Binghamton, New York,
offers a lot for such a small city. Found nestled away among beautiful
rolling hills, Binghamton stands where the Susquehanna and
Chenango Rivers
meet. Said to be one of the most beautiful landscapes in New York State, Binghamton
calls itself the "Valley of Opportunity".
Incorporated in 1834,
Binghamton claims a rich and diversified business history. With the
building of the Erie Canal,
it was a major transportation hub for the region. At one time, it was one
of the leading cigar manufacturing cities, drawing immigrants from all over
to work in the factories. When cigarettes became more popular than cigars,
other industries sprang up. Binghamton is the birthplace of IBM, which even today is one of the
area's leading employers. Link Aviation, one of the first creators of pilot
simulation machines, also calls Binghamton home.
A true melting pot of
ethnic culture, Binghamton's population was just over 47,000 according to
the 2000 census.
Binghamton University and
Broome
Community College offer their residents top-notch higher
education. City planners have a strong and stable economic
development plan in place, with a portion of the city being part of the
'Empire Zone', a New York
State program with innovative tax incentives available to attract new
corporations.
Binghamton is the county
seat of Broome County,
known as the 'Carousel Capitol of the World'. George F. Johnson
(1857-1948), who was a local shoe manufacturer, donated six beautiful wooden
merry-go-rounds that are scattered through out the county. He felt that
the carousels added joy to the young people's lives and insisted that money never be charged for a ride. Fewer than 170
of these antique carousels remain in North America, and Broome County's six
are listed on the National
Historic Register.
Rod Serling was a Binghamton native, who mentioned Binghamton and its
surrounding areas in many of his Twilight Zone episodes.
Culture and entertainment
abound in Binghamton. There is always something to do for the young or the
adult. For those who enjoy professional sports, the city offers both
baseball and hockey. The
Binghamton Mets are a AA baseball team in the Eastern League and the Binghamton Senators are an
American Hockey League team.
Binghamton Philharmonic,
Tri-Cities Opera and
Binghamton University Orchestra each bring
music to the town, while the
Ross Park Zoo
and The
Discovery Center fascinate
the children. Many fine golf courses are available, and Antique Row is just
one of the numerous shopping centers. Four different dance troupes call
Binghamton home. The city is dotted with beautiful parks where bicycle and
pedestrian paths wind through nature. Boating, fishing and swimming take up
summertime leisure hours, while ice skating and hockey fill up the winter
days.
Surrounded by the state's
prettiest terrain,
Binghamton, New York is a city full of pride and promise.
