"Cooperstown - Or Is It 'Clarksville'?" Top 5 Page for this destination Cooperstown by Bwana_Brown

Cooperstown Travel Guide: 104 reviews and 192 photos

Gazing Out on Otesago Lake from the Resort - Cooperstown
Gazing Out on Otesago Lake from the Resort

Cooperstown, in scenic 'up-state' New York and about half-way between Albany and Syracuse, is an idyllic little spot. One of my many meetings happened to be scheduled here in mid-November, 2004 (as an alternative to the usual Albany location), so I was more than happy to start finding out what this place was all about!

It turned out to be a very pleasant sunny and 8 degC day (you could not hope for much better at that time of year!) as I enjoyed the countryside on my drive over from Albany. The village, picturesquely located beside Otesago Lake, did not disappoint when I arrived, just before noon on a Monday.

The pace was relaxed, after all, peak tourist season was long past, as I strolled the main part of Cooperstown. Everything was spruced up quite well and there were tidy little round-abouts at the street intersections (unusual for the USA!). There were a few things that I wanted to see, the top two on the list being the Baseball Hall of Fame and the other, the Otesaga Resort Hotel where our meeting was to be held over the next 2 days. But first, a little history on Cooperstown.

Founder, William Cooper was an enlightened judge and member of Congress who decided in 1786 that this area of New York should be developed in a benevolent way. With his wealth allowing him to offer generous terms, he was able to attract numerous settlers to this scenic part of the state. His novelist son, James Fenimore Cooper, became even more famous than his father, with his publication of 'The Last of the Mohicans' in 1826. Lady Luck continued to shine on the village in the late 1800s when the wealthy Edward Clark, a 50% partner in the Singer Sewing Machine Company, decided to retire here. His fortune further endowed the village, which has a present day population of just over 2000. Located in the scenic hills of New York and on the shores of the 9x1 mile Lake Otesago, Cooperstown became a tourist Mecca at the turn of the 19th century. With the backing of families with deep pockets, Cooperstown has been able to retain much of it's quaint nature and officially bills itself as 'America's Most Perfect Village'.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:Very nice location and scenic surroundings
  • Cons:I think it would be hectic in Peak-Season
  • In a nutshell:Quite enjoyable!
  • Last visit to Cooperstown: Nov 2004
  • Intro Updated Jan 7, 2005
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Reviews (18)

Tourist Information Centre - Cooperstown Visitor Information Building Favorites (1)

On arriving in Cooperstown, I happened by chance to come across their Visitor Information Building (Chamber of Commerce)... more travel advice

Relaxing with a View of the Course - Cooperstown First Class Golfing! Sports & Outdoors (1)

The Leatherstocking Golf Course, which adjoins the Otesaga Resort, was recently rated as the 2nd best public golf couse... more travel advice

Chevrolet Classic - Cooperstown The Usual Airport Rental Transportation (1)

Since my meeting was scheduled to take place in out-of-the-way Cooperstown, just over an hour's drive west of Albany,... more travel advice

The Main Dining Room - Cooperstown The Other End of the Scale! Restaurants (2)

The price of accommodations (US$212 per night including all taxes) at the Otesaga Resort included all meals, and they... more travel advice

Comments (16)

  • Reply
    mingomatic's Profile Photo
    Oct 5, 2010 at 6:10 PM

    BTW, would you have been willing to pay for almost double for the Otesaga Resort Hotel?

  • Reply
    Jul 5, 2010 at 11:47 AM

    an unbelieveaby magical visit on 7/4/10 revealed that the hotel is NOT a stuffy-pretentious place, but rather a relaxed, spectacularly beautiful hotel w/excellent beds, linens, lake views; canoes & swimming, a wonderful golf course, and tremendous food.

  • Reply
    balhannah's Profile Photo
    Mar 1, 2010 at 2:58 AM

    Animals certainly aren't dumb! Interesting tips on the Baseball. Our young neighbour was chosen by a talent scout to play Baseball in the US, lucky him! This was a page full of interest!

  • Reply
    deecat's Profile Photo
    Jul 29, 2007 at 10:58 AM

    I really enjoyed the information about Singer Sewing Machine and the patents. The resort looks and sounds fantastic. As golfers, my husband and I would love the course. The Howe Caverns would also be an interesting adventure. Great page.

  • Reply
    Dabs's Profile Photo
    Jan 18, 2007 at 8:20 PM

    Interesting page! Was just reading a comparison of the 1985 Bears (Football) to the 2006 Bears and the salary increase was incredible, maybe the older teams were more magical because they weren't playing for the love of money...

  • Reply
    JLBG's Profile Photo
    Apr 6, 2006 at 9:34 PM

    The names of Fenimore Cooper and of Singer are sure enough to awake the interest for this quiet little town. Baseball is one of these sports that remain completely foreign for most Europeans!

  • Reply
    KarenandCory's Profile Photo
    Jan 22, 2006 at 9:36 PM

    Yaz was also one of my faves- although I gave up on the Red Sox long before they won the world series. Great Cooperstown page!

  • Reply
    globetrott's Profile Photo
    Jan 12, 2005 at 5:10 PM

    an interesting page, Glenn ! Baseball is one of the sports I will never understand, how it is played, BUT I also don't have the feeling to have missed anything that way :-))

  • Reply
    acemj's Profile Photo
    Jan 10, 2005 at 4:40 AM

    And I thought it was just the Hall . . . Thanks for sharing some of the other interesting area attractions.

  • Reply
    ncfg's Profile Photo
    Jan 8, 2005 at 8:28 AM

    Very Nice page Glenn. Nice hotel .... chocolate wafer on your pillow... hummmm :)

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