Utica, NY Road Trips

Utica is a city of approximately 60,000 residents in Oneida County, NY, along the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal. It is the seat of government for Oneida County and its largest city. Like many Central New York place names, the name "Utica" is classical: it was first the name of an ancient Phoenician settlement in North Africa, near Carthage. Settlement in Utica dates to the colonial area, as depicted in the novel and movie Drums Along the Mohawk. Utica became an urban industrial center during the industrial revolution, particularly in textile production. Frank Winfield Woolworth launched a "five-cent store" in Utica in 1878 which soon closed; the next year Woolworth's "five and dime" in Lancaster (Pennsylvania) proved successful. Like most American industrial cities, Utica has suffered from population loss and urban decay since the 1970s. However, the popular conception that has made Utica the butt of jokes in TV shows like The Office and The Simpsons is an exaggeration. Contemporary Utica, in addition to its historical points of interest, is a multi-cultural city with a restaurant selection and local arts scene that are robust for a city of its size. The Utica-Rome area, situated between Syracuse and Albany, is served by Interstate 90. This article also covers the suburbs of New Hartford and Yorkville.

1 Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Museum of Art, 310 Genesee St, ☏ +1 315 797-0000. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 1-5PM. The museum has 20 galleries featuring permanent and temporary exhibitions for a total of more than 25,000 American and European 18th-, 19th, and 20th-century paintings and 19th-century decorative arts. Musical concerts are held commonly, with the "Concerts in the Court" series, the yearly Arts Festival, and the Chamber Music Society of Utica. (updated Oct 2018) 2 Children's Museum of History, Natural History, Science & Technology, 106 Memorial Parkway, ☏ +1 315 724-6129. A hands-on learning center with emphasis on local history, environmental science, the arts, and space science. Closed while new building is being built: reopening is planned in the spring of 2022. (updated Jan 2020) 3 Oneida County Historical Society, 1608 Genesee St, ☏ +1 315 735-3642. Tu-F 10AM-4:30PM, Sa 11AM-3PM.. Founded in 1876, the Society has a museum, historical/genealogical library, and book/gift shop. $5.00 entry for the library. (updated Jun 2019) 4 Sculpture Space, 12 Gates Street, ☏ +1 315 724-8381, [email protected]. Sculpture Space is an artist-in-residency program dedicated exclusively to professional sculptors. Founded in 1975 in the former Utica Steam Engine and Boiler Works building, the organization selects 20 artists each year for two-month, funded residencies which have helped to advance the careers of more than 400 national and international artists. (updated Jun 2019) 5 Players of Utica Theater, 1108 State Street, ☏ +1 315 724-7624.

Boilermaker 15K Road Race. Second Sunday in July. Established in 1976 with just over 800 runners and a budget of $750, the Boilermaker is the largest 15-km run in the nation with more than 10,000 runners. Participants include Olympians and world record holders. (updated Jun 2019) 1 Adirondack Scenic Railroad, 321 Main St. (Union Station), toll-free: +1 800-819-2291. (updated Nov 2017)

Utica has a long history of welcoming immigrants, from Italians and Poles who came early in the twentieth century to work in the mills, to the present-day influx of immigrants from places as far-flung as Bosnia and Burma. The variety in restaurants is just one of the marks these diverse cultures have left. Oneida County is one of the few counties in the United States where Italian is the most common single ancestry, so Utica does not lack for Italian restaurants. Italian food in Utica is generally of the southern Italian and Sicilian, cucina povera variety, reflecting the backgrounds of the immigrants who introduced it. The icons of Utican Italian food are greens (escarole sautéed with prosciutto and hot peppers) and chicken riggies (chicken and rigatoni in a spicy sauce). Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse, 151 N Genesee St, ☏ +1 315 732-2300. (updated Jun 2019) Ventura's Restaurant, 787 Lansing St. (updated Jun 2019) O'scugnizzo's Pizzeria, 614 Bleecker St, ☏ +1 315 732-6149. (updated Jan 2020) Florentine Pastry Shop, 667 Bleecker St, ☏ +1 315 724-8032. (updated Jan 2020) 1 Georgio's, 62 Genesee St, New Hartford, ☏ +1 315 792-1111, fax: +1 315 733-6502. Tu-Sa 11AM-9PM. Italian cuisine; their greens (sauteed escarole with prosciutto and peppers) are popular. (updated Jan 2020) Tiny's Grill, 1014 State St, ☏ +1 315 732-9497. (updated Jun 2019) Symeon's Greek Restaurant, 4941 Commercial Dr, Yorkville, ☏ +1 315 736-4074. (updated Jun 2019) Karam's Middle East Bakery, 137 Campbell Ave, Yorkville, ☏ +1 315 736-1728. Tu-F 9AM - 5PM, Sa 9AM - 3PM.

