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Quality of life and regional amenities:

Cortland was named one of the “Top Ten Places in the East” in the book “Life In America’s Small Cities”

Ithaca was ranked 1st on the “List of Best Emerging Areas” in "Cities Ranked and Rated" by Bert Sperling and Peter Sander

Syracuse ranked 14th for “Doing Business in America’s Top 25 Medium Metro Areas” by Inc. Magazine

Cortland was ranked among the “Top Small Cities for New and Expanded Corporate Facilities” by Site Selection Magazine, 2004, 2003 and 2002

This region was ranked ahead of Seattle and the San Jose - Silicon Valley for job growth in 2005, in Forbes Magazine’s “Best Places” ratings

For the record, the Syracuse region also beat Boston, New York City, Chicago and New Orleans in the same category in the 2005 “Best Places” Forbes rankings. Educational attainment in the Syracuse region was ahead of San Antonio and just about every hot spot in Florida. The Syracuse region was well ahead of San Francisco and other trendy spots for cost of doing business in the same survey.

This region consistently ranks high as a great environment to do business, combined with a high quality of life. Plus, Cortland County is one of the most affordable real estate markets in the country, with median home prices here well below most other areas, according to national annual real estate surveys.

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Money Magazine has ranked this region as one of the “10 Best Places to Vacation” but that’s only half the story. The best part is living in a place where you’ll find:

Cortland County is the eastern gateway to the stunning Finger Lakes Region, the second largest win-producing region in the country. With magnificent estate settings high against the rolling hills of the 11 Finger Lakes, the region’s wineries are among the most beautiful elements of the landscape. Many nationally recognized wineries are situated on stunning hillside bluffs overlooking the lakes, and also feature award winning dining at bistros, cafes and fine restaurants. The Finger Lakes Wine Trail attracts visitors from around the world to enjoy premium wines and magnificent views at the oldest wine producing region in the East.

Cottages dot the shores of the lakes. Farm markets, pick your own farm homesteads, cider mills, and maple outlets offer up seasonal bounty. The Finger Lakes are filled with quality antique stores, elegant bed and breakfasts, country inns and rare, new and used bookshops for connoisseurs of fine living. The Finger Lakes are a culinary bounty, with seasonal farm markets featuring local apples, pumpkins and fresh produce, and local restaurants serving the best of the bounty. Restaurant choices in the region are wide-ranging, with many establishments managed by graduates of nearby Cornell’s famed Statler school.

People who visit invariably remark about the region’s stunning landscape. Picture-perfect farmsteads dot the hills, and the seven glacial valleys that come together at Cortland create a dramatic vista that looks like a canvas painting of Americana at its best. Visitors often say that the stunning stretch of Interstate 81 through Cortland is surely one of New York’s most scenic highways.

Cortland is home to the world famous Cortland Line company, so it’s no surprise to find blue-ribbon fly-fishing along the 130 miles of clear rivers and streams, as well as the county’s 25 lakes and ponds. The 65-mile Tioughnioga River corridor -- which is the upper watershed of the Susquehanna and Chesapeake Bay system -- is also a terrific spot for canoeing and kayaking. Boating enthusiasts love the beauty of the Finger Lakes which connect to the canal system leading to the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean.

Cortland County also has more than 30,000 acres of state forest land, connected by trail networks, including the scenic Finger Lakes Trail. The Lime Hollow Center for Environment and Culture has 400 acres with an extensive trail system.

Cortland County is known for great golf, and boasts some of the finest courses in New York State. Area golf facilities include Cortland Country Club, Elm Tree, Knickerbocker, Maple Hills, Walden Oaks and Willowbrook. In nearby Ithaca is the famous Robert Trent Jones golf course at Cornell University, along with other Robert Trent Jones' courses in Central New York where golf masters hold course records.

Upstate New York is a four-season community, and Cortland County is proud to be home to some of Upstate’s best downhill ski areas: Greek Peak, Labrador Mountain and Song Mountain. Cross county ski courses also abound.

Cortland County has a vibrant cultural life. Cortland Repertory Theatre is a professional summer stock theatre company that performs at a charming lakefront turn-of-the-century pavilion on Little York Lake. Local communities are known for summer music festivals and special events such as the popular Marathon Maple Festival, Cincinnatus Corn Festival and the City of Cortland Pumpinkfest. The Cortland Cultural Council and the Cortland Arts League provide numerous cultural opportunities for County residents to enjoy.

