Otsiningo Park - Binghamton, NY - Municipal Parks and Plazas on Waymarking.com

This park is close enough to Binghamton to act like a major city park, but run by the county. It is crowded on the first warm day of spring when everyone rushes outside. A major event is in August, the Spedie Festival; spedies are a local food, marinated meat on a stick, often chicken. There is also a Balloon Rally with several launches. The park has several playing fields used during the summer. One of the parking lots is used for a farmers market during the summer on Saturday mornings. There was a rest area for route 81, that was merged into the park when a welcome center was built at the state border. This is where the community gardens are, which can be rented. They were moved from the cooperative extension when that land was sold. There are some playing fields that were added to the north part of the park, so that there are now paved trails that run for a few miles. Joggers, walkers, bicyclists are often seen on the long paths that border the river. Since the park is by the Chenango River, and not that high, it regularly floods, but usually just the lower areas. The south end of the park has a large pond with several canada geese, but also mallards and sometimes killdeer and common mergansers. Dog walkers are fond of the trail around the pond. Dogs are allowed if they are on leashes. When they worked on the Bevier Street bridge they added a walk under the bridge that goes up to Front Street. This is a viewing area that can be used to see ducks in winter, since they congregate in areas that don't freeze as quickly; bring a spotting scope. Check the cache 'Poor Farm Remembered' for a description of the memorial rock. The county poor farm used to be on the land across route 81. When they built the highway they found the remains of some of the former residents. The poor farm is where they built the Broome Community College, now called SUNY Broome. Sometime in the future, the park walks may be added to the Binghamton Riverwalk which starts at the confluence of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers, but now ends at Cheryl Lindsey Park, just to the south where the highways (Routes 81 and 17/86) cross the Chenango River. The paths to the northern part of Otsiningo Park pass under the route 88 bridge across the Chenango River. The northern part of the Park has an entrance also, off of Front Street.

Name: Otsiningo Park Street Location: Bevier St and Front Street Local Municipality: Binghamton State/Province, etc.: NY Country: USA Web Site: [Web Link] Picnic Facilities: Pavilions, tables and grills Recreational Facilities: from website:"Tables and grills Water taps and fountains Paved walking path Playfield Softball field Soccer fields Fitness trail Sand volleyball courts (4) Bocce court Restrooms Children's play structures Community gardens Two picnic shelters, 100 person capacity, available by reservation - call 607.778.2193. Shelter rental rates are $80.00 on weekends/holidays and $25.00 on weekdays." Monuments/Statues: Stone with metal plaque for the graves buried here from the nearby poorhouse, now a community college. Fountains: Just drinking fountains. Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: Large Pond and the Chenango River Special Events: Spedie Festival and Balloon Rally Traditional Geocaches: Troll Guard, Laying with Lazy Willow, A Light at the End of the Tunnel, Poor Farm Remembered, Rhodri111's Golden Memorial/Commemoration: Not listed Date Established: Not listed Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): Not listed

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