Your Expert’s Guide To 10 Budget-Friendly Neighborhoods to Rent in Syracuse, NY
Hey! Jessica here, your ApartmentHomeLiving.com Local Expert for Syracuse, New York. Syracuse is centrally located in New York State and offers a cost-effective place to live with a thriving job market, especially in healthcare and education. For outdoors lovers, there are endless outdoor activities, like a golf game at Burnet Park, a swim in one of the area’s many lakes, or my favorite weekend pastime, a walk in the Rose Garden at Thornden Park.
Also known as Salt City, as it was once a hub for salt production, it offers residents countless delicious food options, including a Pierogi Grilled Cheese from Strong Hearts, a popular vegan restaurant, and a favorite late-night treat for me. Do you enjoy a night on the town like I do? Maybe you’ll see me with a vodka soda at Clinton Street Pub enjoying a game or listening to live music at Al’s Wine & Whiskey.
If you’re like us, we want a good balance of neighborhood amenities and cost of living where we live, especially when renting. This guide will dive deep into ten of my favorite Syracuse neighborhoods that offer a great place to live and help you find the right balance of affordability and livability.
1. Downtown
Downtown Syracuse is the center of it all, with some of the city’s best entertainment, dining, and nightlife within walking distance. Enjoy Broadway productions or live performances at the Landmark or explore the Everson Museum of Art on weekends. To learn more about its culture, walk through Columbus Circle or the 4.8-mile Onondaga Creekwalk, perfect for bicyclists and skaters. Here you will find a mix of residential homes and apartments.
2. Eastside
This neighborhood stretches across the main campus of Syracuse University and is largely residential. It is a nice blend of the college campus atmosphere and suburban living. Best of all, it’s less than two miles from the city center, making it great for commuters or those who enjoy exploring cultural attractions.
Eastside residents love its local restaurants, public skating rinks, and nearby Destiny USA shopping mall, a six-story complex that I’ve enjoyed shopping at since I was a child. It’s full of traditional Italianate, and Tudor homes, with the country’s first American Craftsman home featured in the neighborhood and on the National Register of Historic Places.
3. Meadowbrook
Located in the southeast corner of the city, Meadowbrook is conveniently located by New York State Route 92, which will take you right downtown. Syracuse’s second-largest college is located here. The neighborhood is known as one of Syracuse’s wealthiest, with suburban housing that makes it feel like you’re living in a suburb in the middle of a city. For architecture lovers, taking a drive in this neighborhood is fun as it features some of the most uniquely designed homes in town.
One of Syracuse’s oldest neighborhoods, it's home to some of the city’s oldest homes. Today, the neighborhood is home to a growing Latino community with many Cuban and Puerto Rican families. St Lucy’s Catholic Church offers help to immigrants and refugees at their West Side Learning Center.
Enjoy a wide range of cuisine here, including the Syracuse Polish Home (I recommend the All-You-Can-Eat Breakfasts on Sundays). After breakfast, enjoy live music at Coleman's Authentic Irish Pub on Sundays from 4 to 7 pm. Located close to the highway, living here makes it easy to get around all of Syracuse’s neighborhoods. Here you’ll find smaller bungalows and apartments mostly.
5. North Valley
North Valley has a thriving business community with local shopping, grocery stores, and different restaurants. This family-friendly neighborhood is conveniently located close to the Upstate Community Hospital. While it’s close to so much, residents enjoy that it is a relatively quiet place to live with a lot of community spirit. Many consider this neighborhood to be a small town in a big city.
U.S. Route 11 runs directly through Downtown Syracuse, making commuting very accessible for residents. Also, the area has many Centro bus stops, and the Syracuse Hancock International Airport is just four miles away. It features many affordable apartments.
6. Northside
This neighborhood covers nearly four square miles of Syracuse with a residential area that is bordered by commercial areas. Once known as Little Italy, its cultural landmarks, like the annual Columbus Day Parade and Assumption Church, speak to its Italian roots. The neighborhood has since become home to a wide range of ethnicities and cultures, including many from Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. This has created a vibrant, diverse atmosphere where revitalization is rampant.
Some of its most notable places are Schiller Park, which has tennis courts, a swimming pool, a soccer field, and a community center. Enjoy some fresh bread from the Columbus Baking Company, which has been a fixture on Pearl Street for over a century. It’s family-owned and specializes in four types of bread and offers delicious sandwiches. I recommend the T.P.L.T. sandwich that has mesquite turkey, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo with a side of their delicious tomato dipping sauce. Yum!
Looking for some delicious meats and cheeses to use on your next charcuterie? Try Thanos Import Market on North Salina Street for aged provolone cheese, a variety of olives, and homemade pasta too.
7. Sedgwick
As Syracuse’s first residential historic district, it’s full of 20th-century Tudor and Colonial Revival homes, Federal, Italianate, Norman French, and Spanish pre-war residential architecture on tree-lined streets. Residents boast about its pet-friendly neighborhoods with plenty of sidewalks to take your four-legged friend on walks. It has a large range of cuisine you can try, including Korean at Spoon & Chopsticks on James Street. I love their Ramen!
8. Strathmore
Mostly a residential neighborhood with homes from the early and mid-20th century, it features middle-class and upper-middle-class residents. Strathmore is diverse, with a variety of creative, white-collar, and academic professionals living here. While it has a suburban feel, it’s still very close to downtown. All highways are no more than five minutes away, which makes it great for commuters. Many residents have lived there for 20 years or more and boast about the community the neighborhood gives them and their families.
This neighborhood is the epicenter of collegiate feels in Syracuse. Home to Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and SUNY ESF, it’s a major medical and educational district. It also has fun bars, great restaurants, luxury hotels, and small businesses, all alongside 19th-century architecture. Here you’ll find a variety of residents, including single professionals, college students, and families.
Looking for a vegan restaurant? Try The Hill, known for its delicious tofu scrambles. Enjoy locally-owned businesses? Visit Peaks Coffee Co. for their fresh roasted coffee. For all your Syracuse swag, visit Manny’s, a one-stop shop for SU apparel.
Looking for somewhere to play a game of tennis or football or stroll in a gorgeous rose garden? Thornden Park is conveniently located between the University Hill and Westcott neighborhoods.
10. Westcott
Westcott is one of Syracuse’s most trendy communities, including a melting pot of different cuisines, quirky shops, and, of course, the Westcott Street Cultural Fair. This funky mix of eclectic and cool makes it a popular shop for locals as well as SU students and faculty to enjoy coffee, a bite to eat, or a drink on the town.
I’m a sucker for vintage clothing, and Boom Babies boutique offers vintage finds and trendy accessories. The Syracuse Cooperative Market is a community-owned grocery store where you can buy locally produced produce, bulk foods, and craft beer. Shop local here!
