# Potsdam (New York)

Potsdam (pop 9,000) is a village in the town of Potsdam in northern New York State.

## Understand

Founded in 1806 and named after the orange Potsdam sandstone found in Central St. Lawrence County.

## Get in
### By car

Take US 11 north from Watertown or NY 56 south from Massena.

### By bus

* 44.6705-74.9881 Trailways Bus Line, Market Square Mall, 22 Depot St., toll-free: +1-800-776-7548. M-F 5:45AM-12:50PM, Sa 5:45-8:30AM & noon-12:50PM, closed Sunday/holidays. Intercity bus from Massena, Potsdam, Canton, Gouverneur, Evans Mills, Watertown and Pulaski to Syracuse. Air and rail connection at Syracuse. Onward bus connection from Syracuse to NYC.

### By train

There is no Amtrak service in the region. The closest passenger rail is in Brockville (VIA) or Utica-Rome (Amtrak). The closest passenger rail to connect directly to the bus to Potsdam is in Syracuse.

### By plane

There is a tiny one-runway Potsdam municipal airport which houses thirteen single-engine planes for general aviation (FAA LID: PTD), but the closest scheduled Essential Air Service is in Massena (MSS) or Ogdensburg (OGS), each with two daily Cape Air flights from Albany. Massena and Ogdensburg are reachable from Canton-Potsdam by county-level commuter bus:
* St. Lawrence NYSARC, Save-A-Lot, 200 Market St. or Wal-Mart, US Route 11, ☏ +1 315 386-2600. Weekday commuter bus service to Ogdensburg, Massena (three runs daily), Canton and Morristown. $2.

## Get around

* Potsdam Taxi, 123 Market St., ☏ +1 315 268-8868.

## See

* 44.664-75.0021 Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Ave., ☏ +1 315 268-6400. Private university founded 1896, 3500 undergraduate and postgraduate students on two campuses; arts, science, business and engineering.
* 44.665-74.9722 SUNY Potsdam (State University of New York), 44 Pierrepont Ave., ☏ +1 315 267-2000. Founded 1816 as the St. Lawrence Academy, which became the Potsdam Normal School to train teachers of music, mathematics and the arts. 4500 students, two libraries and an art gallery.
* Orchestra of Northern NY, ☏ +1 315 267-3251. Live performances at SUNY Potsdam's Hosmer Concert Hall and around the region (Watertown, Massena). $22/person.
* 44.6693-74.98273 Potsdam Public Museum, 2 Park St. (Civic Center), ☏ +1 315 265-6910. Local and civil war history, archives.

## Do

* 44.633-74.9631 Potsdam Town and Country Club, 6194 State Highway 56, ☏ +1 315 265-2141, fax: +1 315 261-4652. Golf course with restaurant (+1 315 265-1234), pro shop. 9 holes $15-17, 18 holes $25-32, cart +$9-15.
* There is a riverside state park in Colton for swimming, fishing and hiking.

## Buy

* Potsdam Farmers' Market, south of the Main Street parking lot. mid-May - Oct: W Sa 9AM-2PM. Local produce and meats, baked goods, wine, maple syrup, flowers, crafts. Winter market Sa 1-3PM at VFW Post, 95 Market St.

## Eat

* 1844 House, 6885 US Hwy 11, ☏ +1 315 268-1844. Tu-Sa 4:30-9PM. American bistro, local produce, regional cuisine.
* Becky's Place, Pratt Commons, SUNY Potsdam. M-Th 7:30AM-7PM, F 7:30AM-3PM. Salads, pizza, baked pastas, paninis, soups and takeout items. Grill, adjacent Tim Horton's café.
* Cactus Grill and Cantina, 11 Raymond St., ☏ +1 315 265-0240. Mexican.

## Drink

* 44.6704-74.98731 McDuff's Tavern, 59 Market St, ☏ +1 315 261-4089. M-Sa 11AM-11:30PM, Su noon-11:30PM. Tavern in restored 1860s brick building, full menu and selection of cocktails, beers, and wines. Pool, darts, flat screen TVs. Second bar with dance floor and DJ downstairs.

## Sleep
### Hotels and motels

* Clarkson Inn, One Main St, ☏ +1 315 265-3050, toll-free: +1 800-790-6970, fax: +1 315 268-5848, clarksoninn123@gmail.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM content=Boutique hotel near university campuses, 40 rooms, wi-fi, small meeting space, refrigerator/microwave in room, free local calls.. Varies. (updated Feb 2023)
* Potsdam Inn, 7518 US Highway 11, ☏ +1 315 265-0709. 16-room family-owned motel, non-smoking, wi-fi, refrigerators, continental breakfast included. $80-100/night.

## Go next

* Canton (New York) — Clarkson and SUNY Potsdam have counterparts (and rivals) in Canton: St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton
* Adirondack State Park
* Cornwall-Massena
* Prescott-Ogdensburg