This Is CNY
banner
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

Read more at ThisisCNY.com or ask us a question, we love to help!
Pinned
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!
Kara Jones is director of programs and engagement, innovation and entrepreneurship at CenterState CEO. She works out of the newly expanded INSPYRE Innovation Hub, overseeing 12 full-time staff members, plus the dozens of portfolio companies within Genius NY.

www.thisiscny.com/business/202...
Genius NY’s Kara Jones on leadership: It’s ‘how you show up every day’
Jones and the Genius NY program have quietly built one of the strongest UAS ecosystems in the world, with 42+ startups and $350M in follow-on investment.
www.thisiscny.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Today the former Shirt World shop near the SU campus is filled with steaming cups of mocha and latte, plates of honey-glazed balls and other pastries and the lively chatter of a crowded coffee house.

Yemeni coffee shop Haraz made its debut in Syracuse with a soft opening on Tuesday.
From the Middle East to Marshall Street: Haraz brings Yemeni coffee trend to Syracuse
New cafe offers a chance to experience the flavors and traditions of one of the world's original coffee cultures.
www.thisiscny.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:59 PM
It’s o-fish-ial: One of the top ice fishing spots in the United States is in Upstate New York. Our beautiful lake was beat out by only one other spot.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
This Central NY lake has been ranked the No. 2 place to ice fish in America
Located about 30 minutes from Syracuse, the lake ranked just behind Brainerd, Minnesota, on the list of top ice fishing spots.
www.thisiscny.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Shops across the Central New York region have items for friends and family who love to host and entertain, as well as thoughtful gifts for your coworker, neighbor or someone you don’t know that well.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
This is CNY holiday gift guide 2025: Ideas for budding entertainers, consummate hosts at Syracuse shops
Shop local this holiday season with gift ideas from independently owned stores around the Syracuse area.
www.thisiscny.com
December 16, 2025 at 4:56 PM
"Die Hard" on film at the Palace Theatre, an Emo dance party at The Song & Dance, "Guys and Dolls" at Redhouse Arts Center, and more holiday fun this week in CNY:

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
‘Die Hard,’ Emo Night Syracuse, Dickens Christmas: 17 things to do in CNY this week
Kick the week off right with a funky night seeing Bywater Call at the Everson Museum of Art. Or catch a 35mm screening of the Christmas action classic “Die Hard” at the Palace Theatre.
www.thisiscny.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM
If you crave abundant green spaces, an eclectic mix of architecture, a truly engaged set of neighbors — and want to be minutes from the downtown action — the picturesque Strathmore area of Syracuse may be the place for you.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
Strathmore: Find ‘city living at its finest’ in this charming Syracuse neighborhood
Strathmore neighborhood on the Southwest side of Syracuse is known for its historic charm, green spaces and skyline views.
www.thisiscny.com
December 14, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Whether you're staying home in Syracuse or traveling, Christmas bars in Upstate New York are decking the halls — and windows, and bathrooms — with floor-to-ceiling holiday excess.

www.thisiscny.com/explore-upst...
These Upstate NY Christmas bars are a one-way ticket to tinsel town
Fill your cup with Christmas cheer at one of these maximalist winter wonderlands.
www.thisiscny.com
December 13, 2025 at 11:00 PM
An Upstate New York pastry chef recently brought her buttercream-forward baking style to a national audience on Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship.”

www.thisiscny.com/food/2025/12...
Young Upstate NY baker shines on Food Network’s biggest holiday show
Violet Zoner was one of the youngest contestants in the national competition.
www.thisiscny.com
December 13, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The annual Dickens Christmas festival, a popular holiday tradition by Skaneateles Lake, has been going strong for 32 years.

This year, one of the biggest changes is the arrival of a new Queen Victoria.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
New Queen Victoria takes the throne at popular Dickens Christmas festival in Skaneateles
The annual Dickens Christmas festival draws over 20,000 people to Skaneateles every holiday season.
www.thisiscny.com
December 12, 2025 at 11:02 PM
There are plenty of locally owned places around town to find stylish clothing and footwear for men, as well as ideas to satisfy or indulge an array of interests and hobbies. This is our fourth of six gift guides:

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
This is CNY holiday gift guide 2025: Ideas for him/them at Syracuse shops
Shop local this holiday season with gift ideas from independently owned stores around the Syracuse area.
www.thisiscny.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Jeremy DeChario is a believer in making slow, incremental progress every day. That could describe his career trajectory from part-time cashier to CEO of @syracusecoop.bsky.social.
Syracuse Co-op’s Jeremy DeChario on leadership: ‘You have to let people make mistakes’
“It’s just groceries,” says the CEO of two urban independent markets. “We’re not dealing with life-or-death stakes here … And neither are most leaders.”
www.thisiscny.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Looking for a magical day trip? Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole, an actual town in the Adirondacks, has been charming kids and adults for 75+ years.

This fun family attraction is known as “the oldest continuously run theme park in the country.”

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
Did you know the real North Pole is in Upstate NY? Meet Santa, his reindeer in the magical village
The Adirondacks theme park that inspired Walt Disney boasts a million lights and its own North Pole post office.
www.thisiscny.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:06 PM
“Guys and Dolls” is one of the gems of the American musical theater. The current Redhouse production of “Guys and Dolls” is brightly sung and retains much of the show’s wit.

