First Entry: A night in downtown Syracuse

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As a local, it may seem silly for me to write about "travelling" to a town only about 45 minutes from my hometown, but my goal here is not to write for myself but for others, and especially to write about the great places only locals know about. Syracuse is not much of a tourist attraction, but there are many great places to go downtown, especially on a Friday or Saturday night.

Hanover Square is a great place to start, located on Water St., between S. Warren St. and S. Salina St. Featuring live music in at least one establishment any given Friday night, there's always something going on here. In the summer there are often concerts in the square itself. This past Friday night I saw a great classic rock cover band, and audience members danced in the square for an hour show and an encore (some danced right in the middle of the square - in the fountain).

The Coffee Pavilion is also located in Hanover Square, and aside from a great coffee and wine selection, this hole-in-the-wall coffee shop features great live jazz every Friday night, performed by local musicians and always of the highest quality. Other bars on the block, including the Bull and Bear and Downtown Manhattens often feature bands on Fridays. The Bull and Bear often features bands of the Country or Southern Rock variety and draws a more diverse crowd, while Manhattens appeals to a younger group with more Modern Rock. We stopped by all of these locations on Friday before moving on.

We also went to Syracuse Suds Factory, a bar on Clinton St. that serves its own brews along with a very diverse selection of beers and a so-so selection of liquor. If you're into trying new brews, as I am, this is a great place to go. Their black cherry beer is especially tasty. Tables and chairs outside make great places to hang out and chat, but inside the music is loud and there are few places to sit down besides the bar and a few tables.

If you're not a night person, and are looking for something a little more laid back, one of my favorite places to go is Clark's Ale House, located on the corner of Jefferson and S Clinton. It is a laid back pub for an older crowd. Very few young people go there, but those who do love it. Serving their trademark roast beef sandwiches and pickled eggs all day, along with a very diverse tap selection and reasonable prices, Clark's is a different sort of place. There is no music played here. It is a laid back place to catch up or have a beer with friends. Not for the rowdy or liquor-fans.

We didn't get to Armory Square on Friday, which is one of the local hang outs on a Friday night, but that will be for another weekend.

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