Your Oneonta

What to do and where to go in Oneonta, NY!

YOUROneonta.com

was started to give you the best of Oneonta, NY based on what readers like YOU think, and not based on the first Google search results or the top listings in the phone book. We want to highlight small businesses in Oneonta who offer great services and prices, not corporate chains with tons of cash to spend on advertising. We hope you will continue to join us exploring our wonderful region.

Neahwa Park

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Oneonta, NY
(607) 432-5142‎ for information

Neahwa Park is Oneonta's most popular park. It features Dewar Pool, two basketball courts (always full in the summers), tennis courts, a sand volleyball court, a large playground with swings, slides, jungle gym, monkey bars - the works, over ten multi-purpose sports fields, and two picnic pavilions - one large, one small: reservations recommended, and can be made by contacting Oneonta's Department of Recreation at (607) 432-0680).

In the center of the park is Hodges Pond, site of the annual fishing derby and great place for winter ice skating; it's one of the few places in the area with a maintained surface and organized supervision for skaters. Close by is the Brenner Recreation Center and the Laskaris Skatehouse. 
Neahwa's best known venue is Damaschke Field, current home of the Class A Oneonta Tigers baseball club, and home to professional baseball in the area since 1939. Damaschke Field can hold 4,200 fans, and after recent renovations, is a fantastic place to catch a ball game.


You can check out concerts in the summer at Neahwa Park, most notably OH Fest, a free concert sponsored by Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta. There's a huge Fourth of July celebration in the park with tons of food vendors, an afternoon Tigers game, concerts. and a very good fireworks display at dusk.
In the future, Oneonta plans on improving the park experience by constructing the Memorial Walkway, a pedestrian path connecting the three most significant monuments in the park.

Park hours are 8:00 am to 10:30 pm seven days a week.  Park access at Main and River Streets and Market Street.


Click to enlarge this map

Alfresco's Italian Bistro

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26 Main Street
Oneonta, New York 13820
607-432-8466
Alfresco's is a bit of an enigma. 
Their dining space is much larger than one might expect from simply driving by their location on lower Main Street. In fact, there are four seperate eating areas inside: as you walk in, there are the outdoor tables by the door, and a cozy waiting room with a place to sit down near the front counter. You can can pick up a wine magazine and watch the traffic go by while you wait for your gigantic slice. The next room has about five tables, still informal. This was the original eating area for Alfresco's as I remember it back in the mid-1990s. 
The main dining room is large with high exposed ceilings, a service bar, tons of tables, even a cozy fireplace in the back.  If you keep walking, you can peek in on the reserved dining room in the back of the building.
The facilities are nice, but you should be at Alfresco's for the food. They are probably best known for their white pizza, a wonderful garlic, ricotta and mozzarella offering that is simply the best in the city. 
If you are a by-the-slice eater, they serve them 11:30 a.m. - 5:00 and they are simple gigantic. One of these slices is about the size of a small Domino's or Pizza Hut pizza. They usually have slices of white and traditional red ready to go.
Other menu items of note are their hot sandwiches, particularly the Parm subs. Calzones and strombolis are very large and delicious. They have a small dessert menu.
Wine list is very good, beer list is excellent. 
YourOneonta.com reccommends the white pizza and a cold glass of Pironi.

No delivery services. They open for lunch and close around 9:00,  closed Sundays.

Shakedown Street

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177 Main St
Oneonta, NY 13820
(607) 436-9776

This Oneonta thrift store is half consignment, half handmade and fair trade. You can find secondhand clothes, jewelry, and plenty of handmade items. If you are a crafter or a thrift junkie, it's an excellent place to make an little money through consignment. You can read more about this shop in The Daily Star's Shop Talk feature.

Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Sanctuary

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Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Sanctuary
Swart Hollow Road
Franklin Mountain


If you looking for fantastic vistas of Oneonta, this is a great place to start. You can see the entire city stretch out in front of you, from exit 13 on I-88 all the way to exit 16. The santuary itself is marvelous, boasting 97.3 acres of upland forests, fields and wetlands. There are three maintained trails thoughout the site, as well as numerous smaller trails.
Be sure to check out the small wooden bridge leading out onto the main wetland, you'll be sure to see some fascinating wildlife. Parking is tight, as there are only two spots at the edge of the property off of Swart Hollow Road. There is one neighbor close by, so please be mindful until you get to the heart of the property.

Catella Park

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Catella Park
David W. Brenner Road
(adjacent to Neawah Park)


Even locals don't always realize that there's a smaller park adjacent to the larger Neahwa Park in Oneonta.
Catella Park features multi-purpose sports fields with soccer goals and baseball/softball backstops, a long expanse of creek front, and most importantly, the area's only skateboarding and rollerblading park. The recently-built park features concrete steps, rails, and sloped ramps. Plenty of room for riders. Get much more information about the skatepark here.
There are also a few picnic areas and horseshoe pits, when the season is right. An excellent place to view Oneonta's Fourth of July fireworks, or just to enjoy the park without the usual crowds.

Dunkin' Donuts - West End

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‎432 Chestnut St
Oneonta, NY 13820
(607) 432-2262


Full service Dunkin' Donuts with a drive-thru window. Open 24 hours, one of the few eateries in the area open all night. They offer a great little patio with seating for six or so, surrounded by some landscaping. Distinctive mural in the drive-thru tunnel. Parking lot is a little tight getting in and out, but there are plenty of spaces. Interior of the place is huge, plenty of seating available. The men's and women's restrooms are always neat and clean. Free local newspapers, The Daily Star and Hometown Oneonta, available for reading.

Ruffino's Pizzeria and Restaurant

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222 Main Street
Oneonta, New York, 13820
(607) 432-7400

Sure, the pizza is fantastic; thick but not too thick crust, exceptional sauce, plenty of cheese... but the Roni Rolls set this longtime Oneonta pizzeria apart. Ruffinos offers a full dinner menu, subs, wings, everything you would expect.
Daily specials include the famous two slices and a soda deal on Wednesdays, and the Friday lunch deal of two roni rolls and a soda.
Free delivery in the city. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 11am-10pm. Closed Sundays and holidays.
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