Which is the most beautiful city in Upstate NY? (New York: middle-class, apartments)

[ThinkingElsewhere]

Upstate NY cities can get a bad vibe sometimes because they're looked at as old rust belt cities. However, I think they have some really unique character and good architecture. Which city do you think is the most beautiful?, i.e. best architecture, higher ratio of nice buildings to run down buildings, and overall ambiance.

Specifically how would you compare Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany in terms of beauty. You can also mention other Upstate NY cities as well (except Saratoga Springs and Ithaca, because those would probably be unfair winners).

[ckhthankgod]

I think a smaller city that many might not think, but may be a sleeper is Oswego. Nice architecture, has the Oswego River and Lake Ontario, along with gorgeous sunsets.

Canandaigua is another nice smaller city.

[EndicottNY]

I'm honestly not being a homer here, but they way Binghamton is situated at the connecting point of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers plus the gorgeous fall leaves on the mountain side engulfing the valley is very pretty.

[grdnrman]

Originally Posted by ThinkingElsewhere

Upstate NY cities can get a bad vibe sometimes because they're looked at as old rust belt cities. However, I think they have some really unique character and good architecture. Which city do you think is the most beautiful?, i.e. best architecture, higher ratio of nice buildings to run down buildings, and overall ambiance.

Specifically how would you compare Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany in terms of beauty. You can also mention other Upstate NY cities as well (except Saratoga Springs and Ithaca, because those would probably be unfair winners).

Hello TE,

You ask a difficult question. As cities grow larger and larger, less attractive neighborhoods develop for various reasons: residents low incomes, some elderly people who just can't physically or financially afford to do the upkeep work, some low class criminals/ruffians move to the city and take up residence in the neighborhood, and various other reasons. So cities many times have less desireable/unkempt neighborhoods. Having said all that, I'll suggest some cities which I think have attractive areas with good architecture and nice decent homes and business areas.

Watertown NY-population=27,000; a small city. Watertown has "Public Square" in the center of the city downtown. Its a sizeable downtown long/wide rectangular "park" around which are 4/5 story business buildings where traffic circles this "park" to leave downtown in all directions. There are mostly older buildings downtown with a few newer buildings mixed-in; I find the downtown "Public Square" attractive for this age a city.

As for the residential parts of the city, basically the part of the city which is south of State St./Rt. 12 and south of Coffeen St./Rt.12F has the best, most desireable neighborhoods. Washington Street/Rt. 11 which runs from "Public Square" southward to out of the city is attractive with well maintained homes & buildings. Other "southside/south-running" attractive streets are: Holcomb, South Massey, Sherman, Gotham, & Myrtle; Thompson Blvd.=nice, runs east-west along the foot of Thompson Park located on top of a large highland hill. Off the west side of Washington Street on streets like: Mullin, Ten Eyck, Paddock, & Flower W., are beautiful old Victorian and Colonial architecture Mansions which in many cases have been refurbished into lovely desireable apartments. Those old Mansions are just beautiful; IMO. All the other streets in the southern section of the city are mostly middle-class, well maintained single family homes and 3-4 apartments sized residential buildings; a few isolated exceptions.

The newest homes area is at the far southwest section of the city near Holcomb Street Extension & Ives Street. There is also a newer home area northeast-outside the city along streets that run-off Route 3 all the way to the village of Black River.

Basically north of State St./Rt. 12 & north of Coffeen St./Rt. 12F, exist the less desireable residential/business areas=with some nice exceptions. The Black River divides Watertown into 2/3rd's south of the river & 1/3rd north of the river. Many areas along the riverside streets are "rougher" looking. The streets/homes in the northern 1/3 of Watertown are somewhat "rougher" looking but the people living there are mostly decent, lower income residents=good people.

Watertown's main big shopping district is on the westside along Arsenal Street/Rt. 3 at Interstate 81 where multiple shopping plazas-a mall-movie theaters-restaurants-motels/hotels-grocery stores-home building matls.-etc. are located.

So if you won't let me say Saratoga Springs or Ithaca (my favorites), I'll say Watertown even though those cities are very different from one another.

I also like the small cities of: Canandaigua city-population=10,550, Cortland city-population=19,200, Glens Falls-population=14,725. & Rome-population=33,725 (north of Dominick St.).

