It’s time to face the facts: summer is over and reality has begun. But while most of you spent your summers catching some rays at Jones Beach or sailing around Lake George, I got to spend my time right here, in this lovely city called Binghamton.
Before July 1 (when my lease began) I didn’t have a place to live apart from the dorms, and I have to admit I was a bit flustered. My street had its own drug dealer and my next door neighbor was the proud owner of about five pit bulls. I was alone in a house with nine bedrooms, left completely to my own devices. After the initial shock lifted and I secured a job at the Oakdale Mall, I began to explore the city that I had been so skeptical of during my last two years.
I discovered Tom’s, a store on Main Street, which, despite the really kitschy commercials, actually has some really cute stuff. I paid the 50 cent cover fee to tan at the public pool at Beethoven Park, which was practically empty during Adult Swim. I rode all the carousels the area has to offer.
My favorite Binghamton discovery, however, was the bi-weekly downtown farmer’s market, where I stocked up on fairly priced, locally grown produce — my favorite of which was a dozen eggs that had been laid that morning.
What could have been a potentially disastrous summer actually ended up being pretty good. And while I do wish I was a little less pasty and that I found some better places to eat, I realized that you should take the chance to get to know the town you’re going to college in. While a lot of it does suck, there are hidden gems waiting to be found.