Living in Corning

 

The greater Corning area has bucolic charm pleasantly paired with a vibrant and progressive community of about 11,000 residents. Here, forward-thinking innovation, contemporary culture, and historic preservation are well-met. Whether you desire a rural-based house with acreage, a suburban townhome, or a chic city apartment, living in Corning means a hospitable small town experience infused with services and amenities that satisfy cravings for an urban fix.   

Quality-of-life is high, with strong private/public partnerships dedicated to the arts and strategic community development. Yet that high quality is affordable. The average cost-of-living and median home mortgage and rental rates are comparatively lower than the national statistics. Corning and adjacent towns and villages tick the boxes for livability including low crime rates, access to amenities, high graduation rates, high income per capita and even sunny weather. 

Corning’s corporate buildings, near the downtown Gaffer District, are just a few minutes away for city-dwellers on foot or on bike, and by public or private transportation.  Other Corning divisions in Painted Post and Horseheads are no more than a quick 10-20 minutes’ commute. Even though many residents drive to work, traffic is much less congested than in larger urban areas.

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The Elmira/Corning Regional Airport is 15 minutes from the city and serviced by Allegiant and Delta. The downtown Corning Transportation Center, houses long distance coach services provided by Coach USA/Shortline and Trailways. The city has direct on/off access to Interstate Highway 86 (Southern Tier Expressway).

Corning is within a couple hours of small and mid-size cities such as Ithaca, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, NY. The major metropolitan destinations of Toronto, Philadelphia, and New York City are no more than four hour drives.

The surrounding Finger Lakes region is renowned as a four-season vacation destination, named after the eleven glacially formed lakes that dominate the landscape. It is a breathtakingly open and scenic region, steeped in agriculture, natural resources, and outdoor recreational pursuits. Over 100 wineries and four wine trails attract visitors year-round, and two nationally ranked state parks – Letchworth State Park and Watkins Glen State Park – are close by. 

High school students can pursue P-TECH – Pathways in Technology Early College High School – through the Greater Southern Tier STEM Academy. Learning includes real work experiences and college-level, credit bearing courses.  In its recent study, U.S. News and World Report ranked 11 Upstate New York colleges on its best National Universities list.

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