Chittenango, NY

Located roughly fifteen miles east of Syracuse, Chittenango offers a quiet, small-town setting within an easy commute of the city. With a population of around 5,000, the village sits along Route 5 in Madison County. Its roots trace back to the heyday of the Erie Canal, and today residents have quick access to outdoor spots like the canal trails and the 167-foot waterfall at nearby Chittenango Falls State Park.

The village is also famous as the birthplace of *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz* author L. Frank Baum. You can spot that history right downtown along the yellow brick sidewalks, which connect local shops to the All Things Oz Museum and set the stage for the annual Oz-Stravaganza festival each June. Families are served by the Chittenango Central School District, and the community pairs a friendly, neighborhood feel with straightforward drives to larger shopping and dining hubs across Central New York.