You specifically ask us to compare Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, & Albany. Even though Rochester and Syracuse are my favorite 2 Upstate cities, you asked about good/best architecture mixture, unique character, ratio of nice to run-down buildings, and overall ambiance.

Considering the features you outlined, I must say that Syracuse would be number #1 and Buffalo would be number #2.

1.) Syracuse has a GREAT mixture of downtown beautiful well-maintained old architecture classic buildings with an inter-mixture of sleek modern buildings. Then there is the University Hill neighborhood overlooking downtown [visa-versa] with the highrise several hospitals buildings and Syracuse University buildings campus. There are also unique pleasant parks/squares around the downtown area: Clinton Square, Hanover Square, Columbus Circle, Franklin Square, "pocket-park" at E. Genesee @ S. State; then there's big Thornden Park high overlooking the whole city on the eastern side of Syracuse University. I think that Syracuse has the most compact/contiguous/closely connected/unified downtown center - highrise hospitals - Syracuse University area which makes for a singleness-unified center-city district. I'm not going to outline all the various types of city neighborhoods. I'll just say that there are neighborhoods that fit all types of people, such as: University Students, Irish, Italian, Polish, Gay, Jewish, Afro-American, Oriental, more & more.

2.) Buffalo NY. There's so much to say about such a large city. I'll make it short and say that Buffalo "feels" like a big city. I like the downtown business section, the unique entertainment/nightlife/boutique sections/neighborhoods, and the numerous residential neighborhoods.

3.) Rochester NY. I find the downtown area a little too spread-out for my liking. There are nice sections. I especially like East Avenue area; areas on Monroe Avenue. Lots of nice residential neighborhoods.

X.) Albany city. Not fond of the downtown area. The **NYS Capital Building** is beautiful. The Empire State Government Plaza/Campus is sort of a love/hate feature. Its architecture is stark and cold. I like it because it seems futuristic (from a planet whose residents are constrained & robotic=emotionless; I'm speaking of that architecture NOT about Albany residents) but I don't like it because it "feels" cold. I tried many times spending time in Albany but it always felt too "small-townish"; I like a Big (real) City feeling (unless I'm in a small resort village like Lake George)=my favorite Big Cities: Boston-Toronto-Montreal-Chicago-San Francisco-Vancouveur (real exceptional cities)!! Albany, not my type city. A lot of people live in the Albany area so I'm sure it has its good attributes; and for people relocating to Upstate New York, Albany probably could/would be a good choice for them.

There, I'm probably "in-trouble" with someone on here for saying whatever.

grdnrman

[colton821]

I don't think anyone sticks out between Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse. They're pretty similar cities. I do like the hilliness of Syracuse, though.

The first city/town that stuck out to me after reading this question was Canandaigua. Great little town.

[Jeromeville]

How would you rank various upstate "city squares"?

Watertown's is very old-fashioned. Syracuse's Clinton Square has too much vehicle traffic, but is very charming in the winter when the ice rink is available. There's nothing like skating downtown in the shadow of the old Savings Bank and the Gridley Building. Putting that ice rink in was one of the few good decisions the city planners ever made in the modern era.

As for smaller cities and towns, the problem is that many of them have "cute but dead" Main Streets. You drive into town and the towns look adorable, but then you drive by the storefronts and see that most of them are empty.

[ja1myn]

Ithaca is the only one I can think of.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ja1myn

Ithaca is the only one I can think of.

For some reason, I think you would like Canandaigua too. Has an upscale feel to it. Geneva has some very nice parts to it as well. Corning is another nice little city.

[ja1myn]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

For some reason, I think you would like Canandaigua too. Has an upscale feel to it. Geneva has some very nice parts to it as well. Corning is another nice little city.

Are you saying you think I'm a spoiled little rich kid brat? I'd like to visit more cities, especially in western NY as I've only really been to NYC and around the Capital Region.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ja1myn

Are you saying you think I'm a spoiled little rich kid brat? I'd like to visit more cities, especially in western NY as I've only really been to NYC and around the Capital Region.

Not at all. I just think it would your style, as it just has that walkable, tourist like getaway vibe to it. I don't know, but I went to a wedding there last year by the lake and it was picturesque with the boats and hills in the background. Just a very nice little city.......