My parents are both from Syracuse. 
So am I!  I love it there - it's the economic and educational hub of Central New York
I have never been there. 
It's a great city!  It even has a downtown convention complex.
How big is it?
In 2010 it had a population of 145,252
What are some neat things to see or do?
I'd recommend seeing Syracuse University, which is a major research university