With Italianate and Greek Revival mansions, authentic shopping boutiques, plenty of dining options, and live concerts featuring national acts, this little village has all the makings of a perfect weekend destination. Below are five reasons to pack your bag, book an AirBnB or HipCamp site, and head north for a weekend getaway.

A half hour from Syracuse and Ithaca – Homer, New York is the gateaway to the Finger Lakes, and makes an ideal central location to visit all that the area has to offer! Not to mention, this time of year, apple picking, cider drinking, and leaf peeping are top in the nation!

Rolling hills covered in vibrant autumn foliage—reds, oranges, and yellows—stretch into the distance, with a small white building and green fields visible in the middle ground under a partly cloudy sky.

5 – The Valley of the Poets

A large, pale green historic house with tall windows, a covered porch, and manicured lawn, stands under a bright sky with a setting sun and colorful clouds.

Like many of its surrounding towns and villages, Homer, New York, is named after a famous Greek figure. The Greek poet Homer is most famous for the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Many of these small, upstate villages were founded during the Greek Revival period in US History, between the late 1700s and early 1800s — a time when it was fashionable to model architecture after the Greek style. Apparently the original settlers in Upstate New York were fanboys of ancient Greece, and the current residents take pride in the upkeep of some pristine examples of the Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne style homes that line the village’s historic Main Street. You can literally spend hours walking up and down Main Street (and the side streets) looking at magnificent examples of homes once owned by prominent residents of national renown.

4 – Connect with Nature

A sunny park with green grass, large leafy trees, a black bench, and a red brick building in the background.

In the center of the Old Homer Historic District lies the Village Green. This is a large, grassy, tree-filled area used for community events, festivals, fairs, and leisure activities. The Homer Farmer’s Market takes place near here every Saturday from May – October. During the winter months, the village creates a homemade outdoor ice skating rink in the Village Green. It’s a perfect spot for an afternoon picnic, or to kick your shoes off and relax with a good book (preferably something from one of the Greek poets).

Tucked behind Main Street is the Tioughnioga River (pronounced: Ty-Off-Nee-Oga), which has three lenticular truss bridges that cross its path. The bridges, built in 1881, are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and two of them are still used for traffic. The wood planks make a strange rippling noise as cars pass over the river from one side of Homer to the other. Hang your feet over the Washington Street Bridge (pedestrians only) and take in the sun glistening off the current. Fishing and kayaking are popular as well. You can drop a line or your kayak at Durkee Park, located on the north end of Main Street.

3 – Dining with Ghosts of the Past

Homer popular dining spot is Dasher’s Corner Pub, which serves everything from burgers to lobster. Built in 1894 (then known as Doyle’s Pub), it is the site of a still unsolved murder-mystery. That’s only the start of this restaurant’s very unique history. After surviving prohibition and The Great Depression, the restaurant reopened as Dasher Cox’s and quickly became famous for its live lobsters.

Why lobsters? Well, Francois “Dasher” Cox devised a system using a plane that flew mail daily between Ithaca (another town named after a Greek poet) and Boston to pick up his lobsters on his return trip to Ithaca. He then had the Ithaca route driver stop at the Ithaca airport, meet the plane from Boston, load the lobsters and drive them to Dasher’s on his return to the bakery. Genius. Dine al fresco on the front patio or sit inside, but make sure to get reservations if you’re in town during a special event.

Homer has various other great dining options too, including The Exchange Restaurant, Sinfully Sweet Café (recommended for their homemade chocolate and desserts), and CoffeeMania, plus a bunch more not listed here. You won’t go hungry in Homer.

2 – Shopping, the Old-Fashioned Way

Even actor Bill Murray makes it a point to stop at Homer Men & Boys (his son is named Homer, and he occasionally visits the store to purchase official “Homer, NY” t-shirts as gifts). Located in the central business district, Homer Men & Boys is a clothing store that has served the community for more than 50 years. Their slogan “if we don’t have it, you don’t need it” generates a chuckle as you enter the store, packed with everything from Northface gear to Carhart. The store even carries its own line of Homer jeans with a “Homer Men & Boys” patch on the back. The store has an ongoing sidewalk sale with overstock items for as little as $9.99. Next door, two connected stores, Bev & Co., and the Old Homer House carry clothing and gifts as well. Homer also has a small grocery store, Maslin’s Guardens, a bakery, and antiques and thrifting galore. A mix of locals and visitors make Homer’s Main Street the place to be every day of the week, but weekends are particularly busy.

1 – Entertainment

One stand out factor about Homer, New York is the art center. Located next to the Village Green, this former First Baptist Church was transformed into the Center for the Arts of Homer by local residents after the church changed locations in 2003. Known most notably for hosting national concerts, the Center also hosts dance, fitness, and art classes, community events, film screenings, and serves as the “center” of many of Homer’s activities. The acoustics in the the old sanctuary turned theater are impeccable.
Check out the upcoming National Concert schedule here.

All shows are general admission, but instead of throwing your coat over one of the seats to save it, the Center for the Arts utilizes Post-It Notes (concert-goers write their names on the Post-it Notes and posts it to their seat, which effectively saves it for the night). This interesting little system allows you to explore the 34,000 square foot arts center campus, which includes a banquet hall and an art gallery, gardens and patio. They have a concession stand and a beer and wine bar, along with a friendly events staff to help you find your way through the historic space.

Want to explore this area some more? Check out Experience Cortland – where they say “Experiences are the best souvenirs” – CLICK HERE