Finger Lakes Medical Associates

Ontario County
Canandaigua is the County Seat
Formed: 1806
Time Zone: Eastern
Elevation: 494 feet
Bristol Mountain Ski Resort: 2,100 feet

Ontario is an Iroquois word meaning "beautiful lake." The population of Ontario County in the 2010 United States census was 107,931, which was 107,931, up from 95,101 in 1990. The population of all the counties that touch Ontario is over 1 million, as Monroe County, to our north (Rochester is County Seat) has a population of approximately 735,000. Geneva's population has also risen by about the same percentage since 1990.

In 2006 Progressive Farmer rated Ontario County as the 2006 "Best Place to Live" in the U.S., for its "great schools, low crime, excellent health care" and its proximity to Rochester. In their inaugural award, America's Promise – The Alliance for Youth, awarded our area their top choice for communities for young people.

Like many of the places in the Finger Lakes, Geneva can trace its origin back to the Seneca Indian Nation. After General John Sullivan's famed expedition of 1779 (he was sent by George Washington), some of the soldiers who drove out the natives were struck by the beauty of the lake and the rich farmland and returned years later to construct a town of their own. Before long, Geneva had the distinction of being the first Western New York community to have an official post office, dedicated church, glass factory, YMCA and free public library.

Steve O'Malley
Bed & Breakfast Owner
Former Museum Curator
History Lesson with Steve

John Marks
Historical Society
Curator of Collections
Videos about Geneva

Alice Askins
Historic Rose Hill Site Mgr
Presentation: "Clothing
of the Civil War era"

We put together a history of our area with Steve's help that is the most comprehensive review, while John discusses unique times and features in Geneva's past from the Historical Society's conference room along with a Historical Poster Gallery. Alice is the Site Manager at Rose Hill Mansion, a historic Greek Revival mansion and grounds on Seneca Lake and in her feature she gives a video presentation about the history of clothing and styles in the mid-1800s – which gives you a sense of the expertise and fun the professionals who work there provide to our community. If you're a history person, there's a lot to love about Geneva!

Geneva to:
Closest Winery: under 1 mile
Premier Outlet Mall: 8 miles
Eastdale Mall (Premier Shopping): 18 miles
Canandaigua: 20 minutes
Bristol Mountain Ski Resort: 32 miles
Rochester: 45 miles
Ithaca (Cornell University): 45 miles
Syracuse: 53 miles
Buffalo: 100 miles
Toronto: 205 miles

International Airports: Rochester International is just 45 minutes, and Buffalo-Niagara International is about two hours from us on the Interstate 90 Turnpike.

Airlines serving GRIA: AirTran Airways, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, jetBlue Airways, Northwest Airlines, US Airways, Air Canada.

Airlines serving BUF: AirTran, American Eagle, Continental Airlines, Continental Express, Comair/Delta Connection, Jet Blue, Northwest Airlines, Prior Aviation, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, United Express, US Airways, US Airways Express.

Admission to Statehood: July 26, 1788 (11th State), Counties: 62
Area: 54475 sq.mi, 27th Land 47224 sq. mi., 30th Water 7251 sq.mi., 8th Coastline 127 mi., 14th Shoreline 1,850 mi., 13th Great Lakes 3,901 sq.mi., 3^rdPopulation: 19,378,102; 3rd largest in US (2010)
Border States: Regional List Connecticut Massachusetts New Jersey Pennsylvania Rhode Island (water border) Vermont
Economy: Agriculture: Dairy products, cattle and other livestock, vegetables, nursery stock, apples.
Industry: Printing and publishing, scientific instruments, electric equipment, machinery, chemical products, tourism.
Topography: Highest and most rugged mountains in the northeast Adirondack upland; Saint Lawrence-Champlain lowlands extend from Lake Ontario northeast along the Canadian border; Hudson-Mohawk lowland follows the flows of the rivers north and west; Atlantic coastal plain in the southeast; Appalachian Highlands, cover half the state westward from the Hudson Valley, including the Catskill Mountains Finger Lakes; plateau of Erie-Ontario lowlands.
Geographic Center: Madison, 26 miles southwest of Utica
Highest Point: Mt. Marcy; 5,344 feet, 21st
Lowest Point: Atlantic coast; sea level, 3rd
Motto: Excelsior
Nickname: Empire State
Song: I love New York
Origin of state's name: Named after England's Duke of York
Bird: Bluebird
Flower: Rose
Soil: New York - Honeoye
Tree: Sugar maple Acer saccharum
Presidents Born in New York:
Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841 {8th}
Millard Fillmore, 1850-1853 {13th}
Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909 {26th}
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-1945 {32th}

