Binghamton, New York

Binghamton is a city in upstate New York in the United States. It is the county seat of Broome County. The population of the City of Binghamton, according to the 2000 Census, is 47,380 (1990 Census: 53,008).

The City of Binghamton is nestled in the Southern Tier of New York, at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. The city is at the crossroads of Interstates 81 and 88, as well as the future Interstate 86 (also known as New York State Highway 17, The Southern Tier Expressway).

The Binghamton Metropolitan Area includes approximately 252,000 residents in all of Broome and Tioga (NY) counties. ^* Binghamton is part of the "Triple Cities," which also include Endicott and Johnson City, which are actually villages. The region is now collectively referred to as "Greater Binghamton."

Greater Binghamton is also home to Binghamton University, the top ranked public school in the Northeast United States. The University's presence is a driving force in the community, acting as an academic, athletic and arts center for the the community. The school also employs 1 in 10 local residents, and contributes an economic impact of over $700 million in Greater Binghamton alone.

Binghamton's Current Claims to Fame

Binghamton prides itself in a rich history, including the home to IBM, Endicott-Johnson, and Link Simulators, to the fifth oldest zoo in the country.
Binghamton is home to Binghamton University, the top ranked University in the State University of New York system.
With 6 historic wooden carousels, Binghamton is the carousel capitol of the world.
With a rich ethnic history, the greater Binghamton area boasts one of the busiest summers of ethnic festivals in the country.
Prides itself as the home of Rod Serling, of Twilight Zone fame.

History

Early history

The city was named after William Bingham, a wealthy Philadelphian who bought the surrounding land in 1792. Before that, the first known people of European descent to come to the area were the troops of Gen. John Sullivan in 1779, during the American Revolutionary War.

Binghamton was incorporated as a village in 1834 within the Town of Binghamton and became a city in 1867.

Binghamton was nicknamed the “Parlor City” for its neat streets and attractive homes, including many stately mansions. Ironically, many of those stately mansions are now “funeral parlors” (i.e., funeral homes.) During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many immigrants moved to the area, finding an abundance of jobs, leading them to call it the “Valley of Opportunity.”

From 1923 to 1927 Binghamton was the Northeast headquarters of the infamous Ku Klux Klan.

Binghamton is noted as being the birthplace of both IBM and the Link flight simulator. Until the Cold War ended, the area never experienced an economic downfall, due in part to the generosity of employers (IBM and Endicott-Johnson) and also because of its defense-heavy industries. This concentration of the defense industry made the area the seventh most likely area in the nation for a nuclear attack during the Cold War, and the population peaked at around 85,000 in 1950.

Binghamton is known as the "Carousel Capital of the World" for its collection of historic carousels located in public parks around the area.

The name has frequently been misspelled "Binghampton".

Famous residents

Famous people from Binghamton include Rod Serling (creator of The Twilight Zone) and Johnny Hart (cartoonist of B.C. and The Wizard of Id). Richard Deacon of The Dick Van Dyke Show also worked as an orderly in City Hospital, now known as Binghamton General Hospital. Binghamton scientist Edwin A. Link invented the flight simulator used for pilot training and video interface technology. David Sedaris (comedian) and sister Amy Sedaris (actress), Anthony George (soap-opera actor) and Jack Sharkey (heavyweight boxing champion) were born in Binghamton. Elmar Oliveira also resided in Binghamton in his younger years and in 1979 when he became the first and only American ever to win the Gold Medal for violin at Moscow's Tchaikowsky International Competition. *Internationally collected, published and listed (pop artist) Lorna Wallace,^* was born in Binghamton.

Geography

Binghamton is located at (42.102225, −75.911797).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.6 km² (11.0 mi²). 27.0 km² (10.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (5.43%) is water.

The north branch of the Susquehanna River passes through downtown Binghamton. This branch rises in eastern New York and receives a number of tributaries above Binghamton, most notably the Chenango, which joins from the north just outside of the business district. Major floods occurred in the city during 1865 and 1936.

