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thisiscny.com
This Is CNY
@thisiscny.com
Aggressive Syracuse pride

We're sharing the stories of a region on the rise, the ❤️ of New York State

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Hello current and future Central New Yorkers!

We are looking forward to chatting with you about the reasons we love living here, and why we think you will, too!
Meatballs were one of a couple surprises when reviewer @jaredpaventi.com visited the 27-year-old Thompson Road Tavern on a recent Saturday evening.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
Some of Syracuse’s best meatballs are hiding in plain sight at Thompson Road Tavern (Dining Out Review)
Exceptional value, solid food and lively crowd highlight visit.
www.thisiscny.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:02 PM
We hope you enjoyed that very brief warm up earlier this week because Syracuse finds itself locked back into a sub-zero freezer for a third consecutive weekend. Syracuse had not experienced anything like that for 47 years, since mid-February 1979.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
Yes, it’s cold, but this winter is nothing compared to Syracuse’s epic freeze of Feb. 1979
The historic cold snap of mid-February 1979 saw five all-time daily records set for low temperatures.
www.thisiscny.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:01 PM
One of Onondaga County’s smallest villages is stepping up to fill a pressing need: It’s welcoming dozens of apartments and townhomes for low-income renters, including some with mental illnesses.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
A tiny Central NY village is adding affordable housing without a fight: ‘I guess we’re different’
A $32 million housing complex for low-income tenants faced zero opposition in Jordan
www.thisiscny.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Mayor Sharon Owens is creating a nightlife coordinator position to help make the city more inviting for young adults. The job would be part of an effort to convince young people in Syracuse to become lifelong residents.

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Syracuse will hire a ‘night mayor’ to make this city more fun for young people, mayor says
New city position part of mayor's plans to better serve young residents.
www.thisiscny.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Over 26 years, Joanna Carter worked her way up from administrative assistant to president of Flex-Hose Co. Inc. Carter spoke to Marie Morelli about leadership, women in manufacturing, and working "my buns off."

www.thisiscny.com/business/202...
Flex-Hose’s Joanna Carter on leadership: You don’t have to be the smartest, just the most willing to learn
Carter accepted every challenge that came along to rise from administrative assistant to president of Liverpool pump connector manufacturer.
www.thisiscny.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM
The 2026 @syracuseareamusic.bsky.social board announced its nominees on Tuesday. The SAMMYs recognize the best in local music with multiple categories, much like the Grammy Awards. See the full list of nominees:

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
SAMMYS: See list of 2026 Syracuse Area Music Awards nominees, Hall of Fame inductees
Winners will be announced Friday, March 6, at the 2026 SAMMYS Awards Show at the Palace Theatre in Eastwood.
www.thisiscny.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Downtown Syracuse’s newest coffee shop will serve two main features of Vietnamese cuisine: Traditional boldly flavored coffee and the signature “street food” sandwich called banh mi.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
New Century owners open Wake Up Coffee, a new Syracuse cafe to highlight Vietnamese flavors
Wake Up on Water Street features a variety of coffees and banh mi sandwiches.
www.thisiscny.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:34 PM
New York state is providing the town of Clay with more than $1 million in grants to advance the town’s goal of turning its Three Rivers Point park into a waterfront community.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
Clay gets a $1 million boost to revive its waterfront, a step toward becoming entertainment destination
The grants will help pay for a boat launch and shoreline improvements at Three Rivers Point.
www.thisiscny.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Don’t let the history-making cold weather stop you from enjoying all Central New York has to offer. From lakeside sing-alongs to a theater world premiere, this list proves that even in the dead of winter, there are plenty of fun, exciting event options.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
Winterfests, ‘Relentless’ world premiere, motorcycle swap meet: 13 things to do in CNY this week
Indoor and outdoor activities around Central New York for the week of February 2-8.
www.thisiscny.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Christina Cianciosi described the home’s original layout as “wonky” and “quirky,” believing that the home was intended to be a duplex. She transformed into a one-of-a-kind Colonial with timeless architecture and an open floor plan.

www.thisiscny.com/realestate/2...
House of the Week: Renovated Syracuse home overlooks Bellevue Country Club’s 18th tee
Christina Cianciosi grew up admiring the house at 101 Alton Street in Syracuse. In 2022, she bought it and gave it an extensive renovation.
www.thisiscny.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:21 PM
As frigid temperatures outside persist, the Syracuse Winter Fair is turning up the heat by bringing summertime fun indoors. The fair opened Friday and will continue Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1 in the heated Expo Center at the New York State Fairgrounds.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
Community-focused Syracuse Winter Fair returns with a taste of summer’s fun, food and festivals
Annual indoor event brings the fun of summer festivals and the New York State Fair to the winter weary.
www.thisiscny.com
January 31, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Critic @jacobpucci.bsky.social found that "Stone Creek has quickly earned its spot in the upper-echelon of restaurants in Central New York," but it’s also one of the few sit-down restaurants in tight-knit Marcellus, "making it both a destination for food and community."

