"A small city with a good atmosphere, but not for everyone."
Utica is, first off, the biggest city in the country that starts with a "U". This doesn't really mean very much because Utica is by no means a large, bustling city. It is a medium sized (60,000 or so inhabitants), fairly clean, and quaint little place. Aside from the normal activities found in most cities (like zoos, amateur sports, small museums, etc.), Utica has very little of special value to offer. It is not all that interesting of a place to visit and becomes especially boring when living there. There is very little night life and that department seems to be dwindling by the day. Despite these setbacks, Utica has charm and is not too far away from the larger city of Syracuse and attractions such as the Turning Stone Casino in Oneida. In addition, the suburbs of New York Mills, Whitesboro, New Hartford, Clinton, and several others have a nice small town feel to them without being too far from the (slightly more interesting ) city life in Utica. It is an fair place to live but offers little to outsiders. Taxes are also very high in the area.