Oswego, New York

Population: 19,195
Located in Oswego County

Sunset at St. Paul's Bluff
Sunset at St. Paul's Bluff
Oswego, New York - 2008 Top 100 Winner

Oswego, New York

Located on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Oswego Community is surrounded by an abundance of natural resources and comprised of people who will make you feel at home from the very first time you stroll our streets.

Oswego is a major trade center due to its International Port and central location on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway. It is also one of New York State's primary power producing regions. In close proximity to all major markets in the northeastern United States and Canada, Oswego has a diverse industrial base and a lucrative State Economic Development Zone designation. This designation allows us to offer incentives to companies who relocate within the zone.

Of all of Oswego's many resources and charms, its greatest is its people. Oswego is comprised of hard-working men and women, who do their very best day in and day out for their families and their community.

Salmon fishing; Walleye fishing; Bass fishing; Trout fishing; Lake Trout fishing; Brown Trout fishing or just plain fun fishing. Oswego, New York "where the water never ends" can be your link to Lake Ontario's Great Sport Fishing. Lake Ontario is alive and well with plenty of entertainment for the entire family.

Oswego boasts a heritage that stretches back beyond written history. Indians, of course, lived in the area for several thousand years, possibly as long ago as 7,000 B.C., following the retreat of the last glacier. The Iroquois represented the final period of Indian culture, migrating here from the Mississippi River region in the 13th and 14th centuries.

For Oswegonians, the year provides a constant flow of special events that change with the seasons. For many in Oswego, the highlight of the year is our huge summertime party Harborfest. Comprised of three and a half days of non-stop entertainment, Harborfest brings many top performers to the city to perform for free. The Harborfest party goes out with a bang every year with its world famous Grucci fireworks. This awesome pyrotechnics display brings an estimated 200,000 spectators to the Port City.

Harborfest isn't the only highlight of the summer, however; June gives us the annual blessing of the fleet, In July, the City throws another party with it's Independence Day Parade , and there are a number of regattas throughout the summer.

Oswego is also an annual Port of Call for the U.S. Navy's Great Lakes Cruise. Fall brings the Oswego Speedway's International Classic Weekend, the weekly Thursday night Farmer's Market, where local farmers and craftsmen can sell their fresh crops, baked goods , and crafts, and The Great Pumpkin Festival in October Washington Square.

On the first Sunday in July over 30,000 spectators line Bridge St. to see the annual Independence Day Parade. The crowd is entertained for over an hour and a half as over 100 groups travel down the mile and a quarter parade route. Later that evening, citizens can attend a fireworks show to round out their Independence Day weekend.

Every Thursday, from June through October, the Greater Oswego Chamber of Commerce sponsors a Farmers Market, where over five dozen vendors line the streets of historic downtown Oswego to peddle their hand-crafted wares. Shoppers can choose from a variety of items, from home-grown fruits and vegetables to hand made crafts to fresh baked delights. Street performers, jugglers, and musicians are standard fare as are demonstrations from several local youth organizations.

The Great Pumpkin Festival, held the first Saturday in October in Washington Square, celebrates the designation of Oswego as one of twenty international weigh-in sites for pumpkin growers competing in the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth. Growers from Oswego, and throughout New York, Pennsylvania, and Canada will be traveling to Oswego to compete. In 1996, the Commonwealth weighed in the first ever one thousand pound pumpkin.

The best is yet to come however, and that is the housing market! It is flourishing, but more than that, it is extremely affordable. This community offers everything from a starter home with two or three bedrooms for $60,000, all the way into the millions for the home of your dreams, perhaps right on the banks of the lake, and everything in between! Oswego is a town full of diversity, and proud of it. It shows up in all sectors, but especially in the housing market.

Oswego is a town with lots happening, why not come and be a part of those happenings and make a positive change for yourself?

Photos Courtesy of Donna Freeden & Tonia Reed

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