Oneonta is know as the "City of the Hills." Nestled between Binghamton and Albany in central New York, there are a lot of things that make this place and its people unique. From the West End to the South Side, here are some of the things that anyone from Oneonta knows to be true.
1. You either hate ballparkers or you love them
"Ballparkers" are the tourists that make up half the population from the beginning of June to the end of August. They eat, sleep, and breathe youth baseball at the local Little League camp. When they aren't frequenting Dick's Sporting Goods or Dairy Queen, ballparkers are sticking out like a sore thumb in traffic, since not many people here drive chrome 2017 Mercedes SUVs. They might irritate us in traffic, and just make a general ruckus in any public setting, but we can't deny that they are great for local businesses.
2. You waited forever for Five Guys
"Did you hear they're putting in a Five Guys!?" was a question asked by everyone in 2015. Although the rumor died over time, it was finally made true once Five Guys brought their burger joint to O-Town. We may have waited forever, but they built that sucker pretty quick and we were soon losing our minds over their incredible burgers and shakes.
3. You actually live here year-round
Oneonta is home to not only one, but two colleges. SUNY Oneonta, the State University, and the smaller, private Hartwick College. Like ballparkers, college students leave when they are done with what they came for, but still seem to make up half of the population for most of the year. Downtown, you frequently see partying college students facing the winter winds in heels that were definitely not made for ice.
4. Southside is your shopping destination
Our shopping center is known as Southside, where we pretty much have everything we really need but definitely not everything we want. Southside is small, so if a day of retail therapy is what we're after, we'll usually drive an hour to Albany or Utica. There is a Walmart in Southside, but everyone knows it's not wise to go there anytime between 10am and 10pm.
5. You know Table Rock has the best view
This one of our favorite hidden gems in the hills of Hartwick, and it happens to overlook the West End of the city. It's not so easy to find, but we know it like the back of our hands. Table Rock gets its name for being a flat clearing, and it's a great place to sit and eat lunch, or just relax and enjoy the view.
6. You LOVE cold cheese pizza
Oneonta is the home of the cold cheese pizza. If there's a late night craving to be had, Tino's is open as late as 3 am for great pizza. All the locals go for a classic slice, but with cold mozzarella grated cheese on top. College kids love this place too, being that they are the only people walking down Main Street at 3 am in December.
7. You reserve your Wednesdays for wings
Who can pass up .20 cent wings? Everyone knows Wing Wednesday at the Depot is a huge deal around here. The garbage wings were voted some of the best in the state, so why not grab a few dozen of your buddies and head over to this antique train station-turned-restaurant.
8. OH-Fest is your ticket to free live music
OH-Fest is an annual festival organized by an events planning committee of Hartwick and SUNY Oneonta students. There's fair food, vendors, and live music from Main Street to Neawah Park. Everything leads up to the headliners, of which past performers include Jesse McCartney, Kid Ink, and Panic! At The Disco. What's even better is that the colleges have teamed up to clean up the event, so the morning after you can find student volunteers making the city good as new.
9. You're always reppin' The Outlaws
To us, it isn't uncommon to consider a relaxing seat on the bleachers and a handful of peanuts at Damaschke field to be a "night out." We love to cheer on the Outlaws on a hot summer day, especially on the 4th of July when the game is free and, you guessed it, ends in fireworks.
10. Downtown is your favorite place
Whether you're grabbing a coffee with friends or hitting up the second hand stores, downtown is a great destination for a casual day. It's got the permanent favorites that we love, and always something new. Quiet Sunday mornings at the Farmers' market are also a crowd favorite.
11. You can actually pronounce Oneonta
The most obvious one, but most important, is that if you live here you are a tiny percentage of the population that can actually pronounce Oneonta correctly. It's definitely not "ONE-on-ta". Say it with us, "OH-nee-ON-ta."
