<p>I live in New York City. </p>
<p>Is Binghamton a wasteland? Would I basically be campus bound for life? </p>
<p>And most important: Is there a good movie theater?</p>
<p>The one shining beacon of hope in the town of Binghamton is that there is a solid movie theater. It’s easily accessible from campus, as there’s a shuttle bus that runs to the shopping center it’s in all day. They actually just redid it and replaced all the seats with huge reclining armchair things. It’s fabulous. </p>
<p>I’ve visited some schools (cough, Geneseo) that are literal wastelands, but Binghamton is definitely not as bad. It’s not a metropolis by any means, but there’s a big strip (Vestal Parkway) of restaurants and stores right off campus. There’s also a mall which the shuttle bus goes to that actually isn’t so bad. Binghamton is definitely not New York City where people will just walk around and shop and spend the day there, but if you need something, you’ll definitely be able to get it. </p>
<p>I strongly suggset going to Google Maps. Type in “Binghamton University, Vestal, NY” and drag the little streetview-man to Vestal Parkway. I’d recommend putting him a little to the left of where the baseball field is, and then explore to your left. That’ll give you a really good view of what Vestal Parkway looks like. Just go down the street in the left direction.</p>
<p>There’s also downtown Binghamton, which is different. That’s where all the bars and frats and stuff are. I’ve never heard of people going there to spend the day but at night, I think the majority of people are there partying.</p>
<p>If you’d like to actually experience more than the frat/bar scene, there is plenty that you can do in the Binghamton area. In the fall, there are all sorts of seasonal activities (apple picking is fantastic up here), and the local zoo is open until October or so. There are plenty of local stores and a farmer’s market that can also be explored. Local museums are good as well (the Roberson for example) and all sorts of outdoor activities. To get off campus, with out a car, we have access to the OCCT blue buses which are student run and Broome County Transport which is free with our student IDs. Together, these services provide transport all over the Binghamton area. No, you don’t have to be campus bound if you don’t want to be. Be open to making your own fun.</p>
<p>There are three movie theater options that I recommend: AMC on Vestal Pwky, which the previous poster discussed. A larger multiplex down by the Broome Community College area (15 min away by car), and a discount theater that plays less recent movies in Endicott (15 min away by car) where you can go for as little as 3 dollars. There are smaller ones as well, but those are the three I’ve been to.</p>