Finger Lakes Economic Development Council (FLEDC)
Named for the 11 long, narrow lakes through the southern counties, the Finger Lakes also includes the City of Rochester, the third largest city in New York State. In 2010 Forbes rated Rochester as the 3rd best place to raise a family.
Rochester is an international center of higher education, medical and technological development, with acclaimed universities such as the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology as well as major corporations such as Xerox, Kodak and Bausch & Lomb. Outside the Rochester area, agriculture (especially dairy farming) is an important economic driver.
The Finger Lakes, besides being a popular tourist destination, is also New York's largest wine-producing region with more than 100 wineries and vineyards.