Things to Do in Greater Binghamton, New York

The Greater Binghamton area consists of several small towns about fifteen miles north of the Pennsylvania border on Interstate 81. Some of these towns are Vestal, Johnson City, Endicott, Endwell and the actual city of Binghamton. Admittedly, my first impression was not a favorable one as a lot of the houses you can see from the highway are run down...and there are not too many places that look their best in the middle of winter. However, as I got to talking to co-workers, I discovered that there were actually a lot of family-oriented things to do here if you were willing to look.

Binghamton boasts the title "Carousel Capital of the World" on one of the signs leading into town. In all, there are six working carousels in the Greater Binghamton area. In Endicott there are two: one at George W. Johnson Park and one at West Endicott Park. In Endwell, you can find a carousel in the aptly named Highland Park. Johnson City is home to the carousel in C. Fred Johnson Park, and the city of Binghamton has one in Ross Park and one in Recreation Park. Most of the carousels are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day but for specific hours and maps to each park, please visit gobroomecounty.com/community/carousels.php. Most of the carousels are free and are situated in areas where there are other activites, like playgrounds, so they are great summertime activites to do with your children.

Just minutes from downtown Binghamton is the quaint Ross Park Zoo and Discovery Center. The zoo was founded in 1875, which makes it the fifth oldest zoo in the country. As mentioned above, there is a carousel-cost of admission is one piece of litter-a petting zoo, a carousel museum and many animal exhibits. Although, sad to say, the zoo has fallen on rough times, they do have some pretty neat exhibits. Some of our favorites are the penguins and the tigers. The zoo also has wolves, otters, tamarins, wallabies, eagles, a snow leopard and more! It makes a very nice outing for parents with small children as there are also several playgrounds and pavilions for picnicking. Each year, the zoo hosts several special events such as "Feast with the Beasts" and "Boo at the Zoo" and for the adult zoo patrons, the "Zoo Brew" where several local breweries let you sample their products. And the best part? The family membership was only $45 for unlimited visits during the season.

Another big attraction to the Greater Binghamton area is the annual Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally. What is a spiedie? I didn't know either until I moved here. The easy answer is marinated chicken or pork on a bun. There are many different flavors and styles and all of the ones that I have tried are delicious. This three-day festival features the hot air balloons, lots of food and several concerts. Buttons for the festival can be purchased in advance in local stores and are good for all three days. There are even shuttles to the event as parking is very limited.

If you visit the Greater Binghamton area and decide to stay, you definitely will not find much better prices on housing anywhere in the country. According to Patrick O' Gilfoil's article, America's Last True Bargain (New York Times, Nov. 14, 2005), the average national price for a home was $220,000. In the Greater Binghamton area, the average price was $93,000 making it one of the cheapest markets in the Northeast. When my husband and I figured out that we could sell our house in Manassas, Virginia for a profit and then turn around and spend half that amount for a much nicer house, we were sold. Take into consideration that there is no traffic, hardly any crime and decent shopping, I do not know why more people have not moved to places like Greater Binghamton.

References

America's Last True Bargains by Patrick O'Gilfoil Healy, New York Times, November 14, 2005