Binghamton, NY Road Trips

The City of Binghamton is divided into seven neighborhoods. City Center: This is the region's administrative, business, entertainment and transportation center. It is located at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers south of the Norfolk Southern rail tracks and west of the Brandywine Highway. Generally, the city is characterized by commercial properties and several high-rise apartments towards the rivers with lower class single- and multifamily dwellings towards the highway. There are several areas of urban blight, most notably along the Brandywine industrial spine. Downtown Binghamton is notable for its architecture and is the site of the Court Street Historic District. This district has 89 historic buildings from the turn of the previous century, of which the Press Building and the Security Mutual Building are the most notable. A number of buildings on the National Register by famed architect Isaac G Perry are located here as well, including the Perry Block, the Broome County Courthouse, and the Phelps Mansion. Westside: Located across the Chenango River from Downtown. This area is largely residential and its character ranges from urban to suburban. In general, the area between Seminary Avenue and the Susquehanna River is inhabited by middle to upper-class residents, while the area north of Seminary Avenue to the First Ward is inhabited by working-class residents and students from the neighboring colleges. There is a commercial corridor along Main St with mostly light commercial facilities and a couple of large plazas.

Confluence Park (at the east end of Riverside Dr bridge). any time. A fairly new public park, this provides a scenic location to enjoy the meeting of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers along with the historic Washington Street bridge. Nearby cafes and bars are found at the south end of the bridge. It is easily accessible by canoe or kayak from the river, and kayakers are often seen surfing a standing wave on the Susquehanna nearby. free. 1 Cutler Botanic Garden, 840 Front St (Use exit 5 from Interstate 81), ☏ +1 607 584-9966. daytime. A teaching and research garden of 3½ acres (1½ ha) maintained by the Cornell Cooperative Extension. free. (updated May 2020) Greenwood Park (Rt.17 to Exit 71 N (Airport Road). Go approximately 6 miles north on Airport Road. Turn left onto Commercial Drive. At end of Commercial Drive take right onto East Maine Road. Go 3 miles (5 km) on East Maine Road to stop sign. Go straight onto a.m.es Road to stop sign. Turn right on Nanticoke Road- travel 7 miles (11 km). Turn left onto Greenwood Road.), ☏ +1 607 778-2193. This county park offers good recreational opportunities in all seasons. In winter, it offers affordable cross-country ski rentals and 5.5 miles (9 km) of groomed trails with good options for beginners. Otsiningo Park, 1 Otsiningo Park (take exit 5 off Interstate 81 and go S, park is left very shortly after), ☏ +1 607 778-6541. dawn to dusk.

1 C.Fred Johnson Park, 98 C.F.J. Boulevard, Johnson City, ☏ +1 607 797-3031. Memorial Day weekend-June 24: M-F 4PM-8PM; Sa Su noon-8PM. June 25-Labor Day: daily noon-8PM. Free. 2 George W. Johnson Park, 201 Oak Hill Avenue, Endicott, ☏ +1 607 757-0856. Memorial Day-Labor Day: 10AM–5PM and 6PM–8PM. Free. 3 Highland Park, 801 Hooper Road, Endwell, ☏ +1 607 786-2970. Memorial Day-June 19: Sa Su noon-7:45PM. June 25-Labor Day: daily noon–7:45PM. Free. 4 Recreation Park, 58-78 Beethoven St, ☏ +1 607 722-9166, +1 607 772-7017. Free. 5 Ross Park, 60 Morgan Rd, ☏ +1 607 722-9166, +1 607 772-7017. Memorial Day, May 30-June 17: M-F 3–6PM, Sa Su 10AM–6PM; June 18-Labor Day: daily 10AM–6PM. Free. 6 West Endicott Park, 501 Maple Street (at Page Avenue), Endicott, ☏ +1 607 786-2970. Memorial Day-June 19: Sa Su noon-7:45PM. Free. AMC Town Square, 2425 Vestal Parkway, Vestal, toll-free: +1-888-262-4386. 8-screen, stadium seating with all digital/3-D capable projection. Regal Cinemas, 900 Front St (take exit 5 from Interstate 81 and head north), ☏ +1 607 724-1230. First run. 12 screens with surround sound. Anderson Center for the Performing Arts, Binghamton University Campus, Vestal Pkwy (First left after traffic circle on BU campus), ☏ +1 607 777-6802. Consisting of three theaters (Osterhout Concert Theater, Chamber Hall, and Watters Theater), The Anderson Center provides a world-class venue for any size performance that may come to the region.

Binghamton has always been (and still is) a melting pot of ethnic flavors. The city's history has been strongly influenced by German, Italian, and Polish immigrants; with many today coming from Eastern Europe, Latin America, and India. The eateries in the city reflect this and provide that big city cultural and culinary experience largely missing in many small cities. Many of the national chains are present in the city as well, and are easily located. Binghamton is home to several other yogurt chains, including Hoopla on Upper Front Street (next to Moe's) and Simply Sweet on Washington Street in central city (right over the foot bridge). Nezuntoz, 50 Pennsylvania Avenue #4. M-Sa 7AM-5PM; Su 7AM-4PM. (pronounced "knees-and-toes"). Bagels and bagel sandwiches (both breakfast and lunch options), pastries, coffee, espresso drinks, tea, and soft drinks. Free wi-fi although seating is very limited. Located in the rear of the Weiss plaza on the corner of Vestal and Pennsylvania Avenues across from Walgreens. Budget. Lost Dog Café, 222 Water St (from Court St, follow Water St north two blocks), ☏ +1 607 771-6063. 11:30AM-10PM. This eclectic fusion restaurant serves great and generous dishes. Though they offer lunch, the place really heats up at night and often has live music. It can get busy, particularly when the university is in session so you may want to call ahead. The wildly popular "Team Trivia" came to the Lost Dog on Thursday evenings when Cybercafe West closed in 2019. Mid-range. Broome County Regional Farmers Market, 840 Upper Front St., ☏ +1 607 772-8953.

