I created this site as a one-stop-shop
For people who are not from Oneida to get a taste of what the city is like. It will also serve as a way for small businesses located in and around the Oneida area to get in front of potential customers based in NYC and beyond.
About Oneida:
This place is called ONEIDA. I absolutely promise you that this is NOT the same thing at ONEONTA. Anywho who grew up here has spoken to someone who is CONVINCED these two places are the same, but again, they are not. I just wanted to make that point clear, before we go any further. There are many knowledgeable historians who live in the Oneida area, so I’ll be adding some links from them in the near future for those who would be interested in learning more.
Meanwhile, here are some highlights:
Population: 11,390 according to 2010 census
Former Utopian community
Home of my favorite pizza in the entire world, Pepi's.
Known WORLDWIDE for their silverware
Excellent escape from NYC (and other places.)
Sometimes gets more snow than BUFFALO. (Yes, really.)
NYC to Oneida
Oneida is further away from New York City than Poughkeepsie. Many New Yorkers believe that “upstate” New York is the same as Poughkeepsie and are quite shocked to learn that there could be destinations that are further than 2.5 hours via car. Oneida is a 4 or 5 hour drive from NYC. THIS IS ACTUALLY A BENEFIT. It’s too far for most NYC dwellers to consider living or vacationing, and that is a GOOD thing. *Did I mention that the median house cost is $179K?*
*Pro tip, it is a 50 minute direct flight from JFK to SYR via JETBLUE.*
*It is a 45 minute drive from Syracuse to Oneida. You will need a CAR in Oneida to get around. You can rent one at the Syracuse airport. Again, this disqualifies a good many city dwellers and that’s OK. *
UPSIDES:
Total absolute SILENCE in some places. When I am at my Mom’s house, I can hear what can be described as the ELECTRICITY in the air. A magnetic field? An electricity? That’s it. THE SOUND OF SILENCE. And then I can hear an old TRAIN WHISTLE way off in the distance. Like a LOCOMOTIVE from a black and white movie!! Man, you hear THAT and you know that you are LIVING. Nothing else compares.
My mother has a lot of CLOCKS in the house and it is so quiet, I can hear them tick–tick–tick–tock—OUT OF TIME. Don’t get me wrong, this triggers my anxiety terribly, but It’s also an AWESOME break from the DEATH METAL LEVEL ASSAULT OF NOISE IN THE CITY. Jack hammers never stop. Because there is always construction. Noisy neighbors, fire engines(!!!) honk! honk! honk! as if it is a LANGUAGE all of its own.
It is also PITCH BLACK at my Mom’s. Very little LIGHT pollution. A boatload of STARS, the ones you see in the sky that is, not the ones walking the red carpet. THE QUALITY OF SLEEP ALONE IS WORTH THE TRIP. If you know me at all, you know INSOMNIA is my constant companion. But not here. I sleep for 10 or 12 hours straight and only wake up once to use the bathroom! (Absolute BLISS!)
If you are someone who has always been curious about living in the country, this could be a good place to check out. It is VERY different from the city though and would probalby only work for those looking for a serious change.
DOWNSIDES:
I know some of you are thinking, “If it’s so GREAT, why did you move to NYC?” And I’m going to give you the harsh truth right here. This is just the opinion of someone who was born and raised in Oneida and spent the first 18 years of her life here. Some may disagree.
Oneida is a pretty conservative place that is not really tolerant of “weirdos” or outsiders. If you show up at the local diner dressed in black from head to toe wearing fishnets and combat boots, you are not going to be welcomed with open arms. Trust me, I showed up like that my entire 4 years of high school. 🙂 If you know a few people here, before you come to visit, you will be greeted like family. That is another goal of this site, to connect country and city dwellers. I have family and lifelong friends who live in Oneida. I want Oneida to survive and the small business to thrive.
*There is not a lot to do here.*
That might be the understatement of the century. I would go so far as to say that: *THERE IS NOTHING TO DO HERE. And that is the main reason I moved away after high school. HOWEVER, NOTHING TO DO COULD BE A GOOD THING TO SOME PEOPLE; *Maybe you are a frazzled New Yorker and you need a BREAK from the constant doing of all the things all the time. This might be it!