In 1935 the Chenango suffered a flash flood, which was damaging, but less severe once it joined the larger Susquehenna. So much water came from the Chenango, that the Susquehanna flowed backwards for some distance above the confluence. In 1972 the remnants of Hurricane Agnes flooded the entire Susquehanna basin downstream from Binghamton, but the damage in the city was minor. In 2006, the Susquehanna flooded again in Binghamton causing massive amounts of damage in the city and the entire metropolitan area. The Exchange Street and Washington Street bridges were flooded and the height of the river surpassed the floodwalls on North Shore Drive and on Court Street. The damage was extensive enough to force large scale evacuations, including that of Lourdes Hospital which was unable to pump water out of its basement fast enough.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 47,380 people, 21,089 households, and 10,417 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,752.3/km² (4,539.2/mi²). There were 23,971 housing units at an average density of 886.5/km² (2,296.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.18% White, 8.41% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 3.33% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.71% from other races, and 3.07% from two or more races. 3.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 21,091 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.6% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.6% were non-families. 40.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 13.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The area surrounding Binghamton, referred to in marketing as "Greater Binghamton" - or the Binghamton MSA by the census bureau - is approximately 252,000 people. The Binghamton MSA is comprised of all of Broome County and neighboring Tioga County. Alternatively defined, the number of people living in an approximately 40 mile radius of the city is approximately 300,000. This count includes Broome, Tioga, and portions of Cortland, Delaware and Chenango Counties in New York and portions of Susquehanna and Bradford counties in Pennsylvania.

The area is greatly driven by Binghamton University, the top ranked public school in the Northeast United States. Each year, the University employs about 1 in 10 Greater Binghamton Residents, and contributes an economic impact of $700 million in Greater Binghamton and $894.5 million in New York State.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,665, and the median income for a family was $36,137. Males had a median income of $28,774 versus $23,014 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,067. About 16.5% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

The region today

Binghamton refers to itself as the “carousel capital of the world,” with six antique Herschell carousels in the region - one of the world's largest functional collections of old-style carousels. The Ross Park Zoo is the fifth-oldest zoo in the nation. The Binghamton area is the home of the regional dish known as the spiedie, celebrated at the annual Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally, held at Otsiningo Park. The B.C. Open, part of the PGA Tour, will play its 34th, and final tournament at the En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott in 2006. (Editor's note: As the En-Joie Golf Course underwent severe flooding recently, the final B.C. Open will be played at the Atunyote Golf Club on the grounds of the Turning Stone Casino & Resort in Verona, NY.) The area’s Kopernik Observatory is the largest public observatory in the northeast.

Employers

Current major companies in the area include Rockwell Collins, IBM, L-3 Communications, Lockheed-Martin, Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Gannett, Frito Lay, Maines Paper & Food, BAE Systems, American International Group and Universal Instruments.

Education

Binghamton University, part of the SUNY system, is located in nearby Vestal. Ranked the top public school in the country, the University is not only a great recource, but a vital part of the local economy, as it employs 1 in 10 residents of Broome Country and is the largest contributer to the local economy. Broome Community College and Davis College (formerly Practical Bible College) also call Greater Binghamton home.

The Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute and the Elmira Business Institute provide short-term career-oriented training.

Metro area

The nearby suburb of Vestal has many strip malls along a five-mile stretch of the Vestal Parkway (NY 434). Johnson City has the region’s largest indoor mall, the Oakdale Mall. Other area shopping centers include the MetroCenter, in downtown Binghamton.

Sports

The area is home to the Eastern League's Binghamton Mets (AA affiliate of the New York Mets) and the Binghamton Senators (AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators). Division I College Sports are played at Binghamton University (a member of the America East Conference). Division III College Sports are played at Broome Community College. The area is also home to two semi-pro football teams, the Broome County Dragons (members of the Empire Football League) and the Southern Tier Green Machine (members of the North American Football League).

Transportation

The area is served by a medium-sized regional airport, Greater Binghamton Airport. Destinations served by the airport include Philadelphia (US Airways), Detroit (Northwest Airlines), Atlanta (Delta Air Lines), and Dulles Airport serving Washington, D.C. (United). Intercity bus service is also available out of downtown Binghamton via Greyhound (with destinations including Syracuse, Albany, Rochester, Scranton, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and New York City.) Shortline/Coach USA also service the region, with daily departures to Olean, Elmira, Turning Stone Casino, Utica, Atlantic City, Monticello, and New York City. Public transportation in Binghamton and outlying areas is served by BC Transit, a service of the Broome County Department of Transportation. Students at Binghamton University are also served by OCCT (Off-Campus College Transport).

Government

The current Mayor of Binghamton is Matthew T. Ryan.

Points of interest

Cutler Botanic Garden
Ross Park Zoo
The six carousels in Broome County, two of which are located in Binghamton

Sister Cities

External links

City of Binghamton, NY

Binghamton, New York | Broome County, New York | cities in New York

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