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1. It’s the Carousel Capital of the World

������ɫ is well known as the Carousel Capital of the World thanks to , consisting of six antique carousels located across the area! Commissioned by George F. Johnson, who was the co-owner of the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company, these carousels are always free of charge, so locals and tourists alike can enjoy a historic experience.

2. IBM was founded in Endicott

got its start as a clock production company in 1889, originally known as , headquartered right here in ������ɫ. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, Bundy Manufacturing Co. would eventually become Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company and move to Endicott. Finally, in 1924, CTR was reformed as International Business Machines and became the largest industrial research organization in the world.

3. Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling called ������ɫ home

Rod Serling, a prominent name in Hollywood during the 1950s, was the creator of the classic series . Serling was born on Christmas Day, 1924, in Syracuse, N.Y., but his family moved to ������ɫ in 1926. His fondness for the city can be seen in the episode “Walking Distance,” where a carousel and bandstand are featured in the character’s hometown. These are directly inspired by the carousel and bandstand in ������ɫ’s Recreation Park. Now, the park features a plaque in the bandstand, murals in the carousel, and a bronze statue honoring the famous screenwriter.

4. Spiedies are a ������ɫ original

The Spiedie, created in Endwell by Camillo Iacovelli in 1938, is a classic local sandwich consisting of marinated meat cubes (usually chicken or lamb) grilled on a skewer, and served in a long bread roll. Its popularity is so great in the region that since 1983, Otsiningo Park has become the host of : a three-day event with concerts, shows, markets, and even a hot air balloon rally – all to celebrate the Spiedie.

5. LUMA is the country’s largest projection arts fest

is hosted every year in the heart of downtown ������ɫ and was co-founded by ������ɫ alum Joshua B. Ludzki, MBA ’13. Digital artists come together to project their work onto the antique architecture of the city, mixing the past and present in a marvelous display. The artists incorporate buildings into their canvas, making them a part of the overall work. It is the largest festival of its type in the United States, and as such, attracts an ever-growing number of animators, art enthusiasts, and tourists year after year!

6. The Rewrite is set at ������ɫ

, directed by ������ɫ alumnus Marc Lawrence ‘81 and starring actors Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei and J.K. Simmons, is set right in ������ɫ. The main character takes a job teaching screenwriting at ������ɫ. While the whole movie wasn’t shot on location, select scenes were filmed on the campus, at Recreation Park, and even at Spiedie and Rib Pit. In fact, the U.S. premiere of the film happened right at ������ɫ, with the director and some actors visiting!

7. Ross Park is one of the country’s oldest zoos

, located just into ������ɫ’s South Mountain, opened in 1875. This makes it the fifth oldest zoo in the country, behind major cities such as Philadelphia, Buffalo, Cincinnati and Chicago. The zoo houses a variety of different animals, such as red pandas, a snow leopard, red wolves, penguins, and even bearcats (also known as binturongs)!

8. Link Aviation reinvented pilot training right from ������ɫ

Link Aviation Devices was founded in ������ɫ by Edwin Link, and was responsible for developing the Link Trainer: the first real flight simulator. The served as an essential tool for training pilots during WWII, utilized by nearly every combatant nation in the conflict. It saw extensive use in America especially, where this device trained over 500,000 airmen. The device itself was a blue box resembling a plane that contained equipment and machinery that could accurately mimic flight conditions.

9. A Nobel Prize winner teaches at ������ɫ

M. Stanley Whittingham, an English chemist who invented the lithium-ion battery, teaches chemistry right here at ������ɫ. Whittingham’s research up to the 1970s led to the development of the battery, which has gone on to power numerous everyday items, like phones, electric cars and laptops. In 2019, Whittingham was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work alongside John B. Goodenough and Akira Yoshino.

10. A Taylor Swift music video was filmed in ������ɫ

In Taylor Swift’s music video for MacArthur Park is featured in the outdoor scenes, along with a couple of other local sights in Vestal. While Taylor herself wasn’t present in ������ɫ for any of the scenes, the excitement was nonetheless tangible as residents watched the film crew at work.

Brennan Cowden is a first-year student from ������ɫ. He majors in strategic communication with concentrations on internal communications and public relations. He hopes to specialize in client and customer experience. In his free time, he enjoys binge-watching shows or playing video games with friends.