Big city life is amazing. The option to get whatever you want, whenever you want is second-to-none, not to mention the aesthetic beauty of the lights illuminating the entire town in a way that postcards can never quite portray. Binghamton, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly fall under the category of illustrious city.
But, it has respectable quality in its own eccentric way.
Don’t get me wrong, anyone who tells you that this is a great city with a lot to offer is full of it — they’re either the mayor or a deranged townie. Still, it seems like we take Binghamton for granted; it’s a place we never want to leave, a place to which we can’t wait to return.
A main reason that students save a place for Binghamton in their subconscience — and a place for Rasa in their wary conscience — is that despite its visual flaws, it’s a miniature concrete jungle with an adventure behind every corner.
There’s a certain thrill in letting it all go and giving your liver a raincheck. The student-targeted, local-infested bars located on State Street are a makeshift haven for freedom to reign.
Though some Binghamton University students have unfairly labeled these bars “dark and grimy,” I would prefer to paint their reputation as “exciting and cozy.” Every bar has a personality and function of its own, ranging from a sit-around sports bar to a respectable semi-club.
I recently polled more than 50 students, selected at random, for their preferences on State Street. The results showed that from a choice of six bars, Scoreboard and Tom & Marty’s accounted for slightly over 50 percent of the votes.
On average, a third of the bars host over half of all students who are Downtown on a particular night.
I was able to meet with Josh Pouch, the general manager of Scoreboard, in a pursuit to uncover why students are so attracted to the Downtown area.
In regards to the popularity of his own bar, Josh’s persona was that of a genuinely passionate manager.
“It feels great. That’s what we’re striving for, keeping everybody happy as far as BU students go,” he said.
Pouch also mentioned how Scoreboard strives to appeal to a predominantly college-aged crowd. He told me that completing renovations during the school’s vacations allows for a strengthening of Scoreboard’s “crazy-fun atmosphere.”
The bars are blatantly catered to us. They may not be plated in gold or sitting atop Mount Olympus, but the only legitimate complaint students claim is overcrowding, which is only a result of the substantial amount of students wanting to get into a State Street bar.
Rather than complain and whine about the bars as you sit in your dorm room dreaming of dirty shoes, black framed glasses and other hipster delights, take Binghamton for what it can offer and just have a good time while you can. Besides, Starbucks is only open until 11.