65-774: Downtown Binghamton is a neighborhood in Binghamton, New York , located on the north bank of the Susquehanna River , just east of its confluence with the Chenango River . It is the business and administrative center of the City of Binghamton, the Greater Binghamton area and Broome County . Downtown Binghamton can be defined as encompassing the area north of the Susquehanna River, east of
130-510: A humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ), with cold, snowy winters and warm, wet summers. Summers in Binghamton are typified by warm yet temperate days, and there are an average of only 2.6 days annually where the high exceeds 90 °F (32 °C), with the highest recorded temperature at 98 °F (37 °C) on July 16, 1988. Winters are somewhat less moderate, with 5.8 days with sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows annually on average;
195-579: A New York State Center of Excellence for small-scale systems integration, and it has provided the major impetus for the Southern Tier High Technology Incubator in downtown Binghamton, which encourages the growth of local startups . Upstate Medical University has worked to expand its clinical campus by establishing a permanent home at the former New York State Inebriate Asylum on the East Side. Major companies in
260-527: A bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. Binghamton is the principal city and cultural center of the Binghamton metropolitan area (also known as Greater Binghamton, or historically the Triple Cities, including Endicott and Johnson City), home to a quarter million people. The city's population, according to the 2020 census , is 47,969. From the days of
325-632: A disease. Binghamton incorporated as a city in 1867 and, due to the presence of several stately homes, was nicknamed the Parlor City . In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many immigrants moved to the area, finding an abundance of jobs. During the 1880s, Binghamton became the second-largest manufacturer of cigars in the United States. By the early 1920s, Endicott Johnson , a shoe manufacturer whose development of welfare capitalism resulted in many amenities for local residents, became
390-450: A female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.8% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.94. Binghamton is home to an ethnically diverse population. During its industrial heyday, thousands of European immigrants moved to
455-465: A few bars and restaurants as well as mom and pop shops that provide such goods as video games and music. Ely Park, Binghamton's northernmost neighborhood, contains its municipal golf course. It lies on parts of Prospect Mountain and other hills north of the First Ward. The Southside lies along the south bank of the Susquehanna River and is connected to downtown by several bridges. At the base of
520-512: A few strip malls form the West Side's commercial corridor. The First Ward , a largely residential neighborhood opposite the railroad tracks from the West Side, is best known for Antique Row, a series of antique shops that line Clinton Street. This part of the city is home to several gold-domed Christian churches built by the area's many Eastern European immigrants. It is also home to several large supermarkets, churches, pharmacies, bank branches,
585-610: A fishing store in the East Side in 1948, and was headquartered in Binghamton until 1994. Much of Binghamton's current employment base is oriented toward technology and defense manufacturing, though the sector has been diminishing since 1990. Areas of specialization include systems integration , flight simulation , and printed circuit board manufacturing. The largest such companies in the area are Lockheed Martin , BAE Systems , IBM, Sanmina-SCI , and Universal Instruments . Other notable technology firms include i3 Electronics, Rockwell Collins , and L-3 Communications , which absorbed
650-526: A five-mile stretch of the Vestal Parkway . The village of Johnson City is home to the Oakdale Mall , the area's only indoor super regional mall . Significant commercial development has also taken place in the town of Dickinson , with many shopping centers just north of the city. In the First Ward, Clinton Street is home to Antique Row, a collection of antique shops. Since the early 2000s,
715-594: A local child who achieved fame in the art world for her abstract art. The Binghamton Philharmonic is the region's premiere professional orchestra. Founded in 1955, it provides symphonic music to all of the Southern Tier . Concerts are performed throughout the year, with a variety of classical, pops and chamber music. The Tri-Cities Opera stages full-scale operas at the Broome County Forum. The professional company has performed since 1949, and
SECTION 10
