Classified Ad Letter to the Editor Email Newsroom Submit Press Release Subscription Info. Popular stops include Barnes and Noble, Pier One Imports, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target and Wal-Mart. But drive 10 minutes south on Route 26 and you'll see rolling green hills and homes tucked into rural areas all the way into the winding roads of Pennsylvania. Vestal is home to several recreational facilities, from highly used parks, including the 450-acre Jones Park, to the science and education center Kopernik Observatory. Community organizations, such as the Jewish Community Center, and nonprofit organizations, such as the United Way, also make Vestal their home.
Education is an important aspect of Vestal community life.
Binghamton University, one of the state university campuses and the town's biggest employer, serves more than 12,000 students. The Vestal Central School District is known for its high academic standards. The first settler came to Vestal, first known as Crane's Ferry and later Vestal Mills, by canoe in 1785. The town was founded in 1823, after separating from the Town of Union. The town's first hotel, built in 1844, still stands.