87 years ago, nine Syracuse firefighters ran toward danger and never came home. This past week, we gathered in downtown Syracuse to honor those nine Firefighters, as well as the 37 additional Syracuse Firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and to pause together as a city in gratitude and reflection.

This year, that remembrance carried added weight as Firefighter Ethan C. Cunningham was formally honored and recognized as a Line of Duty Death. Watching his name be unveiled on the Collins Block Memorial was a powerful reminder that sacrifice is not just history. It is personal, it is recent, and it is forever carried by families, brothers, sisters, and a grateful city.

Being trusted to capture this moment from above was truly an honor. From the stillness of remembrance to the oath taken by new firefighters stepping forward to serve, this day showed the full arc of what it means to protect Syracuse. We remember those we lost, we honor those who continue to serve, and we acknowledge the responsibility that comes with telling these stories the right way.

Thank you to the Syracuse Fire Department for allowing me to document a moment that belongs to all of us.

#SyracuseFireDepartment #CollinsBlockFire #HonorTheFallen #NeverForgotten #SyracuseNY

Snow settles over Armory Square, muting the city and slowing everything down. The cold pushes people closer together, toward warm rooms and familiar tables. Inside, coats are draped over chairs, conversation hums, and the kind of food that feels right on a winter night makes its way around the table. Pastabilities just happens to be one of those places that fits the moment, the kind you end up in without overthinking it.

Outside, Syracuse stays hushed under the snow. Inside, the night unfolds easily, good company, shared plates, and the quiet understanding that some places simply belong to winter nights like this.

#SyracuseNights #ArmorySquare #WinterInSyracuse #GoodFoodGoodCompany #SnowyEvenings

We’ve all been there.

Stuck in our heads replaying every what if.

Forgetting that life has surprised us before in the best ways.

Standing here reminds me that calm can come quietly.

Sometimes all you need is a pause and a little faith in what’s ahead.

📍Upper Onondaga Park, Syracuse NY

#weveallbeenthere #upstateny #slowdownmoments #trustthejourney #syracuseny

I mean… look at this. Endless green, moody skies doing their thing, and views that feel straight out of a postcard. The kind of place that makes you pause and seriously wonder how anyone could walk away from it.

And yet, somehow, the story leads to cold winters, gray skies, and lake-effect snow. Choices were made. Bold ones.

Questionable ones. But here we are, still chasing beautiful light wherever it shows up.

No regrets. Mostly.

#ireland #upstateny #upstatenewyork #nytimestravel #TravelHumor

Upstate winters have a way of testing our patience. The cold lingers. The days feel short. And it can be hard to remember what comes next.

But the calendar keeps moving. The light slowly returns. And week by week, we get closer to everything we love about this place.

If today feels heavy, hang in there. Warmer days are ahead. Longer nights. And all the moments that make Upstate New York feel like home.

#upstateny #UpstateNewYork #SeasonsChange #LookingAhead #BetterDaysAhead

They say winter tests you up here. And today, on Groundhog Day of all days, Punxsutawney Phil took one look at his shadow and basically said… six more weeks. Classic.

So we layer up, scrape windshields, and keep showing up. Because living in Upstate New York teaches you patience. You earn the good stuff.

And then, almost without warning, it flips. Clinton Square fills with music and festival lights. Taste of Syracuse turns streets into long summer dinners. Kayaks cut through the crystal clear water at Green Lakes. A warm night settles over Onondaga Lake and the Syracuse Mets fireworks light up the sky while everyone forgets, just for a moment, how long winter felt.

So if today feels a little ironic, hang in there. Do not give up hope. Around here, the reward is always just around the corner.

#UpstateNY #GroundhogsDay #SyracuseSummer #GreenLakes #WorthTheWait

Going to Destiny USA for one thing is a lie we all tell ourselves.
You walk in confident. Focused. A plan.

Next thing you know you’re on the third floor, holding bags you didn’t need, debating food, and somehow forgot the one thing you came for

#destinyusa #syracuseny #upstateny #upstatenewyork #iloveny

I can’t believe this is Syracuse, NY. Five months from now this is obviously the view from across the eastern shoreline of Onondaga Lake, right by Heidi’s Hot Dogs. Blue water, dramatic cliffs, not a winter coat in sight. Consider this a highly optimistic forecast to shake off the winter blues. A guy can dream, right?!

#SyracuseNY #OnondagaLake #HeidisHotDogs #WinterBlues #TongueInCheek

It’s one of those stories every kid in Syracuse seemed to hear at some point.

There was a little old lady who lived in a small red house on the roof of a warehouse. The city wanted to grow, developers wanted the building, and she simply refused to leave. So instead of pushing her out, they built under her.

We grew up believing it. Every time we passed by, someone would point up and tell the story again, always the same, always with a smile. The house felt like proof that not everything had to give way to progress.

