The Curious Case of the Upside Down Traffic Light in Syracuse, NY

In the Tipperary Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York there is a traffic light that is upside down, with the green light on top and the red on bottom. The unique light harkens back to the neighborhood’s roots as a predominantly Irish community. When traffic lights were installed in the 1920s, locals were incensed that “British red” was positioned over “Irish green.” The lights were continuously vandalized by local youths until city officials agreed to put green on top, and red on bottom. According to the City of Syracuse, the Tipperary Hill upside down light is the only one of its kind.

photos by Doug Kerr

via Unusual, The Presurfer

E.D.W. Lynch
E.D.W. Lynch

Writer and humor generalist on the Internet and on Facebook.