The name of the city comes from the Oneida Indians who lived in the area. The word "Oneida" means "people of the living stone" because of a large boulder honored by the locals. Their support of the colonials during the Revolutionary War wasn't enough to keep them around for very long. By 1848, settlers began the city by starting the Oneida Community, a social and religious commune. It was once part of the the Town of Lenox but received a separate city charter in 1901.
Fly a few thousand feet within the borders of Oneida and you may wonder where all the development is among the trees and farms. Head toward the east center part, where Lenox Avenue meets Main Street, and you'll hit the clusters of buildings. They're easy enough to miss from up above because you'll only see a building or two above two or three stories. Head back down to earth and you'll find housing ranging from modern condos to 19th-century Victorians, tree-lined streets and the state-of-the-art Oneida Healthcare Center.
Moving
You do know Oneida is in the middle of New York, right? That means lots of snow during the winter, making the season the worst one to do any moving. The warmer days of summer are the best times for relocation, followed by spring and fall.
The city includes part of Interstate 90, which is the best way to get there by car from the eastern cities of Albany and Troy, and from the western cities of Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. If you're coming from further away, you can arrive by air through Syracuse Hancock International Airport. It's about 40 minutes away, assuming there's no traffic.
Don't get your heart set on finding city apartments in Oneida, because less than a handful of apartment complexes are around. If you're okay renting from an individual, then finding a house for rent widens your living options. And the amount of space you have!
Neighborhoods
Because much of the city predates World War II, it's built on a human scale with easy cycling and walks to shops, restaurants and city services. You have three neighborhoods to live in:
City Center: If you like historic homes, there's plenty to enjoy in this neighborhood. Over half of the residences were built before 1939. But then it's that way throughout the city. The mix of renters and owners means you'll find leases in both apartment complexes and single-family homes. Most of the structures dominate the southern half the neighborhood while the northern part is devoted to green space. Marion Manor is one choice for apartments. Options here range from one-bedroom flats to three-bedroom townhouses, all with fully-equipped kitchens, on-site laundry, and carpeting.
Eastern (Main Street / Lenox Avenue): The smallest of the neighborhoods boasts an eastern border defined by Sconondoa Creek. However, you can't enjoy the water from your window. No houses or complexes overlook this waterway. If you enjoy spending money, pluses for this community include the stores and restaurants that cluster around parts of Main Street. You can't get more affordable than the Brewer, because the Oneida Housing Authority runs this complex along with the high-rise apartments known as Oneida Towers 1 and 2. These communities all have lighted parking areas, on-site laundry facilities and cable TV wiring in each unit. In addition, units in the Brewer range from 1-4 bedrooms and have front and rear entrances with patios. The Towers only have one-bedrooms but feature security camera surveillance and community rooms.
Western (Bennetts Corner / Five Corners): This neighborhood is easily bigger than the other two combined and is the most sparsely populated one in the city. Expect wide-open spaces patched by farmland, a Walmart, a shopping center and scattered housing. If you work in or need medical care, then you'll be glad that the Oneida Healthcare Center is here. Valenti's County Estate is a complex that puts you in the middle of lots of trees. You'll enjoy patios or balconies, fully-equipped kitchens with pass-throughs, window treatments,and additional storage. The biggest floor plans belong to two-bedroom apartments with a balcony and den. The smallest are for 1-bedrooms, which lack any outdoor space.
Living in Oneida
Journeys further afield can take advantage of Madison County Transit, which handles transportation for the town and the county. However, most folks depend on their own wheels to get around. Interstate 90 boasts quick east-west travel to Utica and Syracuse in about half an hour or so. Oneida is also convenient to Buffalo, Boston, New York City, Montreal or Toronto, but these locales are too far for convenient commuting. The nearest train stations are in Utica and Syracuse, and the nearest commercial airports are Griffiss International and Syracuse Hancock International.
If history is your thing, Oneida features several sites that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Oneida Armory, the Oneida Community Mansion House and Main-Broad-Grove Street Historic District. One way to enjoy these blasts from the pasts is through the Madison County Architecture Trail, which is available from the website of Madison County Tourism.
But you don't want to be looking at old furniture when the weather turns nice. Instead, get some fun in the sun at several parks and outdoor areas managed by the city. At the Veterans Memorial Playfield, for example, you can swim a few laps in the municipal pool, cheer a night softball game under lights, score a touchdown, shoot a few hoops or hit a home run.
If you're more sedate, enjoy the flowers of Clinch Park while catching lunch at a picnic table. Want to catch your own meal? You'll find fishing at Mt. Hope Reservoir, along with mountain biking, hiking, and, in the winter, cross-country skiing. You can get more waterside fun at the squiggly eastern perimeter of the city formed by the Erie Canal and Oneida Creek. In the evening, Oneida Arts entertains its audiences with jazz bands, brass quintets, theater productions and classical music.
After all that fun, have a meal at Napoleon Cafe, China King Chinese Restaurant, Madison House Restaurant or The Big Cheese.
Several shindigs can keep you hopping throughout the year. Historical Craft Days in September is a chance to admire, demonstrate, exhibit and sell hand-made treats like clocks, furniture, pottery, soap and jewelry. At around the same time, the Hop Fest is not about bunnies but about home brew and beer sampling. As with many other cities in the region, summer starts with a Memorial Day parade and brings summer entertainment in the form of Movies in the Park.
