Back from Binghamton

F. Xcott will be Professor Xcott this coming Fall. He's gotten an offer from Binghamton University for an Assistant Professorship, tenure-track. Congratulations, F. Xcott! The F is for Fabulous.

We went up to Binghamton this weekend to check out the town and the surrounding area to find Xcott a place to live. Luckily, I chatted up Jim, the hotel attendent at the Holiday Inn, and he gave us the skinny on where to get listings for apartments and what areas of town to live in. We were advised that the west side of Binghamton was a good area, while the south side was a bit "ghetto." Why is it that the South Side of most places gets such a bad rap?

I can't believe how cheap it is to get a place up there. You can rent a 3 bedroom HOUSE, with it's own washer and dryer, for ~$550 a month. $550! Can you believe that? I was paying that much to share an apartment with 2 other people above a bar in Chicago.

Binghamton is notable because of it has the biggest carousel collection in the world. A local benefacted donated 6 carousels and mandated that they always be free to the public. Never ones to pass up free entertainment, we stopped by Ross Park to ride on a famed carousel (they are conveniently noted on the hotel map). Unfortunately, they don't start operating until after Memorial Day. Luckily the park made up for it with its tire swing.