For immediate release:

September 19, 2012 

Owego, NY -- Thanks to a national competition to find the “Prettiest Painted Places in America,” people across the country are discovering what New York residents have long known:  The Empire State has some of the most beautiful towns and neighborhoods to be found anywhere.

Sponsored by the Paint Quality Institute, whose mission is to educate the public about quality paints and coatings, the “Prettiest Painted Places” competition has drawn nine entries from New York:  Chautauqua Institution, Village of Ellicottville, Village of Malone, Village of Medina, Village of Owego, Rhinebeck, Seneca Falls, the Village of Tannersville, and Wellsville. 

Over the next few weeks, the nine New York communities will vie with nearly 200 nominees from other states for regional and national honors, as judges with expertise in color selection, exterior painting, and home improvement review the entries, conduct additional research and make selected site visits.  Finalists will be announced in late September, and the nation’s 12 “Prettiest Painted Places” will be revealed in mid-October.

The Paint Quality Institute has conducted its competition twice before, most recently in 2000.  Its purpose is to vividly show how an attractive paint color scheme can greatly enhance the “curb appeal” of any structure’s exterior.

“ We feel there is no better way to demonstrate the importance of exterior paint color than to focus on these beautiful real-world communities that take so much pride in their appearance,” said Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute.

“The places involved in our competition are a tremendous inspiration to us all, and by giving them recognition, we hope to instill in the public a better appreciation for the role exterior paint can play in protecting and enhancing the appearance of any home or building,” she said.

A wide variety of “places” have been entered in the competition -- big city neighborhoods, tiny rural towns, historical districts, “Main Streets” and communities with exterior mural programs.  Nominees range from well-known places, such as Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Napa, California to hidden gems like Vashon-Maury Island, Washington and Bell Buckle, Tennessee.

In case you’re curious, the names and locations of all of the nominees are posted on the Paint Quality Institute website at blog.paintquality.com. 

THUMBNAIL SKETCHES OF NEW YORK NOMINEES

• Chautauqua Institution:  Founded in 1874, Chautauqua is a unique Victorian community with an abundance of beautifully painted homes that is designated in its entirety a National Historic Landmark.
• Village of Ellicottville:  Often called the “Aspen of the East,” the historic village retains its 19^th century charm with lovingly preserved homes and buildings situated on beautiful tree-lined streets.
• Village of Malone:  Located not far from the Canadian border, the historic village has a large number of vividly painted Victorian homes, the result of recent community restoration efforts.
• Village of Medina:  A small, idyllic village alongside the famous Erie Canal, the town has a nationally recognized historic business district and many beautifully painted, well-kept homes.
• Owego:  Located in the Finger Lakes Region, the small town is known for the pristine condition of its historic buildings and its first-rate Central Historic District – in addition to a recent honor as the “coolest small town in America.”
• Rhinebeck:  First settled by the Dutch in 1686, the town boasts 437 buildings and sites on the National Historic Register that were built at various times starting with the Colonial era through the end of the 19^th century.
• Seneca Falls:  A beautiful town in the Finger Lakes Region known as the home of Women’s Rights and the community that the movie classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” was based on.
• Village of Tannersville:  As the name implies, this tiny town was once a village of tanneries and sawmills, but today is a premiere travel destination often referred to as “The Painted Village in the Sky”.
• Village of Wellsville:  With beautifully painted homes and buildings, the Village of Wellsville retains its 19^th century charm while being one of the prettiest places in the state of New York.