The Syracuse Far Westside is one of 26

neighborhood A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...

s recognized by the City of Syracuse, New York. Until this area joined the city in 1886 it was known as the Village of Geddes.

History

The Syracuse Far Westside is bounded by Erie Blvd West on the northeast, South Geddes Street on the lower east and Rowland Street on the south. The western border runs from Velasko Road in the south, to South Avery Avenue, Salisbury Road, Myrtle Street and parallel to Charles Avenue in Westvale, a section of Geddes ending at Willis Avenue just south of

Onondaga Lake Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York, immediately northwest of and adjacent to Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern e ...

at the railroad tracks.

Annexation

In 1886 the village of Geddes was the largest community in the town of Geddes with many homes and businesses. Geddes officially became a town in 1848. "It then included the west side of Syracuse to Geddes Street, which was the eastern boundary of the town." Geddes 1875 1624-w-genesee

Local residents voted to join the city because Syracuse had a paid professional police department, a paid professional fire department and the city was about to obtain an excellent water supply from

Skaneateles Lake Skaneateles Lake ( , ) is one of the Finger Lakes in central New York in the United States. The name ''Skaneateles'' means ''long lake'' in one of the local Iroquoian languages. The lake is sometimes referred to as "The Roof Garden of the Lakes" ...

. The village of Geddes was annexed by Syracuse on May 20, 1886. "In one day, Geddes lost its town hall, town supervisor, town clerk, town justice, most town board members and three-quarters of its population." The residents in the area encouraged the annexation. Twice, entire commercial blocks along Furnace Street (now West Fayette Street) burned to the ground for lack of water and fire protection.

Landmarks

When the village of Geddes joined the city in 1886, Major John P. Burnet, who owned a large farm on

Tipperary Hill Tipperary Hill, sometimes known as Tipp Hill, is a district in the city of Syracuse, New York. It is largely settled by immigrants from Ireland, especially from County Tipperary. It makes up half of Syracuse's Far Westside neighborhood. Histo ...

, gave a large hill top plot of land to Syracuse now known as Burnet Park with the condition that the city spend $6,000 to build roads and plant trees in this new city park. Burnet was satisfied with the city's efforts, and thus, in 1887, gave the city an additional plot of land, known as the ''Oak Grove'', which is still full of oak trees, on the corner of South Avery Avenue and Whittier Avenue. The Far Westside includes Tipperary Hill, an Irish neighborhood that is known for its upside-down

traffic signal Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic. Traffic light ...

. Additionally, Burnet Park and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo are within its limits. The Westcott Reservoir, an excellent sledding location, is also within its limits. The St. Patrick's Church Complex was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2012.

Demographics

44 percent of housing in the neighborhood is owner-occupied, close to the citywide average. As of the 2000 census, 6,916 people lived in the Far Westside. 91.3% were White, 8.7% other. 51.9% were female, 48.1% male. The median age was 34.2, and the median household income was $28,006. Registered voters are 38% Democrat, 28% Republican, 26% non-enrolled, and 8% percent other.

References

External links

Far Westside neighborhood in Syracuse, New York
City-Data.com. {{Syracuse Neighborhoods Neighborhoods in Syracuse, New York