Read Len Fonte's review:
thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
‘Guys and Dolls,’ with dolls as guys, rolls the dice at Redhouse (review)
The Redhouse's “Guys and Dolls” is brightly sung and retains the show’s wit, but the staging’s twist is only partially successful.
thisiscny.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:05 PM
There’s no place quite like home for the holidays. But if you’re hoping to give your wanderlust the gift of Hallmark movie-worthy holiday magic, Upstate New York is ready to deliver.

www.thisiscny.com/explore-upst...
Two of America’s best Hallmark-worthy Christmas vacations are in Upstate NY, ranking finds
With the top spots just 40 minutes apart, you can visit the "real" Bedford Falls and enjoy a Victorian-style Christmas in one day.
www.thisiscny.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Is it a stage play, a holiday pageant, a school Christmas concert or a CNY Playhouse performance so unique its echoes will transcend time and space to reverberate forever in the Twilight Zone?

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
We interrupt this program: CNY Playhouse’s ‘Twilight Zone Christmas’ puzzlingly detours from storytelling to caroling (review)
Two episodes turned one-acts – with a Christmas concert in the middle — provide a curious bang for the holiday buck.
www.thisiscny.com
December 9, 2025 at 11:01 PM
🎁 For clothing, accessories, home decor and ways to have me-time, see what Syracuse and Central New York's independent retailers, boutiques and small businesses offer.

This is our third of six gift guides coming out this month.
www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
This is CNY holiday gift guide 2025: Ideas for her/them at Syracuse shops
Shop local this holiday season with gift ideas from independently owned stores around the Syracuse area.
www.thisiscny.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Pillowy dough, swirls of cinnamon sugar and a generous slather of frosting can turn even the coldest morning into something magical.

Syracuse-area bakeries are on a roll, and contributing writer Lily McDonald shares her favorites.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
Syracuse bakery buns: These 7 cozy cinnamon rolls will warm up your holiday season
Take a tasty tour of Syracuse bakeries which offer the most indulgent and flavorful cinnamon rolls this holiday season.
www.thisiscny.com
December 9, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Spoon & Chopsticks has had a winding journey from its inception to now. But at its unconventional location inside a popular grocery store, the restaurant is serving some of the best Korean food in Syracuse.

Read the review by @jacobpucci.bsky.social.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
In the corner of a grocery store, Spoon & Chopsticks finds a new home in Syracuse (Dining Out Review)
It moved from inside the Skyline Apartments on James Street to Asia Food Market on Erie Boulevard.
www.thisiscny.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
If you love holiday music, this is your week. With genres from baroque, classical and medieval to contemporary, you’ll find several ways to enjoy the hymns and carols.

But there's non-holiday fun to be had as well:
www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
It’s a Wonderful Life Festival, Eric Gales, Lorenzo Christmas: 28 things to do this week in CNY
Holiday music and performances dominate the calendar this week, but there are other ways to have fun, too.
www.thisiscny.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Autumn is fading and snowflakes are flying, but the glow from Central New York’s outstanding 2025 fall agriculture season remains.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
Fall may be fading, but Central NY’s 2025 agricultural season still stands out
While fall apples and pumpkin patches are most visible during the agritourism season, many Onondaga County farms grow more than fall fruit.
www.thisiscny.com
December 7, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Principal Pops Conductor Sean O’Loughlin will direct The Syracuse Orchestra along with guest performers on the Crouse Hinds Theater stage Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 21 at 2 p.m.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
Sean O’Loughlin will conduct Syracuse Orchestra’s ‘Home for the Holidays’ concert
Sean O'Loughlin conducts "Home for the Holidays" featuring jazz vocalist Ronnie Leigh and special arrangements of seasonal classics on Dec. 20-21.
www.thisiscny.com
December 6, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Downtown Syracuse has plenty of draws, from award-winning food to a strong community of small businesses. The shining star, however, is the variety of public art available within walking distance.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
Must-see public art in Syracuse: A walking tour of downtown’s best murals
Syracuse's public art is large for a small city. With so much to see and enjoy, here's a guide to the public art in downtown.
www.thisiscny.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Teenagers often only want cash or gift cards as presents, but here are alternate ideas from Syracuse area shops. This is the second in a series of six gift guides this month.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
This is CNY holiday gift guide 2025: Ideas for teenagers at Syracuse shops
Shop local this holiday season with gift ideas from independently owned stores around the Syracuse area.
www.thisiscny.com
December 5, 2025 at 8:01 PM
For a handful of days, Syracuse is smack dab in the middle of the War of the Wickeds, and musical theater geeks couldn’t be happier—and more torn.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
‘Wicked’ onstage outshines film with soaring performances at Syracuse Landmark (review)
The faster-paced live musical rises above the film with female leads who transcend Cynthia and Ariana.
www.thisiscny.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:02 PM
A local group of coffee shops that helped bring modern coffee culture to Central New York is celebrating its 30th anniversary Friday with a special ceremony.

www.thisiscny.com/living/2025/...
Freedom of Espresso marks 30 years bringing ‘coffee culture’ to Central NY
The business has four locations in Syracuse and the suburbs.
www.thisiscny.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:01 PM