Read his full review:
Fine dining with Central NY flair at Stone Creek in Marcellus (Dining Out Review)
It opened in the former Daniel's Grill location and offers some of the best fine dining around.
www.thisiscny.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:06 PM
The Tupper Lake Northern Challenge ice fishing derby, one of the biggest of its kind in New York state, will be giving away more than $35,000 in cash and prizes for the biggest northern pike pulled through the ice.

www.thisiscny.com/explore-upst...
Like pike? Register now for this popular ADK ice fishing derby
Tupper Lake Northern Challenge gives away over $30K in cash and prizes
www.thisiscny.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:21 PM
We all have our go-to order. Charlie Miller's new series is about shaking that up. Each week, he’ll share one sandwich at a Central New York restaurant that’s worth trying — and explain why it ended up on his plate.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
Syracuse Sandwiches: Urban Table serves the big daddy of chicken parm
This sandwich is basically a full Italian meal on a big roll ... just without a bottle of red.
www.thisiscny.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Maura Ackerman, the co-founder of Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance, spoke to Marie Morelli about leadership, building relationships and taking that hard-earned time off.

www.thisiscny.com/business/202...
SOFSA’s Maura Ackerman on leadership: Take the sabbatical. No one ‘is so essential that we can’t step away’
Executive director of Syracuse-Onondaga Food Systems Alliance says it was hard work to prepare for an eight-week break -- but totally worth it in the end.
www.thisiscny.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:00 PM
You and your valentine could enjoy a welcome prosecco cocktail, four-course buffet dinner, DJ, dancing, photo booth, cash only bar, and best of all, a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the luminary lit forest.

www.thisiscny.com/explore-upst...
Tickets on sale now for Valentine’s in the Forest
4-course Valentine's dinner at Skyline Lodge includes horse-drawn sleigh ride
www.thisiscny.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:26 PM
It's shaping up to be another promising skiing and snowboarding season. CNY's excellent options range from large resorts with multiple lodges and dining facilities to volunteer-run hills where you can get intimately involved in the operations.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
From bunny hills to double black diamonds: Explore 9 Central New York ski hills and resorts
Spend a bluebird day on the slopes of Central New York, which are welcoming to everyone from first-timers to expert skiers and snowboarders.
www.thisiscny.com
January 28, 2026 at 5:05 PM
When it opened 5 years ago, Salt City Market was a new concept for Syracuse, modeled on successful food halls in other cities. The Syracuse market featured 10 vendors representing different international and American regional cuisines.

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Salt City Market was a risky experiment. 5 years later, can we call it a success?
The downtown food hall offers a variety of cuisines and has become a go-to meeting space.
www.thisiscny.com
January 27, 2026 at 8:00 PM
When he was 7 or 8, Jacob Joyce, who had already been studying violin for four years, heard the second symphony of Johannes Brahms and fell in love with orchestral music. On Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, Joyce will conduct a Casual series concert of The Syracuse Orchestra.

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Jacob Joyce will conduct Casual concert that spotlights The Syracuse Orchestra members
Jacob Joyce will conduct The Syracuse Orchestra as the sixth of six candidates for the position of music director.
www.thisiscny.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:18 PM
The Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps is leading two walks on Saturday, Jan. 31, on the west shore of Onondaga Lake to view bald eagles and waterfowl that flock to the lake’s southern shoreline during winter.

www.thisiscny.com/explore-upst...
Take a winter walk among the eagles and ducks at Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps leads bald eagle excursion on Creekwalk Jan. 31
www.thisiscny.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:00 PM
There's plenty to do this wintery week, from polar plunges for a good cause to the indoor Syracuse Winter Fair at the fairgrounds' Expo Center and other, cozier activities.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
Syracuse Winter Fair, January JazzFest, CNY Brewfest: 25 things to do this week in Central NY
A look at the live events and outdoor activities around Central New York for the week of Jan. 26 through Feb. 1.
www.thisiscny.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:04 PM
Reviewer @jaredpaventi.com shed tears when he visited LakeHouse Pub in Skaneateles. Was it the excellent quality of the meal or the copious amount of horseradish he added to his beef on weck sandwich?

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
Horseradish mandatory, tears optional: LakeHouse Pub delivers standout beef on weck (Dining Out Review)
Buffalo's other legendary food stars at this Skaneateles pub.
www.thisiscny.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:05 PM
If you’ve got cabin fever from being cooped up in this frigid weather, head over to the NY Sportsman’s Expo happening now in the Expo Center at the NYS Fairgrounds.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2026/...
8 cool things to check out at the 2026 NY Sportsman’s Expo
Show hours 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
www.thisiscny.com
January 25, 2026 at 3:13 PM
We like our coffee quite a latte in Upstate New York. From drive-thru huts where commuters can quickly grab a strong brew for the road to cozy cafes tailor-made for dates and study sessions, Upstate is dotted with a panoply of excellent coffee shops.

But which coffee shops brew it best?
Rise and grind: We ranked the 20 best coffee shops in Upstate NY for 2026
Independent coffee shops in Buffalo, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse and beyond made the cut, thanks to buzzy reviews from happy customers.
www.thisiscny.com
January 24, 2026 at 10:28 PM
For the first time in 24 years, the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation counted more than 1,000 of the beloved aquatic birds during its annual loon census.

www.thisiscny.com/explore-upst...
Adirondack loon count tops 1,000 birds for first time in 24 years
Loon numbers have recovered from past lows but data points to future decline.
www.thisiscny.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:09 PM