New York (the Empire State)

When someone mentions New York, what often comes to mind is the five-borough area that comprises the City of New York. You may be surprised to learn that New York has a rich geologic history and that it has played a significant role in several important political movements.

Why Love New York

New York State was one of the original thirteen colonies and is now home to industries as diverse as scientific research, music and fine arts, technology and nuclear energy. Its population of nearly 19.5 million people makes it the fourth most populous state in the nation, trailing behind Florida, Texas and California.

From majestic rock formations like the Adirondack Mountains to the snow-covered hills of the Bristol Mountain area, New York is home to nature lovers and city dwellers alike. Several cities in upstate New York have served as battle sites, helped to spur the women’s suffrage movement and played a significant role in the workings of the underground railroad.

New York’s residents are located throughout 62 cities, with nearly 100,000 people living in New York’s capital city of Albany. The relatively high concentration of residents makes Albany the 6th most populous city in the state. Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers and Syracuse are other major cities in the Empire State and each of them has spawned a unique legacy in its own right.

Buffalo

Buffalo was a busy industrial city in the earlier part of this century, and it became known as the City of Light because of its early adoption of electric power. This city is the home of the Buffalo Bills football team, the University of Buffalo and Buffalo State College.

Williamsville, East Aurora and West Seneca are small but vibrant suburbs of Buffalo. West Seneca boasts a soccer complex and is the site of several annual festivals, including the Erie County Fair and the Allentown Art Festival.

East Aurora is home to the Roycroft Campus, which was founded in 1895 and whose residents became the leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States. The Roycroft Campus offers a full schedule of classes and events as well as a top-notch restaurant.

Some parts of Buffalo and surrounding cities may experience restricted access to on site entertainment during the rough winter season. Residents will be happy to know that Dish Network offers more than 200 national HD channels and international channels that can be recorded so that they never have to miss their favorite shows.

Buffalo sits on the eastern shore of Lake Erie, which is the smallest of the Great Lakes. Just 16 miles north of Buffalo lies Niagara Falls, one of the natural Wonders of the World. The Falls are more than 176 feet high and receive nearly 30 million visitors each year. Buffalo is replete with history dating back to ancient times and, along with Rochester, forms part of the ancestral home of the Iroquois Nation.

Rochester

Known as the City of Flowers, Rochester is home to more than 500 varieties of lilacs. In May of each year, when the lilacs are in full bloom, the city’s Highland Park becomes the host of the Lilac Festival. This event attracts thousands of visitors each year, many of whom come from overseas just to attend the festival. The smell of the lilacs is so strong and there are so many of them that you can easily pick up the scent of 1,200 lilac bushes from more than a half mile away.

A little more than two miles from Highland Park is the Eastman School of Music. This world-renown conservatory has taught and graduated numerous successful composers, performers and conductors and is one of the highest ranked music conservatories in the world. Some of the school’s famous alumni include Chuck Mangione, Mich Miller, Scott Perkins and Jeff Tyzik.

The George Eastman House is located on University Avenue about five miles from the Eastman School. The George Eastman Museum, as it is officially known, is open for tours throughout the year. The Dryden Theater, the home theater where Mr. Eastman once held private showings for his guests, now holds film screenings that are open to the public.

Some tours at the George Eastman Museum feature an organist who plays the huge pipe organ that sits in the mansion’s atrium. I bet George Eastman would have appreciated Dish Network’s award-winning HD DVR technology for his home screenings and may have even filmed some of those atrium concerts!

About 46 miles from the city of Rochester lies Bristol Mountain Ski Resort, where downhill skiing is available nearly year-round. This beautiful resort near the city of Canandaigua boasts a mountain of 2,150 feet at its top elevation and offers 38 slopes and trails. This part of New York is recognized for its wineries, all of which offer wine-tasting tours and excellent food year-round.

Rochester has always been the maverick in New York State’s history and was the place where the women’s suffrage movement began. If you visit Mount Hope Cemetery, you will see the tomb of Susan B. Anthony. Rochester was a stop on the underground railroad and was the one-time home of Betsy Ross, who sewed the first American flag in 1776.

While in this part of New York, you may want to visit the Corningware factory, where you can catch live demonstrations of anything from glass blowing to kiln firing. Before you leave, stop by the gift shop to purchase some of the finest and most original pottery and blown glass pieces you will ever see.

Yonkers

Located about 20 miles north of Manhattan, the city of Yonkers is perhaps best known for its racetrack. Yonkers Raceway was founded in 1899 and is the site of a half-mile race track and a casino. The racetrack is a favorite of locals and out-of-state visitors alike, who come for the live races and stay for the casino-style gaming and entertainment.

For racing fans who cannot go to the racetrack due to inclement weather, Dish Network provides 24/7 sports coverage with the Multi-Sport Pack, and aficionados will never again have to miss a race.

Yonkers has a total population of over 205,000 residents and is the fourth largest city in New York and the largest city in Westchester County. Its proximity to New York City has contributed to the cultural and ethnic diversity of this city, where the Latino population comprises nearly 35 percent of the total number of residents.

DishLATINO, with its excellent selection of Spanish and English language programming, has offerings to suit the viewing needs of Yonkers’ diverse population.

