I recently attended an all-day business conference in Binghamton, NY.
Instead of partaking of the typically bland business luncheon fare, I enjoyed a 45-minute walking tour of the downtown and bought my lunch at a CVS. I found it interesting that while the town has a nice mix of new and old architecture, it has a vacancy rate that probably rivals most downtowns. Actually, some of the older structures are stunning.
And it also has a riverfront park on the Chenango River that no one seems to utilize, as is the case in both Pittston and Wilkes-Barre. No events. No parking. No rest rooms. No people.
I was last in that town when I was a toddler, having been born in nearby Endicott. Still, somehow I felt as if I had finally come home. It made me kind of sad being that this was the last time, the last place where my mom and dad and I qualified as a family. Makes no sense.
Here's a factoid from the conference: At the end of 2006, my outfit ranked #16 in sales throughout the U.S. in our industry. At the close of 2012, we came in at #3. Aggressive, aren't we?
Anyway, a few pics...
That mansion was interesting. The Phelps Mansion civil war museum. If you're interested in taking the tour, a road trip may be in order.
That last pic intrigued me. An unusally deep foundation, a porous mix of brick and stone. Tell me termites haven't found their way in. In addition, it must get battered when the river rises. So, how is it still standing?
Later
Instead of partaking of the typically bland business luncheon fare, I enjoyed a 45-minute walking tour of the downtown and bought my lunch at a CVS. I found it interesting that while the town has a nice mix of new and old architecture, it has a vacancy rate that probably rivals most downtowns. Actually, some of the older structures are stunning.
And it also has a riverfront park on the Chenango River that no one seems to utilize, as is the case in both Pittston and Wilkes-Barre. No events. No parking. No rest rooms. No people.
I was last in that town when I was a toddler, having been born in nearby Endicott. Still, somehow I felt as if I had finally come home. It made me kind of sad being that this was the last time, the last place where my mom and dad and I qualified as a family. Makes no sense.
Here's a factoid from the conference: At the end of 2006, my outfit ranked #16 in sales throughout the U.S. in our industry. At the close of 2012, we came in at #3. Aggressive, aren't we?
Anyway, a few pics...
That mansion was interesting. The Phelps Mansion civil war museum. If you're interested in taking the tour, a road trip may be in order.
That last pic intrigued me. An unusally deep foundation, a porous mix of brick and stone. Tell me termites haven't found their way in. In addition, it must get battered when the river rises. So, how is it still standing?
Later
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