As far as college towns, especially SUNY college towns, go, the town of Oswego is not as bad as many make it out to be. Sure, there are a fair bit of less-than-nice people, with plenty of addicts, but that is the state of America as a whole right now. College kids, especially those who only go into town from campus to go to Dunkin’ Donuts or the bars, do not see community events or any of the nice shops and restaurants.
Oswego has a lot to offer. Earlier in the semester, I covered Porchfest 2021 for The Oswegonian and it showed me some of the most beautiful houses I have seen. While many places around Oswego are run-down or skeevy, some neighborhoods are gorgeous. Between Montcalm Park and Franklin Square Park lies old Colonials and Victorian-style houses, with stone steps surrounded by Japanese maples, accented by fantastic landscaping with native and ornamental plants. However, the average Oswego State college student would never see these. Luckily, or unluckily depending on your opinion of Oswego, I live pretty close to the center of town. I specifically go along these routes now when I run, just to see what Oswego truly looks like.
While Oswego has areas dominated by chains, namely between East Ninth Street and Walmart, there are some superb shops and restaurants around. I do my best to avoid chain restaurants and coffee shops, unless deathly hungover on a Sunday when everything is closed, so my go-to for coffee is either Coffee Connection or Khepera Coffee.
Coffee Connection sits at the corner of West Second Street and Mohawk Street, and is a speakeasy-styled cafe with local pastries and a massive range of coffee beans. The best part? The mother of the owner often works as the barista and brings her little dog in to hang out while she is on the clock. You will not find stuff like that at Dunkin’ or the Lake Effect Cafe in Penfield.
West First and West Second Streets are where Oswego’s culture comes out. Canal Commons is home to the aforementioned Khepera Coffee, along with a quaint art gallery called Lakeside Artisans with prints and originals from local artists. I have a few postcards hung up in my house, along with a print of a fantastic loon painting. Oswego has culture. It is not some bumble-dee hick town just because it is not Long Island, which may be the target of my next “hot take.”
While the pizza and bagels are admittedly not as good as other towns, Oswego has some good options. Oswego Bagelry is the best, near only, place for a cheap and good bacon-egg-and-cheese, but they do close at noon and are often sold-out by 11 a.m. Red Sun’s woodfired pizza is great, and the Cutting Board’s unique sandwiches are excellent. Oswego has good food, if one looks beyond McDonald’s or Domino’s.
Besides food, Oswego’s history is immense. Wars have been fought here, as seen by Fort Ontario and the now-demolished Fort George. Holocaust refugees found sanctuary here. People are proud of their town, and they should be. Mayor Billy Barlow has done some serious work in recent years, and the people who were born and will die in this town should not be shamed by college kids from even more mediocre towns like Plainedge or Port Jefferson.
My point is to be mindful of Oswego. There is more than just campus and student life, and to call every non-student a towny is insulting.
John Custodio | The Oswegonian
