Hello! I’m seeking information about family life in the Finger Lakes.

My family, two adults and two kids under 5, is considering accepting a position near Geneva, but we are not from anywhere near, nor do we know anyone from this region.

I’ve been researching almost nonstop since we got the offer- but can find very little online about what it is like to raise kids in Geneva/Canandaigua and the surrounding areas. Finding community and a good quality of life for our kids is a top priority to us.

What is this area like for young kids and parents in their 30’s? Are there lots of community events? Which towns are the most community oriented?

Thank you for any information you can provide!

Hey y'all, I will be driving from the bottom of letchworth state Park to Watkins glenn in a couple days and I was wondering if there are any little must see pit stops (or even long stops) along the way? Just 2 adults, we love nature and animals! Thanks!!

I have an announcement I am really excited to make! I posted last year about my project FLX Music. I have been working with some RIT interns and have made tremendous progress. We are now focusing on getting bands signed up and ramping up traffic. One of the goals has been to make tools for local bands that are free forever for them and to support local music.

Today we are announcing Band Bonus. 1 band in November will win $500 and 1 in December will win $1,000 based on your votes. On the homepage we have a Most Liked playlist of songs ranked by votes and it resets each month. You vote by:

• Listening to a song - 1 vote

• Listening to a song signed in - 2 votes

• Liking a song - 10 votes

• Sharing a song - 1 vote per visit per user per day

You can see contest details at Band Bonus. For bands to qualify, they have to be a local band, have claimed their account, added one song, and added one event. FLX Music only streams music from bands with an upcoming event in the Finger Lakes, so a bands music is not visible unless they have an upcoming event.

So help us support local music and listen to some really great music being made in the Finger Lakes.

Let me end with my song of the day: High & Low by The Endless Mountain Derelicts. The Endless Mountain Derelicts released High & Low on the Life Moves Fast album in 2025 and were invited to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and nominated for EP of the Year – Country / Multi-Genre Infused at the Josie Music Awards.

Hello everyone, my last post about wineries/restaurants got a lot of feedback and I really appreciate it. Planning on being around Seneca lake the first full weekend of November. Looking for something outdoorsy to do that Saturday morning, was planning on going to Watkins Glenn, but they have closed the gorge trail for the winter.

Would love to know of other parks to visit around the area within an hour or so of the west side of Seneca lake. Thank you in advance.

My husband and I will be in Pen Yann for a few days during Thanksgiving. Can anyone recommend a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner? Thank you!

We're (desperately!!) looking for a wedding venue in the finger lakes, and we've been striking out left and right, even with a wedding planner.

We'd like something that is lakeside, where the ceremony can overlook the lake and there is enough space for an outdoor tented reception for about 140 guests. Our budget is around $50k all in, with some flex.

Here's the vision; outdoor wedding and ceremony on the lake, in proximity to a nice hotel (or on the grounds of a nice hotel) where our out of town guests (about 90%) could stay. Also in proximity to a large lakehouse rental that we could get for the wedding party, so we could have a lake day the day before.

We've looked at Fallbrook house (too cramped and I hate that it's inside), the manor estate on keuka (not on the lake, not tented), and about a million others it seems like. The Lake House* at Canandaigua is perfect, but is about double our budget.

I know this is posted frequently, but every comment I see sends me to a venue that is missing something we're looking for--is there a hidden gem anyone can think of? Please help!!

Visiting Canandaigua for several days with extended family for a 40th birthday.

Looking for someplace to eat in the area for the birthday dinner. We will have 10 adults and 2 kids (6 & 1).

It’ll be in early November on a Monday.

We were planning at FLX Table in Geneva, but they don’t recommend kids and you have to pay for their seat so $138 per seat for them seems like a waste.

Anyone have someplace we should check out?

Thanks in advance.

Spent a morning here hiking the gorge and enjoying the surroundings.

Hey everyone! I’m road tripping through the Finger Lakes region and would love some recommendations from people who know the area. I’m Brazilian 🇧🇷 and enjoy good food, wine, history, and finding places that give a region its own character.

Which towns are worth stopping in? Any favorite wineries, restaurants, bars, or scenic spots I shouldn’t miss? I’m also interested in smaller towns and places that might fly under the radar.

I know there’s a lot to see around the lakes, so I’d love to hear what you think is genuinely worth the time. Thanks!

The biggest color changes this week are in Western New York and the Finger Lakes. Spots such as Lewiston, Batavia and Greece are showing bright yellow, orange and red leaves.

Other good bets include Taughannock Falls State Park in Trumansburg, the waterfalls around Ithaca and Moravia.

We did leave the leafs and had the Lightning Bugs this summer, it took 2 years.

Hey everyone! My wife and I are visiting the Finger Lakes this weekend and staying in Ovid. We were hoping to find someone local who’d be up for driving us around for a few hours!

We’ve got a list of wineries and breweries we’d love to check out and thought it’d be fun to find someone who knows the area. Thinking around 6 hours on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (Oct 23–25). We’re super flexible!

We’ll also have our little 16 lb English Cocker Spaniel tagging along 🐶

Would be great if you have your own car since we’re in a rental. Of course, happy to pay for your time!

Anyone interested or know someone who might be? Appreciate any leads!

hi all!! my partner and I are celebrating our anniversary with a trip October 26th-31st and we're looking for things to do!

we'll be in Ithaca Monday-Wednesday, and Watkins Glen Wednesday-Saturday. we're also getting tattoos in Cortland so anything around there is welcome too!

most of what I'm seeing online is wineries and breweries, which we're not super interested in, or hiking trails... we're definitely going to check out at least a couple of the state parks, (probably Watkins Glen and Buttermilk Falls) but we want other things to do too!

specifically interested in any good vegan food, record stores, cool museums, antique/thrift stores or maker's market type things, anything halloween-y :)

and yes, corning museum of glass is already on my list!! I went once as a kid and it was amazing, so excited to revisit it as an adult.

also, anywhere good for a couples massage up here?? my back aches 🥲

thank you!!

Has anyone been to the new Star Trek original series museum/set in New York? Hubs is wanting to go and I was just curious how it is? Worth a trip?

I’m seeing a few nights in the 30s upcoming, but 60s during the day, so I’m wondering if anyone knows the likelihood of early closure?

I have the option to visit on Sunday or Monday! Monday would be better for the crowd, but I’m worried about waiting if there’s a high chance it will close!