Emblazoned on a dark blue field is the state coat of arms. The goddess Liberty holds a pole with a Liberty Cap on top. Liberty stands for freedom. At her feet is a discarded crown, representing freedom from England at the end of the revolutionary war. On the right is the goddess, Justice. She wears a blindfold and carries the scales of justice. Meaning that everyone receives equal treatment under the law. The state motto "Excelsior" on a white ribbon expresses the idea of reaching upward to higher goals. On the shield a sun rises over the Hudson highlands and ships sail the Hudson river. Above the shield is an eagle resting on a globe representing the Western Hemisphere.

Downstaters call us “rural chic.” The region is west of Syracuse and Binghamton and east of Buffalo. In all, there are eleven lakes that are known as the Finger Lakes. The longest is Cayuga, which measures 41 miles from end to end. The shortest, Canadice, is just 3 miles in length, and the deepest and second longest, is Seneca. The lakes were formed centuries ago in the glacial age. The contour of the land, from high range peaks to hill country, has grown to be a vacation destination for the regional population for both summer and ski seasons, as well as autumn foliage, camping, lake and river fishing, a mature, established wine country, and a rich soil that produces some of the world’s best produce. The ever-changing landscape is notched with gorges and dotted with hundreds of cascading waterfalls. Letchworth State Park, with a deep gorge and three waterfalls, has been aptly dubbed the "Grand Canyon of the East."

Rochester, the 3rd largest city in New York, is a cultural center influenced for over a century by descendants of the Eastman family, founders of Eastman Kodak. Cultural Arts, academic pursuits (colleges from RIT, UR, Cornell, and many exclusive private colleges), recreation (from golf to theater), and healthcare, rival any place in America, while an extremely low cost of living without big city hassles adds to the appeal of relocating here. In Geneva, you’re far away, but not too far, from “the Big City.”

Spring: Outdoor festivals, from the incredible Lilac Festival in Rochester, to concerts celebrating the arrival of spring, the start of Farmer’s Markets, including Mennonite goods, and little league baseball games.

Summer: Sunny days without humidity and cool nights. Enjoy picnics on your boat on the Lake with local wines and cheeses.

Autumn: The spectacular beauty of the fall colors, trout fishing, hiking, camping, harvest festivals, and wine country tours!

Winter: Some of the best skiing on the east coast, and a lifestyle where your short commute home to a hot chocolate and a warm fire awaits! Memorable “white Christmases” and a real community celebration of the holiday season with neighbors who are also your friends. Bristol Mountain Ski Resort is the tallest of any ski resort between the Adirondacks and Rockies!

Seneca Lake Stats:
Area: 43,343 acres (second largest, just a bit smaller than Cayuga, which is the next lake to the east)
Length: 38 miles
Max width: 3 miles
Max Depth: 618 feet
Geneva sits on the very northern tip of the Lake.

Seneca Lake's massive amount of water has a temperature moderating effect that combined with the well drained hillsides make it an ideal place to grow wine grapes. As a result it has far more wineries than any of the other Finger Lakes (in fact, more than any of the others put together). The geography has also made it famous for its rock formations and waterfalls.

Fly fishing guide Brett Jackson takes us to a world-class fly fishing location in our area for Brown Trout

Seneca Lake offers a wide diversity of fishing from Trout and Salmon to scrappy Sunfish. It is most noted for its Lake Trout and is known as the "Lake Trout Capital of the World." Make sure to view our feature of Fly-fishing guide Brett Jackson and Finger Lakes Medical Associates Administrator Lew Irvin fly fishing – our region is famous for world-class Brown Trout and this feature was filmed in November in Albion, NY – locals call it the Archery Club.

State Parks: There are 25 state parks in our area, a national forest, and a national wildlife refuge. Note Geneva in the middle center.

The Finger Lakes Times is based in Geneva, serving Ontario, Seneca, and Yates Counties. Over 100 years old, with a staff of 80, the Times publishes weekly and has a Sunday edition.

Credit & Resources:
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
www.genevahistoricalsociety.com
The Whale Watch – the biggest festival in Geneva: www.senecalakewhalewatch.com
National Trout Derby – annual Memorial Day event: www.flsor.com
Biking and Hiking Trails: www.visitfingerlakes.com/outdoors
Seneca Wine Trail: www.senecalakewine.com
www.answers.com/topic/new-york
www.winecountrycabins.com/finger-lakes/seneca.htm
www.visitfingerlakes.com