Tale of the Tape:

Syracuse Population 2007: 139,079 (City); 645,293 (Metro) - (incorporated in 1825)

Jacksonville Pop. 2007: 805,605 (City); 1,300,823 (Metro) - (incorporated in 1832)

City population 1950: Jacksonville (204,517); Syracuse (220,583)

Metropolitan Area Growth rate (2000-2007)

Syracuse: -0.75%
Jacksonville: +15.86%

Urban Area Population (2000 census)

Syracuse: 402,267 (ranked 81 nationwide)
Jacksonville: 882,295 (ranked 43 nationwide)

Urban Area Population Density (2000 census)

Syracuse: 2,239.1
Jacksonville: 2,149.2

City Population Growth from 2000 to 2007

Syracuse: -8,227
Jacksonville: +69,988

Convention Center Exhibition Space:

Syracuse: Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center - 65,000 square feet
Jacksonville: Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center (1986) - 78,500 square feet

Tallest Building:

Syracuse: State Tower Building - 313 feet
Jacksonville: Bank of America Tower - 617 feet

Downtown-Based Fortune 500 companies:

Syracuse: Zero (0)
Jacksonville: CSX (261), Fidelity National Financial (435), Fidelity National Information Services (481)

Urban infill obstacles:

Syracuse: Elevated expressways cut off Downtown from Syracuse University and Little Italy.
Jacksonville: State & Union Streets cut off Downtown Jacksonville from Springfield.

What does Downtown Syracuse have that Downtown Jacksonville does not:

Syracuse: A failed mall.  Now office space, the Galleries of Syracuse was a development similar to the Landing. 
Jacksonville: East Bay Street, located between Main Street and Liberty Street.  This four block stretch is home to four bars and clubs.

Common Downtown Albatross:

Too many surface parking lots

Who's Downtown is more walkable?

Syracuse: 95 out of 100, according to walkscore.com
Jacksonville: 88 out of 100, according to walkscore.com

Downtown Photo Tour

Photographs taken July 2008.

Armory Square
Known as one of New York's brightest examples of urban renaissance, Armory Square is downtown's premier restaurant and specialty retail district.

New York Central Train Station image by takomabibelot at http://www.flickr.com/photos/takomabibelot/563061727/

source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Armorysquaresyr.jpg

South Salina Street: The Heart of Downtown
South Salina and South Warren Streets are downtown Syracuse's traditional main streets, which run north and south through the central business district.  These primary corridors are home to a multitude of apparel, accessory, and drug stores, discount retailers and eateries.

Hanover Square
Hanover Square was the site of original Village of Syracuse. Now listed on The National Register of Historic Places, the Square features a diversity of 19th century architecture, some of which date back to 1834 when a fire leveled the original Square.

The structures on the north side of the Square were originally canal loft “double-enders.” This allowed merchants to hoist goods up into their stores from barges on the Erie Canal and then lower the goods by pulley and tackle into wagons in Hanover Square.

During the Civil War, Hanover Square was the main recruiting area, and the site of spectacular bonfire made from recruiting booths at the War's end.  In 1871, a huge crowd gathered here to witness the first recorded hot air balloon ascension in the Syracuse area.

Hanover Square images above by bellafinzi at http://www.city-data.com/forum/syracuse-area/219405-renting-downtown-syracuse.html

Clinton Square today (above) and during the 19th century (Erie Canal - below).

Niagara Mohawk Building image by Joe Shlabotnik at http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/2851163997/

Downtown East
The Downtown East business area is located around one of the largest green-space parks in downtown Syracuse, Fayette Firefighters Memorial Park.

source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catherdalsyr.jpg

source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Syracusecountycourthouse3.JPG

source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Syrcityhall2.jpg

Just Outside of Downtown

Little Italy

Little Italy image by bruce bruce948 at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianbruce/2485269034/

University Hill & Marshall Street

Syracuse aerial by http://fanfoodie.blogspot.com/2008/12/syracuse-ny-complete-guide.html

M Street, or Marshall Street, is the main street with restaurants and bars about one block from campus. There are several options there for food no matter what your mood is. This is the area where most people hang out and tailgate on football game days as well.

M Street image by lennox mcdough at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lennox_mcdough/828004945/

Images by Ennis Davis or credited sources.