#1732776272563780-570: A long history with minor league sports, having been home to several teams over the years. The Eastern League , one of the older Double-A baseball leagues in the United States prior to the 2021 Minor League Baseball reorganization, was founded at the Arlington Hotel in downtown Binghamton in 1923. Today, the city hosts two professional minor league teams, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (a baseball team affiliated with
845-556: A renewed focus on the riverfront. Unfortunately, two severe floods have stymied the recovery: while most of the impact of the Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006 was in the surrounding metropolitan area, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee topped city flood walls in September 2011, causing $ 1 billion of damage in greater Binghamton. On April 3, 2009, a man shot 13 people dead , then himself , at
910-536: A shoe manufacturer, and IBM employing 15,000 to 20,000 local workers at their peak. Other companies with a large historical presence included Link Aviation Devices , Ansco , and General Electric . Several other notable businesses started in Binghamton, such as Valvoline , the Nineteen Hundred Washer Company (which merged to form Whirlpool ), and Dr. Kilmer's Swamp Root , a famous patent medicine . Dick's Sporting Goods began as
975-405: A sizeable Kurdish community. As of 2010, Binghamton's racial makeup was 77.6% White , 11.4% Black or African American , 0.3% Native American , 4.2% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 2.0% from other races , and 4.4% from two or more races. 6.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Due to its diversity, the region is home to many religious denominations. The First Ward,
1040-748: Is famed for its actor training program. The region also has several other semi-professional and amateur orchestras and theaters such as the Cider Mill Playhouse . The Roberson Museum and Science Center , in the heart of Binghamton, is home to the Binghamton Visitor Center, the Link Planetarium, and a number of exhibits detailing the culture and history of Greater Binghamton and the Southern Tier. The Kopernik Observatory & Science Center observatory
1105-614: Is home to most of the city's largest buildings and government services. Located at the northeast corner of the river confluence and increasingly populated by college students, it supports a flourishing arts scene. The North Side is across the Norfolk Southern rail tracks from downtown, along the Chenango River. The North Side is a light commercial and working-class residential area of the city, with Chenango Street serving as its major artery. The East Side lies east of
1170-662: Is home to several festivals (including a significant concentration of ethnic celebrations due to its heritage), which the New York Department of Economic Development recognized in 2001 as the year's official I Love New York festival, and collectively dubbed the "Festival of Festivals." Notable former festivities include the Yegatta Regatta and the Pops on the River concert. Residents of Binghamton typically speak
1235-668: Is the largest public observatory in the northeast United States. The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park , in the Southside , opened in 1875 and is the fifth-oldest zoo in the nation. Binghamton is known as the Carousel Capital of the World, as it houses six of the remaining antique carousels . Two are within city limits, one at Recreation Park and another at the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park. Other visitor attractions include
1300-562: The American Civic Association 's offices in Binghamton. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the city has an area of 11.14 square miles (28.9 km ), of which 10.49 square miles (27.2 km ) is land and 0.65 square miles (1.7 km ) (5.83%) is water. Binghamton, like all of the Southern Tier of New York, lies on the Allegheny Plateau ; hence its hilly terrain. As such, elevations can vary in
1365-736: The Binghamton metropolitan area is home to 247,138 people. The MSA is composed of all of Broome County and neighboring Tioga County . The urban area , which includes parts of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania , has a population of 158,054 as of 2010. Alternatively defined, the number of people living in an approximately 30-mile radius of the city center is 316,270. This count includes Broome County and parts of Tioga, Cortland , Delaware , Chenango , and Tompkins Counties in New York, and parts of Susquehanna, Bradford , and Wayne Counties in Pennsylvania. The city's median household income
SECTION 20
#17327762725631430-770: The Brandywine Highway , along the north bank of the Susquehanna River. The neighborhood is largely residential with commercial corridors along Robinson and Court streets, and it has pockets of industrial development along its borders. Across the Chenango River lies the West Side , a primarily residential neighborhood along the banks of the Susquehanna that has a combination of family homes, student housing, and stately mansions. Main Street's large supermarkets, pharmacies, bank branches, pubs, restaurants, auto shops, and
