Cooperstown, N.Y. Features a Hall of Fame Downtown

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The beautiful Village of Cooperstown, N.Y. — *The beautiful Village of Cooperstown.*

Out of all the downtowns in the northeast United States, Main St. in Cooperstown, N.Y. stands as my favorite.

Best known as home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and Doubleday Field, Main St. in Cooperstown is so much more than those renowned and wonderful attractions. Traveling to Cooperstown is like going back in time to a simpler era. For starters, this quaint Upstate New York village charms with its tree-lined streets, big old homes with front porches, a historic library, and the presence of an old-fashioned diner (Cooperstown Diner) and bakery (Schneider’s).

Cooperstown Diner, Cooperstown, N.Y. — *Cooperstown Diner.*

Schneider's Bakery, Cooperstown, N.Y. — *Schneider’s Bakery.*

Other locally-owned downtown staples that are increasingly hard to find in downtowns today still thrive on Main St. in Cooperstown. There’s the toy shop (Riverwood), clothing store (Ellsworth and Sill), bookstore (Willis Monie) and the general store-type presence of Tin Bin Alley with its gifts, clothing, homemade fudge and ice cream. And, of course, all those wholesome baseball-themed shops with gifts, clothing and collectibles…

Baseball is a common theme in Cooperstown, N.Y. — *Baseball is a common theme in Cooperstown.*

Additionally, as expected, a charming Village surely possesses charming places to stay — many historic and spectacular like the Otesaga Hotel Resort and Landmark Inn (both just off Main St.). Restaurant lovers take notice, too, the downtown has several excellent restaurants with cuisines that include American, Mexican, Asian and Italian.

Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, N.Y. — *Otesaga Resort Hotel.*

Just walking down Main St. with its shaded trees, shops with colorful shop signs, vibrant hanging flower baskets, community events and locals spontaneously saying “hello” to you can bring about an incredible sense of community — even if you don’t live here.

Hanging flower basket on Main Street in Cooperstown, N.Y. — *Hanging flower basket on Main St.*

Main St. buildings in Cooperstown, N.Y. — *Main St. buildings.*

Ice Cream social at a local church in the Village of Cooperstown, N.Y. — *Ice Cream Social at a local church.*

As the ultimate added bonus, Otsego Lake resides right down the street from Otsego Lake with access to this scenic wonderland at Lakefront Park and Council Rock Park.

Lakefront Park, Cooperstown, N.Y. — *Lakefront Park.*

James Fenimore Cooper summarized it best in 1837: “Lying, as it does, off the great routes, the village of Cooperstown is less known than it deserves to be. Few persons visit it, without acknowledging the beauties of its natural scenery, and the general neatness and decency of the place itself. … Everything shows a direction towards … an improving civilization.”