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Comparable Schools'
Nightlife Grades:
Quick StatsUseful Resources for Nightlife
- Fliers
- Newspaper advertisements
- Word-of-mouth
- www.barstar.com
Student Favorites
- Sports Bar
- The Rathskeller Pub
- Uncle Tony’s Tavern
Primary Areas with NightlifeOther Places to Check Out
- Boca Joe's
- Cyber Café for folk music
- Fitzie’s
- Lost Dog Café for live jazz
- Skyline
- The Ale House
- The Belmar
Favorite Drinking Games
- Beer pong
- Card games (A$$hole)
- Century Club
- Flip cups
- Power Hour
- Quarters
Bars Close At
1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday
3 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Cheapest Place to Get a Drink
Anywhere
College Prowler Take
Though Binghamton does not boast a great number of bars and clubs, the ones that do exist often cater to SUNY kids. There is a drink special to be had for every day of the week. Binghamton students dominate the downtown scene on the weekends, which unofficially starts Thursday nights. Even the under-21 crowd has plenty of options, as the frat houses, along with several bars and clubs, require only a college ID for entrance. And though the bars close at a relatively early 1 a.m. on weekdays, the fun often spills over into nearby pizza places or to the frat houses for after-hours parties. While nightlife on campus is essentially nonexistent, getting to the bars and clubs around Binghamton is no problem. Cabs from campus are cheap and readily available; to find them, just follow the swarms of people looking to unwind and have a good time. Binghamton may not be a true party school, but it is no slacker on the subject either.
Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
There are a few bars in the...
There are a few bars in the downtown Binghamton area that all the students go to when they go out—good times, good atmosphere. There are cheap drink specials very frequently, but there’s not too much of a club scene. |
Anonymous says: |
Most bars and clubs are 18 to get...
Most bars and clubs are 18 to get in, and 21 to drink. They say that a college student’s weekend starts on a Thursday, and in Binghamton, it’s so true. The Ice House is the place to be on a Thursday. They have SUNY nights, which means cheap drinks, good music, and all the people you know. It is a lot of fun! On Fridays and Saturdays, you can pretty much go anywhere downtown. Eclipse is kind of old school; they play mostly techno, dance, and house music. I went there as a freshman, and it was cool then, but nowadays, nobody really goes there. |
Anonymous says: |
The bars and clubs are pretty...
The bars and clubs are pretty cool, but as a freshman, you may have trouble getting into the bars downtown, because some are strict with IDs. A lot of freshmen go to the Empire Club. Other than that, there are a lot of frat parties—basically a few every weekend. |
Anonymous says: |
Just like in any college town, you...
Just like in any college town, you have the bars that are really strict, which you don’t really experience until you are a junior, unless your 21-year-old friend knows a bouncer there. And for all others, there are frat parties. Freshmen usually go to frat parties, sophomores usually go to the lenient clubs, juniors go to the lenient clubs and the strict clubs/bars, and seniors hit up everything. Definitely check out the Rat, Uncle Tony’s, Sports Bar, Flashbacks, and the Ale House. |
Anonymous says: |
There are no parties on campus,...
There are no parties on campus, and if the campus police find any kind of fun, they promptly shut it down. To have fun, you have to go all the way downtown to the bars and frat parties (which you have to take cabs to get to). Younger students go to the Rat. The Rat is disgusting, a dark room with a dance floor and loud music. Sports Bar, Tony’s, and Flashbacks are a step up, but these cater to an older crowd, and they are strict with carding. |
FactsClub Crawler
There are very few clubs in the Binghamton area, and they seem to close or change ownership with tremendous frequency. Still, there are a few good ones around town.
Bar Prowler
There are not many bars in the Binghamton area, so the ones that exist are always crowded with college students. The bars, which are all conveniently located in one area, offer drink specials for almost every night of the week.
Organization Parties
Many organizations on campus will rent out restaurants or nightclubs and advertise their parties on campus through fliers and word-of-mouth. Fraternities and sororities often rent out nightclubs after rush or initiation.
Club Listings
Offers three floors of fun, with dance music on the lower floor and frequent appearances by campus and local bands. The Empire Club 19 Chenango St. (607) 724-6892
A nostalgic nightclub that features music and memorabilia from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Don’t miss the free Papa John’s pizza every Thursday.
Eclipse Nightclub 65 Front St. (607) 724-0280
This relative newcomer to Binghamton features great DJs and live music from local bands. The Ice House 15 Charlotte St. (607) 644-9233
Bar Listings
A narrow, no-frills bar that can get impossibly crowded. People come to Uncle Tony’s to talk with friends, watch the game, or listen to some great classic rock. Tony’s also has excellent wings and is the favorite hangout of Binghamton’s minor league hockey team, the Senators. Uncle Tony’s Tavern 79 State St. (607) 723-3810
A small place that can get very crowded, JT’s (or “Just Townies” to some) has mind-bogglingly cheap drink specials, especially on Tuesdays. Every Wednesday is the beer pong tournament, where you can compete for prizes, and most importantly, pride. JT’s Tavern 98 State St. (607) 722-5985
The biggest, and some say best, bar on the State Street strip, Sports Bar offers two large underground rooms, pool, dancing, and, as its name implies, other video games and bar sports. Check out the Irish folk singing every Tuesday and beer pong tournament every Thursday. Drinks are a little more expensive, but the atmosphere more than makes up for the price. Sports Bar 85 State St. (607) 771-8026
The undisputed fake ID capital of Binghamton. Many complain that the atmosphere at the bar is too young and too grimy, but the dance floor is always clogged, and the drink specials cannot be beat. Wednesday mug night and two-for-one Fridays are fun, and the liver transplant special every Saturday may be the best drink special of all time. The Rathskeller Pub (aka “the Rat”) 92 State St. (607) 722-0255
What to Do if You're Not 21
All frat parties and some bars and clubs (Ice House) require only a college ID for entrance.
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