Marshall Street Attraction
By Chase Ferren, Beth Lindly, Wilenie Sepulveda, Abby Rose Sugnet
The stretch of restaurants, bars and shops continues to draw students for their college life staples.
When Nicole Morreale wanted food after Faegan’s Café and Pub on Marshall Street closed their kitchen, there was only one solution for her.
“I got my hand stamped and ran next door to Varsity Pizza,” she said.
Morreale, a 2015 business administration graduate, said she begged Varsity for a burger even though they were minutes from closing.
“So they stayed open a little late because Faegan’s couldn’t feed me,” she said. “Food service people in Central New York are really nice and will do things for you like stay open late even though you’re really obnoxious,” she said.
Instances of late-night hospitality is one of many reasons the student population flocks to Marshall Street favorites such as Faegan’s and Varsity during the school year.
Marshall Street, home to restaurants and stores such as Starbucks, Bleu Monkey Café and Halo Tattoo, offers students opportunities to spend their time and money. For many students, other hangout options aren’t considered.
Marshall Street has been a student hub for decades and has seen countless stores open and close in its buildings. Varsity Pizza, open since 1926, is by far the oldest establishment, while Royal Indian Grill opened its doors this past fall. Chains, as well as Central New York-specific restaurants, all share the block.
Information management and technology senior Brennan said variety draws students to Marshall Street instead of, say, SU’s Schine Student Center.
“There’s more variety. With Schine, it’s the same stuff you can get in the dining halls,” he said. “You can get some cheap food on Marshall Street, too, so it’s worth the extra walk.”
Broadcast and digital journalism graduate student Jacqueline Mundry echoed this sentiment.
“The only thing I personally go to in Schine is Dunkin Donuts but it’s just as easy to walk down to Marshall Street,” Mundry said. “Especially with a bunch of people – you can all grab your lunch at the same time even if you don’t want the same type of food.”
While there are many bars on and around the Marshall Street area, Chuck’s Café and Faegan’s boast the most student activity. Jackie Green, a 2015 international relations graduate, said some of her fondest memories were at Faegan’s.
Weekly promotions, such as the World Beer Tour and Flip Night, attract students regularly. Faegan’s closes out the school year with an event celebrating students about to graduate.
“At the last Senior Sunday, they gave us all a glass of champagne, and it was really sweet of them,” Green said. “And one time I worked on a paper at flip night by setting up a hotspot, but that was just me multitasking, really.”
On the other hand, Jones said he prefers Chuck’s.
“Mostly I go to Chuck’s. It’s a lot of fun seeing people from my class, and there are games to play,” he said. “A lot of people I know go there.”
Morreale said due to its close proximity to a university, it’s no surprise Marshall Street does so well.
“Because I went to Whitman, I was right across from the area,” she said. “Everything I needed to do, socially, was on Marshall Street. Faegan’s was there; Starbucks was there; Varsity is right there.
“Food is so central to hanging out with people that it’s almost inseparable from college life.”
