Utica

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.

By plane

Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) and Albany International Airport (ALB) 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) serves primarily general aviation.

By train

Amtrak has multiple daily departures from New York City via its Empire Service. There are two overnight services as well, the Lake Shore Limited between Chicago and New York City/Boston and the Maple Leaf between Toronto and New York City, via Niagara Falls. Utica's , part of the Boehlert Transportation Center, is a grand historic station built in Italianate style between 1912 and 1914. The station is at 321 Main St.

By car

Utica is easily accessed from the New York State Thruway, Interstate 90, which passes through the city.
Not far from the Thruway exit is a Tesla Supercharger station for electric vehicles, with eight stations.

By bus

• Adirondack Trailways

  phone: +1 315 797-2550
  address: 321 Main St
  Intercity bus service, arrives at Utica's rail station.

• Coach USADaily intrastate scheduled service from New York City.

By bus

• CENTRO

  phone: +1 315 797-1703
  address: 185 Leland Ave
  Regional bus service based in Syracuse with services to Utica and to the Rome Amtrak station.

By taxi

• Ace Taxi Service

  phone: +1 315 735-5055
  address: 502 Eagle St

• Ameritaxi

  phone: +1 315 724-5454
  address: 601 Court St

• Utica Transportation

  phone: +1 315 534-9120

Museums

• Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Museum of Art

  phone: +1 315 797-0000
  address: 310 Genesee St
  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.

• Children's Museum of History, Natural History, Science & Technology

  phone: +1 315 724-6129
  address: 311 Main Street
  A hands-on learning center with emphasis on local history, environmental science, the arts, and space science. Housed in an historic building with four floors of interactive exhibits.

• Oneida County Historical Society

  address: 1608 Genesee St
  Founded in 1876, the Society has a museum, historical/genealogical library, and book/gift shop.

• National Distance Running Hall of Fame

  phone: +1 315 724-4525
  address: 805 Court St

• Sculpture Space

  phone: +1 315 724-8381
  address: 12 Gates Street
  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.

Sights

• Players of Utica Theater

  address: 1108 State Street
  Players of Utica, founded in 1913, is the oldest community theater group in New York State.

• Stanley Theater

  phone: +1 315 724-1113
  address: 261 Genesee St
  Opened September 10, 1928 and has been the premier showplace for Central New York ever since. Housed in a "Mexican baroque" building (with Moorish and art deco influences), the theater is home to the Broadway Theatre League, the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Great Artists Series, the Utica Symphony Orchestra, and the Mohawk Valley Ballet.

• Utica Memorial Auditorium

  phone: +1 315 738-0164
  address: 400 Oriskany Street West
  One of the first arenas built without central pillars, thus allowing an unobstructed view from all seats, the Aud is host to concerts and sports events, including a minor league hockey team.

• Utica Zoo

  phone: +1 315 738-0472
  address: 99 Steele Hill Rd

• Utica Marsh Wildlife Management Area

  phone: +1 315 785-2261
  Utica Marsh is a wetland area shared by Utica and neighboring Marcy, between the Mohawk River and the New York State Barge Canal. The 213 acres are home to a tremendous variety of plants and animals, especially birds. Facilities include observation towers and platforms (at least one handicapped-accessible), walking and bike trails, a pavilion, water control dikes, a small-boat launch site for the Mohawk River, and a boat ramp for the Barge Canal.

• Boilermaker 15K Road RaceEstablished in 1976 with just over 800 runners and a budget of $750, the Boilermaker is the largest 15K in the nation with more than 10,000 runners. Participants include Olympians and world record holders.

• Utica Music and Arts FestMusic festival held at various venues throughout the city. Includes the Utica Greens Festival, a celebration of regional food with artisan vendors, held at Mohawk Valley Community College.

• Utica Symphony Orchestra

  phone: +1 315 732-5146
  address: 505 Henry St

• Adirondack Scenic Railroad

  address: 321 Main St.

The Utica area is home to several colleges and universities, which host events regularly.

• Utica College, 1600 Burrstone Road. Spun-off from Syracuse University in 1946, Utica College (UC) offers bachelor's degrees from Syracuse, as well as master's degrees in its own name, for a wide variety of academic programs within the fields of health sciences, social sciences, liberal arts, and business studies (to name a few). It prides itself on a low faculty-to-student ratio and the individual attention possible in a small-college setting.
• Mohawk Valley Community College, 1101 Sherman Drive. MVCC is the oldest community college in New York State, dating from 1946.
• Pratt at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute, 310 Genesee Street. In addition to its Fine and Performing Arts programs (see Museums, above), Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute is also home to a well-regarded School of Art.
• State University of New York (SUNY) Polytechnic Institute (in Marcy, just north of Utica). Established in 1966, SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and engineering technologies. It also offers professional degrees, such as business, communication, and nursing, as well as selected majors in the arts and sciences. SUNY Poly has a large park-like campus just north of Utica.

• Off-Center Records

  phone: +1 315 738-7651
  address: 116 Bleecker St
  Probably the last remaining independent music store between Syracuse and Albany. Off-Center carries recordings in CD, vinyl, and tape formats, turntables, band swag, musicians' gear, and anything else the owner can cram into the store.

• Oneida County Public Market

  address: 321 Main St
  Weekly farmer's market

• The Indie Garage Sale

  address: 2310 Oneida St
  Fair of handmade crafts from independent local makers. On the "hipster" rather than "grandma" end of the craft fair spectrum.

• Sangertown Square

  address: 8555 Seneca Turnpike, New Hartford
  Medium-size shopping mall

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.

