Welcome to SYRACUSE

Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. At the 2000 census, the city population was 147,306, and its metropolitan area had a population of 732,117. It is the economic 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, directly west of the city, the Empire Expo Center, which hosts the annual Great New York State Fair. Syracuse was named after the original Syracuse, (Siracusa in Italian) a city on the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily.

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 Interstates 81 and 90, and its airport is the largest in the region.

Syracuse is home to Syracuse University, a major research university, as well as several smaller colleges and professional schools

Recreation

The City of Syracuse maintains over 170 parks, fields, and recreation areas, totaling over 1,000 acres (4.0 km2). Burnet Park includes the first public golf course in the United States (1901) and Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Other major parks include Thornden Park, Schiller Park, Sunnycrest Park, and the joined Onondaga and Kirk Parks. There are 12 public pools, two public ice rinks, and two public nine-hole golf courses in the city.

Right outside the city proper, along the east side and north end of Onondaga Lake, is Onondaga Lake Park. The adjacent Onondaga Lake Parkway is closed to vehicular traffic several hours on Sundays during the summer months, so it can be used for walking, running, biking, and rollerblading. During the holiday season, the park hosts Lights on the Lake, a two-mile (3 km) drive-through light show.

Rosamond Gifford Zoo

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is a zoo in Syracuse, New York. It is owned and operated by Onondaga County Parks. The zoo is home to nearly 1000 animals on 43 acres (170,000 m2). Some of the more popular animals include Asian elephants, Humboldt penguins, Amur tigers and African lions. The zoo also houses a conservation, education center, Jungle Cafe and gift shop.

Thornden Park

Thornden Park is a 76 acres (31 ha) park in Syracuse, New York, which is the second largest in the city after Burnet Park. It was purchased by the city in 1921 and has become favorite wedding location in Syracuse park system. It is located in Westcott, and borders the University Neighborhood and University Hill neighborhoods. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 as part of the Historic Designated Landscapes of Syracuse, New York.

Onondaga Lake

Onondaga Lake is northwest of the city of Syracuse, New York and south of Lake Ontario. Water outflows from the lake to Lake Ontario through the Oswego River. The lake is five miles (8 km) long and a mile (1.5 km) wide. It has an area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 square kilometers) and has a maximum depth of 63 feet (19 m). Although it is near the Finger Lakes region, it is not traditionally counted as one of the Finger Lakes.

Around 1450 or possibly earlier, Onondaga Lake was the site of the founding of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. According to legend, at this spot the warlike Onondaga chief Tadodaho was persuaded by Hiawatha and Deganawidah (the Peacemaker) to accept the Great Law of Peace. Historically, the lake and the surrounding area was a site of salt springs and later salt mining. The salt was distributed throughout the north-east via the Erie Canal; Irish immigrants working in this industry created the local dish of salt potatoes.

Today, Onondaga Lake is a severely polluted lake. Onondaga Lake has been described as one of the most polluted lakes in the United States, primarily due to industrial dumping and sewage contamination. The New York State Dept. of Health has issued health advisories which warn against consumption of certain fish (e.g. walleye, bass) due to mercury and PCB contamination. Other species are limited to one meal per month. While swimming in the lake is not prohibited, it is uncommon due to the perception that the water is unsafe. Bacteria levels occasionally exceed state standards due to sewage discharges. The lake has high levels of mercury, salt, phosphorus, and ammonia due to discharge from a previous local chemical company, Solvay Process. The EPA has declared it a hazardous waste site. Recently, an effort has been made to clean up the water in the lake. The lake is also the subject of a land rights action filed in 2005 by the Onondaga Nation. It offers various trails around itself, and a public park.

The lake is surrounded by the city of Syracuse and the suburban area of Solvay, a center of industry in the Syracuse area. Many of the companies in the areas of Solvay and Syracuse are held to blame for the lake's high concentrations of hazardous chemicals. Honeywell International (formerly AlliedSignal, which acquired Honeywell and took its name) is being held responsible for the clean up of the lake for their mass depositing of mercury and salt over the years. From a large municipal discharge the lake in the summer is generally covered in many areas with algae that creates a vile odor that can be smelled for miles. Onondaga County is spending $500 million on a 15-year project to stop polluting the lake with sewage by 2012. The county is under a federal court order to make the lake safe for swimming and fishing and comply with the federal Clean Water Act.