Saranac Brewery (F. X. Matt Brewery), 830 Varick St, ☏ +1 315-624-2399, toll-free: +1-800-765-6288. Brewer of Saranac and Utica Club. Anchor of the Varick St. Bar area. Hosts Saranac Thursday music series during the summer. (updated Jun 2019) 1 Varick Bar & Grill, 616 Varick St, ☏ +1 315 797-1109. (updated Jan 2017) 2 Nail Creek Pub and Brewery, 720 Varick St, ☏ +1 315 793-7593. Imported beers, authentic & traditional pub food (updated Jan 2017) 3 O'Donnell's Pub & Grill, 715 Varick St, ☏ +1 315 724-8541. (updated Jan 2017) 4 The Celtic Harp, 805 Varick St, ☏ +1 315 797-4277. Sports bar with pub food (updated Jan 2017) 5 The Auburn, 14 Auburn Ave, ☏ +1 315 735-2649. (updated Jan 2017) 6 Griffin's Pub, 226 Genesee St, ☏ +1 315 724-5792. (updated Jan 2017) 7 The Green Onion Pub, 2018 Genesee St (next to the Uptown Theater), ☏ +1 202 276-1049. (updated Jan 2017) 8 Gerber's 1933 Tavern, 16 Liberty Street, ☏ +1 315 534-4835. A restored speakeasy with a goal of recreating the 1930s speakeasy atmosphere. (updated Jan 2017)

1 DoubleTree by Hilton Utica, 102 Lafayette St, ☏ +1 315 724-7829, toll-free: +1-877-906-1912, fax: +1 315 733-7621. Fourteen-story, Renaissance Revival-style hotel established March 11, 1912 and restored in 2001, 250 rooms, restaurant and lounge open M-Sa after 5PM. (updated Jan 2017) 2 Hampton Inn, 172-180 N Genesee St, ☏ +1 315 733-1200, fax: +1 315 733-1209. Close to the Thruway exit, so it is convenient for people traveling by private car. (updated Jan 2017) 3 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Utica, 23 Wells Ave, ☏ +1 315-724-2726, toll-free: +1-888-HOLIDAY (4654329). (updated Jan 2017) 4 Delta Hotels by Marriott Utica, 200 Genesee Street, ☏ +1 315 797-8010. In the center of downtown. (updated Jan 2017)

Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR IATA) and Albany International Airport (ALB IATA) offer scheduled flights to various cities. The small regional airport in Utica is no longer in operation; the Oneida County airport moved from Oriskany and is now in nearby Rome, with a 10,000-foot runway (at the former Griffiss Air Force Base). Despite its size and name, Griffiss International Airport (RME IATA) serves primarily general aviation. 1 Union Station, 321 Main St. Part of the Boehlert Transportation Center, is a grand historic station built in Italianate style between 1912 and 1914. (updated Oct 2023) Train operator: Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Dec 2020) Routes stopping at Utica: Empire Service operating twice daily between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City including stops in Buffalo, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Maple Leaf operating daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and Niagara Falls (New York) include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls (Ontario). Stops between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City are the same as those made by the Empire Service. Border crossing processing takes place in Niagara Falls, where passengers must detrain with their baggage.

1 CENTRO (Central New York Regional Transportation Authority), 185 Leland Ave, ☏ +1 315 797-1703. Regional bus service based in Syracuse with services to Utica and to the Rome Amtrak station. (updated Jun 2019) Around The Clock Cab & Car Service, 1001 Park Ave, ☏ +1 315-922-7711.