Something special is happening in the heart of New York State. Cooperstown is known primarily as the home of baseball with the Baseball Ball of Fame, baseball wax museums, an endless array of baseball-centric collectible stores, and, of course, the dozens of baseball fields that bring in thousands of young kids from around the world to partake in endless rounds of tournaments; this is baseball country. HOWEVER, while America’s pastime is the primary driver of the economy in the town of less than two thousand, it’s not what CALLS to people who make it their home. That is a much deeper, almost more straightforward reason making the Otsego County of New York so unique. Let’s find out what’s happening in Cooperstown.
We spent a couple of days in Cooperstown at the landmark Inn, a centuries-old inn or B&B recently revitalized during the pandemic. Taking the historic inn and modernizing it with the finer touches worthy of any big city hotel: hyper-fast wifi, a sauna (in the suite), and casually placed pieces of fine contemporary art, the Landmark Inn is a world-class destination in a small town. With a fantastic food program catered around your dietary restrictions (if you have any) and an excellent merch program, who doesn’t want to buy a super cool New Era fitted hat or a more than a comfy hooded sweater? Each of the eight? Rooms are different but packed with modern conveniences that you would expect at any hotel in 2024; however, we recommend the suite because they have an in-room infrared sauna in the bathroom next to a shower that is to die for.
The owners, one of whom grew up in Cooperstown, John Walker, returned during the pandemic and saw his chance to create something the town lacked. With his partner Keith Gulla, who has years of branding and marketing experience, he took the project on and now calls Cooperstown home. In our opinion, they made the right choice.
A short walk from the landmark Inn will take you to the main street, which is all about baseball and everything and is worth the visit even if baseball isn’t interesting to you. That way, you can tell your friends you have at least seen it. Plus, it’s a lovely main strip. However, we recommend going a little further to the world-class Fenimore Art Museum on the shore of Lake Otsego. This unsuspecting museum in the middle of nowhere contains several surprising pieces and plays host to high-profile exhibitions. There is a Banksy in the basement, an extensive collection of First Nations textiles and art. There was a very interesting exhibition of Bob Dylan‘s drawings next to famed photographer Marc Hom’s first retrospective exhibition.
Marc Hom is a Danish photographer known for his iconic photography of celebrities like Cher, Lenny Kravitz, Alexander, McQueen, Quentin Tarantino, Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse, and many more. What made this particular exhibition all the more interesting and special is that while Marc is Danish, he and his family call Cooperstown home. We had the chance to talk to Mark about this exhibition and living in Cooperstown ( that can be found here). But the question is what brought Marc to Cooperstown.
After you visit this world-class museum, take a short journey down to the Otego resort. A large hotel, restaurant, and resort also sits upon Ostego Lake. While it certainly gives off The Shinning’s Overlook Hotel energy, the inside is appropriately modern, with several restaurants featuring food and drink on par with your favourite spot in the city. After your meal, cocktail, and/or massage at the spa, spend some time around the giant communal fire pit overlooking Blackbird Bay on the lake, which is the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Don’t be surprised if you start conversing with people at the table next to you or down by the fire pit as you walk the grounds. Everyone is here from out of town and having a good time.
As the sun sets over Lake Otsego, make your way back to the Landmark Inn. If you’re up for it, there is a roaring wood fire in the back with cute little s’more kits. Roast your marshmallow to a golden brown, then plop it onto your chocolate and graham cracker. Look up, see the stars, and chat with your fellow guests. What a perfect day.
Your second day in Cooperstown starts with a delicious, locally sourced “homemade” (it’s someone’s home) breakfast prepared how you want it, with all your dietary restrictions and considerations considered. After you finish your cup of custom blend Landmark Inn coffee roasted at Stagecoach Coffee, located just off the main street, you can head out for the day.
Since you saw a large portion of the town on your first day, today is the day for a little driving. The beautiful country roads in Otsego and the neighbouring counties are so idyllic that you feel like you’re in a movie, making the drive as pleasant as possible.
The first stop is Hudson Made at 354 Main St in Otego. They make lovely apothecary items from ingredients locally sourced directly from Bill Hovard’s garden. The shop is also a cafe on the weekends, so grab a coffee and a cookie and stroll through the shop. If we’re so bold, we recommend grabbing a bar of the CLASSIC LINE soap, the original product that started it all.
From there, make your way to the 1850 Gallery (look it up) in Fleischmanns, New York, a wonderfully contemporary art gallery showcasing local artists. Artists like Dave Ortiz, known for his work on classic streetwear lines like Zoo York and Dave’s Quality Meats, recently headed upstate for a better quality of life. Dave, a New Yorker born and raised, recently headed upstate for a better quality of life. We spoke to him during his exhibition COLORED, his second in the space, and discussed what brought him up north.
“The city is not peaceful. All those artists that were in the city are up here, scattered around. And there are tons of us up here making shit. It’s just such a different pace of living, and the quality of life is beyond anything I could get there. I grew up in Manhattan; I lived there for 51 years. It took me a year to calm down.”
Much like others we encountered, the more straightforward, quieter life called to him. Discovering both inspiration and space to dive deeper into his artistic pursuits.
From Fleischmanns, take a short yet scenic drive to the town of Bovina for dinner at Brushland Eating House, a restaurant of unmatched deliciousness, quality, and energy. The name pays homage to the eating houses of the early 19th century, where everything was eaten communally together; this is one of the reasons why Brushland only serves one sitting an evening, family-style. This means everyone in the restaurant is eating the same thing as you at the same time. Made from the finest, in-season, locally sourced ingredients, the food is made with love, care, and attention to detail unexpected this far out of the city. While it shouldn’t be that surprising, as it has become a common theme over the last couple of days that the chef and his wife, Sohail and Sara, moved out of the city years ago to find a quiet place to cook and feed people without the chaos and endless pressures one finds in the city. The food and dining experience left us feeling full in body and soul. Come hungry!
After finishing our dinner and unbelievable dessert, we returned to Cooperstown’s Landmark Inn for one last night’s sleep before heading home.
While driving back to the city through beautiful upstate New York, my thoughts lingered over the past few days. Whereas previously Cooperstown was only a transient name floated by baseball enthusiasts, I came to see that the magic of the town and its surrounding area lay in the majesty of its location. Drawing in people from all over to start their next phase in life or try something new, all intending to connect to and with the people locally and worldwide.
Is it the water? Is it the fresh air? Is it the people, both like-minded and different? The freedom of space? Or is it all the above… plus more? I still don’t know what it is, but I have had the same desire. Cooperstown, we will be back soon because I heard leaf peeping is unmatched!