The Hudson River Museum is the largest museum in Westchester County and is home to a planetarium and a complex of art galleries. The Museum hosts art, history and science exhibits and offers a full schedule of lectures that are open to the public. Not far from the Museum, the Legoland Discovery Center is a family activity venue that offers Lego rides, a 4-D movie theater and a large play area.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the 2,500 acre Palisades Interstate Park and nature sanctuary offers 30 miles of trails for hiking and skiing. The 20-mile stretch of steep hills known as the Palisades sits above the Hudson River and is a popular destination for hikers of all ages.

Syracuse

Syracuse has a population of approximately 144,000 people and is the the home of Syracuse State University. Popular majors at the University include journalism, media studies and marketing. The Erie Canal Museum and the Everson Art Museum offer additional cultural and recreational options, including exhibits and year-round classes and lectures.

About 33 miles south of Syracuse, the State University of New York at Cortland offers well-established programs in education and in fitness studies. About 56 miles north (in the opposite direction) is the quaint and culture-filled town of Ithaca, which is full of steep and winding cobblestone streets. Cornell University, with its renown Johnson Graduate School of Management and School of Law, is Ithaca’s institution of higher learning.

Ithaca’s Moosewood Restaurant is located at 215 North Cayuga Street and is one of the finest vegetarian restaurants around. If you think this has something to do with the Moosewood Cookbooks, you are absolutely correct. The Moosewood Collective, which runs the restaurant, has released a total of 14 cookbooks of the recipes that made the Moosewood Restaurant famous. The recipes are not just a boon for vegans and vegetarians, but also delight the palates of even the staunchest meat and potatoes people.

About 93 miles southeast of Syracuse lies the city of Cooperstown, which is the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. While 93 miles may seem like a long distance to travel, the uniqueness of this museum may be worth the time and effort it takes to get there.

A Bit on the Down Side

Residents of upstate New York consistently criticize the weather. Located in the Great Lakes area, this beautiful part of the state is plagued by maladies that include snow squalls, black ice, lake effect snow and high winds. Sub-zero temperatures are not uncommon during the winter months, which are accompanied by several feet of snow.

Snow storms, rain storms, wind storms and hail storms are not only common but frequent. The volatile weather conditions caused by the lake effect has led residents to quip that there is no need to worry about the weather because it will all change in an hour.

Yonkers is more than 300 miles away from upstate New York and is instead faced with problems that may stem from its proximity to New York City. Living just 15 miles from Central Park may be a blessing for some residents and a curse for others. Proximity to the Big City affords a myriad cultural opportunities but also carries the hazards of noise, overpopulation and potentially higher crime rates.

Dish Network’s On Demand library allows subscribers to choose from over 20,000 TV shows and movies so residents never have to miss their favorite shows due to inclement weather or crowded entertainment venues.

Cable Providers in the Empire State (More Reasons to Love New York)

To add to the natural beauty and the diverse array of leisure activities, the State of New York offers a robust network of cable providers that offer terrific options for home entertainment.

Spectrum Cable

Spectrum offers more than 200 HD channels and more than 10,000 free on demand titles. This cable provider offers free HD, free Primetime on demand and free DVR service. Spectrum’s Live TV On The Go allows viewers to access programming at any time through the use of the Spectrum TV app.

Dish Network

Dish offers more than 300 channels in the upstate New York area and gives new customers free access to HBO, Cinemax and Showtime for the first three months. Bundled services are streamlined into one convenient payment and customer incentives include a two-year price guarantee. J.D. Power awarded Dish Network the top score nationally for its customer service that includes round-the-clock tech support.

Dish Network’s Hopper 3 HD DVR allows recording of live TV and provides up to 2,000 hours of recording space. Hopper makes recorded shows available for viewing on multiple televisions throughout the home. Best of all, Dish can now be paired with any Amazon Alexa-enabled device for additional viewing options.

Conclusion

New York is home to famous landmarks and natural wonders that include the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls. This state offers a wealth of educational opportunities through its many colleges and universities.

The Empire State has a rich social and political history that includes women’s suffrage and abolition. Its cities and towns host unique museums and cultural institutions as well as a multitude of outdoor entertainment options.

New York residents can choose from three top-notch cable providers, who operate throughout most of the state. DirectTV, Spectrum Cable and Dish Network serve the viewing needs of New York’s diverse population and provide access to state-of-the-art technologies and high-quality programming.

Nature, culture, history and television. These are just a few of the reasons to love New York.

Dish Network Corporation, commonly called “Dish Network,” is the premier provider of direct-broadcast satellite television. The corporation also owns Sling TV, an Internet-protocol TV service. Currently serving nearly 14 million customers with its television service and about 600,000 with its broadband offerings, Dish has more than 17 thousand employees and was founded in 1981.

New York residents can take advantage of special channel packages from Dish, including on-demand and movie options. There’s also the Dish Anywhere app and Dish Hopper services. The undisputed leader of the pay-TV market, Dish is proud of its industry-leading technology, equipment and unrivaled customer support.

Residents of Yonkers, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester can take their pick from a vast menu of special services offered by Dish Network, like never having to worry about long-term contracts, quick customer service response times, special offers for incredible savings throughout the year, and state-of-the-art, high-tech equipment that delivers what every Dish customer deserves: the best of the best. For the sake of variety, whether you love sports or any other kind of entertainment, the Dish Network On Demand library allows you to choose from over 20,000 TV shows and movies.