Syracuse, NY Travel Info

If you love Italian food (well, American-style Italian food), then the Spaghetti Warehouse is for you. The restaurant is located on the city's north side in an area once dominated by factories and warehouses. However, recent development projects have begun turning the old factories into loft apartments and stores.

Parking at the restaurant is usually pretty simple. They have a lot right next to the restaurant, which is down a small hill. On street level is another small lot. If both are filled, parking on the street is easy and free.

Like all Spaghetti Warehouses, the restaurant is decorated with old tobacco ads, signs, and anything else antique. One room of the restaurant has a trolley car that has several tables inside. Also, there are many tables places within bed frames, so you get the feeling you're eating in bed (although sitting down and not on a mattress). Aside from the sit-down restaurant, there is a bar, coat room, and small arcade.

The food is generally good and inexpensive. Portions are decent. In addition, free bread with garlic butter is available. If you're like my friends and me, you'll compete every time you visit the restaurant to see if you can beat your previous bread loaf total. Let me know if you beat the record bread amount of 31 loaves. That was done with 7 people a few years back. I don't think the waiters were happy, but it was free and we were allowed to have as much complimentary bread as we wanted. I've tried many of the dishes on the menu and cannot complain about any of them.

There is also a dessert menu, and if you go for someone's birthday the waitstaff will sing Happy Birthday and bring out a complimentary cake.

I believe it is possible to make reservations. Make them if you can. The restaurant is very busy on Fridays and Saturdays.

Tucked away among the rows of houses on Syracuse's north side is a great German restaurant...Weber's. You might drive right pass it if you're not careful. It's on a corner on Danforth Street, a few blocks from P&C Stadium. There is a red neon sign hanging on the corner, and that's about it.

Parking is available across the street in a small lot. If you go there for dinner, arrive early to be sure you get a space. Otherwise, you'll need to park on the street.

You enter Weber's through a side door (complete with a screen door), and once you step in you feel like you've walked into someone's kitchen or living room. Ceilings are low, everything is close together, and the atmosphere is very 1970s/diner-like. There's no need to dress up at this place...it is like a bar, but also has great food to sit down and enjoy.

The menu contains a whole lot of German foods, almost anything you can think of. Their sandwich menu is also extensive, and I highly recommend the reuben. The waitresses are mostly middle-aged women, familiar with the neighborhood and German food.

Overall, the food is pretty darn good. Service is fast, and it almost feels like a diner. If you like German food, but have a hard time finding it in Syracuse, then check out Weber's.

Heid’s Hot Dog Stand is a local legend in the Syracuse area. It has been serving hot dogs in the same location for many many years and is a local treat. Go there on any summer afternoon and grab a REAL hot dog (not a ballpark frank), smother it with mustard, and have yourself a cold glass of chocolate milk. You'll feel like a real, fat American! Lines are usually short (although see my warning below). Basically, you walk in, get in line, pick out what you want and watch them cook the dog right in front of you, then grab a seat inside or outside. The building has a unique art-deco-like look, and has never changed.

Getting to Heid’s is rather simple. If you're coming from the city of Syracuse, just head north on the Onondaga Lake Parkway. Heid’s will be on you right at the very end of the parkway near the entrance to Onondaga Lake Park. If coming from points north, take routes 57 or 370 towards Liverpool. They both intersect less than .25-mile north of Heids.

Beware of long lines on hot weekend evenings during the summer. And, if you want more than just a hot dog, head next door to Heid's Sweet Treats for some ice cream.

Getting to/from Syracuse is easy.

By Plane: Syracuse's airport (known as Hancock Airport) is conveniently located 10 minutes north of the city. There are numerous flights to and from the airport daily, connecting it to major cities like New York (1 hour flight), Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Las Vegas (yes, direct flights), Orlando, and many other points in between. Some of the major airlines that serve the airport are USAirways, United, Delta, JetBlue, and Continental. A new airline called TransMeridian connects Syracuse to Las Vegas, Orlando, and Puerto Rico.

The airport itself is divided into two wings, and each wing requires you to pass through security. So, once you're in one wing, you'll need to pass through security again to go to the other wing. The airport is not a huge one, so it is very easy to exit the plane, walk downstairs to the baggage claim, and find a taxi or other transportation within minutes. Taxis are located on the south end of the airport, next to the baggage claim.

By Train: Syracuse's Amtrak station used to be inconveniently located in East Syracuse. But, within the past 10 years a new transportation center was built on the city's redeveloping north side. Approximately 10 trains serve the city each day, going to/from New York City, Albany, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Toronto. A train to New York takes approximately 5 hours. The train station is also part of the bus station, so making a connection to/from a bus is simple. A short walk away is Syracuse's Carousel Center mall, and the AAA Syracuse SkyChiefs baseball stadium (affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays).

By Bus: In the same building as the Amtrak station you can find bus service to many points to/from Syracuse. Greyhound, Adirondack Trailways, and other bus companies serve the station, which can take you to destinations such as Cortland, Ithaca, Rochester, Buffalo, and many small towns in between. Also, Syracuse's local bus service, Centro, serves the station, with frequent trips to the airport and downtown.

By Car: If you drive to Syracuse, both the New York State Thruway (I-90) and I-81 pass right through the city. I-81 will bring you into downtown, whereas I-90 passes through north of the city, with I-690 bringing you to downtown. I-481 surrounds the city, in case you do not want to pass through the city if on I-81.

Bus: All of Central New York is served by the Centro bus service. Most areas within the city limits are reachable by bus, but once outside the city it is harder to catch a bus. Service is general very limited and slow. I would recommend renting a car to get around town, if you don't have one already.

Most car rental businesses are located near the airport.

Driving: The easiest and quickest way to see Syracuse is by driving. Any suburb or city location can be reached within minutes by car. Traffic is not bad at all, and the highways connect the major areas easily. For instance, you can be north of the city near route 31 and then drive to the southwestern suburbs within 30 minutes without any problems. Parking in downtown can be tricky, especially during the week. There is parking allowed on the street, which is the cheapest way to park. But, there are also numerous lots and garages to choose from too.

Walking: Downtown Syracuse is rather small. Walking from place to place in downtown is probably the best way to see downtown so you don't need to deal with parking. There are a couple museums in town, some stores to shop in, and plenty of restaurants. The nightlife is centered around Armory Square on the west side of downtown, which features numerous bars and clubs catering to all adult ages. If you're a younger, college student person, a walk to Syracuse University might be more appealing. A walk from downtown to Syracuse University is not far, although it does pass through a sketchy part of town. Don't go alone. Once on the SU hill, look for Marshall Street and you'll be sure to have a good time.