In our two other posts for our WHERE TO STAY category – The PRIME Communities for Your Finger Lakes Vacation and The GEOGRAPHICALLY CONVENIENT Communities for Your Finger Lakes Vacation – we discussed 10 different communities that featured great location advantages, as well as other vacation opportunities.
For this post, we are featuring 3 unique communities that are located on the fringe of the Finger Lakes region geographically, but offer tremendous reasons for you to consider staying there anyway. At the absolute very least, these communities should be on your radar for a visit, especially the first one on our list.
Corning
This world famous city is located at the very southern border of the Finger Lakes region, an easy exit from Interstate 86. Corning is the 3rd most popular tourism destination in New York State, following only New York City and Niagara Falls.
Honestly, of all of the wonderful communities in the Finger Lakes region, Corning should be on the top of your list for a visit, if for no other reason than The Corning Museum of Glass. This world class museum (featured in the popular television show Blown Away) is a must see for any visitor to the Finger Lakes area.
Though on the fringe of the vacation area, Corning is more than worthy of inclusion as one of our choices for a great community to stay in for your trip. With great lodging and dinning accommodations, Corning also has several attractions that make it a stand-alone destination, or a base for easy side trips into the heart of the region (Watkins Glen, Hammondsport, or Ithaca).
BEST FOR: Stand Alone Destination – CMOG (Corning Museum of Glass) – Rockwell Museum of Art – Market Street Shopping and Dining
Naples
While Corning offers a vibrant energy with an atmosphere of tourism, our next community, Naples, is decidedly the opposite…in a great way.
One trip up Main Street in Naples and you might easily find yourself saying, “I could live in this town!”
Nestled in a valley that conjures images of some of the most beautiful regions of Europe, this laid-back community charms with interesting shops and dining & drinking venues. If you’re a fishing enthusiast, make sure to check out Sutton Co. downtown, home of the famous Sutton Spoons.
BEST FOR: Laid Back Charm – Beautiful Scenery – Hiking – Fishing
Aurora
Though centrally located in the Finger Lakes region, the tiny village of Aurora is not exactly geographically convenient. Settled along the center of the east shore of the incredibly long Cayuga Lake, Aurora is well worth the effort of travel north from Ithaca or south from the Auburn area.
When you arrive though, you’ll want to spend the rest of your day there. You might even want to stay overnight, as this is home to one of our favorite lodging opportunities in the entire region, The Inns of Aurora.
BEST FOR: Quaint Shops – Lake Presence – Dignified Inns
Three Uniquely Independent Finger Lakes Communities
While other communities of the Finger Lakes offer better location ease, the communities of Corning, Naples and Aurora offer venues and amenities that make them stand alone in the region. One large, one medium-sized, and one tiny, they each exude a presence worthy of your time.