Binghamton

A depressed city in the Southern Tier of NY surrounded by rolling hills about half as high as the Catskill mountains. Technically within the boundary of Appalachia as drawn by the federal government, and it shows, both geographically, culturally and economically. Has a weird 50s Americana vibe with antique wooden carousels in the parks and cubical houses with pyramidal roofs that look like the ones in cartoons and children's books.

Home to a well-respected university full of city people and Long Islanders who freak out because they can see stars and can't hop on a subway. Most people who tell you about Binghamton have only been there for a few years as a student and barely left the campus, so they think it's a truck stop. You can vex these people by quizzing them on where the nearest beach or waterfall can be found.

Imagine Hell, then make it cold

cold hell with shitty schools and sky cocaine

1) The place that will make you glad to be anywhere but there for the rest of your natural life.

2) A city in Upstate New York whose only reason for existence is the State University situated there. This sad fact is not widely recognized by residents and causes a great deal of animosity toward the students whose money keeps the shit-hole from becoming a ghost town.

3) The Forsaken Lands.

Imagine Hell, in December... then make it -4 degrees on one day and 3 days later make it 55 degrees... that's Bighamton for you... all the time.

It's the seventh most cloudiest city in the US and the tenth rainiest city in the US.

A small city in upstate New York located near the New York - Pennsylvania border, approximately 60 miles south of Syracuse. Binghamton is situated in a bowl shaped valley at the confluence of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers and is home to Binghamton University of the State University of New York system.

After a mild turn-of-the-century presence as a manufacturing center of shoes and cigar materials, Binghamton suffered a precipitous decline in fortunes beginning with the loss of its core manufacturing base in the years following the war and consummating in the closing of its high-tech industries in the late 1980's and early 1990's. From a post-war population high of about 80,000, Binghamton has now shed nearly half of its population.

Binghamton was the home of Rod Serling, host of the 1960's now cult-status television series "The Twilight Zone". The city and region suffered a devastating flood in the summer of 2006.

After years of misfortune, mismanagement and neglect, Binghamton has apparently instituted an audacious program modeling such cities as Camden NJ, Youngstown OH and Gary IN as examples of what it strives to become. This policy is achieving its goals with great success.