Around Oneonta
Your Hartwick College experience will take you well beyond the Hill.
Venture into downtown Oneonta and the surrounding areas to find fun restaurants, vibrant shops, live music, natural beauty and, of course, plenty of pizza. Make yourself at home! Oneonta is a small city that feels like a hometown. This college town balances history with contemporary culture, nightlife with nature, fine dining with grab-and-go munchies. And it’s all just a quick bus ride – free with your Hartwick ID – or a short walk onto Main Street.
TIME FOR FUN OF ANY KIND
GOOD EATS
Pepperoni? Pineapple? General Tso’s chicken? With more than a dozen pizza places, if you can imagine it, you can get it on top of a late-night slice. Make sure you try Oneonta’s famous cold-cheese pizza. If wings are more your scene, try a dozen at The Depot just outside of town, slathered with their famous “Garbage Sauce.” Dine on the deck at the downtown Autumn Cafe or enjoy the vibe at the Yellow Deli. Grab ice cream at the Golden Guernsey or great coffee and a treat at the always-packed Latte Lounge. Make the weekly downtown Farmers Market part of your Saturdays and bring fresh local produce back to your own on-campus kitchen. Whether you’re craving Japanese, Indian, Thai, a diner breakfast, or latte and a bagel, you’ll have choices in Oneonta.
Good Times
In the mood for music? Take your pick, from the Catskill Symphony Orchestra concerts to rock bands at the B-Side Ballroom and Foothills Performing Arts Center. Three local theater companies perform throughout the year, or you can spend an afternoon admiring the art at the CANO Gallery. There are plenty of local festivals too, from hot air balloons and street fairs to Halloween and Winter Holiday parades. Not bad for a small city!
Oneonta is just 20 miles from historic Cooperstown, home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Fenimore Art Museum, The Farmers’ Museum, and Lake Otsego. We’re 60 minutes from airports and shopping in Albany, Binghamton, and Utica. Hop a bus from downtown and be in New York City or Boston in just a few hours. (Be on the lookout for college-sponsored bus trips to NYC, too. Small fee, good times on your own or with friends.)
SHOPPING
Need new clothes, groceries, or a birthday gift? Shop Oneonta! Main Street has many locally-owned stores to find just what you’re looking for. Decorate your new room from Theresa’s Emporium or The Artisan’s Guild, refresh your closet at Underground Attic and Shakedown Street, pick up a weekend read at the independent Green Toad Books, or organic foods and healthy options at the Green Earth.
Southside Mall may have the nickname “The Small,” but there are plenty of places to shop, including TJ Maxx and Dick’s Sporting Goods, inside. Southside’s your place to catch a movie or grab favorite foods at Panera, Five Guys, and lots of other national restaurants.
GET BACK TO NATURE
Hiking and biking trails let you get out in nature on our 425-acre campus or just a few blocks from the hustle of downtown. In the winter, there are plenty of places around the city and county to snowshoe, cross-country ski, or sled!
The nearby Audubon Sanctuary is a great place to look out over Oneonta and beyond, see wildlife, and even join a fall hawk watch. Of course, you don’t have to go very far for a good view – our campus’ Table Rock starts right behind the Apartments, and offers a breathtaking view of the entire Susquehanna Valley. Trust us, it’s worth the hike.
Want to get out on the water? Borrow a canoe or kayak at our Pine Lake Environmental Campus – you can even bring a fishing pole! There are plenty of trails to hike and bike, and be sure to pack your camera – there’s plenty of wildlife and beautiful scenery. It’s a great place to get away from the pace of college life, all year long.
Round up some friends and get a game going in Neahwa, Wilber, or Catella Park. Basketball and tennis courts, as well as soccer and baseball fields, are open for play, or grab your board and check out the skate park. Go retro on roller skates at Innerskate 88, or take your fitness challenges to new heights on the indoor climbing walls at Table Rock Bouldering. (We have climbing walls and ropes courses at Pine Lake, too!)
