Central New York Magazine - May/June 2021 preview

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CENTRAL NEW YORKERS REFLECT ON THEIR “GOOD LIFE”

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+ A LONG WAY BABY: LOOKING BACK AT COMMUNITY PROGRESS FAB COLLABS: LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES TEAM UP

FIELD OF DREAMS A R E A F L O W E R FA R M S D E L I G H T T H E S E N S E S M AY/J U N E

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Contents

48 Field of Dreams

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66

82

In Good Company

What Does Your Good Life Look Like?

This Is Us

Family-owned businesses are part of CNY’s narrative.

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15 Central New Yorkers reflect on why they love living here.

How Central New York made progress in the last 15 years.

PHOTO BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

A tour of area flower farms.

Departments

In every issue

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6 Editor's Letter 100 Galleries 103 Flashback

It’s All Good

104 Last word

11 Ways to embrace the season.

14 Positive Vibes: Wabi Sabi.

16 Our Town: Live like a local in Downtown Syracuse.

19 Market Trends: CNY collaborations.

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29 Good News 29 Dusty & Dott duo lands a show.

30 Behind the Scenes: Syracuse Musketeers finds a new home.

34 Caught Doing Good: Sisters, retired nurses enrich the lives of others.

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38 The Seen: A pictorial review of CNY’s socially distanced gatherings.

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87 Making Good 87 CNY designers’ take on the polymer clay earring trend.

PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS, STAGE PHOTO COURTESY CZERTON LIM

88 CNY Scout: Silk Naturals indie makeup brand.

91 Farm to Table: Eden’s Roast Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Spicy Peppers.

94 Down to Earth: A recycling refresher.

96 Art Profile: Scenic Designer Czerton Lim.

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Editor ’s letter As always, we’d love to hear from you about story ideas, thoughts, tips, suggestions, you name it.

Drop us a line at cnymag@ advancemediany.com.

And now, a word from our contributors:

A little reflection

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n the debut issue of this magazine, founding editor Tim Atseff wrote, “Cen-

Amelia Beamish

tral New York Magazine is about the ‘good life’ in our community. Each issue

“I always love shooting for CNY, but this issue in particular was a treat. It was great seeing all the ways local businesses can work together in a mutually symbiotic relationship. We have so much talent here and I hope I see many more collaborations!”

will celebrate the people who are the trendsetters and the heartbeat of Central New York. It will highlight the places that make our region special and the seasons that renew us.”

We think his words still ring true about the magazine today.

In acknowledgment of our 15th anniversary, we check in with 15 impactful people on how they’re living “the good life” in Central New York. We also highlight 10 ways our community made progress in the last 15 years. Meanwhile, in our seasonal features, check out some the area’s most colorful flower farms and meet four local family businesses to find out how they make it work.

On shooting this edition’s market trends feature.

Also in this issue, which features a newly refreshed design and content reorganization, browse the creations born out of collaborations between local artists, makers and food purveyors, get a seasonal recipe for Roast Chicken with Smashed Potatoes and Spicy Peppers from Eden in Syracuse and learn about Silk Naturals, an indie beauty brand based in the Finger Lakes. You’ll good news, and in Art Profile, a new partnership with the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications Program at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Finally, before we blow out the candles on our 15th, we check in with our founding editor on what he’s been up to since his magazine days and how he relishes the good life in CNY. We’d like to thank our readers and advertisers who’ve supported us over the years — from the first issue to the current one.

You help us bring the best of Central New York to light in a format worth keeping well past its pub date. We’re grateful you’re a part of it.

Cheers,

MJ mkravec@advancemediany.com 315-766-7833 6

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Matthew Nerber “I’ve always admired the amount of work and artistry that happens behind the scenes of a live performance...

That’s why I loved peeking behind the curtain with Czerton; he’s such a humble, talented guy who just loves the theater and creating worlds for audiences to get lost in.”

On writing about scenic designer Czerton Lim in Art Profile.

PHOTO BY SUE SANTOLA, HEADSHOTS COURTESY AMELIA BEAMISH, MATTHEW NERBER

also find a new sustainability column, full-page highlights of local trends and

It ’s all good POSITIVE VIBES • OUR TOWN • MARKET TRENDS

PHOTO BY MATTHEW DIGATI

PETAL PUSHING Is there any month more fairytale than May? With her blue skies, baby buds and gentle breezes that coax blossoms from the trees. Our paths strewn with pastel confetti. And an ordinary walk is like stepping into a Monet painting. Here’s how to savor the season now.

BY M J K RAV EC

FIELD DREAMS

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Area flower farms are a delight to the senses STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

Flower farms are flourishing in Central New York, inviting visitors to stroll through the fragrant fields, choose their own colorful blooms and build a bouquet.

For those who can’t make the trip to the farm, subscription services are growing in popularity, providing fresh blooms for your tablescape all summer long.

Take a drive to one of these local flower farms for a moment of tranquility among the blossoms.

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Like our many (many) flakes of snow, each individual’s idea of a good life looks a little different. And while everyone has a unique ideal in mind, we think no matter what you are looking for, you can find it here in Central New York. From establishing family traditions to pursuing professional accomplishments, the area provides a safe, friendly and scenic backdrop to your way of living. We’ve asked 15 Central New Yorkers, who have important roles in building and enriching our community, to share what they love about CNY and how they live their good life.

WHAT DOES YOUR GOOD LIFE LOOK LIKE?

BY AMY BLEIER LONG I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y S E A N M C K E O W N -YO U N G

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Please visit readcnymagazine.com for the full interviews.

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Making good

FA R M T O TA B L E

All fired up Early peppers bring sweet heat to this roast chicken paired with smashed potatoes

BY M J K RAV EC PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

In downtown’s Hanover Square, rush hour is quieter than usual. Yet, there are signs of life returning — people wearing masks are just getting off work and heading out, tiny green buds emerge from tree branches, bass booms from a passing car playing music. And next to Onondaga Savings Bank, in Syracuse’s first steel building, a restaurant is literally firing up for its dinner crowd.

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