One of the things I hear most often from people who have moved out of Syracuse, or even from those who live there, is that there isn’t anything to do. They say that’s especially true in the winter months when everyone is hunkered down, only venturing out for the occasional SU basketball game or a Syracuse Crunch hockey game. While I disagree with Governor Cuomo that the main reason people move away from New York is the cold weather, I do think there is something to that.
We’ve let the narrative of people suffering through the long, cold winter months define what Syracuse is. Beyond Syracuse University, the first thing people think of when they hear “Syracuse” is cold and snow. We let that become a negative thought that helps push people away from the city and from the region as a whole. But does our long winter with feet upon feet of snow have to be a bad thing? Or is there a way that we can rebrand ourselves and embrace what makes us unique: the snowiest big city (population over 100,000) in the United States.
Growing up in Syracuse, sledding was always my go-to winter activity. I was terrible, and still am, at ice skating, and I never quite got the hang of snowboarding or skiing. Yet here I was in a city that gets blanketed with ten feet of snow every year. Some of my friends picked up these sports and some ended up being great at them, but it was never a large number. Part of the reason might be because a lot of the winter sports require a financial investment up front; buy/rent the skates, buy/rent the skis, join ski club which may cost $200 that most families don’t have lying around. I bring this fact up because the city of Syracuse is home to many families who can’t afford to take up the winter sports, even though we’re in a prime location to not only take them up but excel at them.
This is my starting point and it will lead to an idea of how to celebrate winter throughout the city while shouting to the outside world that Syracuse is a winter destination that you need to experience.
Invest In Winter for Kids
While there are free skate nights at the rinks in Syracuse and plenty of hills to sled and snowboard down (if you have equipment), we need to invest in bringing kids into these sports. Unless you grow up in a family that has been involved with hockey, or skiing, or skating, you’re not likely to get involved with it yourself. Unlike basketball or soccer, you can’t just go up to the nearby park and start playing. There’s a learning curve that you need someone to reassure you about. This has resulted in hockey leagues being travel leagues, meaning it’s out of reach for anyone that doesn’t have the ability to commit to such a schedule.
Investing in programs in the city schools and other neighboring districts to introduce and encourage winter sports could open up a whole new world to some of these kids. Start at a young age, get them comfortable being on the ice, and watch kids with untapped athleticism embrace a new sport. Much like the donations of bikes to kids in need every summer, why not encourage donations of winter athletic gear? Lower the point of entry and provide the support needed to start a new sport.
Outside of sports, why not use the snow as part of our education system. Use the snow to teach architecture, engineering, physics, etc. Build igloos and other structures to tap into cultural education about how these structures have been used throughout history. Art classes could introduce ice sculpting along with more traditional forms of sculpture.
Creating this connection to the snow, connection to the cold, and connection to our environment as a whole will help to reshape our relationship with winter. It doesn’t need to be seen as the season of darkness. but instead we should embrace hygge (pronounced hue-guh), which is a Danish and Norwegian term about coziness and wellness especially in the colder months. It is in the spirit of hygge that we should not only get kids more involved with winter sports and crafts, but also create a full on celebration of the city during this time.
Syracuse has worked to create events in the winter, including the introduction of the New York State Winter Fair this year. While these festivals and events have done a lot to get people out and active, in some ways they aim too low. Winter shouldn’t just be about getting our residents out, but about introducing new reasons for travelers to come to town. With this I look to borrow the name of the Salt City Games from the Park Department’s summer event and repurpose it as almost a regional Olympic Winter Games. Before you say that this could never work (because I know many people will be thinking in that way) it’s worth exploring what exactly this could be. At least what I envision for it.
The Salt City Games
Syracuse would become the epicenter of winter sports and culture for two weekends in the winter. Not just downtown, but throughout the city and into the inner rings suburbs as we attract athletes and artists from across the region to compete.
Hockey
One of the major draws would be a youth hockey tournament played across the city. Teams from neighboring cities and towns would join our local high school teams in a tournament that would culminate in an outdoor game at NBT Bank Stadium. On the same weekend as the final for the high school tournament would be games played by Syracuse University, SUNY Oswego, and RIT at the stadium, with the last game of the event being played by the Syracuse Crunch (ideally against either Rochester or Utica to bring in additional regional fans).
This would allow NBT Bank Stadium to thrive in the winter and promote businesses that line Hiawatha Blvd. to fans flocking to the games. The Crunch have repeatedly expressed interest in doing an outdoor game at the stadium, much as Rochester did at the Red Wings stadium years ago. While the Syracuse Chiefs originally balked at the idea recently, by including these other events and institutions in the discussion may put enough pressure on the Syracuse Mets to embrace the idea moving forward.
Cross Country Skiing
A signature event for the Salt City Games would be the 30km (about 18 miles) cross country skiing race. What would make this race dramatically different than other races in the sport would be its urban nature. By this I mean filling city streets with snow to allow the course to wind its way through different neighborhoods and straight through Downtown Syracuse before working its way out to NBT Bank Stadium for the finish line. Treating this event like an urban marathon will give it a unique appeal to athletes looking for a new, challenging event. At the same time showcasing the beauty of the city in winter.
Utica Curling Club
Curling
Curling is one of those sports that’s often mocked by people who haven’t spent much time watching it. And yet every Winter Olympics it becomes a hot topic once again. With multiple curling clubs across Upstate New York this could become a vibrant event to attract new players. Similar to hockey, this would be a tournament format but will culminate in the semi finals and finals being played at the War Memorial.
Art and Culture Showcase
Much like Winterfest, this festival will also include ice sculpting, chili cook-offs, and any other cultural touchstone that can be incorporated. This is the part of the festival that is the most flexible and would hopefully include music and performances, both outside and inside. The city should be a constant ebb and flow of life, light, and music throughout these weekends.
Invest In Winter
Through these events and these investments we should be looking to change our perspective on winter and what it means for our city. There will always be people who look to travel to warmer climates during winter but there’s no reason we can’t catch the eye of plenty of people looking to embrace the snow.
Beyond these programs I still believe major bus stations should be outfitted with heating systems for patrons, and additional heating lamps throughout the city in high traffic areas. We shouldn’t fear going outside because of the cold. Through these heating spots you show residents and the world that we’re a city that cares and a city that embraces its lot in life. That’s a community people want to visit and live in.
While these aren’t your normal economic development ideas, I think we need to think bigger and think boldly about how we want the world to see us.