1495-594: The Cold War ended, the area never experienced an economic downfall, due in part to its defense-oriented industries. The city's population peaked at around 85,000 in the mid-1950s. Post-war suburban development led to a decline in the city's population and the rapid growth of the towns of Vestal and Union . Like many other Rust Belt cities, traditional manufacturers saw steep declines, though Binghamton's technology industry limited this impact. Urban renewal efforts to reverse these trends dominated construction in
1560-529: The Great Lakes results in significant cloudiness and precipitation. Weather systems traveling over the lake pick up significant moisture, and cooler air masses from the west and the north culminate in a continuously unsettled weather pattern. Snowfall is significant, with an annual total of 84.4 inches (214 cm). Binghamton is not as greatly affected by lake-effect snow as cities further north or west such as Syracuse and Buffalo , which are part of
1625-660: The Inland Northern dialect of American English , and the region falls within a distinct set of isoglosses that also contain Buffalo , Rochester , and Syracuse . Much of the local accent has been subject to the Northern cities vowel shift , though this has not fully taken hold. Unlike other Inland Northern cities, people in Binghamton typically refer to athletic shoes as sneakers (as opposed to tennis shoes), and to soft drinks as soda (and not pop). Binghamton has
1690-700: The LUMA Projection Arts Festival in September, Binghamton Porchfest (a free annual music festival featuring hundreds of performances staged on West Side residential porches), Blues on the Bridge (a September music festival that takes place on the South Washington Street Bridge ), and the Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival every October, which includes a marching band competition. Broome County
1755-1029: The New York Mets ) and the Binghamton Black Bears (an ice hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League ). In 2018, the Sports Business Journal ranked the city as the 10th best minor-league sports market in the country. The area is home to the Eastern League 's Binghamton Rumble Ponies , the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets . The former Binghamton Mets have sent stars like Daniel Murphy , Noah Syndergaard , Steven Matz , Juan Lagares , José Reyes , David Wright , Preston Wilson , Ike Davis , Zack Wheeler , Edgardo Alfonzo , Jon Niese , Pete Alonso and Jay Payton to
1820-628: The Phelps Mansion museum, the Cutler Botanic Garden , the Bundy Museum of History and Art , and the interactive, child-oriented Discovery Center. The Center for Technology & Innovation, a museum dedicated to local industry, is under construction. The area is home to a popular regional dish known as the spiedie . Many of the area's restaurants serve spiedies, but they have only experienced limited penetration beyond
1885-703: The Southern Tier and Central New York . Spiedies are celebrated at the Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally, which is held at Otsiningo Park each August and attracts over 100,000 people annually. The city's other annual events include the St. Patrick's Day parade in March, July Fest (a festival of jazz music, arts, and crafts held downtown since 1962), the 100-year-old St. Mary of the Assumption Bazaar in August,
1950-589: The Susquehanna River passes south of downtown. This branch rises in eastern New York and receives a number of tributaries above Binghamton. In the center of the city, the Chenango River feeds into the Susquehanna from the north at Confluence Park. The Binghamton River Trail, a 1.5 mile trail along the Chenango, runs between Cheri Lindsey Park on the Northside and Confluence Park in Downtown. Eleven bridges span
2015-519: The Valley of Opportunity . However, starting with job cuts made by defense firms towards the end of the Cold War , the region lost a large part of its manufacturing industry. Today, while there is a continued concentration of high-tech firms, Binghamton is emerging as a healthcare- and education-focused city, with Binghamton University acting as much of the driving force behind this revitalization. The first known people of European descent to come to
Downtown Binghamton - Misplaced Pages Continue
2080-402: The census of 2010 , 47,376 people, 21,150 households, and 9,986 families resided in the city. The population density was 4,516.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,743.9/km ). There were 23,842 housing units at an average density of 2,273.1 per square mile (877.6/km ). Of all households, 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.9% were married couples living together, 15.6% had
