What to do when the bars are too crowded (or your poor liver needs a break)? Split a cab or beg the most valuable type of friend — that is, a friend with a car — to drive you to some good, clean fun:
Midway Lanes in Vestal
Bowling is a great way to prove to people that, yes, you do play sports. When the bite-sized alley in the Old University Union is just not cutting it anymore, Midway Lanes’ games are $3 to $3.75 depending on the time and day. They do additional specials every day, with deals on everything from games and rentals to domestic beer drafts.
Chenango Ice Rink in Binghamton
Pretend for a moment that you’re competing in the Winter Olympics. Swish, swish, glide — now you, too, can be a gold medalist in figure skating! Or at least a gold medalist in fantasizing about it. Somehow it’s twice as warm in Sochi as it is here at the moment, but this rink is indoors so it’s all good. You can skate and rent for a total of $7, though keep in mind it’s cash only. There’s also a bar and grill for you to habituate once you’ve burned all those calories falling on your face.
AMC Loews Vestal Town Square 9
In short: best seats ever. Go to a matinee, grab some snacks from Five Below or yogurt from Sweet Frog next door (they do not care if you bring in food) and you are guaranteed the ultimate college cinema experience.
Skate Estate in Vestal
Get your friends together and battle it out in an all-assault glow-in-the-dark laser tag game, fog included. It’s $5 per person per game, but the exhilaration is worth it. If you’re not feeling entertained after that, Skate Estate also has roller skating (obviously).
The ART Mission & Theater in Binghamton
Part gallery and part movie theater, Art Mission is a great way to feel relevant and informed about the best independent films out right now. This is the place to catch the latest Woody Allen or Coen Brothers flick. A meticulously cuffed hemp shirt and tortoiseshell glasses perched at a slightly jaunty angle are not required, but they are recommended.
Cinema Saver in Endicott
This theater is everything the AMC is not. It has small screens, aging carpeting and technical problems during movies. But second-run theaters are good for catching up on movies that you’ve missed, and it’s only $2 for students!
Robot City Games in Binghamton
Robot City is a great place to play arcade games and is complete with “Galaga,” “Centipede” and “Pac-Man.” Come relive the decade you never actually experienced in the first place.
State Street isn’t the end-all for nightlife in Binghamton. Try a few of these alternatives — you never know, you could end up forgetting the Tom & Marty’s shot wheel even existed to begin with.