Italian

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

  phone: +1 315 732-2300
  address: 151 N Genesee St

• Ventura's Restaurant

  address: 787 Lansing St

• O'scugnizzo's Pizzeria

  phone: +1 315 732-6149
  address: 614 Bleecker St

• Florentine Pastry Shop

  phone: +1 315 724-8032
  address: 667 Bleecker St

• Georgio's

  phone: +1 315 792-1111
  address: 62 Genesee St, New Hartford
  Italian cuisine; their greens (sauteed escarole with prosciutto and peppers) are popular.

• Tiny's Grill

  phone: +1 315 732-9497
  address: 1014 State St

• Chesterfield Restaurant

  phone: +1 315 732-9356
  address: 1713 Bleecker Street

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern

• Symeon's Greek Restaurant

  phone: +1 315 736-4074
  address: 4941 Commercial Dr, Yorkville

• Karam's Middle East Bakery

  phone: +1 315 736-1728
  address: 137 Campbell Ave, Yorkville

• Zeina's Café

  phone: +1 315 738-0297
  address: 607 Varick Street
  Lebanese café.

• Massoud's Café

  phone: +1 315 734-0829
  address: 8 Bank Pl
  Lebanese café.

• Hummus and Tabbouleh

  address: 675 Bleecker St
  Meal options cover the space between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Halal meat served. Lunch buffet daily.

• The Grapevine

  address: 120 Genesee St, New Hartford
  Lebanese cuisine.

• Cafe Hummus

  phone: +1 315 790-5038
  address: 1155 Mohawk St
  Bosnian/Greek/Turkish mix.

Asian/Indian

• The Lotus Garden

  phone: +1 315 798-8897
  address: 1011 King St
  Thai, Cambodian, Vietnamese dishes. Family-owned. Good atmosphere.

• Pho Mekong House of Noodles

  phone: +1 315 797-7171
  address: 601 John St
  Cambodian and Vietnamese dishes. Building is a hole-in-the-wall but food is inexpensive and delicious.

• Taj Mahal Indian Restaurant

  phone: +1 315 507-5155
  address: 60 Genesee St, New Hartford
  Halal meat served.

• Sunny Restaurant Asian Cuisine

  phone: +1 315 292-7034
  address: 530 Albany Street
  Chinese and Pan-Asian cuisine.

• Apsara

  phone: +1-315-864-3499
  address: 32 Bank Place
  Cambodian & Thai

Other

• The Tailor and the Cook

  phone: +1 315 793-7444
  address: 94 Genesee St
  A very pleasant mix of locally sourced ingredients with a downstate-style artisan dining experience.

• Tramontane Café

  phone: +1 315 732-8257
  address: 1105 Lincoln Ave
  Espresso bar, deli sandwiches, daily specials. Vegetarian- and vegan-friendly. Live music most Fridays and Saturdays; poetry and spoken word open mic each Thursday; music and anything-goes open mic on Sunday.

• Cafe Domenico

  phone: +1 315 798-8077
  address: 2011 Genesee St
  Not a place for a full meal, but excellent for a cup of coffee and a pastry. Not to be confused with Delmonico's.

• Utica Coffee Roasting Company

  phone: +1 315 269-8898
  address: 92 Genesee St
  The premier coffee roasters in the area also run a small cafe where their beans can be sampled.

• Willows of Utica

  phone: +1 315-765-0271
  address: 900 Culver Avenue
  New America cuisine.

Varick St bars

• F. X. Matt Brewery

  phone: +1 315 732-0022
  address: 830 Varick St
  Brewer of Saranac and Utica Club. Anchor of the Varick St. Bar area. Hosts Saranac Thursday music series during the summer.

• Varick Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 315 797-1109
  address: 616 Varick St

• Sickenberger Lane

  address: 624 Varick St

• Nail Creek Pub and Brewery

  phone: +1 315 793-7593
  address: 720 Varick St
  Imported beers, authentic & traditional pub food

• O'Donnell's Pub & Grill

  phone: +1 315 724-8541
  address: 715 Varick St

• The Celtic Harp

  phone: +1 315 797-4277
  address: 805 Varick St
  Sports bar with pub food

Genesee St bars

• The Auburn

  phone: +1 315 735-2649
  address: 14 Auburn Ave

• John Devereux's Tavern

  phone: +1 315 724-2000
  address: 37 Devereux St

• Griffin's Pub

  phone: +1 315 724-5792
  address: 226 Genesee St

• The Hadley Room

  phone: +1 315 507-4264
  address: 2008 Genesee St
  Piano bar and restaurant.

• The Green Onion Pub

  phone: +1 202 276-1049
  address: 2018 Genesee St

• Gerber's 1933 Tavern

  phone: +1 315 534-4835
  address: 16 Liberty Street
  Recently restored speakeasy with a goal of recreating the 1930s speakeasy atmosphere.

• Hotel Utica

  phone: +1 315 724-7829
  address: 102 Lafayette St.
  Fourteen-story, Renaissance Revival-style hotel established March 11, 1912 and restored in 2001, 250 rooms, restaurant and lounge open M-Sa after 5PM.

• Hampton Inn

  phone: +1 315 733-1200
  address: 172-180 N Genessee St
  Close to the Thruway exit, so it is convenient for people traveling by private car.

• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Utica

  phone: +1 315-724-2726
  address: 23 Wells Ave

• Radisson Utica Centre

  phone: +1 315 797-8010
  address: 200 Genesee Street
  In the center of downtown.

• Ramada New Hartford

  phone: +1 315 735-3392
  address: 141 New Hartford St, New Hartford NY

Rome is Utica's twin city, home to Fort Stanwix of Revolutionary War fame. Also to the west are Vernon Downs racetrack, Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake, and the Turning Stone casino, situated on the Oneida native reservation. Little Falls to the east holds historical points of interest as well. The Adirondacks are accessible to the north-east, via a picturesque drive through Amish country.