Binghamton, NY is known as the Parlor City, thanks to its amazingly constructed houses.  If you are looking for things to do in the area besides house-gaze, then think about parks.  If you are traveling to Binghamton for the first time, then try to make it a goal to visit all of the parks in the area.  Here are the four best parks in the city and what they offer.

1. Confluence Park

This park is located at the east end of the Riverside Drive Bridge.  It offers pleasant scenery of the park as well as the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers.  The landmark Washington Street Bridge is also on-site.  On the south end of the bridge, you can find a variety of cafes and bars.  You can also go canoeing or kayaking in parts of the river.

2. Greenwood Park

This park is about six miles away from Airport Road.  There are many recreational events at this park, including ski rentals in the winter, and trails for hikers and bicyclists.  The park is open all season long.

3. Otsiningo Park

This park is about three miles long and found on the west bank of the Chenango River.  There are plenty of activities at this park including pedestrian and bicycle trails.  There is also a great deal of avian life here.  For sports lovers, there are baseball and soccer fields on-site.

4. Recreation Park and Carousel

This park is found where Beethoven Street and Seminary Avenue meet.  This is the most exciting park to tour, given its playgrounds and public swimming pool.  Best of all, it holds the second largest of the city’s carousels.  The Wurlitzer music machine adds to the experience.

Other parks in the area include Columbus Park, MacArthur Park, Cheri Lindsey Memorial Park and Fairview Park.  Parks are tremendous family-oriented attractions that are both relaxing and fun.  Come visit this great city and sample each park for yourself!

After you have enjoyed the parks, the music and the arts festivals, why not relax by watching some local sports in Binghamton?  Cheer on your favorite teams and local athletes and get involved in the community!  What are some of the sporting events happening all year round in Binghamton, NY?

First off, there is the Mets minor league baseball team.  You can see their games on Court Street right around the downtown area.  If you’re a hockey fan, you will enjoy the Binghamton Senators Hockey Club which features pro-level hockey.  Cycling is big in this community, so make plans to see Chris Thater Memorial Races at Recreation Park in August.  If there’s any doubt, then just consider that practically every park in the city has a trail specially made for bicyclists!

Dick’s Sporting Goods Open on Main Street in Endicott features a PGA golfing tournament at the En-Joie Golf Course.  For tennis fans, the Levene Gouldin and Thompson Tennis Challenger tournament is held at Recreation Park.  Pro athletes from around the globe compete in these challenges.

Basketball is alive and well in the community thanks to the Stop-DWI Holiday Classic tournament held at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.  It is held every year in the winter season.  There is also a Stop-DWI tournament for softball, and college softball coaches very often show up for scouting.  There’s also the World Youth Classic tournament featuring young baseball players.

The Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena and the Forum Theater sometimes welcome sporting events.  For instance, the arena hosts the Binghamton Senators, a professional ice hockey team.

Binghamton, NY is a relatively small city compared to other NY destinations, and is still about half the size of the Binghamton of the 1950s.  Nevertheless, it continues to have a thriving economy, a vibrant art scene and an active sports community.

One of the best attractions for families in Binghamton, NY is the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park.  The zoo is one of the oldest attractions in the city and one of the oldest zoos anywhere in the country.  The zoo was first opened in 1875.  The zoo is open from the month of April to the month of October.

There is over 90 acres of land devoted to animal sightseeing.  The founder of the zoo, a man by the name of Erastus Ross, built the park with the intent of letting the whole community benefit from it.  This park is particularly fun, as it allows easy access around the area by way of electric trolley.  The park also contains the second largest carousel of the six in the city, and it is free of charge to ride.

What kind of animal life can families see at this zoo?  There are several exhibits to behold including binturong (bearcat), grey wolves, tigers and leopards.  There is an aviary and a penguin exhibit as well as tamarins (squirrel-sized monkeys) and reindeer.  There is a lion’s den, and it has been renovated within the last few years.  It is now part of an animal educational program.

Outside the park are facilities for barbecuing, as well as some conveniently located restrooms.  Children can also take part in the zoo’s annual events and activities.  For example, there is a Halloween celebration as well as a yearly “Feast with the Beasts” program.

When you are finished touring the zoo, make time for the Discovery Center, a children’s museum with interactive features that entertain and educate.  Binghamton is a great place to take the family.  You can ride any of the six carousels to your heart’s content, but the most satisfying experience will come from interacting with real animals!

If you are planning to visit Binghamton this season, then start planning your itinerary well in advance of your arrival date.  Not sure where to begin?  First of all, try to understand the culture of this city.  This is a city obsessed with art, parlor homes, museums, and carousels.  Get the feel of the city and then plan your stay accordingly.  Here are five things you simply must do when you stay in Binghamton.

1. Ride a carousel.

There are only six antique carousels in the city, but that’s enough to make it the Carousel Capital of the world.  Ride all six carousels, which are scattered throughout the city’s parks.  Carousels are great fun for children and a nostalgic experience for adults.

2. Visit the Roberson Museum and Science Center.

This is the best museum in the city and provides a history of the city, going back to 1792, as well as numerous exhibits.  Some of the museum’s features include a planetarium and a flight simulation system.

3. First Fridays

This downtown art tour brings you to all sorts of art gallery openings and presentations, music and theater shows and local crafts exhibitions.  This is the definitive art focal point of the city (at least on a monthly basis), as it features the largest gathering of artisans in the area.

4. Otsiningo Powwow

Otsiningo Park holds a festival featuring Native American heritage of upstate New York.  The park is actually building upon an ancient Haudenosaunee Village.

5. Spiedie Festival and Balloon Rally

Otsiningo Park also hosts the Spiedie Festival, which brings together local culture and hot air balloon rides.  You should also treat yourself to the city’s favorite regional dish: the spiedie, a dish with marinated and grilled cubes of chicken/pork (or practically any meat) and then served on a submarine roll.