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Students won't want to stay in the Syracuse area after graduation if they live around ugly neighborhoods filled with ugly buildings.
Seven of the new SU student apartments are plain ugly and everyone that has any sense of beauty will know they are ugly. Ugliness is what repels people from living places. I would never move to a neighborhood filled with buildings that ugly because it can bring down your mood without even knowing why. It looks as though Syracuse is trying to make ugly buildings cool. I'm sorry but ugliness will never be cool. People seek beauty and will continue to move to cities that look more beautiful than Syracuse.
Why would students stay in housing that is geared towards students anyway? That building is built largely for the student population in the area and to be honest, they don’t look much different than the apartment buildings put up in the “shiny”, fast growing cities.
If they stay, they are likely moving to Downtown, Franklin Square/Inner Harbor, Westcott, Tipperary Hill, Eastwood, etc. in the city or like a previously common poster on here in the past did, she lived in the village of Liverpool. Other villages like North Syracuse, Baldwinsville, Fayetteville, Manlius, Skaneateles or even communities like Lyncourt and maybe even the Orvilton/DeWittshire area of DeWitt(fewer apartments though), among others, outside of the city. There are other places within and outside of the city of Syracuse that have potential, if things go as planned. That’s the thing with the area, as infill makes a lot more sense early on in the development stage, as the built environment is in place in the city and many villages and in turn, a new or revitalized building would offer more options even without building some sprawling new community, which can be done once infill is achieved or at least is known to take place.
OK, so you are basically saying the Laurel apartments look as nice and as beautiful as 90 percent of the newer apartment buildings in places like Dallas, Austin, Charlotte, Denver, Seattle amd Nashville?
Hmmm, Well then I disagree and I think 90 percent of the population of the US would agree with me. Maybe for the 10 percent of people that have an energy body that is distorted where ugliness is actually beautiful , then maybe in that universe the neighborhood north of Syracuse University looks better than an average street in Paris, France. But for the 90 percent of the population without a distorted energy body, avoiding an ugly built environment is something that will always be preferred.
If a Syracuse University student is living among ugly buildings off campus all 4 years of their life, there will be an inner desire growing in them to leave the area as soon as possible. Most college students won't be able to know the difference between an ugly neighborhood or an ugly city. To them if they experience ugliness on a daily basis for 4 years in a city, they will blame the whole area and leave, I doubt most are intelligent enough to separate an ugly built environment in one neighborhood from the rest of the city or suburbs. Most people don't think that much. They feel. And if the surroundings near Syracuse University feel off or negative, then they will blame the whole city and metropolitan area on why they feel bad.
OK, so you are basically saying the Laurel apartments look as nice and as beautiful as 90 percent of the newer apartment buildings in places like Dallas, Austin, Charlotte, Denver, Seattle amd Nashville?
Hmmm, Well then I disagree and I think 90 percent of the population of the US would agree with me. Maybe for the 10 percent of people that have an energy body that is distorted where ugliness is actually beautiful , then maybe in that universe the neighborhood north of Syracuse University looks better than an average street in Paris, France. But for the 90 percent of the population without a distorted energy body, avoiding an ugly built environment is something that will always be preferred.
Again, I don't think people put as munch emphasis on buildings as you are either. So, whether others agree or disagree is likely not of much concern to most people, to be honest.
If you look at the many newer apartment buildings in those cities, many aren't that much different or are pretty cookie cutter looking themselves.
As for the student feel aspect, I answered this in another thread, but the issue is as much about students being in a bubble and only going to select places in the city/area as well.
Again, I don't think people put as munch emphasis on buildings as you are either. So, whether others agree or disagree is likely not of much concern to most people, to be honest.
If you look at the many newer apartment buildings in those cities, many aren't that much different or are pretty cookie cutter looking themselves.
As for the student feel aspect, I answered this in another thread, but the issue is as much about students being in a bubble and only going to select places in the city/area as well.
I'll take beautiful cookie cutter all day over innovative ugliness.
I'll take beautiful cookie cutter all day over innovative ugliness.
To be honest, people are looking to take a solid place to stay. Designs and looks are nice, but the key is if housing needs are being met. I think people in those other cities would look at that bottom line over the cosmetic stuff, which is subjective/based on opinion anyway.
Yes, that is the Avalon Harrison development mentioned in the Westchester County forum. It is mixed use, relatively affordable housing building that actually fits the character of the community it is in. That is the key, as it fits the community it is in, while serving a purpose of access to public transportation and walkability. A street view: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cbVGWqtbN6jEyGbW8?g_st=ic
It would offer another housing and business location option in the Downtown district, while being located in an area with a walkable built environment.
A little bit further South down South Ave. in the Elmwood area: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LfG4TVqHVgm3WWKHA?g_st=ic (that also is closer to things in Onondaga Hill like Upstate Hospital’s Community General location, OCC and Van Duyn Home & Hospital)
On the East Side, this area of East Water, where the former Kennedy Square Apartments and formerly slated Loguen Landing development was supposed to go: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bCnQ3bmi1dmnKrWS6?g_st=ic
There are others, but if you view the revitalization/gentrification, I was doing something similar to this in terms of identifying areas in the city that would make sense for infill about 2/3 years ago.
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 08-20-2023 at 09:59 PM..
See, this is where it is subjective, as the designs of those South End buildings have a pseudo industrial look. The second link wasn’t available, but the third example is kind of ugly/“blah”. The others either look no different or similar to say the Theory Apartments on East Genesee Street, newer versions of the apartments in Franklin Square(some of which were former industrial buildings) or like a hotel. Perhaps some may fit in the Franklin Square/Inner Harbor area due to the character/architecture of the buildings in that area, but I struggle to see other areas of the city where the architecture fits the character of another neighborhood.
Even looking at the history of the South End, it is very similar to Franklin Square or even Armory Square, which were industrial areas that declined around the same time, then were revitalized. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_...rhood)#History
So, this may offer more perspective, as the South End is essentially Armory Square, but would be located in Franklin Square, as it is on the edge of Downtown Charlotte like Franklin Square is to the Downtown here.
Now, what could be done is to say put an Avalon type of building where this lot is located on North Franklin across from Dinosaur BBQ and would be in between Armory Square and Franklin Square: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oTajrSxb9kAeza9C9?g_st=ic
Perhaps the building would take up the front half of those two blocks on that side of North Franklin, with leveled parking in the back or take the whole block across from Dinosaur and use the other block for multi-level parking. That way, Franklin becomes a mixed use area of more housing, walking proximity to employers(National Grid, the companies in Franklin Square, etc.) and nightlife in Armory Square/nearby. So, even Downtown has potential for more infill, mixed use development and this isn’t considering if you continue on Franklin past Franklin Square, you have all of the land around the Inner Harbor/before Destiny USA to work with/consider.
What is crazy is if you look at the Avalon and the architecture in that area of North Franklin, it appears to be a good fit. Particularly this part of the Avalon development: https://maps.app.goo.gl/r6tks9ZrwrboHyky7?g_st=ic
Last edited by ckhthankgod; 08-20-2023 at 10:34 PM..
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