2145-403: The railroad , Binghamton was a transportation crossroads and a manufacturing center, and has been known at different times for the production of cigars, shoes, and computers. IBM was founded nearby, and the flight simulator was invented in the city, leading to a notable concentration of electronics- and defense-oriented firms. This sustained economic prosperity earned Binghamton the moniker of
2210-467: The 21st century, the city has tried to diversify its economic base to spur revitalization. The local economy has slowly transitioned toward services and healthcare. Major emphasis has been placed on Binghamton University , which built a downtown campus in 2007 and several student housing complexes. The increased downtown residential population and the university's plans to build additional student housing have spurred development of supporting businesses and
2275-552: The Chenango River, west of Brandywine Avenue ( NY-7 ) and south of the Norfolk Southern tracks. Downtown is the business and administrative center of the city and region. It is home to the principal state, county and city offices, which are located within Government Plaza on Hawley Street between State and Isbell streets. Important commercial streets include Chenango, Court, Hawley, State and Washington streets. BC Junction, Broome County Transit 's point of departure for
2340-681: The Clinton Street Bridge). The floods led the city to build flood walls along the length of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. During the Second World War , growth continued as IBM , which was founded in greater Binghamton, emerged as a global technology leader. Along with Edwin Link 's invention of the flight simulator in Binghamton, IBM's growth helped transition the region to a high-tech economy. Other major manufacturers included Ansco and General Electric . Until
2405-706: The Great Lakes snowbelt . However, persistent snow bands from both the Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes occasionally result in moderate snows. Binghamton receives occasional major snowfall from nor'easter storms as well (such as the 1993 Storm of the Century , or nearly four feet of snow in December 2020 ), and competes for the Golden Snowball Award with other upstate cities. As of
2470-743: The Link Aviation operations. Although not a large employer, the McIntosh Laboratory is a well-known high-end manufacturer of audio amplifiers, receivers, and other components. Despite the sustained job losses, the Binghamton MSA had 13% of New York State's computer and electronics manufacturing jobs as of 2010. Education and health care are also becoming significant sectors in the regional economy. In particular, Binghamton University and Broome Community College employ many researchers and educators. Binghamton University has
2535-626: The area were the troops of the Sullivan Expedition in 1779, during the American Revolutionary War , who destroyed local villages of the Onondaga and Oneida tribes. The city was named after William Bingham , a wealthy Philadelphian who bought the 10,000 acre patent for the land in 1786, then consisting of parts of the towns of Union and Chenango . Joshua Whitney, Jr., Bingham's land agent, chose land at
2600-464: The area. The region has several large shopping areas. Downtown Binghamton is home to a Boscov's department store, and the development of large student housing projects has led to a resurgence of restaurants and service-oriented businesses. While downtown was home to several major department stores and the center of regional shopping, most shopping has moved toward the suburbs. The town of Vestal has several shopping centers and big-box stores along
2665-431: The city as they found an abundance of jobs and working-class prosperity. Many Irish, Italians, and Eastern Europeans settled in the area, and the American Civic Association was created to help their transition to life and assimilation in the United States. This influx led to a temporary rise in the local Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s, with Binghamton serving as state headquarters. Area residents, who primarily embraced
Downtown Binghamton - Misplaced Pages Continue
2730-545: The city during the 1960s and early 1970s and led to the destruction of many ornate city buildings. The construction included the creation of Government Plaza , the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena , and the Brandywine Highway . While these projects failed to stem most of the losses, they established Binghamton as the region's government and cultural center. The city's population declined from approximately 64,000 in 1969 to 56,000 by
