Plattsburgh is the hub of New York's "North Country." It's typical of most small cities, until you take a closer look at its geography.  It borders Lake Champlain, only minutes from the high peaks of the Adirondacks and Lake Placid, America's Olympic Village, and it is within an hour's drive of glamorous Montreal. Plattsburgh is home to excellent public and private schools, to both two- and four-year State University of New York campuses (and all they offer culturally and socially), to a thriving hospital/medical center, and to a variety of shopping malls and specialty stores. The crime rate is among the lowest nationally of any community of comparable size. Rapidly expanding Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) operates out of the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base, currently offering connections nationwide via a short hop to Boston as well as non-stop charter service to Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Plattsburgh is accessible by rail on the New York City-to-Montreal route served by Amtrack. Interstate 87 skirts the west side of the community.
     
 
Plattsburgh is close enough to Montreal to be dubbed its U.S. "suburb." Noteworthy as Quebec's largest city and its cultural and financial capital, Montreal is also deserving of its reputation as one of the planet's most exciting cities: renowned for its combination Old World/New World charm, its ethnic diversity, first-class lodging, exceptional cuisine, shopping and entertainment, superb museums, galleries and its productions in the performing arts. Even though border security has been tightened in a post-9/11 world, Montreal and other destinations in Quebec and Ontario remain favorites for short-term and extended visits or vacations. On the U.S. side of the border, Burlington, Vt. (one hour away), Boston (four hours away) and New York City (five hours away) are conveniently accessible to North Country travelers seeking a change in routine.
     
 
The Olympic venues and arenas at Lake Placid and nearby Whiteface Mountain (ranked 2nd among ski resorts in eastern North America by Ski Magazine) draw many thousands of recreation- seekers and visitors year-round. From the World Cup biathlon, bobsled and luge to Iron Man and NCAA ice hockey competition, the Lake Placid Horse Show and the Great Outdoor Games, New York's North Country has no equal when it comes to staging national and international events of wide-ranging appeal.