As a local son, I always wanted them to name a remote stretch of highway after him, just so some travellers would get the tingles when they come across a sign saying “Now entering the Rod Serling Memorial Highway”…
I’m from the area as well and could never understand why local officials were/are not able to embrace the fact that Binghamton is the Twilight Zone. Even in Iroquois legend, Binghamton, “the place where two rivers meet”, is known to have a strange and powerful energy. Ask any local and you will come across countless personal stories and local lore that confirms this. Rod Serling, son of Binghamton, was able to capture the energy of Binghamton in his series.
What Binghamton did is to chose to blandly bill itself as the “Carousel Capitol” due to the inordinate number of working carousels in its local parks. In a way, this tidbit of history is pretty neat in it’s own right, thank you EJ, but to officially recognize this in favor of the noirish reality that Binghamton is the Twilight Zone is unfortunately just another misstep in the history of this strange and wonderful city. At least they were able to recently refurbish the old art-deco Greyhound station which made in appearance in a Twilight Zone episode, Mirror Image.
Anyhow, it’s great to see some convergence between the carousels and the twilight zone – kudos to the producers of the documentary.
“That’s the signpost up ahead! Your next stop–Binghamton!”
I’d make the drive just to be able to say that, if only to myself.
My Rabbi used to say that if the world is coming to an end, you want to be in Binghamton cause we’re always 50 years behind the times.
I studied briefly at SUNY Binghamton. I had not known that Serling was from there, so I was surprised to find his statue in a park there.
One more twilight zone like thing : the SUNY campus is shaped like a brain.
When it comes to carousels, much as I like the TZ story, “Something Wicked This Way Comes” is the winner.
Probably still safer than taking a train to Willoughby. 
I think I’d rather take the train to Willoughby than be stuck in a push-push-push business.
I guess you’re right. Willoughby was kind of beautiful.
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