Dryden,
New York is a quaint, charming town located in Tompkins
County, part of the state’s famous Finger
Lakes Region. The county is renowned for its
stunning gorges and waterfalls, carved long ago by
Ice Age glaciers. The natural beauty of the region
remains unsurpassed. Tompkins County is one of the
fastest growing areas in the state, with new
residents and corporations being drawn to the high
quality of life.Tompkins
County boasts one of the strongest economies in the
northeast. Unemployment remains consistently low,
and the highly skilled workforce proves a huge draw
for incoming firms. Education is a prime industry in
the region, and the county seat of Ithaca
plays host to three internationally respected
colleges. Cornell
University was founded there in 1868, and today,
Ithaca
College and Tompkins
Cortland Community College also serve the
region, drawing in more than 25,000 students to the
area. Tompkins County is home to many authors and
artists, inventors and professors.
According
to the Census 2000 data, the town of Dryden’s
population stands at over 13,500. Two small villages
lie within the town’s boundary. Freeville, with a
population of 500, and the village of Dryden, whose
population is almost 2,000. The hamlets of Varna and
Etna make up the rest of the town. Dryden stretches
over 94 square miles, and remains one of the largest
towns in the county. It stands halfway between Cortland,
New York and Ithaca, and takes its name from the
native poet John Dryden.
Two
major state forests take up the southeastern edge of
Dryden. The Hammond
Hills State Forest stands above 1,800 feet
elevation, and provides winter fun for skiers and
snowmobile riders, with over eleven miles of trails.
The Yellow Barn State Forest also has trails, as do
many of the preserves and parks within Dryden, some
of which connect to the Finger
Lakes Trail, a 562 mile walk through some of the
most remote areas of New York’s Southern
Tier Region.
Lovely
rolling hills and fertile farmland make up the town
of Dryden. Lakes and streams glisten throughout.
Dryden residents take pride in their small-town
heritage and have carefully preserved their historic
districts. Environmentalism is strong here, and
preserving the natural beauty surrounding them
remains a high priority. Dryden, New York is a
premier place to raise children or begin a great new
future.
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