The Ale House, 3744 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal, ☏ +1 607 729-9053, [email protected]. Monday - Saturday: 3PM - 1AM. 36 beers on tap The Belmar, 95 Main St, ☏ +1 607 724-5920. Rough-edged town Irish pub, popular with students. Open mike every Monday, live music most weekends. One of the most popular areas in Binghamton for the drinking crowd, particularly among BU students. The pub area of the street is generally closed town to vehicular traffic in the evenings on weekends. This is the epicenter of the weekly 'Pub Crawl' among graduating BU seniors and 19 year olds with class C licenses from Connecticut who coincidentally share the same birthday with all of their friends. Dillingers Celtic Pub & Eatery, 77 State St, ☏ +1 607 724-7779. The Rathskeller Pub, 92 State St, ☏ +1 607 722-0255. Locals will call it "The Rat". Tom and Marty's Town House, 89 State St, ☏ +1 607 722-9823. Although not quite to the extent of rainbow filled Ithaca, Binghamton is a diverse and accepting city with a "live and let live" attitude. Nearly all the major bars and nightlife spots see both locals and college students who are openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender on a regular basis, odds are nobody even gives it a second thought. (Bars where being openly LGBT could be problematic are well off the beaten path in the rural outskirts of the city and likely would not be of any interest to tourists. Even if you did happen to stumble into one by mistake, odds you would face outright hostility or violence are fairly low).

Binghamton has many places to stay, but if you will be visiting around Binghamton University's Commencement (late May, early June), be sure to book VERY early. Hotels have been known to fill up a year in advance. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Binghamton, 225 Water St, ☏ +1 607 722-7575. $76-101+. Comfort Inn, 1000 Upper Front St (Exit 5 off I-81, right at end of ramp. 1.3 miles on right.), ☏ +1 607 724-3297, toll-free: +1-800-463-7009, [email protected]. $76-101+. Courtyard by Marriott, 3801 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal (Take Exit 70S (201S towards Vestal) Exit on to Route 434W, hotel is ¼ mile on right.), ☏ +1 607 644-1000. Fairfield Inn – Binghamton, 864 Front St, ☏ +1 607 651-1000, [email protected]. $101+. Hampton Inn & Suites, 3708 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal, ☏ +1 607 797-5000, [email protected]. $101+. Holiday Inn Arena, 2-8 Hawley St (Near end of Washington Street, downtown), ☏ +1 607 722-1212, [email protected]. $101+. Red Roof Inn, 590 Fairview Street, Johnson City, ☏ +1 607 729-8940. $50-75. Traditions at the Glen, 4101 Watson Boulevard, Johnson City, ☏ +1 607 797-2381. $101+. Bed & Breakfast at Endwell Greens, 3701 Sally Piper Road, Endwell, ☏ +1 607 766-9973, fax: +1 607 785-5709, [email protected]. 1 Binghamton Jellystone Park (formerly Pine Valley Campground), 600 Boswell Hill Rd, ☏ +1 607-444-3144, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Campground. Offers a range of accommodations from simple tent sites all the way up to fully equipped RVs.

1 Greater Binghamton Airport (BGM IATA), 2534 Airport Road, Johnson City (lies 7 mi (11 km) northwest of the city center), ☏ +1 607 763-4471. Two airlines offer flights to Binghamton: Delta Connection has two daily round-trips from Detroit, while Avelo Airlines offers Wednesday and Saturday non-stops between Fort Myers and Orlando. BGM Airport is not served by mass transit. Ground transportation options include: On-site car rental from Avis, Budget, and Hertz. Off-site car rental is available from Enterprise. They offer complementary pick-up and drop-off service if your flight arrives or departs during normal business hours. Licensed taxis are available outside the terminal and will take you anywhere in Broome County for $25. It's a good idea to call as soon as your flight lands, although at peak arrival times cabs may already be lined up outside. The closest larger airports are Syracuse-Hancock International AirportSYR IATA, roughly 70 mi (110 km) north of Binghamton, and Albany International Airport ALB IATA, 95 mi (153 km) northeast. If you're originating from outside the East Coast, you may find these airports to have a better range of flight options, along with more competitive fares due to the presence of low cost carriers. Besides a wider range of mainline and regional service on American, Delta and United, Syracuse is also served by Allegiant and JetBlue, while Albany is served by Southwest Airlines.

Public transportation in Greater Binghamton and outlying areas is served by BC Transit, a service of the Broome County Department of Transportation. Buses run weekdays approximately 6AM-9PM, Saturdays 7AM-6PM, and Sundays 9:30AM-5PM. Some routes do not operate on weekends, service may be limited or suspended on public holidays. Cash fares are $2 per ride (includes one transfer ticket, if requested). If you'll be riding the bus more than twice in one day, an unlimited day pass can be purchased for $5 from the driver. Weekly ($25) and monthly ($70) passes are also available from the BC Transit office (at the junction) or Weis Market locations in Broome County. Transit options are not limited to the local fixed-routes buses. BC Country provides transportation in outlying areas but must be arranged in advance. Taxis are plentiful in the city, during non-peak times plan on calling 20 minutes before you're ready to leave. Reserving a cab in advance is generally unnecessary and many operators in Binghamton discourage this practice unless you have a flight or bus to catch. University Taxi Cab +1 607-759-6273 All Star Cab +1 607-348-6115 There are also several smaller operators with fleets of less than five vehicles. BC Junction, the airport, the Binghamton University student union, and some downtown hotels have taxi stands but this is the exception rather than the rule.