New York (state)

The area surrounding New York City, the largest city in the United States, and home to 800 languages and cultures. It also includes suburban Westchester County and Long Island with great beaches.

The wilderness of the Catskills and the bucolic colonial communities of the middle Hudson offer two different types of getaways popular with New Yorkers.

The state capital of Albany and its surrounding cities anchor the upper part of the Hudson Valley, one of the most educated and most rapidly growing areas of Upstate.

The Adirondack Mountains are the true wilderness of New York, protected by an enormous park that encompasses most of the upper third of the state. Only scattered small settlements and the occasional roadway break up the stunning vistas.

The North Country is dominated by large open areas between widely spaced cities, with a culture that borrows from neighboring Canada. The St. Lawrence River and its Thousand Islands are a major destination in this region.

With hills and rivers, cities and farms, hard work and recreation, Central New York is a microcosm of New York as a whole. Syracuse is the region's cultural and economic center.

The Finger Lakes are 11 long, thin bodies of water that provide waterfront activities and sightseeing opportunities. Hundreds of wineries dot the region, and the city of Rochester is a center of industry and innovation.

The city of Buffalo and the world-famous Niagara Falls are the major destinations in the Niagara Frontier, but the eastern areas of the region also offer attractions focusing on history, agriculture, industry, and the local waterways.

Bordering Pennsylvania's Northern Tier, the Southern Tier is a largely rural area with a few medium-sized cities, but with several cultural and industrial attractions.