . Climate Syracuse is known for its snowfall. With 115.6 inches (293.6 cm) average , the Syracuse metro area receives more snow on average than any other large city in the United States. Research has even shown that Syracuse is the snowiest large city in the world. Syracuse continually wins the Golden Snowball Award , among Upstate cities. Its record so far is 192.1 inches. Syracuse's hottest month is historically July, with an average high temperature of 82 °F (28 °C), while its coldest month is historically January, with an average high temperature of 31 °F (-0.4 °C). One notable blizzard in recent history was the Blizzard Of 1993 , during which 42.9 inches (109 cm) fell on the city within 48 hours, with 35.6 inches (90.4 cm) falling within the first 24 hours. Syracuse received more snow than any other city in the country during this storm, which shattered a total of eight local records, including most the snow in a single snowstorm. Syracuse's summers have also recently broken records. The summers of 2005 and 2002 were, respectively, the hottest and second-hottest summers on record. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 147,306 people, 59,482 households, and 30,335 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 2,266.8/km&2 (5,871.0/mi&2). There were 68,192 housing units at an average density of 1,049.4/km&2 (2,717.8/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 64.26% White , 25.35% African American , 1.13% Native American , 3.37% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 2.23% from Other Races , and 3.61% from two or more races. 5.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Syracuse has historically enjoyed a relatively diverse ethnic population, including sizable Italian-American, Polish-American and Irish-American communities. More recently, the city has seen a growing Latino population, and is also a resettlement center for refugees from Bosnia , Sudan (the "Lost Boys") as well as Somali Bantu Refugees . There were 59,482 households out of which 30.46% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 12.65% were Married Couples living together, 14.84% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.58% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 16.8% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $33,026. Males had a median income of $30,312 versus $23,997 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $15,168. 27.3% of the population and 21.7% of families were below the Poverty Line . 35.1% of those under the age of 18 and 12.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. ECONOMY is not one of the region's top ten employers, but the Tower s bearing its name are a prominent piece of the Syracuse Skyline ]] Syracuse's economy has faced challenges over the past decades as industrial jobs have left the area. The number of local and state government jobs also have been declining for several years. Syracuse's top employers are now primarily in Education and in the Service Industry . University Hill is Syracuse's fastest growing neighborhood, fueled by expansions by Syracuse University and Upstate Medical University , as well as dozens of small medical office complexes. Top employers The top employers in the Syracuse region and the size of their workforce, as of January 1 , 2006:
(source: '' Syracuse Post Standard '') The Canadian Magna International bought the New Process Gear Division of New Venture Gear, saving it from being shut down by Daimler-Chrysler . Several smaller companies in the area continue to add a small number of jobs. In June 2004 the Bank Of New York announced it would bring up to 800 jobs to Downtown Syracuse . In August it was reported that the job growth rate of the area was 1.4%. In October Lockheed Martin announced it would add up to 300 electrical, mechanical, and software engineering positions by 2007. In January 2005, AXA , which recently purchased MONY , announced it was bringing 300 more jobs downtown, and Sutherland Global Services said it would add 125. Other companies that continue to grow in the area include Welch Allyn , Anaren , and Sensis Corporation. Today the Syracuse area has no extremely large employers, but rather many smaller ones, which provides for a certain amount of stability. Additionally, eight of the area's top eleven employers are in Education or the Service Industry , which tend to be much more stable than the Manufacturing Industry . The Syracuse area's unemployment rate of 5.0 percent is comparable to the national one of 4.8 (March, 2006). Throughout 2006, the area has continued to gain jobs over the previous year's figures. During February and March 2006, the area's job growth rate tied with New York City for the highest in the state.. NEIGHBORHOODS The City of Syracuse officially recognizes 26 Neighborhoods within its boundaries. Some of these have small neighborhoods inside of them. In addition, Syracuse also owns and operates Syracuse Hancock International Airport , located on the territory of four towns north of the city. Syracuse's neighborhoods reflect the historically divided population. Traditionally, German- and Italian-Americans settled on its northside; Polish- and Irish-Americans on its westside; Jewish-Americans on the eastside; and African-Americans on its southside. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||