Years went by. The city changed. And when the building was sold in 2020, most people assumed the ending we’d all been bracing for had finally arrived.

But it didn’t.

They kept the house. Restored it. Painted it back to that familiar red and let it keep watching over the neighborhood. Below it, the old warehouse found new life, blending history with the rhythm of the city. At night, soft lights now color the skyline, marking holidays, causes, and moments worth remembering.

And somehow, it still feels like the same story we were told as kids.

The little old lady never moved out.

#SyracuseNY #RooftopHouse #WarmMemories #UrbanLegend #CityStories

I still remember the way ShoppingTown felt like its own little universe tucked into DeWitt. Walking through those doors meant soft mall music, the smell of pretzels, and the kind of freedom you only get when time feels endless. It was where we killed entire afternoons, bumped into people we didn’t expect to see, laughed too loud in the food court, and swore this place would always be here.

Even when it started to fade, we kept wishing it would come back. New stores, fresh lights, another chance. Instead we watched it slowly empty out, each darkened storefront feeling like a memory locked behind glass. It was strange and heartbreaking to see something that once felt so alive become quiet, then crumble. It wasn’t just a mall. It was first jobs, rainy day escapes, awkward teenage hangs, and routines we didn’t realize we’d miss so much.

For so many of us, it was often the first place our parents trusted us to drop us off by ourselves.

Now it’s gone, and all that’s left are stories and a big question mark. Maybe it becomes apartments, offices, something shiny and new. Maybe it turns into a space that gathers people again in a different way. Whatever rises there, I hope it carries a trace of what once was, a reminder that this ground held laughter, footsteps, and a whole generation of memories.

We didn’t know how special it was while it stood. We only knew once it started to fall.

#ShoppingTown #SyracuseNY #MallMemories #DeWittNY #GoneButNotForgotten

When the city gets quiet and the lights go out, the work is just getting started. While most of us are warm in bed, Syracuse plow drivers are out there moving snow, clearing roads, and making sure morning comes without chaos. No applause, no spotlight, just long hours, cold hands, and a job that has to be done. So if you wake up to clear streets after a storm, remember somebody was out there all night handling their business so the city could keep moving. Special thanks to our DPW workers! Working overtime this season to keep us all safe.

#Syracuse #SnowSeason #NightShift #PlowLife #CityThatWorks

This winter has been absolutely unhinged.

Every storm rolls through and Syracuse just keeps piling it on, like it’s a personal challenge. While other cities are hovering near average, Syracuse is sitting at over 107 inches of snow, a jaw-dropping nearly 40 inches above normal. That’s not just winning, that’s running up the score.

Lake effect has been relentless. Back-to-back systems, surprise overnights, “wait… it’s snowing again?” mornings. Side streets buried, snowbanks taller than cars, and plows basically becoming part of daily life. Meanwhile, the rest of upstate can only watch as Syracuse casually flexes on the snow map.

And yes, that familiar prize is back in the conversation. The Golden Snowball is shining bright and calling Syracuse home once again. With numbers like these, it’s hard to imagine it going anywhere else. Keep the flakes coming, keep the crown planted, and let the rest of the state chase.

Winter isn’t done yet. Neither is Syracuse.

#GoldenSnowball #SyracuseSnow #LakeEffect #WinterWeather #SnowCapital

Come hell or high water, we are making it to Wegmans.

The weather app is SCREAMING. The news is dramatic. My group chat is in full panic mode. Meanwhile I’m putting on my “I fear nothing” hoodie and grabbing a cart key like I’m heading into battle.

State of emergency? Pfft. I’ve survived the Wegmans parking lot on a Sunday. I was built for this.

If the roads are closed, I will simply manifest a detour. If the wind is howling, it’s just cheering me on. If someone suggests “maybe we should stay home,” no we shouldn’t, because we are out of oat milk and that’s basically the apocalypse.

I didn’t choose the grocery warrior life. Wegmans chose me.

#ComeHellOrHighWater #WegmansRun #StormSnackMission #GroceryStoreHero #StateOfEmergencyWho

Today’s mantra in Upstate New York…

Just out here scraping my car like it’s a survival skill and not a morning routine.

It’s fine. Everything’s fine.

#SnowApocalypse #UpstateNY #WinterSurvival #BlizzardMode #FrozenChaos

Snowmageddon is barreling toward the East Coast and every Upstate New Yorker is already in formation.

Wegmans.

Not because we’re scared.

Because it’s a routine.

You walk in and it’s wall to wall carts, silent focus, and people grabbing bread and milk like the storm is coming for our last chance at French toast.

I came for “a few things” and left with bread, batteries, water, 18 eggs, and a rotisserie chicken for emotional support.

The snow hasn’t even started yet and we’re fully stocked like pioneers.

#UpstateNY #Wegmans #SnowPrep #EastCoastStorm #BreadAndMilkSeason