Cortland County has spectacular original Victorian, Italianate and Greek Revival architecture. Some of the best of that architecture is found in the Cortland Downtown Business District, a vibrant place with beautiful historic facades, period style street lamps, unique shops and restaurants, and a seasonal twice-weekly farmer's market. The City of Cortland is proud of its landmark buildings and continually invests to update interiors and exterior store fronts.

Annual Cortland County events include:

For information on events, amenities or accommodations, call the Cortland County Convention and Visitors Bureau at: 1-800-859-2227, or visit www.cortlandtourism.com

Nearby Ithaca, about 20 minutes south of the Finger Lakes East business park, is noted for its geologic beauty with gorges, waterfalls, craggy groves, cascades and rapids formed over 15,000 years ago by the receding waters of the Ice Age. The City of Ithaca is a diverse cosmopolitan community, influenced by Cornell University's presence and noted for restaurants offering ethnic cuisine from around the world. The downtown "Commons" is an eclectic pedestrian market with an international flavor, also noted for its street festivals and funky sidewalk cafe scene. Ithaca has its own chamber orchestra, vocal ensemble, ballet, opera association and baroque orchestra. Cornell University lecture series, featuring luminaries from Nobel laureates to Pulitzer Prize winners and the CEO's of Fortune 50 companies, are open to the public. Both Cornell University and Ithaca College have active theater, film and dance series which are also open to the community.

Just 30 minutes to the north is Syracuse -- New York State’s third largest city outside of NYC. Syracuse is the region's center of cultural activity with the 3,000 seat ornate Landmark Theatre, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Salt City Center for the Performing Arts, John H. Mulroy Civic Center Theaters at Oncenter, Syracuse Stage and Syracuse Opera. The Bristol Omnitheater IMAX at the Museum of Science and Technology is New York State's only IMAX dome theater. Syracuse is also home to a great city zoo, as well as an amazing park system and waterfront trail system. Great neighborhoods include Armory Square, home to restaurants, cafes and nightspots in an architecturally unique setting,

Syracuse’s annual International Film Festival is one of the largest such series on the east coast. Other annual events include the Hot Air Balloon Festival, Rose Festival, Thunder on Onondaga Grand Prix America Racing Tour, Syracuse Jazz Fest, Taste of Syracuse, Niagara Mohawk July 4th Spectacular at the Empire Expo Center, Great American Antiquefest, New York State Rhythm and Blues Festival, Pops in the Park Series, Central New York Scottish Games and Celtic Festival, Skaneateles Festival and Skaneateles Antique and Classic Boat Show, Great New York State Fair, Golden Harvest Festival, Lights on the Lake, Dickens Christmas, and First Night in downtown Syracuse.

Syracuse may be best known as home to the famous “Orangemen” -- perennial national basketball champions who play at the 50,000 seat Carrier Dome -- the only major domed stadium on a college campus and the largest facility of its kind in the northeast. The Syracuse Skychiefs, the AAA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, play at the magnificent P&C Stadium, while the Syracuse Crunch, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, serve up fast-paced professional hockey at the Oncenter civic center complex.

The Syracuse region is connected to the 500-mile New York State Canal System, and this rich heritage is marked by canal museums, boat landings and canal parks. Multi-day cruises on the canal system through locks and under bridges, past farms and quaint villages, depart from June through October. The Erie Canal opened in Syracuse in 1825, and many of the handsome buildings that graced its shores as it once wove its way downtown still stand in places like Hanover Square and Clinton Square. Syracuse is at work on a major redevelopment plan for its Inner Harbor, an inlet on the southeast corner of Onondaga Lake which can be reached via a canal feeder. At the Inner Harbor, a nearly $100 million project is already underway, including a marina and charter boat operations, restaurants and retail shops, as well as a promenade and public parking.

The Carousel Center in Syracuse is one of the top five malls in America, and the Pyramid Company has announced plans for a $10 billion expansion that will include retail, entertainment and other facilities on 800 acres at Onondaga Lake. Among its design elements are a 6-story rock climbing wall, an aquatics resort, and a world marketplace with department stores, boutiques, restaurants and bazaars.