For years, Syracuse has been hustling to become Upstate New York’s enviable, livable gem—and, more recently, one of the nation’s smartest cities. So far, ‘Cuse seems to be right on the money. It was a finalist in the 2024 IDC Smart Cities North America Awards, thanks to its community broadband service Surge Link™, named after the City’s innovative Syracuse Surge strategy. Then there’s the $2.25-billion 1-81 Viaduct Project—replacing elevated road infrastructure with a walkable community grid—which is making fast progress, with completion set for 2028. The 34th-most walkable city may grow more walkable, still. This will further entice the thousands of students who flock to the city’s #40-ranked Syracuse University. The Syracuse formula seems to work on business performance, too. Its education sector is appropriately healthy, alongside defense, health and research. The big news on the street is Micron Technology’s plans to invest $100 billion in the region over the next 20 years to build the largest semiconductor cleanroom in the U.S. But big business shouldn’t distract from Syracuse’s impressive livability: its crisp air quality ranks #22, its green space #30, and its housing affordability #32. New restaurants are springing up, arriving alongside a new pickleball facility—a college-town necessity.