This morning on North Salina Street, Ambition Upstate opened its doors to a small line of anxious customers. People were greeted with a live deejay, NBA 2K on PS4, and, of course, a fresh supply of top of the line sneakers. Within minutes of opening its doors, the store became packed and sales started flowing for the new local start-up. Their sneaker selection features the best from Jordan, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and other popular brands. As of this morning, there was even a pair of Adidas Yeezys available that were valued at over $2,000.
For owner Nicholas Giarrusso, Ambition Upstate is more than just selling sneakers. With crime in Syracuse on the rise and the city's youth surrounded with negatives, Giarrusso's goal for Ambition Upstate is to serve as a safe spot for people to hang out, listen to music, play some video games, and shop for sneakers. He explained that the love for sneakers was a great jumping point to start the store and unite people from across the Salt City. Giarrusso and management are planning on hosting NBA 2K tournaments every month and creating events to bring sneakerheads from all over Syracuse into his shop and off the streets.
At the moment, Giarrusso is using social media and word of mouth to get people into the shop. However, he plans on hitting the streets and spreading the word about Ambition Upstate on the SU campus, Downtown, and other popular areas. He also hopes to work with local media in the near future.
Located at 613 North Salina Street, Ambition Upstate is open Thursday through Sunday 11am to 6pm.