2795-705: The city's most notable architecture, including the Press Building and Security Mutual Building, early 20th century high rises, and the Broome County Courthouse . The Press Building was the tallest building in Binghamton until the completion of the State Office Building in Government Plaza , which remains the tallest in the city. Away from downtown, most of the buildings are single- and multi-family dwellings, along with low-rise business buildings lining commercial arteries. Along
2860-484: The city-- Downtown , for example, is at an elevation of around 860 feet (262 meters), while residential homes in the hills can go up to over 1,800 feet (548 meters), such as on Ingram Hill. The highest peak in Binghamton is Table Rock Ridge, which is at 1,854 feet. The Downtown area sits at the confluence of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers, in the middle of a long but relatively narrow valley. The north branch of
2925-618: The completion of the Erie Railroad between Binghamton and Jersey City, NJ in 1849. With the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad arriving soon afterward, the village became an important regional transportation center. Several buildings of importance were built at this time, including the New York State Inebriate Asylum , opened in 1858 as the first center in the United States to treat alcoholism as
2990-484: The country. Crowley Foods , a subsidiary of HP Hood , maintains headquarters in Binghamton, and Frito-Lay has a large plant in the region. Agriculture has long played a notable role in the regional economy, and the farm bureau movement started in Binghamton in 1911. Other notable local employers include New York State Electric & Gas and Johnson Outdoors . Two insurance companies, Security Mutual Life and Columbian Financial Group, maintain headquarters in
3055-418: The different cultural heritages, quelled such anti-immigrant sentiment by founding several ethnic organizations and holding ethnic celebrations, at the encouragement of Endicott-Johnson . This has had a lasting effect on the city, which sports many churches and contemporary ethnic festivals, along with a population that is still predominantly white (though steadily decreasing in proportion). Binghamton also has
3120-572: The early 1980s. As the Cold War ended in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, defense-related industries in the Binghamton area began to falter, resulting in several closures and widespread layoffs These were most notable at IBM, which sold its Federal Systems division and laid off several thousands of workers. The local economy went into a deep recession, and the long-prevalent manufacturing jobs dropped by 64% from 1990 to 2013. In
3185-476: The first bridge in 1808. The significant growth of Chenango Point led to its incorporation as a village , and its official renaming as Binghamton, in 1834. Daniel S. Dickinson was chosen to be the first village president. The Chenango Canal , completed in 1837, connected Binghamton to the Erie Canal , and was the impetus for the initial industrial development of the area. This growth accelerated with
3250-482: The growth of the relative proportion of the elderly in Broome County. In the city, the age distribution was: 19.3% of the population under the age of 18, 15.0% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. As of 2020,
3315-399: The hills that define the city limits. The old city was laid out on a grid system by Joshua Whitney, Jr., but as development spread to the outer regions of the city and merged with other settlements, several grids were eventually juxtaposed against each other. In the Southside, the grid breaks down, as more curvilinear roads make up the predominantly residential areas along the hills. The city
SECTION 50
#17327762725633380-453: The historic South Washington Street Bridge is the Southbridge commercial district. The neighborhood is partitioned into two neighborhood assemblies, divided by Pennsylvania Avenue and Southbridge, due to their distinct characters. Southside East has working-class residences and some public housing projects and is home to the Islamic Awareness Center , while Southside West is primarily made up of larger middle-class residences. Binghamton has
3445-424: The historic home to much of the city's Eastern European population, houses several gold domed Orthodox churches. As a result of its strong Italian and Irish heritage, the largest religious body in Broome County is the Catholic Church. Binghamton falls under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse . Throughout the county, 105,064 people, or 52.4% of the total population, are listed as congregational adherents. Until
3510-433: The junction of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers to develop a settlement, then named Chenango Point . After being officially conveyed the land by Bingham on July 4, 1800, Whitney arranged for the construction of the settlement's first two streets, Court Street and Water Street, and the first residence was built later that year. Whitney continued to expand Chenango Point and sell plots to new settlers, and helped erect
