Living: Tipperary Hill

Located on the West Side of Syracuse, Tipperary Hill is a great neighborhood, only a short commute from campus. A handful of students live there, encouraged by a preponderance of split-level homes, and a young, festive atmosphere, especially around St. Patrick's Day.

Originally a predominantly Irish neighborhood of Syracuse, the area is still true to its roots, hosting the Tipp Hill Shamrock Run, and famosly the location where green beer is delivered by tanker truck to Coleman's Pub.

On a more historical note, Tipp Hill, as it is known to residents, is home to the world's only upside-down stoplight. In the 1920s, the children of Irish immigrants, in their hatred of the British, would throw rocks at the stoplight at the corner of Tompkins St. and Milton Ave to knock out the "British" red light that hung over the "Irish" green. When the city realized this problem would not go away, an upside-down stoplight, with the green on top, was installed at the intersection.

The Palace Theater

The Palace Theater, on James St. in the Eastwood neighborhood, is a one-of-a-kind venue, active in the community since its opening in 1922. It hosts current movies, 35mm cult film triple-features, and other assorted events. Recently, I caught "Invictus", the story of Nelson Mandela and the South African rugby team, at The Palace shortly after it left the main theaters. I went there with some ESF classmates to see "Total Recall" and "Conan the Barbarian", and was greeted by nerdy trivia and prize giveaways between shows.

As part of the same Brew & View series, Monty Python's "Life of Brian", "Time Bandits" and "Brazil" will be showing on Saturday, May 1. Don't miss "The Big Lebowski" on May 21.

Additionally, if you are so inclined, The Palace is generally the venue to catch a rousing Halloween showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show (something I have yet to experience).

The Westcott Community Center

Housed in a former firehouse at the corner of Westcott St. and Euclid Ave., the Westcott Community Center is a hub of local activity, from bands and community meetings, to art exhibitions. It has also hosted ESF departmental potlucks with students and faculty, and can be rented for any event.

Among the activities it hosts:

- Figure drawing

- African dance and drumming

- University Neighbors Lecture Series

- Karate

- Exercise classes

It is also home to a GED program, as well as a childrens' after-school program.

The Westcott -- as it was called, especially before the movie theater down the street also converted to a concert venue -- is perhaps best known for hosting local young and amateur music acts in an alcohol-free venue friendly to highschool students. Concertgoers still gather on spring and summer evenings to pass the time outside before a show.

In the meantime, tune in online to Westcott Radio, also housed at the Community Center.

Sustainability in Action: Biodiesel Production

Dirty cooking oil does not go to waste on the ESF or Syracuse University campuses.

Several times each month, it is gathered in 55-gallon plastic drums and deposited at the old greenhouses on the ESF campus. When heated, cleaned, and processed with methanol and an acid catalyst, it is ready to be mixed and used to power campus vehicles. Biodiesel production involves students at every step of the process, from collection to creation.

Mike Kelleher, ESF Director of Renewable Energy, often integrates the biodiesel project with students' classwork. Engineering students may redesign the biodiesel processing unit, while environmental science students may compute a cost-benefit analysis of expanding the current system.

ESF stores its biodiesel - mixed with petroleum diesel at 5% for winter and 10% in the summer - next to the fuel cell and ethanol tanks behind Walters Hall.

To read more, click here, or visit the project page for even more in-depth information on multiple biodiesel-related projects.

Sustainability in Action: Fuel Cell

ESF's very own fuel cell was dedicated on February 21, 2006. Since its installation, it has provided approximately 17% of campus energy needs (at 250 kW/hour). It does so with close to 0 emissions, through an efficient process that utilizes oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen from natural gas. In the winter, excess heat from the unit is used, by means of a heat exchanger, to heat adjacent Walters Hall.

To read more about our fuel cell, and check out a diagram of the electricity generation process, click here.

Sustainability in Action: Green Roof

Believe it or not, this is a summertime photo of the rooftop on Walters Hall. As part of the campus-wide sustainability plan, wildflowers and native vegetation were installed as a "green roof".

The green roof system reduces stormwater runoff by slowing moisture passage through its soil layer and root structure. It regulates temperature - the black tar roof is now as cool as a field of wildflowers. This has the added benefit of prolonging the life of the roof.

Plus, for those few weeks in the summer, it is truly eye-catching. Learn more about ESF's efforts, including background and design diagrams, here.

Living: Westcott Neighborhood

Many visiting prospective students ask where graduate students live, whether on- or off-campus, and what there is to do outside of class. For myself and a large contingent of my classmates, the Westcott Neighborhood is home. Approximately 1/2 mile from the ESF campus, students that live here can easily bike or walk to class in minutes. Rents are generally from $300 (shared) - $450 per month, per person, including utilities.

Its old houses and mix of residents, students, and graduate students gives the area a relaxed, yet vibrant atmosphere. Rental units - often split-level homes - are mixed together with owner-occupied housing. There is always some commotion in the business district, regardless of the day of the week, but the calmer neighborhood sections are quiet and peaceful.

The neighborhood is home to a handful of local businesses, including:

• The Westcott Theater, a concert venue that hosts many jam bands and touring acts
• Alto Cinco, a Tex-Mex and vegan-friendly restaurant and bar with great fresh food (try the Fried Catfish Burrito)
• Westcott Florist
• Munjed's Middle Eastern Cafe, has great falafel!
• Sabastino's Pizza, great hot wings!
• Recess Coffee House & Roastery, a cafe that roasts its coffee on the spot, it has comfy chairs, free wi-fi, and occasional music and movie nights

For those that enjoy soccer or basketball, Barry Park (previous post) is at the end of Westcott Street, not more than a mile from campus. Petit Library is the neighborhood public library, a quiet and shade-speckled place to check out a book or study.

Food and Drink: People's Place

Every graduate student's best friend, cheap coffee.

Founded in 1971, People's Place is a student-run non-profit coffeeshop located in the basement of Hendricks Chapel on the Syracuse University quad. It is only a small nook set into the wall, but it fills the entire hallway with commotion during class breaks. Only a short walk off the ESF campus, People's Place offers not just coffee, but also tea, juices, bagels, donuts, soup, and sandwiches.

For ESF students tend to carry around their reusable school-branded mugs. If you are so inclined, People's Place offers a 10-cent discount for those that bring their own container. When most drinks are between 50 cents and $1.00, this amounts to a generous environmentally friendly discount.

For a short student-penned piece on People's Place, including a photo essay, click here.

Construction on Campus

Visitors to our campus may notice a big chunk of earth being carved out, fenced off, and pushed around between Bray and Walters Halls. This project is the creation of an access road meant to create a navegable loop out of the one main road on campus. Formerly, cars traveling to this corner of campus would have to turn around and exit the way they came.

While access to Walters Hall from Bray, the flagpole and surrounding parking are out-of-commission for the moment, they will return soon.