Life in Binghamton and Transitioning for Your 3rd Year

A reliable vehicle is required for anyone completing their 3rd year at the Binghamton Clinical Campus, as public transportation will not have routes and schedules that accommodate all rotations. 

You will need to secure your own housing for your time at the Binghamton Clinical Campus. The area offers a wide variety of housing styles, from apartment complexes to units within residential homes. Each January, the current 3rd year students host an “Apartment Crawl” for the incoming 3rd years to help them get to know the area better, tour some of the housing options, and answer questions about living and learning in the Binghamton area. In addition, Binghamton University maintains a robust off-campus housing database that Upstate students may use to identify apartment options. Other places to find rental information include the Press & Sun Bulletin (powered by apartments.com) and Craigslist.

Clinical Campus will reimburse up to $200 for expenses associated with moving to Binghamton. You must provide a copy of your gas or truck rental receipts in order to be reimbursed and may turn in receipts at the Student Affairs Office.

Popular Neighborhoods/Communities

• Binghamton has six sections: Downtown, East Side (where the Clinical Campus is located), First Ward, North Side, Southside (Binghamton General Hospital is in this neighborhood), and the West Side (Ascension Lourdes Hospital is located here)
• Johnson City is home to the Binghamton Clinical Campus (located on the 5th floor of the Binghamton University Health Sciences Building) and UHS Wilson Memorial Hospital. Wegmans, the Oakdale Mall and a WalMart are also in Johnson City.
• Endicott is popular due to its affordability and proximity to many clerkship sites, as well as the local Cinema Saver, Endicott Performing Arts Center, and many locally owned restaurants.
• Vestal is the home of the Binghamton University main campus, multiple shopping plazas (Target, WalMart, Kohl’s, AMC Theatres and more) and a variety of well-known restaurants. 
• Port Dickinson is home to SUNY Broome Community College and Regal Cinemas, and is close to popular shopping and dining.

• Many parts of Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott have alternate-side parking, meaning cars parked on the street will need to be moved to the opposite side at certain times. Inquire about this as you consider apartments.

Remember, there is more to life than clerkships and classes! Self-care is an important part of your success as a medical student, so be sure to carve out time to attend to your own well-being! The Binghamton area is home to a wide range of activities, events and attractions! Whatever your interest areas, there is definitely something to help you practice a little self care! A comprehensive list of events and attractions is available on the Visit Binghamton website.

• Southern Tier Young Professionals: STYP is a group of active social and civic-minded young adults in the Greater Binghamton area committed to making the Southern Tier a better place to live, work, and play. They provide opportunities for people to participate in numerous social activities and professional networking events, as well as civic and philanthropic ventures throughout the region.
  
  
• Events/Festivals: The Greater Binghamton area is rich with events throughout the year, including the annual Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally, the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, monthly First Friday Art Walks, the LUMA Projection Arts Festival, Porchfest, stage performances, and more!
  
  
• Restaurants: The Greater Binghamton area will not disappoint when it comes to dining out! From cheap eats to upscale dining, chain restaurants to local establishments, there’s a wide variety sure to satisfy whatever you’re craving. Twice a year, eatBING coordinates Binghamton Restaurant Week, offering prix fixe menus from participating eateries, with a portion of the proceeds going to a local non-profit. Food festivals, running from May until September include Greek Festival, Italian Feast Days, a Wine and Tapas Tour, Sommer Biergarten Fest, and more!
  
  
• The Arts: From movie theaters (Cinema Saver in Endicott is just $4 for a matinee!) to stage productions, philharmonic concerts to jams, galleries to museums, there are many options to enjoy the arts. Home to the Binghamton Philharmonic, Tri-Cities Opera, The Broome County Forum Theater, Anderson Center for the Performing Arts, Uncorked Creations, KAPOW! Art Studio and more, Broome county can satisfy your craving for music, art and culture.
  
  
• Recreation: The Binghamton area is rich with low and no-cost opportunities to boost your mind, body and spirit. Area parks offer hiking, bike trails, camping, paddling and more; golfers will enjoy the beautiful (and affordable), state-run golf course at Chenango Valley State Park; Sports enthusiasts may be interested in the summer sports leagues hosted by Binghamton University as well as other opportunities to participate or be a spectator for other athletic activities; and animal lovers won’t want to miss a visit to the Ross Park Zoo and Animal Adventure Park. Gym-goers will find affordable options at a number of facilities throughout the area.

• Spiedies
  The spiedie is a meat sandwich local to Binghamton. A spiedie consists of cubes of meat (chicken, pork, lamb, veal, venison or beef) that are marinated overnight or longer, then grilled and typically served on a roll or slice of Italian bread.
  
  
• Carousels: Between 1919 and 1934, George F. Johnson (1857-1948), shoe manufacturer and great benefactor, donated six beautiful carousels to local parks. Because of his own poor childhood, “George F.” believed carousels should be enjoyed by everyone and insisted that the municipalities never charge money for a magic ride.
  
  Greater Binghamton has the only carousel collection of this kind in the world. Of the fewer than 150 antique carousels remaining in the United States and Canada, six are in Broome County. Because of the uniqueness of these carousels and the incomparable circumstances of their survival and existence, all six are placed on the New York State Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
  
  
• Johnny Hart, creator of comic strips B.C. and The Wizard of Id, You’ll see Gronk the dinosaur on Broome County Parks signs
  
  
• Rod Serling, legendary screenwriter and Twilight Zone creator called Binghamton home https://visitbinghamton.org/things-to-do/rod-serling/.