3575-443: The lowest recorded temperature was −20 °F (−29 °C) on January 15, 1957. As with most cities in upstate New York, precipitation in Binghamton is spread evenly throughout the year. Binghamton is the 10th rainiest city in the United States, with 162 rainy days a year. With 212 cloudy days annually, it is also the seventh cloudiest city in the country, and the cloudiest east of the Rocky Mountains . Binghamton's proximity to
3640-425: The majority of its fixed routes, is located on the corner of Henry Street and Prospect Avenue in this neighborhood. Binghamton, New York Binghamton ( / ˈ b ɪ ŋ əm t ən / BING -əm-tən ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York , and serves as the county seat of Broome County . Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in
3705-420: The majors. Court Street Bridge (Binghamton) The Court Street Bridge is a combined motor vehicle and pedestrian crossing which spans the Chenango River in the New York State city of Binghamton . The bridge carries U.S. Route 11 and connects Court Street and Downtown Binghamton with Main Street and its West Side neighborhood. The first bridge spanning the Chenango River at Court Street
3770-418: The mid-1950s, Binghamton saw its population grow rapidly due to its industrial boom, and it was one of the largest 100 cities in the United States between 1890 and 1910. Since 1950, the city has experienced sustained population loss, some of which was the result of suburbanization . Much of the recent population loss has occurred throughout the region, and is skewed toward the younger population, resulting in
3835-401: The private healthcare industry include United Health Services and Lourdes Hospital . Binghamton also has many food services and distribution companies. Maines Paper & Food Service and Willow Run Foods - two of the nation's largest food distributors who serve restaurants throughout the United States - have their headquarters in the area. Maines is one of the largest private companies in
3900-475: The railroad corridors, several factories, mostly abandoned, rise above the otherwise-uniform landscape. Main Street runs through the West Side, and continues west to serve as Main Street in the villages of Johnson City and Endicott . On the east side of the Chenango River, the road becomes Court Street , the major east–west artery in downtown and the East Side. Binghamton is divided into seven neighborhoods. Downtown Binghamton , also known as Center City,
3965-512: The region has developed a growing and pervasive arts scene. These include a large cluster of art galleries and shops centered around downtown Binghamton. These galleries have given rise to the First Friday Art Walk, through the efforts an association of local artists and merchants in Downtown Binghamton. These events have drawn large crowds downtown since 2004. Artists of local prominence that display or have galleries include photorealist painter Anthony Brunelli, Orazio Salati, and Marla Olmstead ,
SECTION 60
#17327762725634030-421: The region's largest employer. An even larger influx of Europeans immigrated to Binghamton, and the working class prosperity resulted in the area being called the Valley of Opportunity. In 1913, 31 people perished in the Binghamton Clothing Company fire , which resulted in reforms to the New York fire code. Major floods in 1935 and 1936 resulted in a number of deaths and washed out the Ferry Street Bridge (now
4095-407: The rivers inside city limits. Broome County has 17.5 miles of levees , many of which are in Binghamton. Major floods have occurred in 1865, 1935, 1936, 2006 , and 2011 . The incorporation of Binghamton united various communities on both shores of the two rivers. The majority of the city's population and development lies along the rolling terrain nearest the riverbanks with sparse development in
4160-485: Was $ 30,978, and the median family income was $ 43,436. Males had a median full-time income of $ 40,170 versus $ 35,060 for females. The city's per capita income was $ 20,576. About 23.6% of families and 33.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 47.3% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over. After the boom of the cigar industry in the 1880s, the Binghamton area became increasingly reliant on large manufacturers, with both Endicott Johnson ,
4225-554: Was the traditional economic center of the region and is home to several historic districts. The Railroad Terminal Historic District consists of several factories and buildings along the railroad line in the northern limits of downtown. Over 1,000 properties on the West Side contribute to the Abel Bennett Tract Historic District , mainly made up of residential properties along Riverside Drive. Downtown's State Street-Henry Street Historic District consists of several older low-rise buildings. The Court Street Historic District has some of
#562437