The Daily OrangeStudents should consider Syracuse as their home away from home
By Janae DeRusso
Posted: 3/18/09, 4:06 AM EST Section: Opinion
Spring Break is over, and I am back to where I currently call home, Syracuse, N.Y.
Unfortunately, it took visiting two of the biggest cities in the country last week to realize I know vacation spots better than I know the city I live in now.
I imagine I am not the only student who has not made an effort to fully investigate the various opportunities to see art, film and music in Syracuse, not to mention simply to eat, drink and be merry. Students spending four years here should make every attempt to integrate themselves not only in the Syracuse University community but the city itself.
Over Spring Break, I was in both Los Angeles and New York City, each of which I had only been to a few times in the past. I haven't driven in either. As it turns out, I made my way around them better than I do in Syracuse, even after living here for more than a year and a half.
If you ever travel home with your roommate, you probably have a list of places you take them - your favorite coffee or bagel place, where you like to shop, and maybe the park you where you walk your dog.
I brought my roommate to my family's home in Orange County, Calif., over break. I made sure to take her to all my favorite spots of the county, such as the restaurant at the end of the Balboa Pier, Disneyland and my grandmother's house.
Why should your home away from home be any different? Enjoy the lovely weather this week and take a trip downtown.
As a freshman, my friends failed to take advantage of the Connective Corridor bus route available. Quite familiar with the buses to Carousel Center, we otherwise remained at school full time. Students of every year should not wait to visit what surrounds our little nook on the Hill.
Driving home from NYC, my roommate found a brochure in my car titled "Places to Go and Things to Do While at SU." Go to Syracuse Stage. Visit the War Memorial. Go to The Redhouse. Eat at Spaghetti Warehouse.
Syracuse may not be swarming with yellow taxis and subway stations like NYC, and it doesn't have palm trees lining the streets or the Hollywood hills as a backdrop as Los Angeles does. This in no way means it is not worthy of exploration. Every city has its own unique characteristics.
The Syracuse International Film Festival is April 24 through May 3 this year. Take some friends and go see a movie at somewhere other than the mall theater.
When I Google searched "things to do at SU," I came across a six-page list titled "Things Every Syracuse University Student Should Do" from Syracuse University Magazine's Fall 1998 edition. While the list is now more than 10 years old, most ideas still apply, especially the off-campus ones.
Everyone should visit Dinosaur BBQ and go to a Syracuse Crunch hockey game. "Learn how to get downtown and not just to the bars in Armory Square," the list instructs.
It should not have taken an embarrassing trip while working as a delivery driver for me to understand there is more than one big hospital in the area. I need to get out more.
Janae DeRusso is a sophomore public relations major. Her columns appear every Wednesday. She can be reached at jcderuss@syr.edu.
Unfortunately, it took visiting two of the biggest cities in the country last week to realize I know vacation spots better than I know the city I live in now.
I imagine I am not the only student who has not made an effort to fully investigate the various opportunities to see art, film and music in Syracuse, not to mention simply to eat, drink and be merry. Students spending four years here should make every attempt to integrate themselves not only in the Syracuse University community but the city itself.
Over Spring Break, I was in both Los Angeles and New York City, each of which I had only been to a few times in the past. I haven't driven in either. As it turns out, I made my way around them better than I do in Syracuse, even after living here for more than a year and a half.
If you ever travel home with your roommate, you probably have a list of places you take them - your favorite coffee or bagel place, where you like to shop, and maybe the park you where you walk your dog.
I brought my roommate to my family's home in Orange County, Calif., over break. I made sure to take her to all my favorite spots of the county, such as the restaurant at the end of the Balboa Pier, Disneyland and my grandmother's house.
Why should your home away from home be any different? Enjoy the lovely weather this week and take a trip downtown.
As a freshman, my friends failed to take advantage of the Connective Corridor bus route available. Quite familiar with the buses to Carousel Center, we otherwise remained at school full time. Students of every year should not wait to visit what surrounds our little nook on the Hill.
Driving home from NYC, my roommate found a brochure in my car titled "Places to Go and Things to Do While at SU." Go to Syracuse Stage. Visit the War Memorial. Go to The Redhouse. Eat at Spaghetti Warehouse.
Syracuse may not be swarming with yellow taxis and subway stations like NYC, and it doesn't have palm trees lining the streets or the Hollywood hills as a backdrop as Los Angeles does. This in no way means it is not worthy of exploration. Every city has its own unique characteristics.
The Syracuse International Film Festival is April 24 through May 3 this year. Take some friends and go see a movie at somewhere other than the mall theater.
When I Google searched "things to do at SU," I came across a six-page list titled "Things Every Syracuse University Student Should Do" from Syracuse University Magazine's Fall 1998 edition. While the list is now more than 10 years old, most ideas still apply, especially the off-campus ones.
Everyone should visit Dinosaur BBQ and go to a Syracuse Crunch hockey game. "Learn how to get downtown and not just to the bars in Armory Square," the list instructs.
It should not have taken an embarrassing trip while working as a delivery driver for me to understand there is more than one big hospital in the area. I need to get out more.
Janae DeRusso is a sophomore public relations major. Her columns appear every Wednesday. She can be reached at jcderuss@syr.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
MPH
posted 3/18/09 @ 7:17 AM EST
EVERYONE should visit Dinosaur BBQ.
gobigpelf
posted 3/18/09 @ 10:33 AM EST
I agree Janae! There is so much more to Syracuse than SU...
- Catch a Chiefs game
- Peruse used bookstores in Eastwood
- Go to a show at the Westcott (or Lost Horizon or even Half Penny)
- Go to the Zoo
- Grab a coffee in Franklin Square
- Check out dive bars on the North Side
- Eat at Steve's on Tipp Hill and Eva's in Solvay
- Shop at Soundgarden and Modern Pop Culture in Armory Square
- Ice skate in Clinton Square in the winter
- Get ice cream at Gannon's in the valley
- Go to the MOST (and catch the Imax) or the Everson
If none of those sound remotely fun, take a ride to Ithaca (Museum of the Earth, plenty of waterfalls), Auburn (the pier) or Utica (Saranac Brewery tour, amazing hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurants). (Continued…)
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